PANTERA at Oslo Spektrum Arena (Oslo, Norway)
Special Guests: POWER TRIP – CHILD BITE
January 24th, 2025
by Jorge Patacas
It’s been almost three years since the surviving Pantera members Phil Anselmo (vocals) and Rex Brown (bass) announced they were reuniting and touring alongside two other legends, Zakk Wylde (guitars) and Charlie Benante (drums), to celebrate the band’s legacy. That’s how they ended up putting on an amazing performance at Tons of Rock festival in Norway back in 2023, as well as visiting many other countries. The celebration continues this year, and they kicked off with a European winter tour that began with three sold-out shows in a row: Helsinki, Stockholm, and Oslo. The venue chosen for the event in the Norwegian capital was Oslo Spektrum, which opened its doors at 18:30. The first thing you noticed upon entering the venue was that the screens on either side of the stage were showing music videos of bands signed to Housecore Records, the record label owned by Phil Anselmo. Great idea to promote the label and for the audience to get to know new bands! One of them was Child Bite, which was precisely the first act to perform that night before the small crowd that had arrived early. This four-piece from Detroit, Michigan, delivered an intense 30-minute performance in which they showcased their sound composed of a mix of different subgenres such as sludge, noise, hardcore and stoner. The vocalist Shawn Knight was very energetic on stage and even launched himself into the audience during the last song. Good way to end their first performance in Norwegian soil.
The crowd was already much larger by the time Power Trip took the stage. This crossover/thrash metal outfit from Texas caught the attention of both critics and fans with their great sophomore effort “Nightmare Logic” (2017), appearing on many lists of the best metal albums of the year. However, they had to face a very tough period when their vocalist Riley Gale sadly passed away in 2020, so they remained inactive until 2023 when they returned with Seth Gilmore on vocals. He’s certainly doing a great job and has a strong stage presence, something that was once again proved in Oslo. The audience was immediately won over when they opened with “Soul Sacrifice” and things got even better with their classic “Executioner’s Tax (Swing of the Axe)”. The band sounded tight and it was almost impossible not to headbang to those sick riffs, so they managed to captivate those who didn’t know them, but it was also clear that they already had plenty of fans among the audience. The 40-minute set came to a close with “Manifest Decimation” and as soon as they left the stage, a curtain with the red Pantera logo appeared. Half an hour later, the lights went down and a compilation of videos from the 90s showing tour antics from the band’s golden era was shown on the screens, followed by the words “A Vulgar Legacy”. Then white silhouettes of the late Abbott brothers, Dimebag Darrell (guitar) and Vinnie Paul (drums), appeared on the screens, before the show began with “A New Level”, which had the crowd cheering in unison and singing along loudly to the immortal chorus. Both the “Cowboys from Hell” logo and the snake from “The Great Southern Trendkill” album were there as stage props, while portraits of Dimebag and Vinnie appeared on Benante’s bass drums. Anselmo was wearing a Child Bite t-shirt, which are not only signed to his label as mentioned above, but he also collaborated with them many times, even being part of their Anal Cunt tribute EP called “Morbid Hits” released in 2014. “Mouth for War”, another classic from the “Vulgar Display of Power” album (1992) was next, and confirmed that this was going to be an unforgettable night. Then it was time for some songs from “Far Beyond Driven” (1994) in the form of “Stength Beyond Strength”, “Becoming” (with “Throes of Rejection” as outro) and “I’m Broken”. Anselmo had a good interaction with the audience asking them who had seen Pantera back in the day and who was seeing them for the first time, and judging by what could be seen, there were people of all ages, from teenagers to adults in their fifties. Before playing one of the heaviest songs in their catalog, “Suicide Note Pt. 2”, the vocalist announced that it was one for the die-hard fans. “Floods”, also from the album “The Great Southern Trendkill”, was definitely the most touching moment of the night, where videos of Dimebag and Vinnie were shown on the screens. It was hard not to bring back a lot of memories from the past during this song, especially for those of us who grew up listening to this band. The last part of the song where only Zakk Wylde plays was simply incredible. You could even feel that Dimebag was playing there if you closed your eyes. Wylde knows his role in the band and although he has his signature sound, it is not heard as much in Pantera, showing total respect for the band and his late friend. Same with Benante, who plays like Vinnie used to. So, despite all the doubts when the reunion was announced, it was proven that both Wylde and Benante were the right choice for this job.
The highlights in terms of crowd response were definitely “5 Minutes Alone” and the metal anthem “Walk”, where Satyr and Frost from the Norwegian black metal band Satyricon briefly appeared on stage. Satyr had already been on stage with them two years ago when they performed at Tons of Rock. Both bands have been friends for years, so it makes sense that they get together every time the band is in Oslo, and these are those special moments that happen in one city and not on the rest of the tour.
Another iconic song, “Cowboys from Hell”, also stood out with a powerful and strong vocal performance from Anselmo. The band briefly left the stage and returned for the encore, which was one of their fastest songs, “Fucking Hostile”, from the masterpiece “Vulgar Display of Power”. Brilliant ending for an unforgettable evening in which both old and new fans left satisfied after having witnessed a celebration of the legacy of one of the most important bands in the history of metal. Last but not least, R.I.P. Dimebag and Vinnie. Forever stronger than all!
