#Diamond Darrell (R.I.P. 2004)

[metalsongoftheday]

Friday, January 26: Pantera, "I'll Be Alright"

R.I.P. "Diamond/Dimebag" Darrell Lance Abbott (1966-2004), Vinnie Paul Abbott (1964-2018)

Metal Magic wasn’t very metal, and it certainly wasn’t magical, but considering that the Abbott brothers were still in their teens when their dad helped them make the first Pantera record, it had its moments.  The songs may not have all been there, but a handful of tracks like “I’ll Be Alright” showed an initial spark that would set the band on their way.  In the early days, Pantera was all about having fun, and this track reflected that with enthusiastic playing from every member, and if Terry Glaze’s screeching was always more than a little ridiculous, it also always felt like he was right there in the mix with the Abbotts and Rex “Rocker” Brown.  “I’ll Be Alright” was a no-frills early ‘80s Z-grade headbanger that sounded much more like a group of guys trying to get a party going than shooting for the stars, and that was fundamental to its charm.

[metalsongoftheday]

Friday, November 15: Rob Halford, "Light Comes Out of Black"

R.I.P. Diamond/Dimebag Darrell Abbott (1966-2004), Vinnie Paul Abbott (1964-2018)

Rob Halford made a point of keeping his ear to the ground and engaging with the metal landscape beyond the confines of Judas Priest, so when he found himself on his own and being commissioned to deliver something for a movie soundtrack it was natural instinct to connect with a fast-ascending Pantera.  And thus “Light Comes Out of Black” was born, and though it was a solo Halford composition the force and smothering groove of Pantera was unmistakable- Dime, Vinnie and Rex delivered their trademark crunch over a bulldozer of a track while Rob wailed with conviction.  The track illustrated two things at once: Priest was a foundational influence on Pantera even if they were taking metal to new heights during the ‘90s, and Halford was ready and able to adjust his sound and approach to a new era.  “Light Comes Out of Black” was a logical precursor to what Halford would soon deliver with Fight, and showed he was game to engage with the changing scene even though he wasn’t quite able to live up to its promise.

[metalsongoftheday]

Friday, August 2: Pantera, "Killers"

R.I.P. Diamond/Dimebag Darrell Lance Abbott (1966-2004), Vinnie Paul Abbott (1964-2018)

Van Halen was a natural early influence on the Abbott brothers, and “Killers” was the closest Pantera came to crafting their own VH-style banger.  Projects in the Jungle was the record where certain things came into view for the band’s first iteration, as both Diamond Darrell and Vinnie Paul individually grew by leaps and bounds and collectively locked into each other in a manner not seen since Eddie and Alex, while Rex “Rocker” Brown maintained a steady pulse on bass and Terrence Lee made his best attempt at being some kind of Dallas David Lee Roth.  To be sure, “Killers” wasn’t substantial, and Pantera had a ways to go before they truly found themselves- and it wasn’t just a matter of changing singers.  But even though the guys were still largely playing poverty metal, the stars in their eyes were more coming from a place of enthusiasm and joy rather than visions of arenas, and this track was a highly entertaining shred fest brimming with excitement and fun.

[metalsongoftheday]

Friday, July 28: Pantera, "Valhalla"

R.I.P. Diamond/Dimebag Darrell Lance Abbott (1966-2004), Vinnie Paul Abbott (1964-2017)

Right before I Am the Night closed with the lame ballad “Forever Tonight”, “Valhalla” provided the clearest indication yet that Pantera was ready to move in faster and more extreme directions.  From the speed metal shredding of the quickly ascendant Diamond Darrell Lance to Vinnie Paul’s breakneck percussion, all the way to Terrence Lee’s frantic screeching, the track was a nonstop freakout that illustrated the band’s growing strength and confidence in real time.  And despite seemingly everyone discarding anything Pantera did before 1990 (not incidentally including the band itself), “Valhalla” was pretty awesome, both by the standards of its time as well as beyond.  Darrell was a remarkable guitarist even back then, and his rapport with his brother was telepathic from pretty much the very beginning.  It was a highly entertaining and ripping banger that, for all of the perception about Pantera being glam in their early years, was pure unadulterated heavy metal.

[k-i-l-l-e-r-b-e-e-6-9]

Dimebag Darrell  (R.I.P. 2004)

[k-i-l-l-e-r-b-e-e-6-9]

Dimebag Darrell

[k-i-l-l-e-r-b-e-e-6-9]

Vinnie Paul (R.I.P. 2018)

Dimebag Darrell (R.I.P. 2004)

[k-i-l-l-e-r-b-e-e-6-9]

Pantera , 1990

[k-i-l-l-e-r-b-e-e-6-9]

Pantera

[k-i-l-l-e-r-b-e-e-6-9]

Pantera

[k-i-l-l-e-r-b-e-e-6-9]

Dimebag Darrell (R.I.P. 2004)

[metalsongoftheday]

Friday, January 20: Pantera, “Hellbound”

R.I.P. “Diamond/Dimebag” Darrell Lance Abbott (1966-2004), Vinnie Paul Abbott (1964-2018)

The past 20 years, not to mention the controversy surrounding Phil Anselmo and Rex Brown reviving the brand without the Abbotts, managed to obscure the uncomfortable fact that Pantera ended on a down note: besides Anselmo’s antics being almost entirely responsible for the group’s dissolution, their final album and tour found the band exhausted and mostly running on fumes.  On the one hand, the relative leanness of Reinventing the Steel was welcome after the increasing bloat of the previous two records, but while “Hellbound” was a canonfire blast of an opener, it also betrayed Pantera’s continued lack of focus. Sure, Vinnie Paul’s drumming was as intense and powerful as ever, and there could only ever be one Dimebag Darrell, but as singular as their “power groove” was, here it was very clearly prioritized over actual songwriting, and that wasn’t helped by Anselmo phoning it in and seemingly nodding off mid-song. “Hellbound” felt like a really good idea that wasn’t fully seen through, so while it sounded killer as it played, one couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing.  

[metalsongoftheday]

Friday, July 15: Pantera, “The Art of Shredding”

R.I.P. “Diamond/Dimebag” Darrell Lance Abbott (1966-2004), Vinnie Paul Abbott (1964-2018)

By virtue of being the closing track on Cowboys from Hell, “The Art of Shredding” effectively closed a chapter for Pantera while also pointing the way forward.  This was the last time Phil Anselmo’s lyrics and vocals would layer in a healthy sense of mischief over the aggression and rage, and likewise Diamond Darrell Abbott would be much less noodly in his riffing moving forward. But the song also had the same street-level charge that powered their subsequent material, tempered the tiniest bit by the rowdiness that defined their first couple records with Anselmo at the mic.  This version of Pantera bulldozed over everything in its path- Cowboys from Hell kicked just as much ass as everything that followed, it was just that there was also a tangible sense of fun and good cheer to go along with all the mayhem, even from Anselmo, and “The Art of Shredding” captured all of that before the band tightened up and honed in on a particular aspect of their sound.

[metalsongoftheday]

Friday, January 7: Pantera, “Power Metal”

R.I.P. Diamond Darrell Lance Abbott (1966-2004), Vinnie Paul Abbott (1964-2018)

“Power Metal” had little to do with the same-named subgenre that was being shepherded by a handful of American acts (most notably Jag Panzer and Helstar) around the mid ‘80s, and it definitely bore no resemblance to what was coming out of Germany in the late ‘80s.  But after years woodshedding on the party circuit, Pantera was ready to elevate their approach and try something more individual, amping up the energy and distortion- and of course, bringing in a much more reckless and aggressive singer. But while Power Metal was clearly more intense than any of the band’s three previous records, the group was still finding its way musically, especially Phil Anselmo: while he was already a more extreme presence than Terry Glaze, much of his singing, screaming and yelping came off like a budget Geoff Tate, while lyrically he was content to mostly wail about the awesomeness of heavy metal music and offer to provide us some if we wanted it (though in hindsight, his writing didn’t necessarily advance that much further than this; he just sounded more naïve here).  But a lot of what everyone would soon love about Pantera was already here: Diamond Darrell’s riffing and shredding was a masterclass of the form, Vinnie Paul’s gated drum sound was mostly in place (albeit hampered somewhat by the low-budget recording) and Rex “Rocker” Brown delivered a steady bass thump over which the Abbotts ran wild.  “Power Metal” wasn’t really any less rambunctious than the supposed reinvention of Cowboys from Hell, though it ultimately did play as more of a dress rehearsal for future glory.  What was really missing was better production and grimier performance, but otherwise the track ripped, roared and banged like the best of Pantera.

[metalsongoftheday]

Friday, January 29: Pantera, “Widowmaker”

R.I.P. “Diamond/Dimebag” Darrell Abbott (1966-2004), Vinnie Paul Abbott (1964-2018)

The Abbott brothers were always open about their love for not only Van Halen and Kiss, but also early ‘80s Southern rock, and those influences were all over Metal Magic and numbers like “Widowmaker”, so much so that the widespread perception of Pantera’s early albums being predominantly glam was actually rather misleading.  If anything, Metal Magic played like a bushleague attempt at a supercharged version of .38 Special- or if one wants to be more charitable, a heavier ZZ Top- and on that level, “Widowmaker” was enjoyable enough.  Darrell and Vinnie Abbott (still going by their given names at the time) were already fully in sync with each other, and their locked-in performance certainly helped the tune hit a little harder and overcome the limitations of papa Jerry Abbott’s no-budget production.  Similarly, Terrence “Terry Glaze” Lee’s vocals weren’t so much glam as they were laid-back, although his cooing on the next couple Pantera records crossed that threshold.  Ultimately, “Widowmaker” was a fun hard rock track that pointed to the Abbotts’ potential and captured their hunger for rock glory.  And if it was more hard rock than metal, well, they would move closer in that direction beginning with their very next record, though they still had some growing up to do.