Pantera, Black Label Society, Corrosion of Conformity, Crowbar, Pig Destroyer, Eyehategod, et Herakleion

Every Metal-head craves to experience a Pantera concert. Unfortunately, an entire generation of fans haven’t had the privilege to witness the band who lead us out of the hairspray/glam rock era into a darker and satisfyingly sinister time in rock. This was my revelation after Pantera’s July 2001 show in Dallas, ground zero for the band and their heavy, groove metal style they pioneered.
The hot summer air hung heavy in the sweltering outdoor arena, a perfect setting for the hellacious show Pantera would perform. In front of a wall of amplifiers and pulsating lights, they started the set with "Hellbound," the opening track from their most recent release 'Reinventing the Steel.' Not letting up for a single breath they launched straight into "5 Minutes Alone and Slaughtered," before even addressing the raucous crowd. Sweat poured and unwashed hair whipped. Mosh pits devoured and long term hearing was compromised. Phil Anselmo worked every inch of the massive outdoor stage that evening as Dimebag Darrell (in his final Dallas performance - R.I.P.) soared through solo after solo.
With the confidence of true rock stars, they saved "Cowboys from Hell" and "Walk" for the encore, leaving the crowd in an absolute fervor state. Little did this hometown crowd know that it would be last chance to see Pantera’s for more than a decade. Today we understand the importance of Pantera but it took the benefit of historical perspective to be sure. It’s in retrospect that we fully grasp the impact of Pantera on Metal and their place in rock history. Hopefully you too can smile to yourself and know that you witnessed Metal royalty.

I love Disney World. I know that's a strange way to start a discussion about a heavy metal band, such as Black Label Society, but the reason I mention it is because getting to see them at the House of Blues in Downtown Disney this past vacation truly made my trip even more special than it normally would have.

My wife, knowing my love for the band and for House of Blues, managed to get us a reservation and surprise me with their performance on our anniversary trip there this past year, and it truly was an incredible experience.

The crowd wasn't the greatest crowd at this venue, but I think that had more to do with not knowing the band, as opposed to not appreciating them, because Black Label Society but on a great show, and Zakk's vocals were great. Dario Lorina's guitar riffs were also quite hot, and really added a lot to the performance, in my opinion.

While it was sort of strange attending a Black Label Society concert where the audience was calmer than I'd expected to see, having been to several Black Label Society concerts, I think that this performance still held up to my expectations for the band, and I know my wife and I had a great time.

Sometimes it’s hard to believe that Corrosion of Conformity has been bringing their punishing brand of sludge/thrash metal to fans for nearly thirty years. Watching them perform at MetalFest Chile in 2013 is a testament to their dedication and talent as a live band. Of course, performing in Chile, a country long known for its passionate and excitable metal fans, makes this both easy and excitable.
Breaking it down in front of a packed crowd of literally thousands, Corrosion of Conformity look a bit older than when they first started, but no less enthused to be playing classics like their 1991 song Vote With a Bullet, as relevant to today’s political atmosphere as it was when released. Singer Pepper James Keenan (back after a brief hiatus from the band) looks entire comfortable as frontman, sporting the metal “uniform” of black shirt, blue jeans, and long hair, masterfully controlling his guitar riffs with the ease and talent of a seasoned pro.
Bandmates Mike Dean (bass), Woody Weatherman (guitarist) and drummer Reed Mullin are no less enthusiastic, performing their driving brand of metal with a practiced confidence that only 30 years as a band can bring. Watch out for the pit – but then, it’s a Corrosion of Conformity show. You know that already.

I’ve been to many metal shows, and listen to a lot of music in the genre, but Crowbar are the only sludge metal band I follow, and I know that some people are put off the slow pace of some of the tracks, but the way that the band intertwine their sound with the fast paced hardcore punk sections keeps it fresh and exciting. When I saw Crowbar perform most recently, it was just after the addition of Jeff Golden on bass, and he totally rocked it, and the entire band looked like they’d been playing together since their beginnings in the early 90s.
One of the tings that stands out for me every time I see them perform live, is the way that they command the stage. Although they’re often facing away from the audience to play their music to each other, the way that they jump and throw themselves around the stage is electric and massively contagious, and had everyone dancing from start to finish.
They opened their set with Self-Inflicted, which had everyone singing along right away, and getting really into the music. They played a great combination of their old and newer material, catering for all the fans there. The show was nearly 2 hours long, and I don’t think the band stopped for a breather once, switching between epic solos and playing awesome tight sets together, but their energy didn’t drop once. For their finale, they played a mash up of some of their hits, and it was mind blowing. They were shouting out to us in the audience, and it was great to be so involved with the end of the show.

Sludge metal is a genre that requires an acquired taste, but in my opinion Eyehategod are relatively versatile, mainly due to their status as one of the most well known and prestigious bands of the genre. The lights were out, and the feedback from the guitar washed over the auditorium before the band ran onstage with their instruments, ready to bring the house down.
They opened the show with a lengthy instrumental track, that demonstrated the sheer talent of every musician in the band, as they powered through complex guitar solos, challenging time signatures, and incredibly fast beats, whilst staying tight as a unit. It was evident that they’ve been playing together for years through their tight format, and their communication on stage.
They played through a variety of their hits from their older material, and journeyed right through to their self titled album from 2014. Their performance value was great, jumping, running, and head banging across the stage, despite their age. They put on an incredible show, and interacted well with us in the crowd, shouting to sing and dance along, and they even took song requests towards the end of the show. It really was a wonderful presentation of talented musicians and great writing.