Rock Regeneration

Wembley Arena

In my halcyon days of the late eighties and early nineties Glasgow I was very aware of the rise of Pantera. I never caught them live in those days as disposable income was tight and they weren’t at the top of my list of “must sees”, but the rock clubs and pubs always had them on. From “Power Metal” onwards they were part of the soundtrack of my most visited establishments.

Some of my closest friends were (and still are) huge fans; aficionados and gate-keepers all and I’m sure they all have very hard opinions of the current (new) line-up. I’m coming to this gig from a different angle – I liked Zakk Wylde from his days with Ozzy, all the way through Black Label Society to his “Book Of Shadows” solo albums and having still not seen him live (despite numerous attempts and “nearlies”) this will be my first time. Charlie Benante though, I’ve seen him loads with Anthrax and he’s always excelled. Their addition to the Pantera line-up has finally fuelled my interest enough to check them out.

In a hasty attempt at research I’ve had a shuffle through my digital Pantera library in the lead up to reacquaint myself with all their music other than the four tracks that are on my permanent day-to-day playlist. Groove Metal-tastic! Wembley arena was in its full capacity mode tonight with all the seats and floor space available. No searches/pocket emptying on arrival and no cloakroom (it’s a winter’s night, so people are wrapped up) available either, which feels strange.

The first support was King Parrot, an Australian grind-core 6 piece outfit. I’d love to provide a full report but the sound quality was very poor; all drums and top-end screaming. They assaulted our senses with gusto though. Next up was Power Trip with a throaty dose of Dallas, Texas thrash metal. This is another band I’ve never seen before and they immediately gave me early Slayer vibes. The sound quality had improved and they bestowed us with a really polished performance and great stagecraft. I did vaguely recognise one song “Nightmare Logic” and was left quite impressed by their tight set.

Shortly after their departure a huge stage curtain emblazoned with Pantera was lowered over the stage. Audience murmuring intensified somewhat. We’d read somewhere that Pantera were due on at 21:30, which after a few quick calculations meant that we’d miss our preferred train back to where our car was parked and would probably have to go for a later one. This is the perennial issue coming up to gigs in London from the sunny south coast. But, we decided to play it by ear and see how the headliner grabbed us.

Eventually the side screens lit up with silhouettes of Dimebag and Vinnie, the house lights dropped and the intro music started. The crowd’s anticipation palpably ramped up. Here we go! The big curtain suddenly dropped and we’re into “A New Level” with lots of pyro (flame throwers) and the huge screen behind cycling through custom graphics and original band reportage footage. The crowd went wild as the band sounded vice tight. Before we could catch our breath “Mouth For War” was upon us and on to the brutal opening bars of “Strength Beyond Strength”.

I’m thinking, this may not be the original Pantera, but the Abbott brothers are certainly in the room and front and centre of the show. Their faces are everywhere from the kick drum skins to repeated videos on the enormous backdrop screen. Rex Brown on bass is superb and meshes seamlessly with the impeccable Charlie Benante on drums. Phil Anselmo mentions that this is the last date on the tour and seems very appreciative of everyone there, despite prowling and growling around the stage like his old demented self. Zakk Wylde is exactly as I’d expected him to be; peerless playing with a restrained and extremely respectful swagger. You can feel the reverence he has for Dimebag with every lick and chugging riff.

“Becoming” is next and the whole place is singing along. “I’m Broken” is superbly done and I’m really enjoying the whole experience. Now, as the manager (and sometimes stage tech) for an unsigned hard rock band, I’m always looking at set-ups and the aesthetic of the show as a whole. Pantera’s stage is simple and effective. Screens back and at the sides frame a relatively sparse stage with a drum riser back central and big walls of amplifier cabs either side of Benante. These have a uniform unbranded appearance and are lit in conjunction with the main colour washes. Outside of these are neon snakes holding up CFH (Cowboys From Hell) signs, which change colour in time with the songs multiple rhythm variations.

This leaves the whole front of the stage empty, so Phil, Zakk and Rex can move about freely. It’s really effective.

The set continues with “Suicide Note, Pt. II” and “5 Minutes Alone” and when we reach “This Love” the screens all change to just a long montage video of Dimebag and Vinnie in their heydays. These continue into “Floods” and we can feel the brothers with us. It’s a very poignant section of the show and feels like the real reason we’re all here tonight.

Phil then has a longer chat with the crowd and thanks everyone for making this tour happen. He then introduces the next song as “somewhat of an anthem” and continues, “you’ll all know all the words”. “Walk” blasts out and we do all know all the words. At the first chorus the members of King Parrot, Power Trip and Jason Mamoa (of Aquaman acting fame) appear onstage and join in with the rest of the song. After a couple of songs of reflection, this feels like a celebration and we’re all along for the ride.

Next up is a a medley of “Domination” and “Hollow” and then the band pause again. The CFH signs mentioned before now appear looming on all the screens and we all smile because we realise what’s coming. “Cowboys From Hell” nearly takes the roof off and in the blink of an eye the band are off the stage. We realise we’ve missed our preferred train and start to depart the arena. But, the strains of “Mississippi Queen” by Mountain belt out and the band are back, smashing their way through “Revolution Is My Name” and “Fucking Hostile” to end the night.

On reflection, I wasn’t sure what to expect but this show blew me away. Huge songs played by the most accomplished band.
Friends of mine are still saying it’s only half of Pantera (maybe they should rename it Pant or Tera) and I really don’t like tribute bands per se, but if you had to build a Pantera tribute band these four might just be the best you could ever pick. They play the perfect homage to the fallen members. My biggest take away though, is the songs are brilliant and are being kept alive and kicking in a way that I hope the Abbott boys would approve of. I’m very glad I went and stayed all the way to the end. Oh, and our preferred train was predictably late, so we actually still caught it – good old British public transport at its shoddy best!

Pantera are
Phil Anselmo (vocals)
Rex Brown (bass)
Charlie Benante (drums)
Zakk Wylde (guitar)

Setlist
Intro: Regular People (Conceit) – In Heaven (Lady In The Radiator Song)
A New Level
Mouth For War
Strength Beyond Strength
Becoming (“Throes Of Rejection” Outro)
I’m Broken (“By Demons Be Driven” Outro)
Suicide Note Pt. II
5 Minutes Alone
This Love
Floods
Walk
Domination/Hollow
Cowboys From Hell

Encore
Revolution Is My Name (snippet of “Mississippi Queen”)
Fucking Hostile

Links
https://pantera.com
https://www.facebook.com/powertripTX
https://kingparrot.net

Guest Reviewer Article by Mark Lande
Photographs by Jack Lande