Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre was wall-to-wall with metal fans. Hours before doors opened, people lined up past the parking lot, and by showtime it was another full house. The weather couldn’t have been better—cool, late-summer air, the kind of perfect night that makes live music feel even bigger.
King Parrot came out first like a sucker punch to the jaw. Their thirty minutes were pure chaos, Matt Young unhinged and snarling, daring the crowd to match their intensity. Even with the sun still hanging over the amphitheatre, pits were already swirling, fists were flying, and they set the tone that this wasn’t going to be an ordinary night.
Then Amon Amarth raised the stakes and proved to be the showmen of the evening. Their set was a full-scale production, their drummer perched on top of a massive Viking helmet with glowing video eyes staring out across the crowd. Larger-than-life inflatable statues flanked the stage, towering over the band as if gods themselves were watching. Theatrics bled into reality when two warriors clashed in a sword fight mid-song, steel sparking under the stage lights. And as if plucked straight out of myth, Loki himself appeared onstage, taunting and posturing until the inevitable—his defeat at the hands of the Vikings. Johan Hegg commanded it all like a war chief, drinking from his horn, leading chants, and even calling for the entire floor to sit down and row in unison. Thousands obeyed, moving like they were charging across the sea together. It was spectacle and savagery, and the crowd devoured every second.
And then Pantera. The lights dropped, Dimebag’s memory lit the backdrop, and the place erupted. Phil Anselmo took the mic with fire still in his voice, and the amphitheatre exploded. Zakk Wylde shredded with his trademark ferocity, Rex Brown’s bass hit like thunder, and Charlie Benante locked the grooves down with brutal precision.
The night reached its peak when every member from the earlier bands stormed back onstage—all joining Pantera for the anthem. It wasn’t just a performance, it was a celebration: thousands of fans screaming in unison while the stage filled with grinning musicians, fists pumping in time. The entire amphitheatre shook under the weight of it.
By the end, the crowd was exhausted but electric, still hungry for more. Phil paused mid-set to call St. Louis one of the top five crowds on this tour, and you could feel the pride ripple through the venue. With the chants still echoing, he closed with a raw a cappella snippet of “Stairway to Heaven,” sending the night out on a haunting, unexpected note.
On a perfect end-of-summer night, metal owned Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre yet once again.
Melissa O’Rourke aka WickedWitchofSTL is a jack of all trades. By day she’s an established tattooist and piercer, by night a mother to her amazing son (who is a hell of a guitarist). Melissa has a musical background and can often be found at a local karaoke joint, or a concert when she’s not driving across the country for an adventure. This social butterfly always welcomes conversation so come say hi! See y’all at the next gig!
