Must Have Pantera

The Great Southern Trendkill, and Cowboys from Hell are both pretty balls out.

 

I dig Vulgar Display of Power the most. Cemetery Gates was the main reason that I enjoyed Cowboys From Hell, though there are several good songs on there as well. Great Southern Trendkill was very, very good too.

I would say Vulgar Display of Power and The Great Southern Trendkill would be a good place to start.

 

VDoF and Far Beyond Driven are a hell of a one-two punch to the gut, and tracks like "5 Minutes Alone" and "I'm Broken" are the perfect example of a metal bassist that can still groove.

 

Vulgar's my fav...

actually, skip pantera and go straight to "Down"

 

I love Down!!

I'm suprised nobody's mentioned Reinventing The Steel (their last album BTW). It might be my favorite Pantera album. IMO, it has some of Rex's best stuff by far, there's even some solo work in there! Him and Dime actually duel solos on one track....I think it's the last one, "I'll Cast A Shadow" (kind of an ironic name for the last track, since it was THE LAST Pantera song)

 

I personally don't think that you can get a bad Pantera album, but I would start with Vulgar Display of Power, then get Reinventing the Steel, and Far Beyond Driven.

 

Take this from the perspective of a non-fan (which is also valid, I think): The best Pantera songs as a whole (I mean, not just because the basslines) to me are "Cemetary Gates" from "Cowboys From Hell" and "This Love" from "Vulgar Display Of Power". Their version of Black Sabbath's "Planet Caravan" from "Far Beyond Driven" is also great.

 

Reinventing the Steel is the heaviest, best sounding Pantera album. Really tight songwriting on this one. But all of their albums have a lot of great stuff going on - it`s just RtS is their most focused work. Second would be "Far Beyond Driven" just because first three songs are ...well.... heavy... really heavy.....

 

Cowboys From Hell has always been my favourite. The opening riff to the title track kills me every time I spin it.

Graeme

 

Yeah their heaviest... and Dime's best work (Whoo Digitech Whammy) is Reinventing the Steel... I just can't deny Vulgar.

I want to start a law firm, and have our slogan be, "A new level, of confidence, and power."

 

Better than: "Your father is rich, he's the judge, he's the man." or "It's times like this you should pray for never."

 

Floods has to be my all time favorite Pantera song. Rex really supports Dime's playing well. And if you're as big of a fan of the cow bell as I am, Drag The Waters is a must have. Both songs off of the Great Southern Trendkill.

Really though, if you like what you've heard already, you won't be dissapointed by any of their albums.

 

Domination, Mouth For War, No Good, 5 Minutes Alone, I'm Broken, Floods, and I'll Cast A Shadow are probably his stand-out tunes. As far as albums, start with Vulgar Display of Power, and end with The Great Southern Trendkill. TGST is IMO their best album, but you need to be introduced to them first to get it. Also, definitely check out Rex's work on Down II (and pickup up the first one while you're at it, but it doesn't feature Rex).

 

There's really no "bad" Pantera album out there...I'm pretty partial to VDOP though.

I was in Best Buy about a year or so ago and I got a greatest hits cd that has a bonus DVD in it. It has a lot of videos in it, even old school videos from CFH where they recorded it at the now defunct "Basement" in Dallas. I also think there's footage from the also defunct "Dallas City Limits" in there.

Pantera was, and will always be....to me.....this entity that can never be stopped or copied. Having met and spent a little time with Darrell (God rest his soul) and Vinnie I will always have respect and admiration for "the family" as we call them here in Dallas.

On the side note about Rex, I actually always found him to be a ripping, badass player. He could double just about any line Darrell came up with...and given Darrell's level of playing skill that was never an easy feat.

Get cha' Pull!!

 

rex just rips on primal concrete sledge

has bass really cuts through on walk and five minutes alone

the art of shredding is a groovier song of his

drag the waters is great ( really cuts through )

and floods (i think he recorded that song with his fingers )

 

VDoP is a great album. Not only is the music great, but it has one of the greatest album covers ever.

 

All their albums are great but I think CFH is Pantera at their peak. Phil's most versatile vocal performances for sure.

 

My fave Pantera has to be The Great Southern Trendkill.
But... For 2 particularly shining Rex moments, check out the studio tracks at the end of the live album, 'I Can't Hide' and 'Where You Come From'. Rex is seriously high in the mix, and both tunes are an excellent insight into his bass playing.

And the Spector tone is truly glorious.

 

5 minutes alone has some cool bass in it. rex is a beast though yeah, want his tone. cant see me getting an ampeg stack anytime soon tho ^ ^