Pantera
Between ‘84 and ’88, Pantera released four albums, all produced by drummer Vinnie Paul (Abbott). Near the end of this short and uneventful ride with the indie Metal Magic label, the band found the vocalist who would significantly up their game – Philip Anselmo.
Exchanging glitter for tattoos, Pantera scored their first success with “Cowboys From Hell,” recognized as one of the first ever Groove Meta albums.
The ‘90 release featured “Dimebag” Darrell’s (pictured above) vicious guitar assaults and Anselmo’s blast furnace vocals.
Cowboys From Hell
Having dialed in a winner, Pantera released “Vulgar Display Of Power” (‘92) containing “Walk” and “Mouth For War.”
Walk
Mouth For War
“Far Beyond Driven” (‘94), and “The Great Southern Trendkill” (‘96) followed but the frayed edges started to show with the “Official Live” album. It was called self-indulgent but that description fits just about every double live album. Worse, it failed to show, or missed, the key elements that made Pantera a devastating live act: the energy, power and drive.
‘00 album “Reinventing The Steel” was Paterna’s last studio album prior to their ’03 split. At the root of the problem, at least as far as Anselmo was concerned, was his relationship with Dimebag.
“There was never a point when he could not get drunk. The anger and the hatred and the drunken nights of just screaming in my face, with me sitting there taking it and holding both of my hands just to not hit the guy… I grew weary of that. I was sick of being his whipping post, y’know, and I just politely, or unpolitely, excused myself.”
Anselmo went on to launch Down and Superjoint Ritual. Meanwhile, Dimebag and his older brother Vinnie founded Damageplan. That group was initially successful but tragically Dimebag was shot to death during a club appearance in Columbus, OH, on December 8th, ’04.
Over a decade later, there was a downright nasty situation. Anselmo, fronting Down, performed at Dimebash, a tribute to Dimebag. Anselmo shouted “white power” and made the Nazi salute on stage. As a result, Down was pulled from the ’16 Netherlands FortaRock amid much controversy and criticism. “Never in my entire lifetime would I drag them down with me, and I’ve privately suggested to them (Down band members) that they move on without me,” stated Anselmo.
And there was more, and sadder news… Following his brother, Vinnie passed away (on 6/15/18) in Las Vegas at age 54.
Pantera may have looked done, finished. but a resurrection was just a few years away.
Billboard reported, in “22, that bassist Rex Brown and Anselmo were reuniting for Pantera’s first major tour in 22 years. Later, guitarist Zakk Wyle (Ozzy Osboune, Black Label Society) and drummer Charlie Benante (Anthrax) were added to the line-up as the respective fill-ins for Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul.
Pantera: Reformed Line-Up
Producer Sterling Winfield (“Reinventing The Steel”) was not in favor of the reunion saying “(I don’t) feel comfortable calling it Pantera”, but added that the new lineup “could make some very badass music”
“The Heaviest Tour Of The Summer, a U.S. amphitheater trek was a huge success. European and South American tours were added. That led to another round of North American touring, including a joint run with Metallica.
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