PANTEREISSUES
Wednesday, February 24th, 2010 at 10:00am by Axl Rosenberg
This July will mark the twentieth anniversary of the release of Pantera’s Cowboys from Hell, and while I know that some of our readers who either a) weren’t born yet when the record came out or b) were in diapers when the record came out don’t “get” what the big deal is about Pantera, I’m hoping that their youthful arrogance will give way to some appreciation of history – which is to say that just because you’ve heard ten thousand bands that sound like Pantera doesn’t mean that Pantera didn’t do it first, and do it best. Remember that dude who told the Alternative Press “fuck Black Sabbath” and claimed they had no influence on his band? Remember what band that dude was in? Atreyu. You don’t wanna grow up to be a member of Atreyu, do you?
So. Pantera have an assload of reissues coming out. Details are still kinda scarce, but here’s what we know right now:
- There will be a twentieth anniversary edition of Cowboys from Hell at some point this year. It will be remastered and have bonus tracks – and if there are any never-before-released songs from the CfH recording sessions, I’d say now is as good a time as any to release those. Unfortunately, it will also change the cover art of the original album… but I guess that cover art actually hasn’t aged that well, so I’m too offended. It’s not as iconic as the Vulgar Display of Power cover art or anything.
- April 17 will see vinyl reissues of Cowboys, Vulgar, and Far Beyond Driven, which may actually be my personal favorite Pantera album, and is the one that I think had the most noticeable influence on the NWOAHM bands (e.g., Lamb of God, Chimaira, God Forbid, etc.).
- March 30 will see the release of a new greatest hits collection, 1990-2000: A Decade Of Domination. Now, it is my firm belief that real men don’t listen to greatest hits collections (they actually seek out entire albums), and I find this release especially unnecessary since the band’s previous greatest hits compilation, the ridiculous named Far Beyond the Great Southern Cowboys’ Vulgar Hits, was basically as good an assembly of the band’s most famous songs as you’re gonna get. That being said, if this collection either a) gains any new fans for Pantera and/or metal in general or b) contains any long lost Pantera studio recordings, well… I’ll ignore the fact that it’s basically a cash-in. But right now we don’t even know which songs are gonne be on this thing.
And that’s that for now. The twentieth anniversary of Vulgar is just a couple of years away, so I suspect I’ll be cutting and pasting large portions of this post in 2012.
-AR
90 COMMENTS on “PANTEREISSUES”
Very nice! CFH was a great fucking ablum. It influenced me and many others to understand and love real motherfucking music!!!
This is fucking awesome, but why would I buy the new ones when I still have all my originals? God damn, I loved listening to CFH on tape on the way to school in elementary school in my headphones. Best fucking shit ever.
“Domination” makes me want to fucking kill. And Medicine Man? Fuck yes, that shit is amazing.
Because they’re 20 years old, and probably beaten up? Maybe the remastering would sound good? Maybe some bonus tracks? Never had it on vinyl?
I remain unconvinced. Vinyl is the only real lure.
If there are any bonus tracks…that would be awesome!
there will be no bonus tracks (as in unheard songs). i read that they have no extra songs from the CFH era and maybe even VDOP. most likely they will be live tracks. that said, i’m so buying this.
“real men don’t listen to greatest hits collections (they actually seek out entire albums)”
Couldn’t agree more. Especially when it comes to this band.
Greatest Hits collections are for posers nuff said
I have a greatest hits of Dio in my car that I rock out too. And if theres anything wrong with that you can lick my scrote
Compilations are awesome for the car…listening to “Crack the skye” when you only have a 15 minutes drive cuts all the vibe…
So do what everyone used to do. Buy burnable CDs and make some mixes for the car. Its free and you can make your own hits rather than shall 10-17 bux out to Pantera when all the songs are already there
It really depends on the band. For a band like Pantera, absolutely. That’s because almost every track on every CD is great. On the other hand, while I like Bon Jovi, I think that a greatest hits CD is more than I need.
Totally agreed as well, fuck greatest hits collections….
Far Beyond Driven on Vinyl? Fuck Yeah!
SECOND.
I don’t know about you guys, but I can’t wait for the re-issue of “Power Metal”. Pantera’s best album by far.
http://www.amazon.com/Power-Metal-Pantera/dp/B0009OE9AO/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1267025223&sr=8-16
Chortle.
lay off the crack buddy i hear it fucks with your hearing and peripheral vision.
Power Metal is far from the best Pantera album, but it is indeed a kick ass album!
Yes. Yes it does.
Power Metal really isn’t that different from CFH, outside of being less vicious (aka slower) and Phil being way more wild with the high parts. Still a pretty solid album, no doubt.
I actually really like Projects in the Jungle
When CFH was released I was ten months old but I do get what’s the big deal about Pantera… no Slayer, no Metallica and not even Black Sabbath for me… in my metal history there’s room for just two bands: Pantera and Iron Maiden, I thinks they’re the biggest inspiration.
Youre a damn idiot dude. No slayer, metallica or BS? What the fuck is wrong with you?
You don’t need an answer cause you already answered… I’m an idiot. No really… I don’t know what’s wrong with me and, since everybody has different tastes, there’s definitely something wrong with me.
iron maiden and pantera are good bands to have if you only have room for two!
Without Metallica, Slayer and Black Sabbath there would be no Pantera
I will re-buy all of these albums.
CFH was the soundtrack to my 2008 summer/fall.
cool.
Brought to you by Phil anselmo and housecore records….hahaha fuck that assclown, rip Dime!
Its not Phils fault some crazy bastard jumped on stage and killed Dime. I wish you assholes would quit blaming Phil for what happened to Dime. Sure he said some fucked up shit, but its not like Phil was egging this guy on or gave him the gun.
Get over it and listen to the almighty DOWN!
yeah no shit. let it go already.
That will be extra fries with that big mac.
I listen to down, sjr, and alot of stuff phil does man! I have nothing against his talent because he was at one point at the top, and is still up there. I just think mr.Anselmo is a tool, and ran his mouth too much for his own good. Anyone who downtalks dime does not have respect from me, even if i like his band and his singing…if i saw that bastard i’d tell him what i thought about him…thats all
Perfect post for my birthday.
Happy birthday
Thank you!
Your trust is in whisky weed and Black Sabbath/Slayer its God Damn Electric!
I was in diapers when they came out because I’m 21 but I still know Pantera is a protigy of Metal.
wait, the dude from Atreyu ACTUALLY said that BS had NO influence on them? I guess I shouldn’t be surprised…
I saw an Atreyu fan this morning in my neighborhood! I was slightly surprised. It was a guy with an Atreyu shirt on.
Exhorder did it first. Pantera added in the cock rock influences.
Exhorder never played southern rock riffs. Their guitar tone was completely different. The guitar solos sounded nothing alike. The only valid comparison that can be made between Pantera and Exhorder is that they both played groove riffs and Phil kinda sorta sounded a little bit like Kyle Thomas, who said himself that they were only an influence on Pantera. Basically, saying Pantera copied Exhorder is like saying every single thrash band ripped of Metallica.
I actually agree with you and think Pantera is the better of the two bands. I just think
Exhorder deserves equal credit for pioneering that “groove metal” sound.
I like both bands, but I’m glad someone brought up Exhorder. They were a huge influence on Pantera.
there are no unreleased songs
GW: What is on the horizon for Pantera?
ZIDE DAVIS: Next year we’re going to do a 20th anniversary rerelease of Cowboys From Hell. There will be some stuff people haven’t heard before, deluxe packaging, digital remastering…
GW: Any unreleased songs?
ZIDE DAVIS: Unfortunately, no, just demos and live material. I wish there was more, but that’s one thing about Pantera: they didn’t do extra material. What they did is what everybody got. They didn’t do throwaway songs.
MS: It sounds fun. Next year Cowboys From Hell will be 20 years old. How do you feel about that?
Vinnie Paul: Well it will definitely put it in the quote/unquote “classic rock” category. It’s amazing to look back at it. Usually fifteen years is what they deem classic. It was a milestone, and it was definitely a stepping point for us as a band. At the time when the Seattle sound was kind of ruling, we came along and created some chaos. I think we’re going to do a special remastered version of it that includes some demos and maybe a song or two that nobody ever heard.
Who are you going to believe, some fat jerk with tits or some fat jerk who played in Pantera?
I need a new copy of CFH anyway. Now I’ll wait for the re-issue.
I love Pantera, There a great band but I hate re-issues. Unless there is some decent bonus material there is no way in hell im buying this. Especially if they change the cover. That doesnt belong in my CD book. I think I’ll stick with my original.
Although i may buy CFH on Vinyl I like records and I dont have that
Pantera > Slayer. No contest.
Reissues for “new packaging” = meh, though.
One complaint I have about the Rhino compilation was that it didn’t feature much from “The Great Southern Trendkill”, so hopefully the new greatest hits set at the very least corrects this.
That record should remain unrecognized and lost.
Agreed on Far Beyond Driven. Great record.
Yeah, I posted about this on my blog today (click my name to read it if you want). I saw Pantera touring in support of CFH in 1990 – they were the opening band on the Suicidal Tendencies/Exodus tour and I saw ‘em at the Ritz in NYC. They put on a great show that night. I saw ‘em again in ’97 headlining the Roseland with Clutch and Neurosis opening, and they were a loud, drunken mess with shitty sound. But I still like all five of their latter-day studio albums. Never bothered to seek out the first four.
Oooh, Pantera on Vinyl: I’ll have that.
“You don’t wanna grow up to be a member of Atreyu, do you?” – great work, Axl!
20 years? Damn, I bought this when it came out. I guess that explains why all my high school friends on facebook look so freaking old.
PANTERA FUCKING RULES
I recently tried pretty hard to get into Pantera. I listened to all their albums (except the pre-Cowboys stuff). It didn’t work. I just don’t get it. There’s a few good songs here and there but they’re mostly boring as fuck. I accept that they were a big influence on many of the bands I listen to but they’re definitely not better.
Did anyone else hear a rumor that Pantera would reuinite with rotating guitarists for a tour???????? I mean it sounds like a no-brainer to me…….I would pay to see it. Mark Morton/Ken Susi/Rob Arnold anyone?
There’s a fine line between a “rumor” and what some fat mom’s basement living cretin posts as a theory on a message board.
That would be blasphemy. I would be okay with rotating guitarists doing the Rebel Meets Rebel stuff, but not Pantera. Besides, Vinnie has said no Dime no Pantera.
That and Vinnie fucking hates phil
WTF is the big deal about Atreyu. I for one am not afraid to say that I actually enjoy them from time to time, and their longevity in a genre that is SO critical about its bands shows something. yeah yeah yeah, so what, they’ve sold a few records – why dont people ever understand that popularity has nothing to to with quality of content. get over yourselves, or move somewhere that has a thriving local hardcore scene so you can make friends with people who love to talk shit about bands like as i lay dying simply becasue they’ve made a few bucks. metal has no room for snobs
that statement is pretty contradictory. telling people to get over themselves and calling people that hate atreyu snobs??? sounds like you need to get over yourself and your clearly being a snob about how your so much better because you like atreyu and dont talk shit (wtf are you smoking?). regardless of how many albums these shitcore bands your running your mouth about have sold they still suck, and i know this because i’ve listened to their albums and the “quality of content” is extremely low.
why dont you move to the bottom of the ocean and drowned there?
Im missing the part where me saying Atreyu isnt THAT bad makes me a snob…im not saying they’re a uber-stellar band, but certainly do not deserve to be shitted on day in and day out by cool dudes like you with with metal beards. i never said im any better for liking Atreyu (dont know how that would make much sense, either) but i did say they make decent music for that sort of sound. now go listen to some bolt thrower in the woods by yourself ya loser.
The diss in the article was referring to a comment made by one of the clowns in that band. Has nothing to do with their success.
I don’t have any issue with success. I like a lot of successful bands. I think Atreyu is best summed up by the term “garbage.” They’re terrible.
i can respect that.
any metalhead who hates on pantera is a fucking moron that I don’t want to talk to or be friends with. pantera is the second best metal band of all time. (metallica #1)
Hey, just b/c i got a “best of” of billy joel doesn’t mean im not a man! i just dont give that much of a shit about billy joel.
There was a great article on the making of Vulgar in last months REVOLVER I highly recommend reading it, if you want to get a feel for what their mindset at the time was. Also , you can tell by the writing that the hate for Phil is starting to die down ( no Pun ) , which is great …I do not want them to do any more music as Pantera , but to see the 3 of them get back together would be awesome …..
be careful mentioning REVOLVER on here, it may be too mainstream and uncool for these guys
Yeah. You don’t want to grow up to be a member of Atreyu, do you?
actually, now that i think about it – yes, i absolutley would. Then I’d have as much money as I would need, and I’d be able to quit my job as a video producer. sounds great to me.
actually, now that i think about it – yes, i absolutley would. Then I’d have as much money as I would need, and I’d be able to quit my job as a video producer. sounds great to me.
Can i grow up to be the drummer so i can fuck his HOT wife whos got smaller tits then him?
Who the hell gets a tattoo on their stomach that says “UNSCARRED”???
So hes saying hes got no scars?
I thought “tough” guys were supposed to be proud of having scars,like from fighting and shit
Unscarred mentally…dumbfuck
I think it’s a metaphor, douche
You could say that a tattoo is a scar in and of itself, which makes it all the sillier.
Whoa whoa whoa whoa, you mean they’re NOT reissuing ‘Power Metal’?
Real Men dont buy greatest hits?
Dude come off it.
I’ll pick up the CFH re-issue because a couple of years ago I dropped my big-ass cd case and guess which two cracked? CFH and Master of Puppets….and this was before I got my Zune so they were lost forever (got MoP again though).
As far as greatest-hits compilations go, I got no problem with them. If there’s a band I’ve been meaning to check out but never got around to it, I’ll look for a greatest hits to get a good selection of songs to let me know what they’re like…then I can decide whether or not to buy the individual albums. I’ve always wanted to check out Faces (not metal, I know). Picked up a greatest hits the other day and love it. Now when I come across one of the regular albums, I’ll most likely pick it up.
“I suspect I’ll be cutting and pasting large portions of this post in 2012″
you won’t because we’re all gonna diiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeee \m/
anyway – looking forward to hearing the new mixes
The first real cd I bought as a kid was their live album, 101 Proof. Coincidentally enough I just dusted off all of my old Pantera albums last week.
There is no point in respecting a band that made shit music and inspired a flock of shitty new bands to make equally shitty, if not shittier music. They were one of the worst things to ever to happen to music, let alone metal, and their mere existence has helped fuel the stereotype that metal fans are bro-magnon, redneck retards. I just took a shit five minutes ago that sounded better than anything this band made.
No, I misspelled my email address! I need the fancy icon!!!!
bro-magnon? if you’re going to try to be smart and use big words you’d be better served to actually know how to spell / pronounce those words.
i think that went over your head dude
well there’s at least that song from the dracula 2000 soundtrack that was never put on a cd same as the song from the first crow soundtrack
20 years already? Time flies… I’ll definitely get the expanded/remastered edition of CFH. The old cd sounds a bit thin. But nothing will ever replace my treasured SIGNED vinyl copies of Cowboys From Hell, Vulgar Display and Far Beyond Driven.
Yes, I’m that old. I have vinyl AND I’ve seen Pantera live.
Pantera = Overated. Yep I just said that.