Live Review: Pantera - BP Pulse Live, Birmingham
Support: King Parrot, Power Trip
23rd February 2025
Words & Photos: Tim Finch
As Pantera’s first run of headline shows in the UK for twenty five years draws to a close The Razor’s Edge team head to BP Pulse Live, Birmingham for the penultimate date on this run of dates.
Australian grind maniacs King Parrot took the first, unleashing a relentless assault of chaos as the opening act. Tasked with warming up a packed arena of die-hard metal fans, the band wasted no time in making their presence known with an all-out barrage of blistering riffs, guttural screams, and stage antics that only they can deliver.
Kicking off with ‘Get What Ya Given’ King Parrot set a furious pace, with frontman Matt Young barking out his signature shrieks and hurling himself into the madness. The setlist was a carefully curated mix of fan-favourites and fresh material, including ‘Epileptic Butcher’, ‘Disgrace Yourself’, and ‘Bozo’.
The highlight of the night came when they tore into ‘Shit on the Liver’, a track that has become a signature anthem for the band. The entire venue erupted, fists pumping and heads banging as King Parrot turned the arena into their own demented playground. The closing one-two punch of ‘Hell Comes Your Way’ and ‘Fuck You and the Horse You Rode In On’ ensured that even those unfamiliar with the band were left battered, bruised, and thoroughly entertained.
If King Parrot opened the night with pure grind-fueled chaos, then Power Trip took things to another level, bringing their signature blend of thrash and hardcore to the NEC Arena. The Texan crossover titans hit the stage with ‘Soul Sacrifice’ instantly igniting the energy through the packed arena.
Frontman Blake Ibanez, now leading the charge in the wake of Riley Gale’s tragic passing, commanded the stage with raw intensity, channelling the band’s fury into every haunting scream. The transition into ‘Executioner’s Tax (Swing of the Axe)’ sent the crowd into a frenzy, with the song’s anthemic chorus echoing through the venue as fists flew and bodies crashed in the pit.
Tracks like ‘Firing Squad’ and ‘Hornet’s Nest’ showcased the band's ability to blend razor-sharp thrash riffs with punishing hardcore breakdowns. The crushing ‘Nightmare Logic’ had the entire venue moving, proving that Power Trip’s music continues to hit just as hard, if not harder, than ever before.
Closing with ‘Manifest Decimation’, Power Trip left the stage in a storm of feedback, having delivered a thunderbolt of a set that fired up the crowd just moments before the headliners are due to arrive.
The anticipation in the venue was at a fever pitch by the time Pantera were ready to take to the stag, which itself was hidden behind a giant curtain. As the opening notes of ‘A New Level’ roared through the venue, the curtain drops revealing the band to the West Midlands fan base for the first time since April 2000 and their memorable show at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall.
Any doubts about the band's current lineup were immediately silenced as Philip Anselmo, Zakk Wylde, Charlie Benante, and Rex Brown delivered an explosive performance that honoured Pantera’s legacy while proving they still had plenty of fire left.
Launching into ‘Mouth for War’ and ‘Strength Beyond Strength’, the band showed no mercy, delivering bone-crushing grooves to the backdrop of flaring pyro cannons. Zakk Wylde brought his own style to Dimebag Darrell’s legendary riffs, injecting a brutal intensity into tracks like ‘Becoming’ and ‘I'm Broken’.
Of course, no Pantera show would be complete without ‘Walk’, which turned the entire arena into a sea of banging heads and throbbing circle pits. The ‘Domination / Hollow’ medley showcased the band's signature mix of brutality and melody, before the set closed with a deafening rendition of ‘Cowboys From Hell’, sending the crowd into a frenzy.
The encore was pure adrenaline. The fans cries of ‘Fucking Hostile’ was like nothing else and the band mounted a no-holds-barred assault, while ‘Revolution Is My Name’ provided the perfect closing statement; defiant, aggressive, and unapologetically Pantera.
Photo Credits: Tim Finch Photography
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