Download Festival 2024 – Saturday. Hearing what felt like the whole of Derby yelling, “RE-SPECT, WALK!” whilst punching their fists to the sky to each beat felt like an intense fever dream that will remain etched into my memory for as long as I can rock. Pantera’s first UK appearance in twenty years went down like a peal of thunder and left thousands begging for more.
Fire bolts and riveting Metal visuals were matched by the music, which influenced the masses from their humble beginnings in 1981.
For someone too young to enjoy their live-action show before their hiatus, seeing songs like Cowboys From Hell performed in the Download context was an earth-shaking experience.
Longtime bassist Rex Brown strode out his rhythm-sunk hooks with a palpable toughness as Phil Anselmo brought those lighting-whipped growls we all know.
New addition to the band, Zakk Wylde, did what Zakk Wylde does best.
The mammoth of a man swung his crown of lion-like Meal hair to the strums of his guitar, adding his signature gruff to the Metal tendrils of the songs.
The audience grew to the size of a small town, herding around the Opus, mud-splattered but overjoyed at this Saturday night rock ‘n’ roll rendezvous.
Charlie Benante hurled his drumsticks into his kit with some seriously pumping graft. Most of the setlist came from albums Vulgar Display Of Power and Far Beyond Driven, knowing what their fans drove to see them for and to push them to be lost in the nostalgia of one of Metal’s best.
It is the pure bass grit that comes with Pantera that we know and love. Not long now till they tour the UK. Get in.
Download Festival 2024
MetalTalk Download 2024 coverage can be found at MetalTalk.net/tag/download-2024.
Download Festival 2024 will mark the second year of the festival selling out, with weekend, day and camping tickets now completely gone. The festival will reunite its incredible community of fans for a jam-packed five-day event (June 12-16).
This year’s MetalTalk team is:
Photography:
For Download 2023 coverage, visit MetalTalk.net/tag/download-2023.
For Download 2022 coverage, visit MetalTalk.net/tag/download-2022.
