Pantera

Reinventing The Steel

Album of the year in 2000

Review Score:

(10/10)
I am a huge Panter fan and have been waiting eagerly for their new release. This more than meets my expectations. Phil's voice has never sounded better, as on this cd he is slightly more melodic but maintains that snarled edge. Vinny's effort was a little dissapointing, but the awe inspiring drumming on "trendkill" makes a tough act to follow. Don't get me wrong, he can still blast most drummers out the door. Another thing i noticed is that the bass wasn't as "buried" as on trendkill. in this and far beyond driven the bass adds to the sound and can actually be heard, rather than just providing the low end. Rex is good, he deserves that. Last but not least, the almighty Dimebag Darrel! He is my guitar hero, plain and simple. In addition to the mind crunching riffs at insane speeds, he shows off his dazzling array of skills including whammy bar technique that can hold with Steve Vai, crazy pinch harmonics, and that killer harmonizer effect he uses. Just because heavy metal isn't in the spotlight doesn't keep pantera from being one of the best bands around, and Dime needs waaaaaay more respect. I missed the tripped out stuff that was on their last two cd's (10's, flood, suicide note pt 1, planet caravan) but this is definitly not the same pantera that played glam in the late 80's. They manage to keep their integrity yet still mature musically. My hat is off to you boys!!!!

More Reviews: