Pantera

Pantera, circa 2000

Pantera is an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas, formed by the Abbott brothers, "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott (guitar) and Vinnie Paul Abbott (drums) in 1981. Bassist Rex Brown would join in 1982 after the departure of original bassist Tommy Bradford. Followed with vocalist Terry Glaze. In 1987, Phil Anselmo would become the group's lead vocalist, completing the band's successful lineup until 2001. The group reformed in 2022 and now consists of Brown, and Anselmo with Zack Wylde on guitar and Charlie Benante on the drums.

The band became a key formulator of the post-thrash metal subgenre, groove metal. It would not be until nine years after forming that the band saw its first piece of commercial success in its 1990 major label debut, Cowboys from Hell. From there, Pantera became one of the most celebrated heavy metal bands of the 1990s. Despite the generally negative reception of the band's first three albums from the 1980s, critics lauded Pantera's style thereafter; Jason Birchmeier of Allmusic.com stated "there was no greater metal band during the early to mid-1990s than Pantera." The band has received accolades such as ranking 45th on VH1's list of the "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock" and fifth on MTV's "Top 10 Greatest Heavy Metal Bands of All-Time."

In 2003, the band disbanded successfully and closed a wonderful circle. After the break up, Anselmo, was immersed in several side-projects, chiefly Down and Superjoint Ritual. Superjoint Ritual was a continue of Pantera by 2002 until 2005. Any hope of the band members to reunite was lost on December 8, 2004, when Dimebag Darrell was shot and killed on stage, at the Alrosa Villa, in Columbus, Ohio, by gunman Nathan Gale, while performing with his and his brother's new band, Damageplan.

Vinnie Paul passed away on June 22, 2018.

In 2022, Brown and Anselmo revealed that the band would be reuniting for a worldwide tour with Zack Wylde and Charlie Benante filling in for the Abbott brothers respectively. The band would play their first concert in Hell & Heaven December 2nd in Mexico.

Band members

Current Lineup

• Phil Anselmo – lead vocals (1987–2003, 2022-Present)
• Rex Brown – bass, backing vocals (1982–2003, 2022-Present)
• Zack Wylde - guitar, backing vocals (2022-Present)
• Charlie Benante - Drums (2022-Present)

Previous members

• Terry Glaze – rhythm guitar (1981–1982), lead vocals (1981–1985)
• Vinnie Paul Abbott – drums, percussion (1981–2003)
• Dimebag Darrell – guitar, backing vocals (1981–2003)

Guest musicians

• Marc Ferrari - backing vocals, rhythm guitar on Power Metal (1988)
• Seth Putnam (Anal Cunt) - voices on The Great Southern Trendkill (1996)
• Kerry King (Slayer) – outro guitar on "Goddamn Electric" from Reinventing the Steel (2000)

Discography

Studio Albums

• 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)
• Rebel Meets Rebel (2005)

EPs

• Walk (1993)
• aLIVE and hostile e.p. (1994)

Live Albums

• Official Live: 101 Proof (1997)

Compilation Albums

• The Best of Pantera: Far Beyond the Great Southern Cowboys' Vulgar Hits! (2003)
• 1990-2000: A Decade of Domination (2003)

Singles

• Cowboys from Hell
• Cemetery Gates
• Psycho Holiday
• Mouth for War
• This Love
• Hollow
• Walk
• I'm Broken
• Planet Caravan
• 5 Minutes Alone
• Becoming
• Drag the Waters
• Suicide Note, Pt. 1
• Floods
• Where You Come From
• Cat Scratch Fever
• Revolution is My Name
• Goddamn Electric
• I'll Cast A Shadow
• Piss

Videography

• The Hot 'n Heavy Home Vid (1985)
• Cowboys From Hell: The Videos (1991)
• Vulgar Video (1993)
• 3 Watch It Go (1997)
• 3 Vulgar Videos From Hell (1999)