Phil Anselmo performs on stage with Pantera. Saturday, July 19, 2025 at Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre … More
Photo by Ethan Chivari
Everything we do is for Dimebag and Vince,” said Phil Anselmo early in the set as Pantera’s headlining tour continued Saturday night just outside the Windy City at Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre in Tinley Park, Illinois. “Sing it, Chicago!” he shouted midway through “5 Minutes Alone.”
Following the last performance to feature the group’s most prominent lineup in 2001, and after the death of co-founding guitarist Dimebag Darrell (who was assassinated on stage in Columbus, Ohio in 2004) and his brother, drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott (who passed in 2018), singer Phil Anselmo and bassist Rex Brown put Pantera back together for a pair of performances in late 2022, hitting the road with Metallica soon after in the form of a supergroup touting touring members Zakk Wylde (Ozzy Osbourne, Black Label Society) on guitar and drummer Charlie Benante (Anthrax).
Pantera’s place in heavy music history is hard to overstate, with the group creating some of the most catchy, melodic music in the history of heavy metal, finding their true footing upon release of their seminal fifth studio album Cowboys From Hell (1990) while pioneering the aptly-titled groove metal sound, basically creating their own genre.
Rex Brown performs on stage with Pantera. Saturday, July 19, 2025 at Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre in … More
Photo by Ethan Chivari
As one of the best selling groups in metal history, Pantera sold in excess of 20 million records globally, tallying four platinum albums and one gold album, a gold live album, a platinum best of, one gold video compilation and another trio of platinum home videos (all en route to four Grammy nominations).
Tinley Park marked night three of this leg of the group’s American outing, a run which continues into mid-September ahead of a return to Europe with Metallica in 2026.
“A vulgar legacy,” read the screen as vintage footage of the band ran. The curtain dropped as flames erupted, with pyro shooting out from behind Benante, who was seated at an immense quadruple kick drum kit with a pair of drumheads bearing the visages of Dime and Vinnie Paul.
Following opening cut “Hellbound,” Pantera moved quickly toward “Strength Beyond Strength” as a massive raucous crowd in the supposed 28,000 capacity outdoor venue made their presence known, with the band taking early and consistent notice of the beyond vocal crowd.
Phil Anselmo (left) and Zakk Wylde (right) perform on stage with Pantera. Saturday, July 19, 2025 at … More
Photo by Ethan Chivari
“Oh my goodness…” mused Anselmo on stage in Tinley Park, eschewing typical stage banter as he marveled in a seemingly genuine fashion. “I mean, Chicago, this is an exceptional audience,” he continued, requesting the house lights be turned up for a better look. “Chicago always, always represents. The Chicago audience, man – incredible every time,” said Anselmo. “And there’s proof of it on the first home video.”
Benante’s drums came pummeling into “Mouth For War,” with Anselmo thumb to throat while pumping his right fist as Benante and Wylde played out the track.
Brown rumbled on the low end as Anselmo continued to work the crowd, strapping on a guitar midway through “Goddamn Electric” as he faced off against Wylde, with each tearing away passionately at an axe. “Your trust is in whiskey, weed and Black Sabbath,” he sang, two weeks removed from the group’s set during Black Sabbath’s “Back to the Beginning” farewell concert in Aston, Birmingham, England. “It’s god damn electric!” screamed Anselmo unknowingly, prior to the death of rock and metal legend Ozzy Osbourne just three days after the Tinley Park performance.
Charlie Benante performs on stage with Pantera. Saturday, July 19, 2025 at Credit Union 1 … More
Photo by Ethan Chivari
“F–in’ awesome,” noted Phil as the crowd did the heavy vocal lifting on “Becoming,” with Brown nodding in apparent agreement. “Lemme see those fists in the air – upstairs!” said the Singer, again toasting Dimebag and Vinnie Paul.
Brown and Wylde chipped in on the vocals to “I’m Broken” as red flame fountains soared with Anselmo closing his eyes as he raised both arms triumphantly over his head following a terrific take on the Far Beyond Driven hit.
“There is a song that we’ve added to the set that we haven’t played much in the past,” said Anselmo, just two shows removed from Pantera’s first ever live performance of “10’s,” a standout deep cut from 1996’s The Great Southern Trendkill.”
Wylde seemed right at home recreating the droning opening dirge as the band slowed down into a stellar stoney groove throughout a standout moment Saturday night. Benante stood up behind his kit at the end, pumping his right fist as a deafening “Pantera!” chant grew organically amongst the terrific Chicagoland crowd. “Love it and appreciate it so much – so f–in’ much,” said Anselmo in response.
Zakk Wylde performs on stage with Pantera. Saturday, July 19, 2025 at Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre in … More
Photo by Ethan Chivari
Saturday night’s crowd was almost split between old school Pantera veterans and younger kids, many of whom probably weren’t born by the time the band called it a day in 2003. And, Anselmo, 57, was lucid, maintaining a powerful voice that only grew in its ferocity over the course of 90 minutes. Musically, Benante proved the lynchpin while Wylde deftly applied his own spin to Dimebag’s iconic licks.
“There is a section in this song that is f–ing heavy. It’s f–ing heavy,” reiterated the singer, setting up “I’ll Cast a Shadow.” “I expect everybody to act accordingly. I’ll give you a heads up when it’s coming,” said the singer playfully, huddling with Brown stage right as the audience did as instructed.
“Give it up for SNAFU! And absolutely give it up for our Viking Brothers!” said Anselmo, shouting out opening acts SNAFU and Amon Amarth.
Detroit rockers SNAFU, who are signed to Anselmo’s Housecore Records, performed for about a half hour Saturday in Tinley Park ahead of Swedish melodic death metal vets Amon Amarth.
Rex Brown performs on stage with Pantera. Saturday, July 19, 2025 at Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre in … More
Photo by Ethan Chivari
“This tour has been amazing so far and tonight is gonna be hard to top,” said Amon Amarth singer Johan Hegg. “Thank you for having a f–ing awesome party!” he continued, setting up “Raise Your Horns.” “I take this opportunity to raise my horn to you: cheers!” he continued, closing out the song with a left legged roundhouse kick shortly thereafter.
Heading toward encore, Pantera went even lower and slower than on record, with the supergroup putting their own sinister spin upon “This Love.”
“This flew by,” said Anselmo returning to the stage. “I wanna thank you again. This could well be the best American audience,” he continued, once again commending the Windy City faithful as Wylde ripped into the buzzsaw opening guitar riff at the heart of a song that’s stood as a mission statement of sorts for the Texas-born rocker over 35 years: “Cowboys From Hell.”
Anselmo, barefoot on stage throughout, paused for the first time Saturday night as Benante worked the crowd into another “Pantera!” chant, kicking things up a notch appropriately via “A New Level.”
Phil Anselmo (left) and Zakk Wylde (right) perform on stage with Pantera. Saturday, July 19, 2025 at … More
Photo by Ethan Chivari
“I do believe that audience is going to peak during this next song,” said the singer with a smile looking to his right at Wylde. “I can’t think of a better audience to address,” Anselmo continued. “I wanna see every fist and hear every voice. Zachariah… play the f–ing riff!” he commanded, as Wylde dove into arguably Dimebag’s most resonant riff, with pyro criss-crossing behind the band as “Walk” kicked off in Chicago, one of metal’s true anthems.
Anselmo signed an autograph for a fan in front, taking his time as Pantera soaked up the love before wrapping up with “F–ing Hostile,” shaking hands with Brown as he returned to the center of the stage.
“Listen to the patience of Chicago,” mused the always quotable Anselmo in the show’s final moments. “I like to say it: If and when we come back to this f–ing place, who’s gonna come see Pantera again?” asked the singer rhetorically. “Sing your god damned lungs out!”
