After years of being a glam metal band, then morphing into a power metal band, Pantera finally found their signature sound. They revealed their toxic combination of groove, thrash and British new wave on the now legendary ‘Cowboys From Hell.’ And this time around they were just simply heavier and more badass than all their contemporaries. Introducing a new, heavier form of metal to the mainstream. That would eventually lead them to being the only band of their heavy caliber to go #1.
Pantera would go on to heavier offerings as the 90’s went on. But their journey into what eventually became an out of control entity starts with ‘Cowboys From Hell.’ Sure, there were really heavy bands that existed in the time of the albums release. But Pantera were the first band to bring that amount of heaviness into the mainstream. Tracks like ‘Primal Concrete Sledge,’ ‘Domination’ and ‘Heresy’ blast through the speakers with so much fervor it just blew everyone’s mind. And those tracks were met with the melodic hit ‘Cemetery Gates.’ Which is still regarded as one of the greatest metal anthems ever written. And rightfully so.
But it’s the complete album that’s so special. Deep cuts such as ‘Medicine Man,’ ‘The Sleep’ and ‘Message In Blood’ groove so hard that it’s impossible for the songs to not dig into your soul. ‘Medicine Man’ remains one of the most overlooked Pantera songs. It’s super tasty riff is one of Dime’s best groove metal moments. And we get some rare British New Wave Metal falsetto vocals from Phil Anselmo. Then there’s the legendary title track. With which the album kick off. It still remains one of the best, most recognizable riffs, in all of rock and metal. And for as stacked as the album is, the incredible production of it takes it to another level. It’s so clear, full, crisp and clean. You can simply just hear how tight of a unit Pantera is. A standard that would remain for the rest of the bands output.
Honestly, I don’t think Pantera ever topped ‘Cowboys From Hell.’ I know there’s many fans that disagree. But when it comes to consistent, unreal quality heavy metal, ‘Cowboys’ takes it. It’s an every song album. Literally not one weak moment on the entire thing. Not one moment that you can’t hear over and over again. Sure, there’s moments like that on their following work. But not as consistent. ‘Cowboys From Hell’ is the album that would not only propel Pantera into a mainstream phenomenon without a net. But it would also set the standard for heavy metal for the next ten years. Saving the genre from what at the time may have seems like imminent doom. Happy 30th ‘Cowboys!’ Crank it and celebrate metal today with Pantera. R.I.P. Dime and Vin.
