Today in 1988 Pantera released the album Power Metal Arlington, Texas Glam/Heavy Metal (early), Groove Metal (later) Status:Split-up Years active: 1981-2003 Pantera was an extremely popular metal band from Arlington, Texas, formed in 1981. Specifically, some fans consider them power metal, groove metal, or an amalgamation of both (so called power groove, a term the band devised themselves). Emerging alongside influential classic thrash metal acts such as Slayer, Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax, Pantera was a key formulator of the post-thrash subgenre of heavy metal music. At the start of the career the style of Panteras image and sound was heavily influenced by bands like KISS & Van Halen. At certain stages, Pantera drew more on the popular LA glam scene. The extent to how far Pantera took the glam image is one of many disputes among fans of heavy metal and those who discredit the bands popularity to the 90s; however most of the material on the albums themselves were a contrast to typical glam metal formula. They released three albums during this stage before acquiring Razor White vocalist, Philip Anselmo from New Orleans. As soon as Anselmo joined the band the group took a noticable change in style and image with their Power Metal. The album shifted away from most of the glam image and focused mostly on the more respectable speed metal genre. This style would continue evolving for two years as Pantera drew on many more sources of influence within the metal scene. As they began their transformation into post-thrash/groove metal they began to absorb a lot more from the underground extreme metal scene of the late 80s which included bands such as Slayer, Sepultura, Cro-Mags, and Exhorder. The latter band to this day causes much controversy and dispute between fans despite the fact that Exhorder lead singer Kyle Thomas himself stated that many of these claims are over-exaggerated and unfair for a band that worked a hell-of-alot harder than Exhorder did to get where they did. On VH1s list of 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock, Pantera ranked forty-fifth. Legendary guitarist Dimebag Darrell Abbott has won numerous awards from Metal Edge, Hit Parader, Circus, Kerrang, Guitar One, Guitar World, & Guitar For The Practicing Musician magazines for his brutal, lighting fast solos, and unmatchable grooves. Pantera played a major role in the resurrection of American Metal in the 90s and influence can be seen to this day in a broad range of metal bands. Glam was rapidly dying out, and grunge was taking over. In February and July 1992, Pantera and Megadeth both released albums, Vulgar Display of Power, and Countdown to Extinction, the latter reaching #2 on the billboard album charts. Together, the two albums began a resurgence in American metal music. In 1994, Panteras third major label album Far Beyond Driven debuted on the charts at number one, astonishing those in the music industry who were unaware of the bands growing legion of fans. This proved to be the bands commercial peak. In 1996 Pantera released The Great Southern Trendkill, which debuted at number four on the charts. The band toured in the summer of 1996 with White Zombie and the Deftones. In 1997, the band coheadlined the USA Ozzfest with Black Sabbath and Marilyn Manson. Soon after, the band released their first and only live album, Official Live: 101 Proof. The album debuted at number four on the billboard album charts. The band toured alongside Anthrax, Coal Chamber, and Machine Head to support the album. In 2000, the band released their final album, Reinventing the Steel. The band headlined Ozzfest 2000, then toured overseas before coming back to the USA to headline the Extreme Steel Tour, playing after the legendary Slayer, Soulfly, Static X, and Morbid Angel. Pantera also acquired an official drink, called Black Tooth Grin after the lyrics in the song Sweating Bullets by Megadeth. Pantera had all of their major label albums and home videos sell to either gold or platinum status with virtually no support from MTV or radio. In 2002 vocalist Philip Anselmo focused on his side projects Down and Superjoint Ritual. After no communication between the Abbott brothers and Anselmo, the band officially broke up in 2003. The Abbott brothers formed Damageplan in 2003 and released the album New Found Power. On December 8th, 2004, while the band was touring for that album, deranged fan Nathan Gale shot and killed legendary guitarist Dimebag Darrell Abbott on stage, along with 3 other people. Even though Panteras fans are still distraught over the tragic murder of Dimebag Darrell, they have finally heard music from often talked about Rebel Meets Rebel project featuring Pantera members Dimebag Darrell, Vinnie Paul, Rex Brown and outlaw country artist David Allan Coe. A DVD entitled DIMEvision was released by Vinnie Pauls record label, Big Vin Records. Rebel Meets Rebels self titled album was released on May 2nd, 2006, and entered the billboard charts at number 39. The DIMEvision DVD, released the same day as Rebel Meets Rebel, entered the billboard DVD charts at number one and has already sold enough copies to be certified gold. VH1 also produced a Behind The Music episode for Pantera, which resulted in many fans getting the answers they wanted regarding the final days of the band straight from the band and their friends and associates. Drummer Vinnie Paul can now be heard in the metal supergroup Hellyeah, while Phil Anselmo and bassist Rex Brown have been heavily involved with Down since late 2006, performing several tours around the world and releasing a much anticipated third Down album which received critical praise and a single that saw heavy radio rotation. Though rumors frequently surface of a Pantera reunion with guitarist Zakk Wylde in place of Dimebag, this is nothing more than gossip with an improbable likelihood of ever happening. Any chance for a reunion between surviving members of Pantera has been delayed since Vinnie Paul and Dimebags ex-girlfriend, Rita, remain at odds with Phil, which continues to tear a schism between Pantera fans still loyal to Philip and those who blame Phil for Panteras demise and ultimately Dimebags death. Metal Magic Phil Anselmo – lead vocals (except track 10), background vocals, production Diamond Darrell – guitar, lead vocals (track 10), background vocals, production(R.I.P. 2004) Vinnie Paul – drums, background vocals, production Rex Rocker – bass, tubular bells, background vocals, production Marc Ferrari – guitar (tracks 3, 5), background vocals, production 1. Rock the World (3:36) 2. Power Metal (3:54) 3. Well Meet Again (3:56) 4. Over and Out (5:08) 5. Proud to Be Loud (4:04) 6. Down Below (2:51) 7. Death Trap (4:09) 8. Hard Ride (4:18) 9. Burnnn! (3:37) 10. P*S*T*88 (2:41) Total Time: 38:18 First album to feature vocalist Phil Anselmo. Proud to Be Loud was written by Keel guitarist Marc Ferrari. The song Proud to Be Loud can be heard in the Halloween party scene of the movie Donnie Darko. Power Metal is the fourth studio album by heavy metal band Pantera, released in 1988 through Metal Magic Records. It is the first Pantera album to feature Phil Anselmo on vocals, as part of a line-up which would last until the bands official split in 2003. The album showcases a more aggressive style which sounds, at times, closer to thrash metal rather than the glam metal style heard on the bands earlier albums; however, traces of glam are still clearly present. Notably, Phil Anselmo makes his first appearance on vocals, having replaced Terry Glaze. Guitarist Dimebag Darrell (then credited as Diamond Darrell) also performs vocals on P*S*T*88. Proud to Be Loud was written and produced by Keel guitarist Marc Ferrari and was originally intended to appear on their 1987 self-titled album; however, Keel would not record their own version until 1998. Panteras version was used as the party song in the theatrical cut of the 2001 film Donnie Darko, credited to The Dead Green Mummies. The song also appears on Trail to Doomsday, a MacGyver TV movie from 1994, as well as the film The Mighty Ducks 2 from the same year. Terry Glaze co-wrote Down Below, with an earlier recording of the song appearing on Panteras third album I Am the Night (1985). Having not been reissued since its original release on CD, vinyl and cassette, like their previous albums, official non-bootlegged editions of Power Metal have become collectors items, with any that exist often being circulated through online auction websites such as eBay youtube/watch?v=gAjnIuuY4Ks
Posted on: Tue, 24 Jun 2014 18:06:31 +0000
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