Pantera’s gig at the Rockfest in Hyvinkää was a no-nonsense groove-metal-thriller.
“Here’s a song you’ve heard a hundred times!” said the legendary lead singer, Phil Anselmo.
It was time for “Walk.”
Can’t you see I’m easily bothered by persistence /
One step from lashing out at you ….
Heads were moshing. Rumble and ruckus in the moshpit! These folks had heard the song a thousand times!
“Cowboys from Hell” left no one cold even as the temperature had started sinking below ten degrees Celsius at the Hyvinkää Airfield, the non-towered airport that has begun gathering a reputation for hosting some of the heavier names in metal on its runway.
The new lineup of Pantera, which include guitarist Zakk Wylde and drummer Charlie Benante and two original members Anselmo and bassist Rex Brown concocted a sound so intense you could feel it under your hat and skin.
“Planet Caravan” paid tribute to the former members, the late drummer Vinnie Paul and guitarist Dimebag Darrell—a beautiful rendition of the ballad with Benante playing the congas.
What more can I say . . . “5 Minutes Alone,” I’m Broken,” Becoming,” . . . “This Love”—all absolute classic heavy metal bangers that left the thousands of Finns who had grown up listening to Pantera—one of the most influential metal bands in history—wrapped in euphoria and, yes, nostalgia.
View our gallery below.
Phil Anselmo, the lead singer of Pantera, bringing down the heat at Rockfest in Hyvinkää, on June 8, 2023. Click to view the gallery. Photographs: TONY ÖHBERG/FINLAND TODAY
