From the looks of the crowd on Sunday night a lot of Pantera fans had been waiting a long time to see them live again. Many of the faithful in attendance had waited over 22 years for this day, long enough for them to see grandchildren grow up and move out on their own. I’m sure many had fond memories of their early days listening to their favorite bands on the record players or cassette decks.

    Opening the night’s event was Flesh Hoarder, the brutal Death Metal band from San Antonio, which was formed in 2011. This band features Nicholas Moreno on vocals, Angel Tarin on guitar, Mike De Leon also on guitar, Adam De Leon on bass and Rene Martinez smashing the drums. Flesh Hoarder's over the top brand of Texas death metal was a throat-ripping tribute to the endless power of the genre.

    Next on the Pavilion stage was Lamb of God, sometimes abbreviated as LoG, an American groove metal band from Richmond, Virginia. Formed in 1994 as Burn the Priest, the group consists of bassist John Campbell, vocalist Randy Blythe, guitarists Mark Morton and Willie Adler and drummer Art Cruz. The band is considered a significant member of the new wave of American heavy metal movement, having been referred to as one of the "big four" bands of the movement, along with Avenged Sevenfold, Slipknot and Trivium. Their music has also been described as metalcore, thrash metal and death metal. Since their formation Lamb of God has released eleven studio albums, including two under the name Burn the Priest. Their most recent album Omens was released in October 2022. Although Lamb of God is a heavy metal band, the band's vocalist Randy Blythe is a more avid fan of punk rock than heavy metal and refuses to consider himself a "metalhead".

    After the stage was re-set and upon the drop of a giant black curtain emblazoned with PANTERA a barefoot Phil Anselmo took the stage. With his head being shaved to the skin, wearing shorts and a punk/metal Child Bite band T-shirt Anselmo looked like he was up for a vulgar display of power this evening in the sweltering Texas heat.

    With the Texas summer blowtorch still bearing down on the outdoor pavilion the question surrounding tonight’s show was, as it had been with recent performers Skynyd, ZZ Top and Foreigner, is this Pantera or is it just a tribute band. Asking a question such as this at the sold-out event would have probably resulted in bodily harm. Music is what you make of it and don’t mess with a true fan base if you know what is good for you. It truly didn’t feel like a tribute show to me or any of the rockers on their feet with their fists clenched high in the air, so yes this did count as seeing Pantera. Maybe that is why this tour is referred to as a “Legacy Tour”.

    The Abbott brothers, guitarist Dimebag Darrell and drummer Vinnie Paul, are both resting in peace. Phil Anselmo, the impressively versatile vocalist, has reunited with bassist Rex Brown to carry on the Pantera name with big name substitutes Zakk Wylde (Ozzy Osbourne, Black Label Society) on guitar and Charlie Benante (Anthrax, S.O.D.) on drums. Both of these guys are incredible musicians but the Abbotts were crucial to both Pantera’s bludgeoning sound and their hard-partying spirit. They’re the ones who founded the band leading to the thinking that if you are going to call it Pantera then it needs to have original members. As I am seasoned enough in age now I’m getting used to seeing quite a few of the bands I grew up with touring without essential members.

    Credit is due to Benante and especially Wylde, who recreated Dimebag’s crushing, whinnying guitar theatrics with breathtaking realism. The riffs he was playing bring back some of the rawest in the history of the instrument and they still sound phenomenal when accompanied by Anselmo’s growls and screams. Phil’s voice is in great shape as well.

    With the band being aware that some might be offended by their decision to tour under the Pantera name without the Abbott brothers, they turned the performance into a tribute to Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul. Each brother’s face was painted onto one of Benante’s kickdrums and Wylde wore a biker jacket emblazoned with the phrase “St. Dime.” A video before the set featured clips of the classic lineup engaging in your standard rock-star tomfoolery and a second montage during the show, soundtracked by “Cemetery Gates,” was more expressly a tribute to the memory of Darrell and Vince. Anselmo made sure to dedicate the concert to the Abbotts and Dime’s former girlfriend even joined them onstage along with Randy Blyth of Lamb of God to sing “Walk”.

Pantera Setlist:
A New Level
Mouth for War
Strength Beyond Strength
Becoming (with "Throes of Rejection" outro)
I'm Broken (with "By Demons be Driven" outro)
Suicide Note Pt. II
5 Minutes Alone
This Love
Fucking Hostile
Cemetery Gates (First half, Abbott brothers tribute)
Planet Caravan (Black Sabbath cover)
Walk (with Lamb of God)
Domination / Hollow
Cowboys From Hell
Encore:
Slaughtered (with "13 Steps to Nowhere" drum intro; first half only)
Revolution Is My Name (No intro)

Lamb of God Setlist:
Memento Mori
Walk With Me in Hell
Resurrection Man
Ditch
Now You've Got Something to Die For
Omens
Ruin
Contractor
Laid to Rest
Redneck