BY MAUI CABRAL Man... this one hit differently. Coastal Credit Union Music Park was packed shoulder to shoulder with nothing but diehard ...
BY MAUI CABRAL
Man... this one hit differently. Coastal Credit Union Music Park was packed shoulder to shoulder with nothing but diehard metalheads, and you could feel the electricity in the air and could smell Trans Ams in the air lol. Nights like these are what we metalheads live for. Camera in hand and chasing the chaos, the fire, and the moments that live forever.
King Parrot kicked the night off. If you don’t know these Aussies, let me tell you, they don’t ease you in, they throw you headfirst into pure grindcore madness. The band is known for their brutal energy and outrageous stage presence, and Raleigh got all of that and then some. Their set was sharp, fast, and absolutely unhinged. It was the kind of performance where you can’t look away, and it set the perfect chaotic tone for the night.
Then came Amon Amarth, the Viking metal legends straight out of Sweden. These guys aren’t just a band, they are Fuckin VIKINGS! Known for their melodic death metal fused with Norse mythology, they brought the storm with them. The crowd turned into an army of warriors, horns in the air, headbanging in unison to battle hymns like “Twilight of the Thunder God.” Watching them live is like being thrown into the middle of a cinematic Viking raid, and it was powerful to capture that intensity from behind the lens.
And then, the reason every single body was crammed into that amphitheater... Pantera!
To say I had the honor of shooting this band feels unreal. Pantera isn’t just another name in metal, they’re a cornerstone, a blueprint for the heavy music we all live and breathe. Their mix of groove, thrash, and pure Southern grit shaped generations, and even now, the weight of that legacy is unmatched.
When those opening riffs hit, it was like time folded in on itself. The pit erupted, voices screamed every lyric back at the stage, and the energy was pure chaos in the best way possible. “Cowboys From Hell,” “Walk,” and “This Love,” every note slammed into you like a punch to the chest. It wasn’t just nostalgia it was proof that Pantera will forever hold their crown in the metal world.
For me personally, being in that moment, camera raised, capturing shots of a band that defined so much of metal’s history? That’s the stuff that leaves you speechless. It was wild, it was surreal, and it’s something I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life. Gladly, and Honorably.Man, Raleigh, I was proud of you. Y’all showed up loud, proud, and hungry for metal. Pantera fed that hunger and left us all wrecked in the best way. This was more than just a show. This was HISTORY.
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- JOSH "MAUI" CABRAL
Hey! I'm Maui. Originally from Queens, New York, now making Raleigh, NC my new home. I'm a touring photographer and Nomadic Motorcycle Rider, obsessed with seeing the world through different lenses!
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