King Parrot, Power Trip & Pantera – 25.02.2025 – OVO Wembley, London

– VENUE: OVO Wembley Arena
– DATE: 25.02.2025
– ORGANIZER: Live Nation

Photo by C.N.

The mighty roar of the thunderous Pantera celebration filled the sold-out OVO Wembley Arena last night to the joy and delight of fans both old and new. With a rapturous and highly energetic crowd spanning multiple generations, there was a lot of anticipation and excitement in the air, and the groove metal titans did not let us down but let us not get ahead of ourselves here as we ought to discuss the two opening acts first, namely King Parrot and Power Trip from Australia and Dallas respectively. Two great outfits who deserve a wider audience.

      The nasty and lethal purveyors of grind metal known as King Parrot essentially pummeled us to death for forty minutes and delivered a confident and convincing set that showcased just how menacing, vicious, and perversely entertaining their song material truly is. They were loud, in-your-face, sardonically humorous, and intent on getting every breathing thing in the arena to go ape-shit. This was a strong and potent cocktail that only King Parrot could have served up, and with tracks such as “Disgrace Yourself,” “Bozo,” “Target Pig Elite,” “Home is Where the Gutter Is,” and “Ten Pounds of Shit in a Five Pound Bag,” we were left with no option but to surrender to their wicked charm. Fuck you and the horse you rode in on indeed.

      Thrash metal warmongers Power Trip were up next and provided more crunch, intensity, and stomping riffs than any of us probably deserved. Holy fuck were they good. A charismatic group with a penchant for making every second on stage count, they served up some hellish bangers in the shape of “Executioner’s Tax,” “Firing Squad,” “Nightmare Logic,” and “Drown / Crucifixation” that took this scribe by storm. Rarely have I come across thrash metal that sounded as dark and malevolent yet accessible and catchy as this, and the vocals courtesy of Seth Gilmore were the stuff that the apocalypse is made of.

      And finally, one of the greatest musical inventions known to man was about to play its first headlining gig in the beautiful British capital in twenty-five years. Also, it was the last show of Pantera’s January-February European trek, which made it extra special. The atmosphere felt celebratory for lack of a better term. Following a perfect introduction that saw video footage from the Pantera tours of the nineties soundtracked by the classic “Regular People (Conceit),” the delightfully eerie “In Heaven (Lady in the Radiator Song)” from David Lynch’s Eraserhead started playing before the curtain dropped and the fearless quartet launched into “A New Level.” I could think of no better way to kick things off than that. Charlie Benante and Zakk Wylde are a perfect fit, and the band was right in the pocket from the get-go, delivering each riff and phrase with power, gusto, and determination. Philip remains one of the most charismatic frontmen out there, and he looked and sounded phenomenal. Rex and Charlie were VERY present and figured prominently in the mix where we were sitting, and it was magnificent to behold a tight and well-oiled rhythm section of such caliber. You could quite literally feel them in your bones. Vulgar Display of Power (1992) and Far Beyond Driven (1994) were well-represented by means of “Mouth for War,” “Strength Beyond Strength,” “Becoming” (which including the outro to “Throes of Rejection”), I’m Broken (including snippets of “By Demons be Driven”), “5 Minutes Alone,” “This Love,” and the anthemic “Walk” (featuring chorus vocals by King Parrot, Power Trip, and Jason Momoa no less). Two personal highlights came in the shape of the maniacal “Suicide Note Pt. II” and the riveting slice of pitch-black grandeur that is “Floods” – both of which feature on the underrated The Great Southern Trendkill LP. The main set ended with a nifty medley consisting of “Domination” and “Hollow” that paved the way for a no-holds-barred rendition of the immortal “Cowboys from Hell.” I was beyond thrilled that “Revolution is My Name” figured as the first encore of the night – a splendid choice in that it boasts one of Dime’s best riffs – and that the unfiltered “Fucking Hostile” had the honor of bringing everything to its logical conclusion. From the lights and sound to the video montage and further on to the inimitable stage banter by Phil, everything came together and complemented this most perfect of performances superbly, and I could think of no better homage to Vinnie and Dime than this. Having seen Pantera live on stage on their Reinventing the Steel tour back in 2000, I can also attest to the fact that the essence is still there and remains intact. This is what is meant by some songs and groups being timeless and larger than life.