Pantera Stay Busy With Side-Pr

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Though metal overlords Pantera have not begun work on the follow up to Reinventing The Steel quite yet, they are keeping very busy these days with side-projects and jam bands.

Yes, while a slew of Pantera-related projects are in the works and set to pop next year, drummer Vinnie Paul recently told MTV News that it is presently unlikely that their sixth major-label release will be released before early 2003 at the earliest. “We’ve been on tour basically non-stop for 12 years and we've really never taken any time off,” said Paul. “So at the end of our last tour we were like, 'Look, we all have some side projects we want to get out of the way. There's no hurry to get back in the studio, but when we all feel comfortable and ready to go we'll do it.'"

However, that’s not to say there won’t be plenty of Pantera for fans to chew on in the meantime…

First off, the band is currently gathering footage for an upcoming DVD, tentatively titled Pantera 4, which will likely be released next summer. "It will be another three years of video tape of us just being on the road, doing our thing," Paul recently told MTV. "Our fans love that shit and they're always coming up to us and mimicking things out of the home videos."

In the meantime, fans can expect two upcoming Pantera–related albums next year. First off is the sophomore release from Pantera side-project Down, which features Pantera frontman Philip Anselmo and bassist Rex Brown. The band's long-awaited, as-yet-untitled sophomore album is scheduled to receive a Japanese release on March 13th through Warner Music (no U.S. release date has been set).

In addition, the long awaited collaboration effort between Brown, Vinnie Paul, Dimebag Darrell and country legend David Allan Coe is finally going to see the light of day. Dubbed Rebel Meets Rebel, the album has been described by Paul as a “country/heavy metal hoe-down.” Anselmo makes a guest appearance on the title track, singing a duet with Coe. Other song titles that have leaked out include “Heartworn Highway,” “A Man With Nothin' Ain't Got Nothin' to Lose,” “One Night Stand,” “New York City Streets,” and “Get Outta My Life.” The band has already mixed the album is currently working out the details of its release. Though the album is technically supposed to be released through Pantera’s label, Elektra, it is not confirmed that that will be the case. Elektra has first right of refusal and if they choose not to release it the band can ship it elsewhere…and will likely have no problem finding an eager candidate.

But for those who can’t wait to get their Pantera fix, they can trek on down to Dallas' Bronco Bowl on December 31st for a special New Year’s Eve performance of the Pantera offshoot band Gasoline, a ‘70s rock cover band (with some originals thrown in) that features Darrell and Paul alongside Pumpjack vocalist Thurber T. Mingus and bassist Sean Time. That evening’s performance will also feature a special guest appearance from Alice In Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell, who will perform acoustic versions of the AIC hits "Got Me Wrong" and "Rooster." Also on the bill that night are Drowning Pool, Sevendust and Union Underground. Gasoline will follow up the Bronco Bowl performance with a midnight gig at Vinnie and Darrell's strip club, the Clubhouse. "Pantera hasn't played on New Year's Eve for a while, and sitting around the house watching Dick Clark ring in the new year kind of sucks," Paul told MTV News. "That's why we put this thing together." Yee haw!!!!