From The Vault - PANTERA, Part 2

In Part 1, I posted some pictures of Pantera from the 2000 Ozzfest tour, so now here's some from the band's final U.S. tour on July 21, 2001 in San Diego at Cox Arena. Of course, the reason for showcasing these is in anticipation of former Pantera bassist Rex Brown performing with Kill Devil Hill on Tuesday, November 19 at the Skyway Theater Studio B in Minneapolis.

This was a monster of a bill - supporting Pantera was Slayer, Static-X, Skrape, and Morbid Angel. Pantera was supporting was I think was one of their best albums, Reinventing The Steel, although opinion seems to be divided about the merits of that album. Nevertheless, Pantera went out near the top of their incredible career.

From The Vault - PANTERA Part 1

My first encounter with Pantera wasn't a good one. I was browsing my favorite metal record store in Iowa back around 1987 or 1988 and came across a used copy of the first Pantera album, Metal Magic. If you've even seen the large format vinyl LP version of the cover, the horrendous artwork is hard to erase from your mind. This was the pre-Phil days of Pantera when Dimebag Darrell was Diamond Darrell, and Rex Brown was Rexx Rocker. Of course, the band was virtually unknown outside of Texas at that time, and I thought it might be a solo album from the female backup for Thor! The shop owner threw it on the turntable to give me a listen. It sucked, so I didn't plunk down the $5 for it. This has come to be one of my biggest record-buying regrets, haha.

Pantera bassist Rex Brown is bringing his newest band Kill Devil Hill to Skyway Theater Studio B in Minneapolis on Tuesday, November 19, so I thought it'd be fun to pull out some Pantera material from my archives. I'm guessing I saw Pantera close to 10 times, the first when they were opening for Skid Row soon after the release of Vulgar Display Of Power. Unfortunately, I never had the opportunity to see them on the Suicidal Tendencies/Exodus and Prong/Mind Over Four tours for Cowboys From Hell.

Here are pictures from Pantera performing at the Glen Helen Blockbuster Pavilion in Devore, California as part of Ozzfest on September 2, 2000. This was one of the weakest Ozzfest lineups, and Pantera was undoubtedly the best band there. The band tore it up in characteristic fashion and left no doubt that they were still at the top of their game. I'll have additional posts with some other live pictures and memorabilia. There's 17 photos in this set, which you can view in the slideshow below.

Concert Announcements - October 11, 2013

The What’s Up Lounge in continues to bring brutal death metal to Mankato – on Saturday, November 9 they’ve organized what is being billed as Human Feast Fest. Suffer The Wrath from Springfield, Illinois, Tyranny Enthroned from St. Louis, Minneapolis’ We Are Legion, Mankato’s Compulsive Mutilation, Aborning from Georgia, and Human Bashing from Mankato are all on the bill for this night of insanity.

As announced here acouple days ago, Kill Devil Hill makes their first area appearance at the Skyway Theater Studio B in Minneapolis on Tuesday, November 19 with Eyes Set To Kill, Girl On Fire, and Pandemic. Tickets are on sale now through Ticketfly.

Rockers The Last Vegas will appear at G.B. Leighton’s Pickle Park in Fridley on Friday, November 22 with Dory Drive and Smiling Politely. Advance tickets are only $8 through Vitalculture.

Tesla returns to Myth in St. Paul for a concert on Friday, January 24. Support acts have yet to be announced, and tickets go on sale tomorrow, Saturday, October 12 at 10:00 am.

KILL DEVIL HILL Adds Minneapolis to U.S. Tour

As promised, Kill Devil Hill has announced additional dates to their upcoming U.S. tour, including a show in Minneapolis at the Skyway Theater Studio B on Tuesday, November 19. Support on the tour will come from Eyes Set To Kill and Girl On Fire; local support at the Minneapolis show will be Pandemic. Kill Devil Hill features bassist Rex Brown of Pantera and Down fame and legendary drummer Vinny Appice (ex-Black Sabbath, Dio, WWIII, and others). The tour coincides with the release of Kill Devil Hill’s second album, Revolution Rise, set for release on October 29 through Century Media. You can listen to “Crown Of Thorns” from the upcoming album in the YouTube video below. The current list of Kill Devil Hill tour dates follows. Tickets for the Minneapolis show are on sale now through Ticketfly.

October 26 – Ramona, CA, Ramona Mainstage

October 27 – Fullerton, CA, The Slidebar

October 28 – Chico, CA, Lost on Main

October 29 – West Hollywood, CA, The Roxy Theatre

October 31 – Tucson, AZ, The Rock

November 1 – Tempe, AZ, Club Red

November 2 – Las Vegas, NV, LVCS

November 5 – Seattle, WA, El Corazon

November 6 – Portland, OR, Hawthorne Theater

November 7 – Walnut Creek, CA, Red House Live

November 13 – Austin, TX, Dirty Dog

November 14 – Houston, TX, Scout Bar

November 17 – Oklahoma City, OK, Chameleon Club

November 19 – Minneapolis, MN, Skyway Theater Studio B, w/Pandemic