91-530: Pantera is an American heavy metal band. Pantera or Panteras may also refer to: Pantera Pantera ( / p æ n ˈ t ɛr ə / ) is an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas , formed in 1981 by the Abbott brothers (guitarist Dimebag Darrell and drummer Vinnie Paul ), and currently composed of vocalist Phil Anselmo , bassist Rex Brown , and touring musicians Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante . The group's best-known lineup consisted of
182-577: A David Coverdale lookalike. He sang a number of shows with the band in Los Angeles during the winter of 1986, but it became somewhat apparent that L'Amour could not hit the high notes Glaze was capable of. Together with his lack of stage presence, this meant that Pantera could only play cover songs, leading to L'Amour's departure. Pantera next auditioned El Paso native Rick Mythiasin, later to sing for Steel Prophet and Agent Steel ; however, cultural and image differences – Mythiasin failed to adapt to
273-657: A 1997 Metal Edge Readers' Choice Award, when it was voted "Best Video Cassette". Also in 1997, Pantera played on the mainstage of Ozzfest alongside Ozzy Osbourne , Black Sabbath , Marilyn Manson , Type O Negative , Fear Factory , Machine Head , and Powerman 5000 . Additionally, the band played on the 1998 UK Ozzfest tour alongside Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne, Foo Fighters , Slayer , Soulfly , Fear Factory, and Therapy? , as well as touring with Clutch and Neurosis . Around this time, Anselmo ventured into more side projects, such as playing guitars on Necrophagia 's 1999 release Holocausto de la Morte , where he went as
364-438: A 2004 issue of Metal Hammer magazine, saying that Dimebag would "attack him" verbally and "deserves to be beaten severely", typified Pantera's internal conflicts; Anselmo insisted that this comment was tongue-in-cheek , and he was upset that the quote ended up on the cover of the magazine. This explanation was soon dismissed by Vinnie Paul, who said shortly after the 2004 murder of his brother that he had personally listened to
455-535: A 25-year-old man named Nathan Gale walked onto the stage with a gun, shooting and killing Darrell . Gale also killed fan Nathan Bray, 23, club employee Erin Halk, 29, and Pantera security official Jeff "Mayhem" Thompson, 40, and injured longtime Pantera and Damageplan drum technician John "Kat" Brooks and Damageplan tour manager Chris Paluska before being shot dead by Columbus police officer James Niggemeyer. No motive has been given as to why Gale killed Dimebag Darrell and
546-498: A Black Sabbath cover which appeared on Far Beyond Driven , was the band's first charting single in the U.S. as it peaked at No. 21 on the Mainstream Rock Chart . The album saw Pantera continue its groove metal approach, while taking an even more extreme direction with its musical style. The album's original artwork (a drill bit impaling an anus) was banned, so it was re-released with the familiar skull impaled with
637-418: A Texas homecoming gig. After his heart stopped beating for almost five minutes, paramedics gave Anselmo a shot of adrenaline and sent him to the hospital. After he woke up in the hospital, the nurse working in his room said "Welcome back to life, oh and you have overdosed on heroin." Anselmo apologized to his bandmates the next night, and said that he would quit using drugs. The revelation of heroin use came as
728-467: A break from Pantera was a "mutual thing" between each of the band members. The Abbott brothers officially disbanded Pantera in November 2003, also the year when their best-of compilation album was released, when the two concluded that Anselmo had abandoned them and would not return. The dissolution of the band was not amicable and subsequently a war of words was waged between the former bandmates via
819-503: A copy of the guitar, but upon hearing of Abbott's death, offered to place the actual guitar in his casket. Dimebag was buried in a Kiss Kasket (a casket inspired by the band Kiss ). Kiss co-founder Gene Simmons said, "There were a limited number made and I sent mine to the family of 'Dimebag' Darrell. He requested in his will to be buried in a Kiss Kasket, as he sort of learned his rock 'n' roll roots by listening to us for some strange reason." Not long after Darrell's murder, Anselmo received
910-547: A cross between Black Sabbath , Alice in Chains and a little bit of Led Zeppelin thrown in. It's heavy, but with a lot of cool hooks and melodic overtones, too." Kill Devil Hill released their debut album in May 2012 to critical acclaim, and continue to tour in support of their music. In 2013, Brown released an autobiography, titled Official Truth: 101 Proof , which chronicles his personal life and journey through Pantera, including
1001-571: A drill bit. A limited edition was released with a slip-cover case. Also, a boxed set called Driven Down Under Tour '94 Souvenir Collection was released in Australia and New Zealand to coincide with the tours there. It featured Far Beyond Driven (with its original banned artwork) with a bonus thirteenth track, "The Badge" (a Poison Idea cover), the five-track Alive and Hostile EP, and the Japanese collector's edition Walk EP, all presented in
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#17327722264491092-418: A heated message from Vinnie, which (according to Anselmo) "went along the lines that my (Anselmo's) day was coming." Anselmo's rebuttal was that everybody's day is coming and that if his day should come before Vinnie's it would not change anything except for Vinnie having to go through "losing another brother". Public comments made by Anselmo following the shooting suggested that he had considered reuniting with
1183-471: A new, heavier image to accompany their later groove metal sound. Their four independent albums are not listed on the band's official website and have become hard-to-find collector's items. Shortly after Power Metal was released, Megadeth needed a guitarist and asked Diamond Darrell to join the band. Darrell insisted that his brother, bandmate Vinnie Paul, be included. However, Megadeth had already hired Nick Menza as their new drummer so Darrell declined
1274-424: A painkiller. Anselmo's on-stage remarks became notorious during this time. After stating at a Montreal concert that "rap music advocates the killing of white people", Anselmo denied accusations of racism, and later issued an apology, stating that he was drunk and that his remarks were a mistake. In 1995, the supergroup Down , one of Anselmo's many side projects, rose to expectations. Their 1995 debut, NOLA ,
1365-446: A potential one-off reunion concert continued to resurface periodically, with Zakk Wylde often being suggested as the stand-in replacement for Darrell. Paul, however, had been strictly resistant to the idea. Despite several overtures towards reconciliation by Anselmo towards Paul, the two men remained permanently estranged. In a July 2015 interview with Rolling Stone , Anselmo spoke out against Pantera and his other band's usage of
1456-716: A result of his pain issues (he almost died from an overdose in July 1996). These tensions resulted in the recording sessions for The Great Southern Trendkill (1996) being held separately. The ongoing tension lasted for another seven years, during which one more studio album, Reinventing the Steel (2000), was recorded. Pantera went on hiatus in 2001 but lingering disputes led to the band breaking up in 2003. The Abbott brothers went on to form Damageplan while Anselmo continued to work on several side projects, including Down , which Brown joined as well. On December 8, 2004, Dimebag Darrell
1547-422: A shock to Vinnie and Darrell, who were embarrassed by Anselmo's actions, according to Rita Haney, the guitarist's girlfriend. Anselmo said that he relapsed twice after this and was overcome with guilt. Pantera released their first live album, Official Live: 101 Proof , on July 29, 1997, which included fourteen live tracks and two new studio recordings: " Where You Come From " and "I Can't Hide". Two weeks before
1638-544: A special cardboard box with an eight-page color biography. Pantera began touring again, starting in South America, along with being accepted into another " Monsters of Rock " billing. In late June, Anselmo was charged with assault for attacking a security guard after he prevented fans from getting on stage. Anselmo was released on a $ 5,000 bail the next day. The trial was delayed three times. In May 1995, he apologized in court and pleaded guilty to attempted assault and
1729-412: A year off following the events of September 11, 2001, but Anselmo's touring and recording output for both Superjoint Ritual and Down contradicted this. Nonetheless, Anselmo recalled that a "great distancing" occurred among the band in this period. The Abbott brothers were frustrated, and held out for an indefinite period of time, assuming that Anselmo would return. However, according to Anselmo, taking
1820-464: Is an American musician. He is the longtime bassist for heavy metal band Pantera , having joined the band in 1982. Following the band's reunion in 2022, Brown is the longest-serving member of the band. He is also a former member of the supergroup Down (2001–2011) and a former bassist for Kill Devil Hill . He released his debut solo album Smoke on This… in 2017. For the first time in Brown's career,
1911-578: Is made up of 10 tracks that were remastered. During a 2012 appearance on That Metal Show , when asked about the possibility of a Pantera reunion, Vinnie Paul said that it would be possible if Dimebag Darrell were still alive. Despite being proud of his Pantera years, however, he indicated that there were no plans for a reunion, adding that "some stones are better left unturned." In 2013, Brown published his autobiography titled Official Truth: 101 Proof , which chronicled his time in Pantera. Comments about
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#17327722264492002-512: The Confederate flag claiming it was a mistake to use it on their merchandise, albums, and other promotional material. Anselmo said "These days, I wouldn't want anything to fucking do with it because truthfully... I wouldn't. The way I feel and the group of people I've had to work with my whole life, you see a Confederate flag out there that says 'Heritage, not hate.' I'm not so sure I'm buying into that." Anselmo said originally that Pantera used
2093-541: The Southern culture of the other members – meant his tenure was even shorter than that of L'Amour. A former schoolmate of the Abbott brothers, David Peacock of the band Forced Entry (who had supported Warlock ), joined the band as lead vocalist in the spring of 1986, but despite Pantera doing most of the work for their fourth album during the summer with Peacock, Rex and the Abbotts found Peacock's voice to be unsuited to
2184-451: The Abbott brothers along with Brown and Anselmo, who joined in 1982 and 1986, respectively. The band is credited for developing and popularizing the subgenre of groove metal in the 1990s. Regarded as one of the most successful and influential bands in heavy metal history, Pantera has sold around 20 million records worldwide and has received four Grammy nominations. Having started as a glam metal band, Pantera released three albums in
2275-527: The Abbott brothers on guitar and drums, respectively. The new lineup played its first show in 21 years at the Hell and Heaven festival in Mexico on December 2, 2022, and the band's tour will continue into 2025. The band was originally named Gemini, then Eternity, before finally settling on Pantera and consisted of Vinnie Paul Abbott on drums, Darrell Abbott on lead guitar, and Terry Glaze on rhythm guitar;
2366-655: The Cup from the balcony of Vinnie Paul's house into his pool. The Cup landed short on the concrete deck and had to be repaired by NHL commissioned silversmiths. Later on in 1999, Pantera contributed the Ted Nugent cover " Cat Scratch Fever " to the soundtrack of the film Detroit Rock City . It became the band's second appearance on the Mainstream Rock Chart, peaking at the No. 40 position. Pantera returned to
2457-673: The Extreme Steel tour, a planned tour of Europe was cut short as a result of the September 11 attacks , which left the band stranded in Dublin , Ireland for six days as a result of all flights being canceled. Pantera played their last show in Yokohama, Japan at the "Beast Feast" festival on August 28, 2001. This would be the last time the members of Pantera performed together. Back home, the band planned to release its fourth home video in
2548-507: The Night (1985), and Power Metal (1988), he would be credited by his birth name starting with the band's fifth album, Cowboys from Hell , and onwards. Pantera recruited vocalist Phil Anselmo to replace Terry Glaze in 1986. With Anselmo taking over as the new frontman, the band's fourth album, Power Metal , was released in 1988. In 1989, the band was signed with Atco Records , and released their fifth album, Cowboys from Hell , in
2639-813: The Soviet Union shortly before its downfall three months later. The band was often found at the Dallas club "the Basement", where the band shot the videos for "Cowboys from Hell" and " Psycho Holiday ". Pantera's 2006 home video compilation 3 Vulgar Videos from Hell features performances of "Primal Concrete Sledge", "Cowboys from Hell", "Domination", and "Psycho Holiday" from the show in Moscow. Pantera's unique "groove" style came to fruition with their sixth studio album, titled Vulgar Display of Power , recorded in 1991 and released on February 25, 1992. On this album,
2730-559: The Vampire Slayer . Pantera also opened for other bands like Sepultura , Fates Warning , Prong , Mind Over Four , and Morbid Angel , and co-headlined a North American tour with Wrathchild America . The band eventually landed a billing for " Monsters in Moscow " with AC/DC and Metallica in September 1991, where they played to a crowd of over 500,000 in attendance to celebrate the new freedom of performing Western music in
2821-452: The Waters " became the album's only music video . The album's other single, " Floods ", achieved acclaim largely because of Darrell's complex guitar solo in the song, which ranked No. 15 on Guitar World magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Guitar Solos" of all time. On July 13, 1996, during their tour with Eyehategod and White Zombie , Anselmo overdosed on heroin an hour after
Pantera (disambiguation) - Misplaced Pages Continue
2912-499: The aftermath of the murders, Rita Haney, Darrell's girlfriend, told him she would "blow Anselmo's head off" if he attended Darrell's funeral. He was buried with Eddie Van Halen 's black and yellow-striped Charvel electric guitar (sometimes referred to as "Bumblebee"), which was pictured with Van Halen on the inner sleeve and back cover of the album Van Halen II . Dimebag had asked for one of these guitars in 2004, shortly before his death. Eddie Van Halen originally agreed to make Darrell
3003-533: The age of 54, making him the second founding member of Pantera (following his brother) to die. Sources initially said that the cause of his death was a massive heart attack in his sleep, but on August 27, 2018, the official cause of death was revealed to be dilated cardiomyopathy and coronary artery disease . In November 2018, Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals , while on tour supporting their second full-length album, played their first setlist composed entirely of Pantera songs. The trend continued all throughout
3094-741: The album called Boggy Depot as well as eleven tracks with Crowbar on the album Lifesblood for the Downtrodden . He has also provided bass work for Crowbar in 2004 and 2005 and to Cavalera Conspiracy in 2008. Rex revealed his new project Arms of the Sun, a project also featuring John Luke Hebert (of King Diamond ) on drums, Lance Harvill on vocals and guitar, and Ben Bunker (of Gryn ) on guitar. The group has completed work on thirteen tracks at Willie Nelson 's Pedernales Recording Studio in Austin, produced and mixed by Terry Date . In February 2011 it
3185-518: The album, Pantera began the Cowboys from Hell tour by opening for thrash acts Exodus and Suicidal Tendencies . In 1991, Halford performed with the band onstage, which led Pantera (along with Annihilator ) to open for Judas Priest on its first show in Europe. In addition, Halford collaborated with Pantera on the song "Light Comes Out of Black", which was featured on the soundtrack to the film Buffy
3276-467: The alias "Anton Crowley", which combines the names of Church of Satan founder Anton LaVey and occultist Aleister Crowley . He also temporarily joined the black metal supergroup Eibon and contributed vocals to that band's only two songs. Another one of Anselmo's "Anton Crowley" projects was black metal band Viking Crown . The Abbott brothers and Rex Brown began their own country metal crossover project, Rebel Meets Rebel with David Allan Coe , around
3367-493: The audio files of the interview and that Anselmo had not been misquoted or misrepresented, but said the exact words which appeared in the article. "I think, more or less, it lies between Dimebag and I. There was never a point when he could not get drunk. Which was pretty much every day. And now I'm hearing it's worse than ever [...] 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
3458-533: The band once again returned to touring, playing with fellow metal bands Morbid Angel , Skrape , Slayer, and Static-X as part of the Extreme Steel Tour of North America. They were also guest musicians on the show SpongeBob SquarePants in the episode " Pre-Hibernation Week ", performing the song "Death Rattle" from Reinventing the Steel (renamed as "Pre-Hibernation" on the 2001 soundtrack SpongeBob SquarePants: Original Theme Highlights ). Following
3549-523: The band prior to Darrell's death. However, one year after the murder, Paul stated in an interview that this reunion was never going to happen. On May 11, 2006, the VH1 Behind the Music episode on Pantera premiered. While focusing heavily on Darrell's murder and burial, the episode also detailed the band's glam metal beginnings, the band's rise in popularity after the change in musical direction, and
3640-460: The band's extreme transformation. The album marked a critical juncture in the band's history. Many fans, and the band itself, have referred to Cowboys from Hell as Pantera's "official" debut. Cowboys from Hell included the tracks " Cemetery Gates ", a brooding seven-minute piece that focuses on death and religion, and the thrashing title track , which gave the band members their nickname and asserted their raucous personality and style. To promote
3731-579: The band's fourth nomination for Best Metal Performance in the 2001 Grammys , and it peaked at No. 28 on the Mainstream Rock Chart in the U.S.. In 2000, Pantera played on the mainstage of Ozzfest alongside Ozzy Osbourne , Godsmack , Static-X , Methods of Mayhem , Incubus , P.O.D. , Black Label Society , Queens of the Stone Age , and Apartment 26 . In November, the band canceled their planned tour after Anselmo broke his ribs after falling during his eighth annual House of Shock event. In 2001,
Pantera (disambiguation) - Misplaced Pages Continue
3822-591: The band's more popular songs, and it appeared on the UK Singles Chart , peaking at the No. 35 position. The album itself entered the American charts at No. 44. Pantera went on tour again, visiting Japan for the first time in July 1992 and later performing at the " Monsters of Rock " festival co-headlined by Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath in Italy. It was around this time that Darrell Abbott dropped
3913-551: The conflicts between Anselmo and the Abbott brothers in the band's later years that would tear them apart. When asked by Crave Music in 2006 if there was any chance of reconciling with Phil Anselmo, Vinnie Paul answered "Absolutely not. That's it." The former Pantera drummer subsequently began work on Hellyeah , a collaboration between him and members from Mudvayne and Nothingface . Both Anselmo and Brown reunited with Down , and supported Heaven & Hell and Megadeth on their 2007 Canadian tour, as well as supporting Metallica on
4004-576: The debut album of metal supergroup Elegant Weapons . Brown does not "subscribe to any particular organized religion", though he says he believes in God and the Ten Commandments . In August 2009, Brown was excluded from the Down tour due to acute pancreatitis . He then had his gallbladder and polyps on his pancreas removed. "Rex has been through hell, man", said bandmate Pepper Keenan . "He
4095-464: The eighteen-year old Anselmo was hired as the new vocalist on the spot. Anselmo had previously been the vocalist for the bands Samhain (not to be confused with Glenn Danzig 's band of the same name ) and Razor White. Upon playing with Pantera, Anselmo immediately clicked with the other three members. The years 1986 and 1987 saw the release of several landmark thrash metal albums that would prove influential to Pantera's developing musical style. Among
4186-489: The events leading to the band's disbandment. In 2015, Brown penned the foreword to the book Survival of the Fittest: Heavy Metal in the 1990s , by author Greg Prato. Rex was also interviewed for the book (as well as his former bandmate in Pantera, Anselmo, among many others). Brown's first solo album, Smoke on This… , was released on July 28, 2017, via Entertainment One . In 2023, he played bass on
4277-683: The face of the Earth", Atco Records representatives Mark Ross and Stevenson Eugenio were asked by their boss Derek Shulman , who was interested in signing Pantera, to see the band perform in Texas. Ross was so impressed by the band's performance that he called his boss that night, suggesting that the band should be signed to the label. Atco Records accepted, and at the conclusion of 1989, the band recorded its major label debut at Pantego Studios and hired Terry Date to produce it, in large part because of his work with Soundgarden , Metal Church , and Overkill ,
4368-468: The fall of 2001 at Anselmo's barn that had been transformed into a professional studio. The album was released on March 26, 2002, and became the first Down release featuring Brown on bass. The band, however, went on hiatus again at the very end of 2002. In 2006, the band reunited and started writing the material for their third studio album. Down III: Over the Under was released in 2007. The band toured as
4459-412: The first half of their World Magnetic Tour . In interviews in 2009 and 2010, both Rita Haney and Phil Anselmo stated that, after a meeting at Download 2009, they had patched up their differences and are once again on speaking terms. On March 30, 2010, Pantera released a greatest-hits compilation album, titled 1990–2000: A Decade of Domination . It was made available exclusively at Walmart stores and
4550-417: The following year, which proved to be the band's turning point to commercial success. Over the course of the band's walkthrough in the 1990s decade, Pantera released four more studio albums, Vulgar Display of Power (1992), Far Beyond Driven (1994), The Great Southern Trendkill (1996), and Reinventing the Steel (2000). After releases of a 1997 live album and a greatest hits compilation , Pantera
4641-555: The groove metal genre, while its 1992 follow-up Vulgar Display of Power achieved an even heavier sound and increased their popularity. The subsequent seventh studio album Far Beyond Driven (1994) debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 . Tensions began to surface among the band members when Anselmo, reeling from severe back problems brought on by years of intense on-stage performances, began growing distant from his bandmates in 1995, eventually becoming addicted to heroin as
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#17327722264494732-504: 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, December 2004 Caught up in the torrent was Rex Brown, who later said "It was a bunch of he said, she said nonsense that was going on, and I wasn't going to get in the middle of it." In a 2015 interview, he'd add, "Vinnie drew this imaginary line in the sand [...] He said, ‘You’re either on our side or not.’ I didn't want to take sides. [...] The whole thing
4823-465: The heavy metal press took more notice of the band. Because of poor distribution, I Am the Night turned out to be a costly album to many fans. Around 25,000 copies of the album were sold. Pantera's second music video was produced for the track "Hot and Heavy". By 1986, Glaze's glam approach did not fit the band's developing style, and he and the other members parted ways. Pantera began a search for Glaze's replacement and initially auditioned Matt L'Amour,
4914-431: The image because they were huge fans of Lynyrd Skynyrd but it was never about promoting hate. Also in 2015, Anselmo and Brown were interviewed at length about Pantera for the book Survival of the Fittest: Heavy Metal in the 1990s , by author Greg Prato. Brown also penned the foreword for the book, while a concert photo from 1994 of Anselmo and Darrell was used for the book's cover image. On June 22, 2018, Paul died at
5005-401: The latter of whose latest album at the time The Years of Decay was one of the sources of inspiration behind Pantera's transition away from glam/traditional heavy metal to thrash / groove metal , as well as Diamond Darrell's guitar tone on the album. Looking for their first big breakthrough, Pantera released their fifth studio album, titled Cowboys from Hell , on July 24, 1990, which
5096-736: The lineup was completed with two more members, lead vocalist Donny Hart and bassist Tommy D. Bradford. In 1982, Hart left the band and Glaze became the group's lead vocalist. Later, Glaze stopped playing rhythm guitar, leaving Darrell as the sole guitarist, doing both lead and rhythm duties. Later that year, Bradford also departed and was replaced by Rex Brown (then known as Rex Rocker) on bass. Pantera became an underground favorite, though its regional tours in this era never took them beyond Texas , Oklahoma , and Louisiana . The band began supporting fellow heavy metal / glam metal acts such as Stryper , Dokken , and Quiet Riot . Pantera released their first studio album, Metal Magic , in 1983. Metal Magic
5187-498: The live album's release, Pantera received its first platinum album , for Cowboys from Hell . Just four months later, both Vulgar Display of Power and Far Beyond Driven were awarded platinum as well. The band also received their second and third " Best Metal Performance " Grammy nominations for The Great Southern Trendkill 's " Suicide Note (Pt. I) " and Cowboys From Hell 's " Cemetery Gates " in 1997 and 1998 , respectively. The release of their video 3 Watch It Go earned them
5278-502: The mid-1980s with lead vocalist Terry Glaze ( Metal Magic , Projects in the Jungle , and I Am the Night ), with little success. Looking for a new and heavier sound, Pantera recruited Anselmo in 1986 and released Power Metal in 1988. They secured a record deal with major label Atco the following year. Their fifth album (which the band has since declared to be their official debut album), 1990's Cowboys from Hell , popularized
5369-621: The most prominent of these were Metallica 's Master of Puppets , Slayer 's Reign in Blood , Anthrax 's Among the Living , and Megadeth 's Peace Sells... but Who's Buying? . When Anselmo joined the band, he would bring his mixtapes with him and play bands such as Exhorder , Slayer , and Rigor Mortis to the other band members. In 1988, with Anselmo as the new vocalist, Pantera released their fourth studio album, titled Power Metal . Power Metal , like Pantera's previous three albums,
5460-408: The musical direction Pantera wished for. By the end of the year, Pantera even revisited original frontman Donny Hart, but Hart himself knew that he was not the right man Pantera were seeking and Jerry Abbott was to fire him. During 1986, New Orleans native and then-eighteen year old Phil Anselmo had heard Pantera were looking for a singer. At the end of the year, they invited him to audition, and
5551-432: The nickname "Diamond Darrell" and assumed " Dimebag Darrell ", and Rex Brown dropped the pseudonym "Rex Rocker". Pantera released their seventh studio album, titled Far Beyond Driven , on March 22, 1994, which debuted at No. 1 in both United States and Australian album charts. The album's first single, " I'm Broken ", earned the band's first Grammy nomination for "Best Metal Performance" in 1995 . " Planet Caravan ",
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#17327722264495642-462: The offer, and Dave Mustaine instead decided on Marty Friedman . The Abbott brothers refocused their attention on Pantera, and in 1989 they were given their first shot at commercial success. That year was also when the band formed their relationship with Walter O'Brien at Concrete Management (the management arm of Concrete Marketing ), who remained their manager until they disbanded in 2003. After being turned down "28 times by every major label on
5733-598: The opening act for Metallica . During that time, he became good friends with James Hetfield , who—similarly to Brown—completed an alcohol rehabilitation course back in 2002. Wanting to explore different music, Brown left Down in 2011. In 1999, Brown, Dimebag Darrell, and Vinnie Paul teamed up with country artist David Allan Coe in a project called Rebel Meets Rebel . This group released an album on May 2, 2006, on Vinnie Paul's Big Vin Records label. Brown has worked previously with Jerry Cantrell on five tracks included on
5824-472: The other victims, but early theories, which were dismissed by police, suggested that Gale, who was reported to have been diagnosed with schizophrenia , was apparently upset over Pantera's breakup. In a number of interviews, some of Gale's friends suggested that he claimed that he had written songs that were stolen by Pantera. A week after the shooting, it was reported that album sales of both Damageplan and Pantera albums jumped sharply. When Anselmo called in
5915-399: The power metal falsetto vocals were replaced with a hardcore-influenced shouted delivery and heavier guitar sound, which firmly cemented the band's popularity among mainstream and underground fans alike. Two other singles from the album became two of Pantera's most notable ballads: " This Love ", a haunting piece about lust and abuse, and " Hollow ", somewhat reminiscent of "Cemetery Gates" from
6006-491: The press. In an MTV Headbanger's Ball interview in January 2004, Vinnie Paul explained that they had not spoken to Anselmo in two years, and was cynical in response to Anselmo wishing the Abbott brothers success, citing Anselmo's "sedated state." Meanwhile, Dimebag implied in interviews that Anselmo had returned to heroin use, something which Anselmo said was unsubstantiated as he was over 3 years sober. Anselmo's comment in
6097-449: The previous album. The band would play the song "Domination" (from Cowboys from Hell ) leading into the ending of "Hollow" (what is roughly the last 2:30 of the album version), forming a medley referred to as "Dom/Hollow", as can be heard on the band's 1997 live album Official Live: 101 Proof . Singles from Vulgar Display of Power also received significant airplay on radio as did the companion music videos on MTV . " Walk " became one of
6188-446: The reason for his erratic behavior. Anselmo attempted to alleviate his pain through alcohol, but this, as he admitted, was affecting his performances and "putting some worry into the band." Doctors predicted that with surgery, Anselmo's back problem could be corrected, but that the recovery time could take up a whole lot more time than before. Unwilling to spend that much time away from the band, Anselmo refused, and began using heroin as
6279-453: The recording studio with Anselmo in 1999, releasing their ninth (considered fifth by the band itself) and final studio album, Reinventing the Steel , on March 21, 2000. The album debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and included two singles; " Revolution Is My Name " and " Goddamn Electric ", the latter of which featured a Kerry King outro solo recorded backstage in one take during Ozzfest in Dallas. "Revolution Is My Name" became
6370-464: The release of Power Metal , the band members decided to seriously reconsider their glam metal image and sound. Referring to the band's spandex appearance, Vinnie Paul remarked at a band meeting that "These magic clothes don't play music; we do. Let's just go out there and be comfortable, jeans, t-shirt, whatever, and see where it goes." The band members would later no longer acknowledge their independent releases, including Power Metal , as they sculpted
6461-461: The respective fill-ins of Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul), for Pantera's first world tour in 22 years in 2023. In 1998, during his stay in Louisiana, he was invited by Phil Anselmo for a jam session that included all the members of Down except their bass player Todd Strange , who left the band. That night they ended up writing several demos for what later became their second album recorded in
6552-590: The rest of the band recorded in Dallas , evidence of the continued distancing between Anselmo and the rest of the band. In comparison to the band's previous efforts, there was a heavier emphasis on vocal overdubbing in a somewhat "demonic" fashion. Drug abuse is a recurring theme in The Great Southern Trendkill , as exemplified by tracks such as " Suicide Note Pt. I ", " Suicide Note Pt. II ", "10's", and "Living Through Me (Hell's Wrath)". " Drag
6643-429: The rest of the year as well as in 2019, with the tour being dubbed as "a Pantera tribute". On January 28, 2020, Pantera surpassed one billion streams across most major streaming music services (Amazon, Apple Music, Deezer, Google, and Spotify). Between 2010 and 2020, Pantera's five major label studio albums had all been reissued, typically with extra content. Rex Brown Rex Robert Brown (born July 27, 1964)
6734-583: The same time. The band wrote a song for the NHL 's Dallas Stars during the team's 1999 Stanley Cup Championship run , "Puck Off", which in recent years has been used as the Stars' goal song at American Airlines Center . Throughout the season, members of the team befriended members of Pantera. During a Stanley Cup party hosted by Vinnie Paul, the Stanley Cup was damaged when Guy Carbonneau attempted to throw
6825-658: The summer of 2002 and record another studio album later that year, but neither came about. Anselmo again engaged in numerous side projects. In March 2002, Down released its second studio album, Down II: A Bustle in Your Hedgerow , which featured Rex Brown on bass following Todd Strange 's departure in 1999. Brown remained Down's full-time bassist until 2011, having appeared on their subsequent release in 2007 . Also, in May of that year, Anselmo's Superjoint Ritual released its debut album, Use Once and Destroy . Vinnie Paul claimed that Anselmo told him that he would take
6916-518: The work features him not only as a bassist but also as lead vocalist and guitarist. Brown authored a book called Official Truth 101 Proof , which was released in April 2013. The book documents Pantera's formation, career, and disbandment. Rex Robert Brown was born in Graham, Texas , on July 27, 1964. His father was 40 when Brown was born, and died in 1971. He was raised by his mother and sister. Brown
7007-523: Was shot and killed on stage by a mentally unstable fan during a Damageplan concert in Columbus, Ohio . Vinnie Paul went on to form Hellyeah after his brother's death, and died of heart failure in 2018, leaving Brown and Anselmo as the only surviving members of the band's best-known lineup. In July 2022, it was announced that Brown and Anselmo were reuniting in 2023 for Pantera's first tour in 22 years, with Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante filling in for
7098-494: Was a commercial success; over 44,000 copies were sold in its first week alone and within a year over 100,000 copies were sold, while the album's singles "Save Me" and "Pride" had appeared on the Mainstream Rock Chart. However, some fans felt that Damageplan's material did not measure up to that of Pantera. On December 8, 2004, less than a minute into the first song of a Damageplan show at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio ,
7189-526: Was a success, but shortly afterwards, the group members returned to their respective bands, leaving Down inactive for several years. Pantera's eighth studio album, The Great Southern Trendkill , was released on May 7, 1996, and is often considered their "overlooked" album. Anselmo recorded the vocals for this release in Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor 's studio in New Orleans while
7280-451: Was announced that Brown had amicably left Arms of the Sun. A replacement bassist has not yet been announced. In March 2011, it was announced that Brown had formed a new band, Kill Devil Hill with Vinny Appice ( Heaven & Hell , Black Sabbath , Dio ) on drums, Mark Zavon ( Ratt , W.A.S.P. , 40 Cycle Hum) on guitar and Dewey Bragg ( Pissing Razors ) on vocals. The group has demoed around 10 songs, which, according to Appice, sound "like
7371-517: Was cut from rib to rib and they cleaned him out, but he's in top shape again. After twenty-five years on the road – drinking every day and whatnot … well, the old days are over, my friend." Brown married his longtime girlfriend Elena Henrard in June 2023. Brown was a jazz bassist and was offered a scholarship by the University of North Texas , but declined. He often plays with a pick . Brown
7462-531: Was first introduced to music through his grandmother, who taught him to play the piano when he was a child, and turned him onto ragtime music and Scott Joplin . Brown was a member of the Boy Scouts of America and achieved the rank of Eagle Scout . Brown became a fan of ZZ Top and Def Leppard as a youth, and started playing bass when he was twelve years old. Other significant influences include Black Sabbath , Led Zeppelin , and hardcore punk . Pantera
7553-417: Was formed in 1981. Brown joined Pantera on bass in 1982 replacing Tommy D. Bradford and adopting the alias " Rex Rocker ". Brown was a classmate of, and played in the high school jazz band with, drummer Vinnie Paul , and guitarist Dimebag Darrell (then known as Diamond Darrell). Brown was credited as "Rex Rocker" on Pantera's first four albums: Metal Magic (1983), Projects in the Jungle (1984), I Am
7644-471: Was henceforth credited as "Terrence Lee". In addition, a music video for the album's lead track, "All Over Tonight", was eventually created. Projects in the Jungle was also released on the band's independent Metal Magic Records label and produced by Jerry Abbott. In 1985, Pantera released their third studio album, titled I Am the Night . As with Projects in the Jungle , this album saw Pantera's sound becoming heavier (though still rooted in glam metal), and
7735-444: Was nominated for four best metal performance Grammys , for " I'm Broken ", " Suicide Note Pt. I ", " Cemetery Gates ", and " Revolution Is My Name ". In 2001, Pantera went on what at the time was believed to be a temporary hiatus, mainly due to Anselmo's focus on side projects. Pantera would officially disband in 2003. In July 2022, it was announced that Brown would be joining Anselmo, along with Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante (as
7826-404: Was notable for often contributing walking basslines underneath Dimebag Darrell 's guitar solos. Standout tracks include " Floods ", " Walk ", " 5 Minutes Alone ", "Throes of Rejection", " Cowboys from Hell ", "Living Through Me (Hells' Wrath)", "I Can't Hide", "Use My Third Arm", "Where You Come From", " This Love ", and " I'm Broken ", among others. Brown endorsed Spector basses, and in 2011,
7917-671: Was ordered to undergo 100 hours of community service . Pantera continued their tour of the United Kingdom in 1994 and eventually ended it in the United States where the band was opened for by fellow groove metal band Prong . According to the Abbott brothers, Anselmo began behaving strangely and distanced himself from the band when they returned to the road in 1995. The rest of the band members first thought that Pantera's perception of his fame had gotten to Anselmo, but Anselmo cited back pain from years of intense performances as
8008-434: Was produced by Pantera and Date. Pantera showed a more extreme style on this outing, leaving behind its glam metal influences in favor of mid-tempo thrash metal dubbed "power groove" (groove metal) by the band. Although Anselmo still used some Rob Halford -influenced vocals, he also adopted a more abrasive delivery. Darrell's more complex guitar solos and riffs , along with his brother's faster-paced drumwork were evidence of
8099-414: Was released by Metal Magic Records, but showcased a change in their sound. By far the band's heaviest album at this point, Power Metal had little resemblance to the power metal subgenre, but was a mix of 1980s glam metal and thrash metal, sometimes blending both styles in a single song. Complementing the band's new sonic approach were Anselmo's harder-edged vocals compared to those of Terry Glaze. After
8190-424: Was released on the band's record label of the same name and produced by the Abbott brothers' father, Jerry Abbott , at Pantego Studios. In 1984, Pantera released their second studio album, Projects in the Jungle . Although still very much a glam metal album, the band members crafted songs that had less overbearing melodic influences than songs from the previous album. Another change was Terry Glaze's name, as he
8281-421: Was ridiculous, but I never talked about it.". In July 2004, Vulgar Display of Power went double-platinum, and The Great Southern Trendkill went platinum the next month. After Pantera's disbandment, Darrell and Vinnie formed a new band, Damageplan , with vocalist Pat Lachman and bassist Bob Zilla . Damageplan released their first and only studio album, New Found Power , on February 10, 2004. The album
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