On Tuesday night, July 22, Pantera paid a deeply moving tribute to the late Ozzy Osbourne during their concert at the Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, just hours after the legendary singer’s death was announced. The moment came during the band’s performance of “Planet Caravan” — Pantera‘s iconic cover of the Black Sabbath classic — which took on new meaning as the stage lights dimmed and images of Ozzy filled the venue.
Typically, Pantera uses the song to honor their fallen bandmates “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott and Vinnie Paul Abbott, with archival footage of the brothers playing on screen. But last night, those visuals were replaced with a montage of photos and animated images of Ozzy, many of which featured Zakk Wylde, Pantera‘s current touring guitarist and Ozzy‘s longtime friend and collaborator.
Wylde, who played in Ozzy‘s solo band on and off for nearly 40 years, took to social media shortly after the tribute to share a personal, heartfelt message: “THANK YOU FOR BLESSING THE WORLD w/YOUR KINDNESS & GREATNESS OZ – YOU BROUGHT LIGHT INTO SO MANY LIVES & MADE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE – YOU LIVED w/THE HEART OF A LION – I THANK THE GOOD LORD EVERY DAY FOR BLESSING MY LIFE w/YOU IN IT – I LOVE YOU OZ. BEYOND FOREVER.”
The visual and sonic tribute resonated deeply with the crowd, many of whom sang along, some with tears in their eyes. For fans of metal, the gesture felt like a moment of shared mourning and reverence — a farewell to a hero from the very band that helped carry his legacy forward.
The choice of “Planet Caravan” was especially fitting. Originally released on Black Sabbath‘s 1970 album Paranoid, the track stands apart in their catalog as a dreamy, cosmic ballad. Pantera‘s 1994 cover on Far Beyond Driven kept that spirit intact, and has since become a poignant part of their live shows.
By adapting that moment to honor Ozzy, Pantera created a bridge across generations of heavy music history — from Sabbath’s pioneering days to modern metal’s most explosive revival. With Zakk Wylde on stage, the tribute also became personal, not just a nod to a fellow legend, but a farewell from a brother-in-arms.
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