Rex Brown: The Return Of The Cowboys From Hell 

There’s lots to talk about with Rex Brown nowadays. Between the reunion of Pantera — performing for the first time in 22 years, to his constant writing for his solo career, to the signature basses that Spector, Gibson, and Epiphone have released for him, along with his new Morley Signature Old Blue wah pedal, there’s a lot on his plate. But today, as we chat during a rare moment of downtime, the biggest thing on his mind is gratitude.  “I’ll tell you what man, this is keeping me healthy, it’s keeping me alive, and it’s a blessing. I’m just going to ride this wave, stay in my own lane, do what I need to do, and appreciate all of it. Even though we lost two brothers in this deal, we’re survivors. Philip [Anselmo] and I have been through so much in our lives together, so to be here at this point is just mind-blowing. I never thought I’d see the day, but here I am.” After years of saying it would never happen, it finally did — and the pioneering metal outfit from Arlington, Texas, has been hitting stages all over the world to sold-out audiences since December 2022. And while much has changed for Rex since he kickstarted the band with the late Vinnie Paul and “Dimebag” Darryl Abbott back in 1981, his love for creating authentic music that is performed meticulously tight is just as intense. A stickler for details, the 60-year-old Rex went to great lengths to get his new bandmates up to speed on the material, just as he took great care in dialing in his tone to match the tenacity he's always provided.  As Brown reflects on his musical brothers, you can hear in his voice how their loss still pains him immensely, but his new purpose is to honor the legacy that they created together. And while new music is being rumored from outside the camp, all Brown is focused on now is the performance they put on every night that they step on the stage. Equipped with his new signature basses and a slew of others in his hefty road collection, he has all of the hunger that he did when he first hit the scene. But a new clarity and perspective on his life as a bass player is what he now finds his biggest asset. How does it feel being back onstage performing Pantera’s music for the first time in over two decades? Let me put it this way: Who would have thought that 20 years later, with all the shit we had to go through and all of the pitfalls possible that we fell into, and this just magically happened? Philip and I have changed as people, and we’re older and wiser now. I quit drinking ten years ago, and life is so much easier these days. Seeing the enormity of the crowds and seeing the pockets of kids just blows my mind. The gap goes between 12-year-olds to 60-year-olds, and that says something. It’s a bold statement. We haven’t done any press for this thing, because all we need to go do is play these damn shows and prove it. There’s all the naysayers who came to a show and bought a T-shirt, and we’re