Pantera
Pantera was an Arlington, Texas-based heavy metal band that formed in 1981. The band was led mainly by the Abbott brothers (drummer Vinnie Paul and guitarist Dimebag Darrell) and vocalist Phil Anselmo and bassist Rex Brown.
Pantera produced four studio albums on their label, Metal Magic Records, in their early years. When Anselmo was addicted to heroin in 1995 and nearly died from an overdose in 1996, tensions among the band members began to rise.
The pressure persisted for another seven years, during which time only one studio album, Reinventing the Steel (2000), was released. Pantera went on sabbatical in 2001, but persisting disagreements led to the band’s dissolution in 2003.
Band Members
The band disintegrated in 2003.
Former Members
Dimebag Darrell(1982–2003, died 2004)
Darrell Lance Abbott (August 20, 1966 – December 8, 2004) was an American musician best known by his stage name Dimebag Darrell. He co-founded the heavy metal bands Pantera and Damageplan with his brother Vinnie Paul. He is widely considered one of heavy metal’s best guitarists.
In 2011, Abbott was placed No. 92 on Rolling Stone’s list of “The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time” and No. 19 on Louder’s list of “The 50 Greatest Guitarists of All Time” in 2018. In 2015, he was voted No. 5 on Gibson’s list of “The Top 10 Metal Guitarists of All Time,” VH1 named him the most influential metal guitarist of the last 25 years.
Vinnie Paul(1981–2003, died 2018)
Vincent Paul Abbott (March 11, 1964 – June 22, 2018) was a drummer and co-founder of the heavy metal band Pantera. He was also a member of Hellyeah from 2006 until he died in 2018 and co-founded Damageplan with his younger brother, Dimebag Darrell, in 2003.
Several rock publications have named Abbott one of the top metal drummers.
Terry Glaze(1982–1986)
Terrence Lee Glaze (November 29, 1964) is an American singer and guitarist known for his time in Pantera from 1981 until 1986. He was the band’s lead vocalist and second guitarist for the first three albums of their “glam metal” phase until being replaced by Phil Anselmo in 1986.
Rex Brown(1982–2003)
Rex Robert Brown (born on July 27, 1964) is a musician best known for his work with the heavy metal band Pantera from 1982 until 2003. He was a bassist for the band Kill Devil Hill and a member of Down from 2001 until 2011. [1] In 2017, he released his first individual album, Smoke on This.
Brown not only performs as a bassist but also as lead vocalist and guitarist for the first time in his career.
Brown wrote Official Truth 101 Proof, published in April of 2013. Pantera’s formation, career, and disbandment are all documented in this book.
Phil Anselmo (1987–2003)
Philip Hansen Anselmo (born on June 30, 1968) is a heavy metal vocalist with fronted bands such as Pantera, Down, and Superjoint. Housecore Records is his company.
Anselmo is one of metal’s most delicate leads, noted for being highly passionate and sporting a macho attitude that became representative of Pantera’s overall concept.
Anselmo drew influence from heavy metal vocalists like Rob Halford, who sang in full head voice early in his tenure with the band. However, he eventually became known for developing a more guttural vocal technique.
Onset Of Musical Career
Pantera became a cult favorite, even though their regional tours at the time never ventured beyond Texas, Oklahoma, or Louisiana. Stryper, Dokken, and Quiet Riot were among the heavy metal/glam metal artists that the band began to support.
Metal Magic, Pantera’s debut studio album, was released in 1983. Metal Magic was released on the band’s label and produced by Jerry Abbott, the Abbott brothers’ father, at Pantego Studios.
Musical Breakthrough
Pantera released Cowboys from Hell, their fifth studio album, on July 24, 1990, in search of their first significant break. Pantera’s sound shifted with this album, abandoning glam metal inspirations in favor of mid-tempo thrash metal called “power groove” (groove metal) by the band.
Rob Halford still influenced Anselmo’s vocals, but his approach was harsher. The band’s drastic transition in Darrell’s more sophisticated guitar solos and riffs and his brother’s faster-paced drumming was spectacular.
The album’s release represented a watershed moment in the band’s career.
According to many fans and the band themselves, Pantera’s “official” debut.
Pantera’s seventh studio album, Far Beyond Driven, was released on March 22, 1994, and debuted at No. 1 on the US and Australian album charts. In 1995, the band received their first Grammy nomination for “Best Metal Performance” for the album’s debut song, “I’m Broken.”
Pantera’s groove metal approach continued on this album, but the band’s musical style got pushed even farther.
Accomplishments
Pantera is widely recognized as one of the most popular and influential bands in heavy metal history, having sold over 20 million albums worldwide and receiving four Grammy nominations.
In 1990, the band received a Platinum record for Vulgar Display of Power.
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