The Pantera Legacy: Their Impact on the Modern Metal Scene

Pantera was an American heavy metal band that formed in 1981 and disbanded in 2003. The band consisted of vocalist Phil Anselmo, guitarist Dimebag Darrell, bassist Rex Brown, and drummer Vinnie Paul. They are often considered one of the pioneers of the groove metal subgenre. Pantera's music was characterized by its heavy and aggressive sound, combining elements of thrash metal, groove metal, and hardcore punk. The band's distinctive sound and powerful performances helped them gain a dedicated fanbase and achieve mainstream success. One of Pantera's most iconic albums is "Vulgar Display of Power," released in 1992.

While his lead guitar work is actually moderately enjoyable, Diamond is unable to carry the rest of the band. Vinnie Paul (the only band member who didn't alter his name to make it sound more "glam") gives an incredibly subpar performance, playing generic drum patterns that in no way reflect the skill he legitimately possessed. Bassist Rex Rocker (who would later metamorphose into the far superior Rex Brown) is never audible over the course of the album, most likely to make room for Vocalist Terry Glaze's overwhelming blandness. Glaze served as the vocalist for the first three Pantera releases, and without a doubt ranks among the worst to ever grace the stage. His vocal delivery lacks any sort of strength, confidence, or even pitch. He tends to slur words together and give only a minimal amount of effort when it comes to annunciation. The lack of energy and over the top emotion in his delivery often make certain parts of songs unintentionally hilarious, such as when he whispers “Metal magic, magic, magic. ” during the title track, or has the weakest fake orgasm in the history of music at the conclusion of the song “I'll be Alright.” Glaze's lyrics don't do his vocals any favors either. The lyrics reek of adolescent horniness and god-awful sexual innuendos, such as “Ride My Rocket” and “Biggest Part of Me” (which, funny enough, is a supposedly serious love ballad). Thankfully, Glaze's painfully weak delivery, coupled with the album's production, occasionally render his vocals unintelligible. This way, the listener only has to suffer through the lyrics he or she actually comprehends, which is a godsend considering the awfulness of the lyrics that are decipherable. The only seemingly intelligent member of Pantera was the keyboardist, who must have realized how worthless his input was and therefore left himself uncredited. We may never know the keyboardist's name as long as we live. Whatever the case may be, he was smart to have his name omitted, as being attached to Metal Magic and no other Pantera albums would have most likely been career suicide.

Metal Magic is the great southern failure, due to a vulgar display of musicianship and songs that are so far beyond uninteresting that they practically reinvent the word bland. More than anything else, the abysmal production makes Metal Magic nearly impossible to get through in one sitting without the fear of permanent injury to one s eardrums.

One of Pantera's most iconic albums is "Vulgar Display of Power," released in 1992. It featured the hit singles "Walk" and "F**king Hostile" and showcased the band's heavy and intense sound. The album is also known for its controversial cover artwork, which depicts a man being punched in the face.

Pantera
Metal Magic

Imagine a band. Imagine this band existed during the 80s. In this band are a group of teenage guys, in or fresh out of high school. They are dressed in the finest decor of glam metal, complete with long, flowing hair, and makeup most likely stolen from their mothers. Imagine these guys bought into every MTV-popularized trend that the 80s had to offer. Imagine they listened to unhealthy amounts of KISS and worshiped the ground Van Halen walked on. Finally, imagine this band attempting to fit in with the metal scene, but failing miserably at it. Now, what band are you imagining? If it was Pantera you were thinking of this whole time, you have obviously had the displeasure of listening to their 1983 debut, Metal Magic. If so, I sincerely apologize from the deepest depths of my heart.

For those fortunate few who are not already aware, Cowboys From Hell is not the first Pantera album, despite how much the band wishes it was. That's right, before they were "taking over your town" and revolutionizing thrash metal, Pantera spent an entire decade trying to be Mötley Crüe. They failed at doing so, however, and at absolute best ended up as Winger. This decade of what is now known as "Glamtera" brought us four albums, each one better than the last but none that can legitimately be considered "good." While Pantera's glam career may have unremarkable, none of their releases hold a candle to Metal Magic in terms of sheer badness. Simply put, the mere fact that Pantera were able to have such a successful career after this album is nothing short of magic.

This album fails on every conceivable level, an impressive feat for a band that would one day rule the 90s metal scene. Where the band falters most on this album is in their astoundingly bad musicianship. A common misconception is that the legendary Dimebag Darrel Abbot performed lead guitar on this album. This is entirely false, as it was in fact Diamond Darrel Abbot who played on the album. Diamond was the larva that would eventually metamorphose into the Dimebag we know and love. On Metal Magic, as is characteristic of larva, Diamond is a mere shadow of what he would become. He does show actual potential on the album, with riffs somewhat catchy and shredding guitar solos that are occasionally borderline-interesting. Nevertheless, Diamond's playing is plagued by an inscrutable sense of familiarity. This never ceases over the course of the album, and makes both his riffs and solos seem all the more lackluster. With that being said, Diamond's playing is the only element of the album that does not fall flat on its face, although it does trip every now and then.

While his lead guitar work is actually moderately enjoyable, Diamond is unable to carry the rest of the band. Vinnie Paul (the only band member who didn't alter his name to make it sound more "glam") gives an incredibly subpar performance, playing generic drum patterns that in no way reflect the skill he legitimately possessed. Bassist Rex Rocker (who would later metamorphose into the far superior Rex Brown) is never audible over the course of the album, most likely to make room for Vocalist Terry Glaze's overwhelming blandness. Glaze served as the vocalist for the first three Pantera releases, and without a doubt ranks among the worst to ever grace the stage. His vocal delivery lacks any sort of strength, confidence, or even pitch. He tends to slur words together and give only a minimal amount of effort when it comes to annunciation. The lack of energy and over the top emotion in his delivery often make certain parts of songs unintentionally hilarious, such as when he whispers “Metal magic, magic, magic. ” during the title track, or has the weakest fake orgasm in the history of music at the conclusion of the song “I'll be Alright.” Glaze's lyrics don't do his vocals any favors either. The lyrics reek of adolescent horniness and god-awful sexual innuendos, such as “Ride My Rocket” and “Biggest Part of Me” (which, funny enough, is a supposedly serious love ballad). Thankfully, Glaze's painfully weak delivery, coupled with the album's production, occasionally render his vocals unintelligible. This way, the listener only has to suffer through the lyrics he or she actually comprehends, which is a godsend considering the awfulness of the lyrics that are decipherable. The only seemingly intelligent member of Pantera was the keyboardist, who must have realized how worthless his input was and therefore left himself uncredited. We may never know the keyboardist's name as long as we live. Whatever the case may be, he was smart to have his name omitted, as being attached to Metal Magic and no other Pantera albums would have most likely been career suicide.

Aside from the band's individual performances, Metal Magic makes for an extremely unpleasant listening experience. The album lacks any sort of production quality, as one might expect from a young group’s first outing. Due to this, the bass has been entirely mixed out and Glaze's already weak vocals are usually shoved into the background. The fuzzy guitar overpowers everything else on the album and blares, often painfully, into the listener's ears if the songs are played at even a moderate volume. Keyboard melodies are made louder than necessary, turning high-pitched notes into the most annoying sound fathomable. During “Tell Me If You Like It,” the keyboard obnoxiously rings over the rest of the band, akin to what one might hear during a medical hearing exam. More than anything else, the abysmal production makes Metal Magic nearly impossible to get through in one sitting without the fear of permanent injury to one's eardrums. After listening to Glaze's vocals for five minutes, however, you may welcome hearing loss with open arms.

One afternoon not too long ago, I saw the cover of Metal Magic for the first time and laughed so hard and for so long that I began to feel sharp pains throughout my entire body and I lost all feelings in my lungs. I fell on the ground gasping for air, coughing uncontrollably as my body violently convulsed. My eyes began to burn from all the tears and I lost control of my bowels. Forcing myself to hold back vomit, I crawled across the floor and stared a picture of Vulgar Display of Power until I became so intimidated, my laughing ceased. Death was so close, mere seconds away perhaps, and having now listened all the way through this album I sincerely wish I died of laughter that day. That way, I would have never listened to this album in the first place. Metal Magic is the great southern failure, due to a vulgar display of musicianship and songs that are so far beyond uninteresting that they practically reinvent the word “bland.” Although I cannot recommend this album to anyone based off its music, I strongly encourage anyone who enjoys Pantera to check Metal Magic out for themselves and experience the hilarity. After all, you can't truly call yourself a Pantera fan until you've listened to the first sixty seconds of “Ride My Rocket.” When doing so, just be sure to monitor your breathing rate every twenty seconds to avoid laughing to death.

Aside from the band's individual performances, Metal Magic makes for an extremely unpleasant listening experience. The album lacks any sort of production quality, as one might expect from a young group’s first outing. Due to this, the bass has been entirely mixed out and Glaze's already weak vocals are usually shoved into the background. The fuzzy guitar overpowers everything else on the album and blares, often painfully, into the listener's ears if the songs are played at even a moderate volume. Keyboard melodies are made louder than necessary, turning high-pitched notes into the most annoying sound fathomable. During “Tell Me If You Like It,” the keyboard obnoxiously rings over the rest of the band, akin to what one might hear during a medical hearing exam. More than anything else, the abysmal production makes Metal Magic nearly impossible to get through in one sitting without the fear of permanent injury to one's eardrums. After listening to Glaze's vocals for five minutes, however, you may welcome hearing loss with open arms.

Another notable album is "Far Beyond Driven," released in 1994. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, making Pantera the first extreme metal band to achieve such a feat. The album featured the singles "I'm Broken" and "Becoming" and further solidified the band's status in the metal scene. Pantera's music often addressed themes of anger, rebellion, and personal struggles. Phil Anselmo's powerful vocals combined with Dimebag Darrell's aggressive and melodic guitar riffs created a unique and influential sound. The band's lyrics and music resonated with many fans, and their live performances were known for their high energy and intense atmosphere. Tragically, Pantera's career was cut short when Dimebag Darrell was shot and killed on stage during a concert in 2004. The loss of such a talented musician was felt deeply by the metal community. Despite the band's dissolution, their legacy continues to inspire and influence countless metal bands and fans worldwide. Overall, Pantera was a groundbreaking band that pushed the boundaries of metal music. Their heavy and aggressive sound, combined with their captivating performances, solidified their place in metal history. Their music continues to be remembered and celebrated to this day..

Reviews for "The Inspirational Messages Behind Pantera's Lyrics"

1. Emily - 2/5 stars

I was really disappointed with "Pantera metal magic". The album felt repetitive and lacked originality. The songs all blended together and I couldn't distinguish one from another. The lyrics were also forgettable, and I found myself losing interest halfway through the album. Overall, I expected more from Pantera and this album just didn't deliver.

2. Mike - 1/5 stars

I have been a fan of Pantera for years, but "Pantera metal magic" was a major letdown. The production quality was poor and it made it difficult to fully enjoy the music. The songs felt uninspired and lacked the energy and intensity that I associate with Pantera's music. I hate to say it, but this album was a miss for me and I hope the band can bounce back with something better in the future.

3. Sarah - 2/5 stars

I had high hopes for "Pantera metal magic" but it fell flat for me. The album lacked the unique sound and intensity that Pantera is known for. It seemed like they were trying too hard to appeal to a mainstream audience and ended up losing their originality in the process. I found myself skipping through songs, as none of them stood out or grabbed my attention. Overall, this album was a disappointment and I hope Pantera can recapture their magic in their next release.

Pantera: A Journey into the Darkest Depths of Metal