Not (only) Your Father's Metal Band; Lamb of God and Pantera
My second time seeing Lamb of God and GOD were they sick.
SHOW REVIEW
On a Monday night in Tampa, Florida, Lamb of God and Pantera blew Amalie Arena to smithereens. Kicking off the second day of their North America reunion tour in the home of Death Metal- Pantera and Lamb of God did not come to play.
“If you think you’re too old, it’s time to come out of mosh retirement. No one stand still. No one stay safe. It’s time to kick the shit out of this place” screamed Randy Blythe as the floor opened up and the sharp snare struck. The first time I saw Lamb of God was back in 2022 during the beginning of the Omens tour at the Mid-Florida Amphitheater. As good as they were then, they have become even greater now. Gaining a ton of traction and momentum, Lamb of God's growth over the past two years has been tremendous. The show has blossomed into a display of laser lights, chest-pumping double bass beats, and crazy good screams- theatrical, entertaining, and simply exquisite. Blythe's voice could sing the darkest angels to sleep, his stage presence is captivating and his energy magnetic. As commanded, not a single person stood still. From the solid bass playing of John Campbell who flipped his white luscious locks back and forth to the beat for the entire set- to Art Cruz kicking the shit out of his drum pedal, and the interweaving brilliance of guitarists Mark Morton and Willie Adler, the entire band truly has something special. Sitting right off of the floor I had a perfect vantage point of the pit- which was filled with the delicate juxtaposition of love and rage, two things that wouldn’t always balance but seem to go hand and hand with a Lamb of God show. As my father would say, "It's everything I want in a heavy metal band and nothing I don't need!"
Pantera came on shortly after Lamb of God’s hard set- not an easy band to follow, but they did not disappoint. With Philip Anselmo as the frontman, Zakk Wylde on guitar, Rex Brown on bass, and Anthrax’s Charlie Benante on the drums, falling anything short of amazing would be impossible. After over 30 years of performing, Anselmo remains fun, funky, fresh, and completely “Fucking Hostile”- in the best way. Opening up with “A New Level”, the arena exploded. Anselmo sang through decades' worth of classics like; "Cowboys from Hell", "Walk", "Floods " and "5 Minutes Alone" just to name a few from an extensive catalog of greatness. The band was held down with the tight bass and drum connection and elevated to the stratosphere with the rock god status of Zakk Wylde's presence, proficiency, and power (a vulgar display at that). Honoring the legacies of brothers, Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul, this concert was a night of booming screams and unity. It is not easy to transfer the rage made in a studio to an arena filled with pulsating, anticipatory fans, but both bands did a great job of keeping the audience entertained and angry throughout the entire three-hour show.
In conclusion, the show ranged from gloriously hard-hitting to beautifully brutal. A true representation of live music and the essence of rock 'n roll. With heartfelt tributes and enthralling beats. I eagerly anticipate the continued success of Lamb of God and the everlasting legacy of Pantera’s timeless classics, which will undoubtedly captivate generations upon generations of fans for years to come.
"We're all going through hell. It's burn or keep on walking." Lamb of God, "Broken Hands"
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