The sun was still hanging over the black mesa when Australia’s King Parrot exploded onto the stage—forty-odd minutes of whiplash hardcore-grind, spit-take humor, and constant motion. It was the right kind of chaos to jolt the early crowd awake and set the table for the night’s heavier feasts.
Then came the Viking raid. Amon Amarth rolled out a condensed but ferocious version of their legendary theatrical production: pyro bursts, war banners, and that irresistible “shield wall” crowd routine that turns the pit into a mead-soaked field drill. Johan Hegg, drinking horn hoisted, had the amphitheater rowing in unison and bellowing along to battle hymns like “Guardians of Asgaard,” “The Pursuit of Vikings,” “Raise Your Horns,” and “Twilight of the Thunder God.” Even on a touring stage, their touring production leans hard into the longship-and-serpent visuals they’ve become known for, and they promised to bring “as much of their infamous theater production as the stage can handle”—mission accomplished.
When Pantera’s curtain finally dropped, the roar was physical. With Phil Anselmo and Rex Brown flanked by Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante, the band tore through a set that balanced deep-cut grit with arena-sized catharsis. According to the documented setlist for this Albuquerque show, they opened with the “Suicide Note” one–two and careened through “Hellbound,” “5 Minutes Alone,” “Strength Beyond Strength,” “Mouth for War,” “Goddamn Electric,” “Becoming,” “I’m Broken,” “10’s,” “I’ll Cast a Shadow,” “This Love,” and “Cowboys From Hell,” before an encore of “A New Level,” “Walk,” the “Domination / Hollow” medley, and “Fucking Hostile.” The pacing was ruthless; the singalongs, deafening.
The night’s emotional high point came in the encore. As the opening stomp of “Walk” hit, tourmates filtered back onstage—members of Amon Amarth and King Parrot packing the mic line for gang vocals—turning the amphitheater into one giant, grin-and-growl choir. It doubled as a heartfelt tribute to the Abbott brothers, Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul: fists in the air, clips and banners saluting their legacy blazing across the screens, and thousands chanting the riff that defined an era. (The “Walk” encore is confirmed on the setlist for this show; the tour itself has consistently framed the set as a salute to Dime and Vinnie.)
By the time the lights came up, Albuquerque had been properly steamrolled: King Parrot’s manic opener, Amon Amarth’s cinematic raid, and a headlining set from Pantera that felt both celebratory and defiant. If you came for the riffs, you got them by the truckload. If you came to remember why this music still binds people together decades on—you got that, too. And you shouted it back, one boot-stomp at a time.
**Review by Omar Rosales, Images by Daniel Gallegos**
