Pantera

Pantera
Top left: Dimebag Darrell, top right: Phil Anselmo, bottom left: Vinnie Paul, bottom right: Rex Brown
Background information
Origin	Arlington, Texas, U.S.
Genres	Groove metal thrash metal glam metal (early)
Years active	1981–2003 2022–present
Labels	Metal Magic Atco Rhino East West Elektra
Spinoffs	Down Damageplan Hellyeah Superjoint Rebel Meets Rebel
Members	Rex Brown Phil Anselmo
Past member(s)	Vinnie Paul Dimebag Darrell Terry Glaze Donny Hart Tommy Bradford Matt L'Amour Rick Mythiasin David Peacock

Pantera (/pænˈtɛrə/) is an American heavy metal band formed in 1981. They are based out of Arlington, Texas. Their best-known lineup consisted of the Abbott brothers (guitarist Dimebag Darrell and drummer Vinnie Paul) along with Rex Brown and Phil Anselmo, who joined in 1982 and 1986, respectively. The band is well known for pioneering the subgenre of groove metal in the 1990s. Seen as one of the most successful and influential bands in metal history, Pantera has sold around 20 million records worldwide. They've also received four Grammy nominations.

Initially a glam metal band, Pantera's debut album, Metal Magic, released in 1983. Their next two albums, Projects in the Jungle, and I Am the Night are still glam metal, but with elements of traditional metal and speed metal. Terry Glaze left the band in 1986 and was replaced by Phil Anselmo on vocals. Power Metal was released in 1988 and is seen as the last album of the band's glam era. Musically, it's more in-line with heavy/speed metal, with elements of thrash.

The band secured a record deal with major label Atco the following year. Their fifth album and major label debut Cowboys from Hell released on July 24, 1990. It's seen as popularizing the subgenre of groove metal. This was followed by 1992's Vulgar Display of Power. It was even heavier and more popular. Four singles were released from the album. This includes the band's most popular song "Walk". Their seventh album Far Beyond Driven (1994) debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.

Tensions began to surface among the band members and Anselmo. He got addicted to heroin as a result of his back pain. He almost died from an overdose in July of 1996. As a result of this, he recorded his vocals for The Great Southern Trendkill (1996) separately. Ongoing tensions lasted for another seven years, during which only one studio album, Reinventing the Steel (2000), was recorded. Pantera went on hiatus in 2001 and ultimately broke 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 was shot and killed on stage by a mentally unstable fan at 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. Brown and Anselmo are 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. Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante filled in for the Abbott brothers on guitar and drums, respectively. The new line-up's first show was at the Hell and Heaven festival in Mexico on December 2, 2022.

Discography

• Metal Magic (1983)
• Projects in the Jungle (1984)
• I Am the Night (1985)
• Power Metal (1988)
• Cowboys from Hell (1990)
• Vulgar Display of Power (1992)
• Far Beyond Driven (1994)
• The Great Southern Trendkill (1996)
• Reinventing the Steel (2000)