Pantera to bring show to Indianapolis

Ater receiving its fourth Grammy nomination, veteran metal band Pantera will bring its hard-hitting sound to the Pepsi Colosseum in Indianapolis March 18.\nThe "Real Steel" tour, titled after the band's 2000 release Reinventing the Steel, which debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard Top 200, is Pantera's first tour since last summer's Ozzfest, which they co-headlined. Other bands on the tour include Soulfly, Morbid Angel and Nothingface.\nThe tour was originally scheduled for fall but was rescheduled after lead singer Philip Anselmo broke two ribs while working at The House of Shock, a haunted house attraction run yearly in Anselmo's hometown of New Orleans. \nPantera said it takes pride in keeping the fans happy and were quick to point out during a recorded message at their Web site that the tour was postponed, not canceled. \n"We say 'postponed,' because we've never canceled a tour in 11 years," Anselmo said.\nFormed in 1982, the group blends a mixture of metal and hard rock with a southern flair and once existed as a glam-rock band in the '80s before the introduction of Anselmo as the new front man in 1989, who led the group to its heavier style.\nWithout much help from media or radio airplay, Pantera has managed to register numerous Gold and Platinum albums and saw its 1994 Far and Beyond go straight to No.1 on the Billboard Top 200, catching some by surprise.\nThis "invasion" into the mainstream market seems just the type of things the fans seem to enjoy. "They don't fit in anywhere at all, and that's beautiful," said sophomore Ryan Kabala.\nPantera's latest release, which the group produced itself, has already gone Gold and is on its way to being Platinum. Its lead single "Revolution is My Name" was nominated for a Grammy for Best Metal Performance. \nFamous for the ferocious energy present in songs such as "Walk" and "Hostile," Pantera's live show is anything but a quiet affair. \n"Your ears will ring for two straight days," Kabala said. \nRecent stints, including opening for Black Sabbath's Reunion tour as well two tours of the annual Ozzfest, have allowed this Texas-based band to increase its reputation. \n"Beware," Kabala said of the live show. "Proceed with caution."\nThree months of straight touring apparently isn't enough for Pantera, as they plan to tour in Alaska and Australia in May, followed by a recently announced summer tour to kick off in June with Slayer and Static-X. Halford, Corrosion of Conformity and Morbid Angel are also likely to join the bill.\nKababla said while crowd might be rough at points of the concert, a sense of community still exists.\n"Pantera fans are the best fans in the world," he said. "They're loyal and their support will never diminish."\nThis sense of community continues in the band as well. \n"I know the fans that come to our shows are completely real," Anselmo said during the band's message.\nAccompanying Pantera on the bill are Ozzfest veterans Soulfly, touring to support their 2000 release Primitive. Sophomore Adam Cassady said Soulfly's use of tribal-style drumming and the vocal abilities of Brazilian-born Max Cavelera (formerly of Sepultura) are the main reasons he became attracted to the group. \n"Max's voice is very distinctive," Cassady said. "He's really mastered the art of screaming. It's really amazing how creative they can be with hardcore (music)." \nAlso, Tampa-based death-metaler Morbid Angel brings its extreme form of metal to the tour to support its latest album, Gateways to Annihilation. \nSophomore Don Dresser described Morbid Angel as having more classical black metal sound, blending fast and furious guitars with keyboards. \n"I saw them once, and it really was pretty excellent," Dresser said.\nWashington-based thrash-metal band Nothingface rounds out the bill, touring in support of its third album, Violence.\nPantera promises to provide a quality show that will leave fans satisfied. \n"We're going to go out and give one hundred percent, that's what we're about," Anselmo said.\nThe show is begins at 6:30 p.m. March 18 at Pepsi Coliseum in Indianapolis. Tickets are $29.50 and available at the box office, Ticketmaster outlets or by phone (317) 239-5151. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.