As tour hits Arlington, Pantera and Metallica have buried the hatchet

It’s a toss-up which was more unlikely: Pantera’s reunion after 20 years, or its gig Aug. 18 at AT&T Stadium as an opening act for its onetime nemesis, Metallica. One of metal’s edgiest bands, the Arlington-bred “Cowboys from Hell” sold more than 20 million albums before a bitter breakup in 2003. Guitar virtuoso Darrell “Dimebag” Abbott and his brother Vinnie Paul (drums) went on to form Damageplan, but tragedy struck in 2004 when Dime and three others were shot to death by a disgruntled Pantera fan during a Damageplan concert in Ohio. Vinnie Paul died in 2018 of heart disease.

Given the bad blood between singer Phil Anselmo and the Abbotts, who founded the band, some Pantera fans have called the reunion a sham. In addition to Anselmo, the new lineup features bassist Rex Brown and new members Charlie Benante (Anthrax) and Zakk Wylde (Ozzy Osbourne).

But Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich applauds the reunion. “I’m always in favor of people following their musical and creative ambitions ... they’re out there celebrating the music and the magic of Pantera,” he told Revolver in March.

Ulrich has apparently also forgiven Anselmo for repeatedly bashing Metallica in 1996, including in an onstage rant in Dallas where he screamed, “Metallica has wimped out! Their new album sucks. I know it, you know it.”

Anselmo later apologized.

“It just started as me ribbing them, but I’d be so [high] onstage that I didn’t even know what I was saying,” he told me in 1997 for a story in The Dallas Morning News. “I’ve got nothing against Metallica. They could put out an album of spoons and harps, and I’d still be a fan.”

Details

Metallica’s “No Repeat Weekend” tour takes place at 6 p.m. Aug. 18 (with Pantera and Mammoth WVH) and Aug. 20 (with Five Finger Death Punch and Ice Nine Kills) at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. Metallica’s set will also be screened live at 8:15 both nights at more than 30 North Texas cinemas (metallica.film).