If the first show of their 2024 US tour is anything to go by, American Pantera fans are in for a treat over the next few months.
Kicking their run of shows off in Florida, the heavy metal legends played thirteen tracks, one of them being the epic track ‘Floods’. They hadn’t played the 1996 tune live since 2001, their last year of touring before they disbanded a couple of years later.
As the band played the tune this time round, images of dead bandmates Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul were shown on screen. It was their first time playing the song since the two had passed away.
Comments on Pantera’s post of the performance are full of people who were at the show, and they’re all saying it was sick.
“I was there!! Fucking awesome!!!” wrote one person.
“Damn, this hits the heart,” said another. “RIP Dime and Vin.”
“You guys killed it tonight,” a third added. “‘Floods had me in tears - what a great show!”
“Can't listen to this song and not get goosebumps,” wrote one more.
Many believe Darrell’s guitar solo on ‘Floods’ is his best, with Classic Rock describing it as “an octave-vaulting baroque ejaculation that sounds like Brian May on steroids.”
Ever the humble legend, Darrell credits the solo’s epicness to bassist Rex Brown.
“The thing that really makes the 'Floods' solo come across like it does is Rex's playing behind it,” he told Guitar World in 1996.
“He's using his fingers and he plays a whole bunch of cool licks and shit in there. He definitely adds to the vibe and feel of my lead because I'm playing off his part a lot—it was a great foundation for me to build on, man.”
Unfortunately, Pantera won’t be hitting NZ shores this year, but they will be doing three shows in Australia as part of Knotfest.
