Back in 2023, Pantera shocked the heavy metal community by announcing that they would be reuniting and touring. Of course, without Vinnie, and Dime, would this truly be “Pantera”? The community reacted harshly, claiming that it was simply a “cash grab” capitalizing on the legacy that the Abbott brothers helped build. When Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante and Black Label Society guitarist Zakk Wylde were tapped to join Pantera, some of the social clamor regarding the reunion dissipated. Afterall, these musicians were not only well worthy of the task, but they were friends of the Abbott’s. They dedicated themselves to playing the Pantera catalog the way that Dime and Vinnie would have done it.
Their recent tour came through Ridgefield, WA, and we were there. It was not a “cash grab”, but a celebration of the Pantera legacy; one that has a huge impact and influence on the American heavy metal story.
Opening up for the night was an Aussie grindcore band, King Parrot. Although many of the attendees didn’t seem to be familiar with the band, they were still able to get the energy level up and get people moving. Main support was a more well known band, Amon Amarth. Amon Amarth delivered a pummeling nine song set which included their latest track “We Rule The Waves”. Of course, no Amon Amarth experience would be complete without giving the crowd a good workout. Fans in Ridgefield definitely put their back into the oar for a “row pit” stretching from the barricade all the way through the lawn to the back of the amphitheater. We always get a bit of a grin watching the uninitiated witness the row pit, especially here in the great northwest.
When Pantera took the stage, temperatures in the venue were nearly 100 degrees. Fans, old and young, were packed in. Shoulder to shoulder, sweaty and “fragrant”, they headbanged, jumped, and danced their way through the sixteen song set. The setlist was a good sampling of their music catalog and it was delivered so passionately. Every bar, every note, delivered with as much Pantera authenticity as each of these four musicians could evoke. The production of the show utilized a lot of lighting, LED screens and fire elements, but the focus was on delivering the music to the fans. After the first dozen tracks, the band broke for a quick encore before delivering the last four, and arguably their most popular songs. During “Walk”, the Seattle Blue Thunder drumline marched through the aisles, potentially settling the argument on whether Ridgefield was a Washington, or Portland venue.
It was interesting to see that the venue was still packed as the last song was played. Usually, skating out during the encore will almost guarantee an hour or more saved during egress from the venue. Seeing Pantera live is a surreal experience. I suppose everyone just wanted to soak that in for as long as they could.
Regarding song selection, I’m not sure that closing with “Fucking Hostile” was the best choice for sending pacific northwest drivers out into the night. Meh, what could go wrong?
