Mark Tremonti: Why I Refused Offer to Be Considered for New Pantera Lineup | Revolver

Mark Tremonti: Why I Refused Offer to Be Considered for New Pantera Lineup

Creed guitarist says he turned down Rex Brown's suggestion to "put your name in the hat"
Mark Tremonti 2021, Scott Diussa
Mark Tremonti
photograph by Scott Diussa

For many metal guitarists, getting the opportunity to play with Pantera would be a dream come true. However, when Rex Brown reportedly proposed that possibility to Creed/Alter Bridge guitarist Mark Tremonti, the axman said he refused to even consider auditioning.

In a new interview with Overdrive, Tremonti said that he was speaking with Pantera's bassist "a number of years ago" about the band's then-hypothetical return, and Brown suggested that he "put [his] name in the hat" of potential guitarists who might fill Dimebag Darrell's shoes. As Tremonti tells it, he answered Brown's suggestion with a hearty, unhesitating "hell no!"

"A number of years ago, I was talking with Rex at the Download festival, and he was talking about a possible Pantera reunion," Tremonti told Overdrive. "He looked at me and said, 'You should put your name in the hat', and I was like, 'No way, man.'"

Of course, the long-rumored Pantera comeback finally happened this year, and Zakk Wylde is the guitarist playing Dimebag's riffs alongside core Pantera members Philip Anselmo and Brown, as well as Anthrax's Charlie Benante, drumming in place of Dime's brother, Vinnie Paul.

"You have to be a certain type of personality to take on that role," Tremonti continued, explaining the reasoning behind his immediate pass. "It's not just about the playing, it's very much the personality, and Dime had a huge presence. Put it this way, nobody's gonna flip off Zakk Wylde onstage. They very well might do that to me, but there's just no way I would put myself in that situation."

Below, see members of In Flames, Spiritbox, GWAR, Halestorm and more make their picks for Pantera's single greatest song.