Pantera introduced Energy Journey because the openers for his or her upcoming 2025 European tour dates and Energy Journey followers are pissed.
Followers’ anger stems from feedback made by late Energy Journey vocalist Riley Gale in two separate interviews concerning Pantera and Superjoint Ritual vocalist Phil Anselmo. First have been Gale‘s opinions from a 2017 interview with the Rest room Ov Hell Podcast, the place Gale stated he would not tour with Superjoint Ritual on account of Anselmo‘s views expressed in the course of the 2016 Dimebash occasion – specifically shouting “white energy” alongside a “Sieg Heil” and making an attempt to move it off as a joke later.
“We already did. Superjoint Ritual requested us to exit… It was arduous, it was arduous, however you understand what? It was one in every of this stuff the place you understand it was solely a 12 months in the past since Phil acquired busted seig heiling on digital camera. And one of many guys from Pig Destroyer — I consider it was Blake — he performs in a band with Phil, and he was there, and he sort of defined what Phil was doing was truly being sarcastic, he was making an attempt to deal with the hecklers.
“However you understand what? He is carried out some actually… He is carried out some stuff that made us too uncomfortable. And I did not wish to go on the market and really feel like I wanted to be the guardian for Phil Anselmo concerning his politics. And I actually did not wish to come on the market and find yourself disagreeing after which being on tour with a band that hates us for our politics for the subsequent few months. It was a extremely arduous factor to show down. I’d like to see what Phil actually is like as an individual.
“I consider that he in all probability is an effective particular person on the finish of the day. And we have toured with Eyehategod and Jimmy Bower is a reasonably good man. So it was a kind of issues the place, will we wish to… It extra so needed to do together with his followers that kinda comply with him round. Do we wish these type of decrease revenue, kinda trailer trashy steel guys who simply worship Phil Anselmo, do we wish them to be uncovered to our band, after which possibly grow to be related to a scene or a bunch of folks that we do not essentially agree with.”
“So it was powerful. I’d love a possibility to possibly play with Phil and get to know him as an individual. However to decide to a five-week tour with a man who has carried out and stated some questionable issues that we do not agree with was one thing that we simply kinda stated wasn’t value it. It wasn’t definitely worth the threat. We did not want the tour, as cool as it will have been. Energy Journey did not must go on tour with Superjoint Ritual.”
Gale later echoed those self same sentiments in an interview with the Chicago Tribune in 2018, saying: “We turned down a Superjoint Ritual tour, primarily as a result of I do not wish to be related to Phil Anselmo. I did not know him personally, however I do know he has gotten in bother for saying a whole lot of silly s— (celebrating ‘white energy’ on stage, for which he later apologized). I did not wish to be within the place of defending that. It is right down to what sort of band we wish to be related to, as folks as a lot as something musical.”
Energy Journey has not issued any remark or response to fan backlash. Gale handed away in 2020. Energy Journey has since carried on with Fugitive vocalist Seth Gilmore as of 2023.
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