THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, July 1, 1996 TAG: 9606300325
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E6 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: MUSIC REVIEW
SOURCE: BY ERIC FEBER
STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 59 lines
Holey moley - a concert bill featuring those ``cowboys from hell,'' Panteraand the world's most popular traveling rock 'n' roll freak show, White Zombie!
This rumbling and roaring testosterone-soaked sonic soiree was enough to make a person's ears bleed and mind numb. It was a head-banger's paradise.
The opening act, a wretched metal band called Eye Hate God, was so appallingly awful and so totally bereft of any musical skill that the veteran head-banging audience turned on them like a junkyard dog on trespassers.
After suffering through the opener's sonic waste, those darlings of shock rock, White Zombie took the stage.
The Los Angelistos were led by the band's singer-songwriter-creative force Rob Zombie, a former art director for the late ``Pee-Wee's Playhouse'' TV show.
Guitarist J., bassist Sean Yesult and drummer John Tempesta banged out letter-perfect, noise-drenched rock 'n' roll. Mr. Zombie strutted and prowled the stage, growling and moaning to songs like ``More Human than Human,'' ``Electric Head'' and many other tunes taken from the band's popular LPs ``La Sexorcisto: Devil Music Vol. I'' and ``Astro-Creep: 2000.''
The stage featured two huge video monitors that screened constant horror film videos. Other on-stage embellishments included two 15-foot high plastic skeletons, a huge plastic devil mask, two clown busts spewing dry-ice smoke and enough lights for a Las Vegas revue.
The band's set was a loud, entertaining ride through a huge horror-themed pinball machine that left the audience stunned and entertained.
The evening's other headliner, those Dallas decibel-diggers Pantera, hit the stage with their own brand of tight, Black Sabbath-styled hot metal mayhem.
Whereas the Zombies presented an entertaining, tongue-in-cheek show, Pantera presented a swaggering mess of metal machismo that took itself way too seriously.
Its delivery was strident, and its stage posturing and histrionics was full of an adolescent ``Beavis and Butthead'' mentality.
Striding a clean stage with huge banks of amplifiers and white-hot lights, the band slammed out songs from its new album ``The Great Southern Trendkill,'' along with selections from its other popular albums, ``Cowboys From Hell,'' ``Vulgar Display of Power'' and ``Far Beyond Driven.''
Between his razor-throated vocals, lead singer Philip Anselmo, took the time to offer sophomoric and petulant attacks on rival group Metallica and rock music critics in general.
But when it came down to head-flinging, roaring metal rock, you couldn't find anyone better at it than guitarist Dimebag Darrell, drummer Vinnie Paul and bassist Rex. ILLUSTRATION: MUSIC REVIEW
Pantera and White Zombie with Eye Hate God, Saturday night at the
Hampton Coliseum.
Pantera and White Zombie with Eye Hate God, Saturday night at the
Hampton Coliseum. by CNB