On July 22nd, the world lost an icon as Ozzy Osbourne passed away at the age of 76, and the metal scene is still mourning. The vocalist had built an unrivaled legacy among his fans and his peers from his Black Sabbath days through his solo career. Two and a half weeks earlier, the legendary singer was center stage for what was his final performance, Back To The Beginning, a farewell show surrounded by his closest friends in front of over 40,000 fans and millions via livestream. The frontman delighted fans through a handful of his classic tracks with Tommy Clofetos, Mike Inez, Adam Wakeman, and Zakk Wylde by his side, as well as joining his bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward in Black Sabbath for an ultimate final bow.
For Pantera fans, losing an icon has happened twice, sadly, during the band’s existence. First, when guitarist Dimebag Darrell was taken all too soon in 2004, before his brother, drummer Vinnie Paul, passed in 2018. While fans may argue that Pantera had already splintered before this, time has proven to heal wounds for bands that had far more animosity towards each other than the members of Pantera had. It’s impossible to say with any certainty that a reunion would have always been entirely out of the question. Still, a fire burned inside the remaining members, vocalist Phil Anselmo and bassist Rex Brown, to bring Pantera back to the masses.
In 2022, Pantera went on their first major tour in 21 years. Whoever was going to replace the Abbott brothers was going to have some huge shoes to fill, and eventually the band settled on Anthrax’s Charlie Benante on drums and Ozzy’s own Zakk Wylde on guitar. Together with original members Rex Brown and Phil Anselmo, Pantera made their first appearance together at Mexico’s Hell and Heaven festival in early December of that year before rolling into 2023. After the success of that tour, more were planned with a 2025 tour featuring viking metal band Amon Amarth as support, announced earlier this year in February. That tour, dubbed “The Heaviest Tour of the Summer”, was just getting fired up when it reached Wantagh, New York, for a show at the Jones Beach Theater.
With the sun still warming the outdoor venue, opening act Shock Narcotic took to the stage at 7 PM. Formed in 2018, the band features some familiar faces as guitarist Jeff Tuttle (Dillinger Escape Plan), drummer Zack Gibson (The Black Dahlia Murder), bassist Don Slater (Battlecross), and vocalist Shawn Knight (Child Bite), all of whom have found success before joining forces. Together, the four form a band that is chaotic in the best of ways. From headbanging-worthy riffs to Knight’s erratic and unpredictable nature, the band’s hardcore metal gripped the minds of those in attendance. Five tracks, including “Trash For the Pile” and “Burial,” had fans moving early.
Shock Narcotic
Photo Credit: Andrew Fiero
As their set was ending, many of the fans who had been tailgating before the show were all flooding in, growing the crowd even further as the stage crew set up for Amon Amarth’s set. On paper, Amon Amarth was a unique choice for Pantera’s support. It’s not often the supporting act has the most elaborate stage setup of the night, but the towering guard statues and awesome Viking helmet drum riser created quite the scene for the Viking Metal Swedes. Johan Hegg (Vocals), Olavi Mikkonen (Lead Guitar), Johan Söderberg (Rhythm Guitar), Ted Lundström (Bass), and Jocke Wallgren (Drums) soon came out to a roar from the crowd.
After opening with “Guardians of Asgaard”, Hegg addressed the crowd, thanking them. He let fans know that the best part about being a Viking was the partying, and that’s exactly what they had set out to do. “Shield Wall” as two armed guards joined them on stage, equipped with shields and swords to keep an eye on the crowd. Later on, “Deceiver of the Gods” brought out a more sinister foe brandishing a spear, but Hegg was ready with a stiff kick to save the day. Between the hard hitting tracks, Hegg continued to give accolades to the crowd for their ongoing energy levels. It was true, with the weekend in full swing, fans had no excuses and were dialing it up as much as they could for Amon Amarth.
Hegg admitted that despite how great of a party they were having, the week had been a bit of a roller coaster as he paid respects to Ozzy. He asked the crowd to raise their drinks in his honor before downing his own out of a horn as the band kicked into “Raise Your Horns”. He ordered the crowd “If you know the words, sing along. If you don’t, sing it anyway!”. During the track, Hegg saluted the sky before downing another drink out of his horn. As the track concluded, one of the many “Ozzy” chants broke out and the band stood back and took it all in. “Twilight of the Thunderguard” closed out the set as two flagsmen joined the stage. The band said it best themselves as they played, seeing Amon Amarth live is a party. With plenty of entertaining theatrics backed with even more enjoyable tracks, they’re a band you need to see live.
Amon Amarth
Photo Credit: Andrew Fiero
Crew started breaking down Amon Amarth’s props and prepared for Pantera as a huge banner hung over the stage. A quick montage of the original members’ antics both on and off the stage played before the banner dropped and the band wasted little time ripping into “Hellbound”. The Loudest Tour Of the Summer might also be the hottest as pyro lit up the night’s sky. After the track, Anselmo told fans, “Everything we do is for Dimebag and Vince,” and it showed with everything from their faces adorning Benante’s bass drums to their likenesses on Wylde’s vest. Cameras even picked up small figurines of the two rocking out on stage with the band.
From there it was time to bang along to “5 Minutes Alone”, “Strength Beyond Strength” and Mouth of War”. While Wylde took care of most of the heavy lifting on guitar throughout the night, Anselmo showed he was no slouch with a solo on a Dean from Hell during “Goddamn Electric” and this wall before the main setlist was even halfway through. Humorously, Anselmo gave the younger fans in attendance his respect while appreciating their energy before adding, “But one thing us older people have on you is we know all the lyrics”. He insisted fans 30 and younger better be levitating off the ground during their set before saying the elders could sing and jam. Jokes aside, it speaks volumes that a band that was inactive for as long as Pantera was has found appeal in a new generation of fans.
Whether they were young or old, new or die-hard, Pantera had fans moving for “Becoming” before leaning right into “I’m Broken”. As the set wound down, the stage continued to heat up with more pyro as the band ended their set with “Cowboys from Hell”. No one was looking for an early leave though as fans prepared for Pantera’s encore. While the band had given it up for Ozzy throughout their set, the encore brought out a first for the tour as the band debuted a cover of Black Sabbath’s “Electric Funeral”. “A New Level” and metal mainstay “Walk” kept the energy going before the band closed out their encore with “Domination / Hollow”.
One encore wasn’t enough, though, and the members came out one last time to close out with “Fucking Hostile”. As the band finished up, the members each threw what they could out into the crowd as souvenirs, from guitar picks to drum heads and sticks, before taking a final bow center stage. Anselmo then led the crowd into a quick rendition of “Stairway to Heaven” before the lights came up to end the night.
The Heaviest Tour of The Summer is turning it up past 11 as Pantera and company dominate the US. The bands took a short hiatus after the Long Island show. The tough decision was made to cancel three shows and postpone two others so the musicians could mourn and pay their respects to Ozzy Osbourne. As July turns to August, the tour resumes its schedule in Mansfield, Massachusetts with plenty more summer nights being spent rocking out in front of live crowds until the tour concludes in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Whether we want to admit it or not, no one escapes the passage of time. Legacies, however, live on forever. Pantera’s Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul may no longer be with us. Still, Pantera’s legacy continues on strong thanks to a devout fanbase and iconic names filling in for their fallen members. The Abbott brothers will never be replaced nor are Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante trying to replace them. As talented as they both are, it’s clear they are not there to steal the attention away, but to continue the legacy that Dimebag Darrell and Vinne Paul helped create.
Pantera
Photo Credit: Andrew Fiero
