By: Jenafur Schlangen
July 19, 2025
Tinley Park, Illinois
Pantera rolled into Tinley Park on July 19th, and what happened at Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre wasn’t just another metal show, it was something heavier. It was something that sat in your chest long after the lights went out. You could call it a tribute, a reckoning, a resurrection but, whatever it is, this tour hits hard and it hits deep.
From the moment the lights dimmed, the atmosphere shifted. It became obvious very quickly that this tour is built as a living tribute to the two brothers who defined so much of what made Pantera what it was and the band clearly doesn’t take that legacy lightly.
On several tour stops, they’ve opened with a video montage with grainy footage of Dime and Vinnie in their prime, Phil dedicating the moment mid-song. You could feel their presence from the first note to the last. They were everywhere in the sound, in the crowd, in the weight of it all.
Phil Anselmo walked onstage like a man possessed. Sure, his voice has changed over the years, but the fire most certainly hasn’t. You can hear the pain, the fury, the gratitude within it all. In terms of the mind-blowing guitar work, Zakk Wylde doesn’t imitate Dime, he channels him. That chaotic, soulful energy is alive in every note. Charlie Benante does the same for Vinnie. The swing, the crunch, the weight, it’s all still there. And Rex Brown, the last remaining original member onstage, held it all down with that unmistakable low-end groove. It’s not the old lineup, but it felt like Pantera, and that’s what mattered.
Watch the Full Photo Gallery Video Below — A Visual Recap of the Chaos, Energy, and Emotion of the Night:
The setlist pulled zero punches and was simply awesome. When “Cemetery Gates” hit, the entire amphitheater went silent, then exploded. Half the crowd was filming. The other half was screaming through tears. The tribute to Dime and Vinnie wasn’t just a quick moment. Phil paused to talk about his brothers a few times. He talked about the early days, the chaos, the love, the things left unsaid. Zakk’s solo that followed felt like it split the sky open. I saw people with tearful eyes around me so I just closed mine and enjoyed the moment.
But, listen, this wasn’t a funeral, it was a celebration. It was LOUD, sweaty, ragged, and real. “Fucking Hostile” crushed. “Walk” turned the whole place into a stomping, shouting army. By the time they closed with “Domination” and “Hollow,” it felt like the walls were shaking and it felt earned.
If you’re coming to this tour looking for a carbon copy of the past, you might miss the point. But if you come to feel something real, something rooted in love, pain, and pride, then this will hit you where it counts.
Pantera’s set in Tinley Park wasn’t perfect, it was better. It was alive. And for Dime and Vinnie, it was loud as hell.
For upcoming tour dates, go to Pantera’s Official Website —–> HERE.
