"For the brothers. For the fans. For the legacy." Pantera's highly anticipated return is billed as a tribute to Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul, and that's just how Philip Anselmo and Co. presented their first show in over 20 years last night (December 2nd) at Mexico's Hell & Heaven Metal Fest.
Debuting Pantera's new lineup — core members Anselmo and Rex Brown joined by longtime friends Charlie Benante (Anthrax) and Zakk Wylde (Ozzy Osbourne, Black Label Society) — the band's comeback set was filled with salutes to the band's founding brothers, Dimebag and Vinnie, who passed in 2004 and 2018, respectively. Notably, Benante's bass drums were adorned with portraits of the Abbott brothers.
However, the main tribute arrived during Pantera's cover of Black Sabbath's "Planet Caravan," during which archival footage of the Abbott brothers was projected on the big screens, and Anselmo stopped to say, "This is for Vince and Dime, man," in the middle of the song. "Dimebag and Vince, may the legacy live long, man. That's right," he concluded at the cover's end.
See video of the touching tribute performance below.
Below, see members of In Flames, Spiritbox, GWAR, Halestorm and more make their picks for Pantera's single greatest song.
