Pantera - Japanese Collection (6 albums + 3 CDS) (1990-2001) RE-UP

Although Vulgar Display of Power remains Pantera's best and definitive album, Cowboys from Hell was the creative breakthrough that set the stage for its conception. Not only were its demos responsible for getting Pantera signed to a major label in the first place, but its fresh musical perspective also gave them a much-needed blank slate with which to conquer the 1990s and, first and foremost, erase their 1980s failures. These failures were cataloged on no less than four independently released LPs packed with largely derivative and thoroughly unimpressive hair metal, and only the fourth of them even counted with recently installed lead vocalist Phil Anselmo, whose broader influences and irrepressible energy cannot be underestimated in altering Pantera's fate. As the "new guy" entering the Texans' insular world, Anselmo made only tentative contributions to that fourth Pantera album, 1988's Power Metal, but its incremental heaviness and titular statement of intent nevertheless presaged the wholesale reinvention that would be effectively crystallized by Cowboys from Hell. Here, at last, virtuoso guitarist Diamond (soon to be rechristened Dimebag) Darrell Abbott was finally inspired to snap out of the rampant Van Halen-isms that had creatively shackled his formidable talents thus far, and established his own unmistakable imprint for the instrument, and, by extension, Pantera's signature sound. This was characterized by a subtlety-free sledgehammer approach informed by, but not beholden to, recent developments in extreme metal, as well as a groove-laden, muscular riffing style punctuated by squealing pinch harmonics – as illustrated to perfection by the downtuned post-thrash beatdown of the title track, "Primal Concrete Sledge," and "The Art of Shredding," among others. For his part, Anselmo was only too eager to decorate Darrell's blunt rhythmic onslaught with cavernous roars declaiming impetuous and empowering lyrics that challenged all comers. In the process, he virtually abandoned his impressive melodic singing range (on par with the great Rob Halford) altogether, only reaching for those higher registers on "Shattered" (a rather misplaced throwback to the power metal era) and the stately lament "Cemetery Gates," which, years later, would sadly serve as requiem for Darrell's untimely passing. Not to be left out, drummer Vinnie Paul almost matched his baby brother's coming-out party with a heretofore unknown percussive dexterity, and bassist Rex Brown not only managed to keep up with Darrell's six-string tour de force, but bolstered the band's bottom end with added gut-punching power. So it was that, in what can truly be described as a collective ritual of musical catharsis, the members of Pantera were reborn as Cowboys from Hell, simultaneously defining an entirely new subgenre in the process: groove metal.

allmusic.com

Tracklist :

1. Cowboys From Hell - 4:07
2. Primal Concrete Sledge - 2:13
3. Psycho Holiday - 5:19
4. Heresy - 4:47
5. Cemetery Gates - 7:03
6. Domination - 5:04
7. Shattered - 3:22
8. Clash With Reality - 5:16
9. Medicine Man - 5:15
10. Message In Blood - 5:09
11. The Sleep - 5:47
12. The Art Of Shredding - 4:20


• Phillip Anselmo – lead vocals
• Diamond Darrell – guitars
• Rex Brown – bass
• Vinnie Paul – drums

Produced and engineered by Terry Date. Co-Produced by Pantera.
All song written and arranged by Pantera.
Recorded at Pantego Sound Studio, Pantego, Texas
Mixed by Terry Date & Pantera at The Carriage House, Stamford, Connecticut
Assistant Engineer: Matt Lane A&R: Mark Ross
Mastered by Howie Weinberg at Masterdisk, New York City

One of the most influential heavy metal albums of the 1990s, Vulgar Display of Power is just what is says: a raw, pulverizing, insanely intense depiction of naked rage and hostility that drains its listeners and pounds them into submission. Even the "ballads," "This Love" and "Hollow," have thunderingly loud, aggressive chorus sections. Preaching power through strength and integrity, Phil Anselmo discards any further attempts at singing in favor of a militaristic bark and an unhinged roar, while the crystal-clear production sets Diamond Darrell's pummeling riffs against a rhythmic backdrop so thunderously supportive that Darrell often solos without underlying rhythm guitar parts. The album again follows Cowboys from Hell's strategy of stacking the best songs at the beginning and letting their momentum carry the listener through the rest, but the riffs and sonic textures are more consistently interesting this time around. Pantera's thick-sounding, post-hardcore power metal and outraged, testosterone-drenched intensity would help pave the way for alternative metal acts like Korn and Tool; Vulgar Display of Power is the best distillation of those virtues.

allmusic.com

Tracklist :

1. Mouth For War - 3:57
2. A New Level - 3:58
3. Walk - 5:15
4. Fucking Hostile - 2:49
5. This Love - 6:33
6. Rise - 4:36
7. No Good (Attack The Radical) - 4:50
8. Living In A Hole - 5:00
9. Regular People (Conceit) - 5:28
10. By Demons Be Driven - 4:40
11. Hollow - 5:46


• Philip Anselmo – lead vocals
• Diamond Darrell – guitars
• Rex – bass
• Vinnie Paul – drums

Produced, engineered and mixed by Terry Date and Vinnie Paul. Co-produced by Pantera.
Recorded & mixed at Pantego Sound Studio, Pantego, Texas
Mastered at Masterdisk, New York, NY.






Tracklist :

1. Walk (Cervical Edit) - 5:13
2. Fucking Hostile (Biomechanical Mix) - 3:58
3. By Demons Be Driven (Biomechanical Mix) - 4:18
4. Walk (Cervical Dub Extended) - 6:41
5. Cowboys From Hell (Live) - 4:17
6. Heresy (Live) - 5:05

Far Beyond Driven may have been Pantera's fastest selling album upon release, but it's hardly their best. In fact, although it shot straight to the number one spot on the Billboard sales chart in its first week (arguably the most extreme album ever to do so), this incredible feat doesn't so much reflect its own qualities as those of its predecessor, 1992's Vulgar Display of Power. A true landmark by any definition, Vulgar Display had seen the Texan quartet quite literally reinventing the heavy metal wheel in ways not seen since Metallica's rise to fame in the mid-'80s. But when the time came to follow it up, the members of Pantera seemed unsure about how they could possibly top it, so they decided to try and out-heavy themselves, resulting in a less cohesive record which often sacrificed songwriting for outright aggression. Guitarist Dimebag Darrell (recently re-baptized from the far more glam Diamond Darrell) took it upon himself to conjure the heaviest guitar tones imaginable, turning up the volume and dissonance to sometimes painful thresholds with his massive, grinding riffs. As a result, songs like "Becoming," "Shedding Skin," and the particularly vicious "Slaughtered" still stand head and shoulders above most of the heavy metal competition, but only die-hard fans may be able to withstand their systematic sensory bludgeoning long enough to get to the hooks hidden underneath. Indeed, except for wisely chosen first single "I'm Broken," the rest of the material (and especially over-long tracks like "5 Minutes Alone" and "25 Years") generally lacks the iron-fisted discipline and controlled power captured on the band's previous triumphs. Worst of all is probably "Good Friends and a Bottle of Pills," which wanders aimlessly in formless feedback and is topped with vocalist Phil Anselmo in gratuitous, stream-of-consciousness mode – a sketchy proposition at the best of times. In the end, it's probably the band's need to justifying their faithful cover version of Black Sabbath's gentle "Planet Caravan" in the album's liner notes that sheds the most light on their embattled frame of mind at the time. With or without this evidence, however, the bottom line is that Far Beyond Driven doesn't match the hype – but it sure proved its weight in platinum at the bank.

allmusic.com

Tracklist :

1. Strength Beyond Strength - 3:39
2. Becoming - 3:05
3. 5 Minutes Alone - 5:47
4. I'm Broken - 4:25
5. Good Friends And A Bottle Of Pills - 2:53
6. Hard Lines, Sunken Cheeks - 7:01
7. Slaughtered - 3:57
8. 25 Years - 6:06
9. Shedding Skin - 5:37
10. Use My Third Arm - 4:52
11. Throes Of Rejection - 5:01
12. Planet Caravan - 4:09
13. The Badge (Japanese Bonus Track) - 3:56


• Philip Anselmo - Vocals
• Dimebag Darrell - Guitars
• Rex - Bass
• Vinnie Paul - Drums

All songs written and arranged by Pantera except "Planet Caravan" by Black sabbath
Produced, engineered and mixed by Terry Date and Vinnie Paul
Co-produced by Pantera
Recorded in Nashvilee, TN
Mixed at Dallas Sound Labs, Dallas TX






Tracklist :

1. Becoming (Live at Brixton Academy, 1994) - 4:06
2. Domination (Live at Brixton Academy, 1994) - 4:55
3. Hollow (Live at Brixton Academy, 1994) - 2:28
4. A New Level (Live at Brixton Academy, 1994) - 5:44
5. Psycho Holiday (Live at Moscow Monsters Of Rock, 1991) - 5:51
6. Primal Concrete Sledge (Live at Moscow Monsters Of Rock, 1991) - 3:52


All Tracks written and arranged by Pantera
Tracks 1 -4 recorded at Brixton Academy, London, 12 September 1994 on Fleetwood Mobile
Produced and mixed by Vinnie Paul & Dimebag Darrell
Engineered by Simon Efemey

Thankfully, Pantera has stopped attempting to outdo each successive album in terms of start-to-finish intensity, but that doesn't mean they don't try in spots. The Great Southern Trendkill is burdened with passages in which Phil Anselmo's vocals cross the line into histrionics, making the band's trademark intensity sound dull, forced, and theatrical rather than sincere. The lyrics, which reached their apex with Vulgar Display of Power's focus on personal politics and integrity, have degenerated into half-baked rants against drugs and pop-culture media. But Trendkill is partially redeemed by trading Pantera's usual pound-then-pound-harder approach to albums for a greater variety of tempos and moods. Dimebag Darrell, while mostly sticking to his familiar riffing style, does coax some intriguing, unexpected sounds from his instrument. Ultimately, though, the ballads and slower tracks ("10's," "Suicide Note, Pt. 1," and "Floods") provide the album's most chilling, memorable moments, and rank with their best material. Longtime Pantera fans will find plenty to enjoy here, and the band's expanding range bodes well, but overall, Trendkill is an inconsistent outing.

allmusic.com

Tracklist :

1. The Great Southern Trendkill - 3:47
2. War Nerve - 4:53
3. Drag The Waters - 4:56
4. 10's - 4:50
5. 13 Steps To Nowhere - 3:38
6. Suicide Note Pt. I - 4:45
7. Suicide Note Pt. II - 4:20
8. Living Through Me (Hells' Wrath) - 4:50
9. Floods - 7:00
10. The Underground In America - 4:34
11. (Reprise) Sandblasted Skin - 5:41
12. Walk (Live) (Japanese Bonus Track) - 5:30


Recorded in DWG, TX at Chasin Jason Studios.
Mixed in Los Angeles, CA at Larrabee Sound Studios.
Vocals recorded at Nothing Studios, New Orleans, LA.
Mastered at Future Disc & Sterling Sound.

• Philip Anselmo - Vocals
• Dimebag Darrell - Guitars
• Rex - Bass
• Vinnie Paul - Drums

Official Live: 101 Proof hits most, but not quite all, of the high points of Pantera's career ("Psycho Holiday" and "Mouth for War" are two notable omissions), drawing most heavily from Vulgar Display of Power and Far Beyond Driven. There are also two new studio tracks tacked on to the end to entice the more casual fan who might find a live album redundant; however, Pantera's devoted fans will pick it up anyway, and they won't be disappointed. Pantera packs just as much of a wallop live as in the studio, even if the versions here aren't substantially different (other than a medley of "Domination" and "Hollow"). One warning: Phil Anselmo's amazing streams of nonstop vulgarities in between songs will appeal more to the adolescent fan who finds them a liberating way to vent frustration; others may find them predictable and approaching idiotic. But that shouldn't detract from the music and performances, which are uniformly strong, as fans would expect.

allmusic.com

Tracklist :

1. New Level - 4:25
2. Walk - 5:50
3. Becoming - 3:59
4. 5 Minutes Alone - 5:36
5. Sandblasted Skin - 4:29
6. Suicide Note Pt.2 - 4:20
7. War Nerve - 5:21
8. Strength Beyond Strength - 3:37
9. Dom/Hollow - 3:44
10. This Love - 6:58
11. I'm Broken - 4:27
12. Cowboys From Hell - 4:36
13. Cemetery Gates - 7:53
14. Hostile - 3:56
15. Where You Come From (Studio Recording May '97) - 5:11
16. I Can't Hide (Studio Recording May '97) - 2:17


Recorded in 1996-1997 "Tourkill" in the USA
Tracks 15 & 16 mixed in DWG, Texas at Chasin Jason Studios
Mastered at Sterling Sound

• Philip Anselmo - Vocals
• Dimebag Darrell - Guitars
• Rex - Bass
• Vinnie Paul - Drums

Where The Great Southern Trendkill experimented with slower, moodier pieces, Reinventing the Steel finds Pantera sticking to the pulverizing basics of their sound, with the first down-tempo, nondistorted guitar part appearing on the next-to-last track, "It Makes Them Disappear," and vanishing about 15 seconds into the song. In the tradition of the group's best albums, Reinventing the Steel is a nonstop assault on the senses, offering no respite from the intensity until the album has stopped playing. Yet somehow, it comes off as a cut below their best albums; perhaps it's that the band's sound lacks the sense of freshness that sparked Cowboys From Hell, Vulgar Display of Power, and Far Beyond Driven, or perhaps it's simply good in a very predictable way (contrary to its title). Yet even if Pantera is firmly entrenched in a signature sound, it's a distinctive, highly effective signature sound that most of the band's fans don't want to hear changed; plus, Dimebag Darrell is still one of the most inventive guitar players in heavy metal. The bottom line is that the way you feel about Reinventing the Steel will likely depend on whether you object to more of the same; if not, then the lean focus of its attack – the most concise, actually, since Vulgar Display – will make it more than worthwhile.

allmusic.com

Tracklist :

1. Hellbound - 2:41
2. Goddamn Electric - 4:57
3. Yesterday Don't Mean Shit - 4:20
4. You've Got To Belong To It - 4:13
5. Revolution Is My Name - 5:16
6. Death Rattle - 3:18
7. We'll Grind That Axe For A Long Time - 3:45
8. Uplift - 3:46
9. It Makes Them Disappear - 6:22
10. I'll Cast A Shadow - 5:22


Recorded in DWG, TX at Chasin Jason Studios.
Mastered at Masterdisk.

• Philip Anselmo - Vocals
• Dimebag Darrell - Guitars
• Rex - Bass
• Vinnie Paul - Drums






Tracklist :

1. Revolution Is My Name (Radio Edit) - 4:09
2. Hole In The Sky (Black Sabbath Cover) - 4:17
3. Immortally Insane - 5:13
4. Cat Scratch Fever - 3:49
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5. Revolution Is My Name (Video)