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By Mike Porciello Everything is bigger in Texas, and the Cowboys From Hell, themselves, proved no different. Opening up Pandora's box, and serving up a can of whoop-ass, the size of The Lone Star State itself, Phil Anselmo, Dimebag Darrell Abbott, Vinny Paul Abbott, and Rex Brown, set the bar for the future of heavy metal with this 1990 release. They opened the doors for the REAL metal acts, who wanted to get on the radio, and wanted to be known worldwide, by not having to sound like pansies, or wear make-up and paltry toupees. This was the album that resurrected a dying art, and bled new life into heavy metal that you know and love today. Make it heavy and just be yourself, won out in the long run. As a befitting tribute to Dimebag Darrell, this is an album that truly deserves it's showcase in music history.
Disc 1- Cowboys From Hell Remastered Although the band started out in 1981 as teenagers, (with vocalist Terrence Lee, and sounding similar to Ratt, and early Roth-era Van Halen) it wasn't until the addition of vocalist Phil Anselmo, that they began to blaze into heavier territory, soon laying waste to all friendly competitors, and enemies alike. Their first release with Anselmo, "Power Metal", (a highly sought after collector's item), showed a young and hungry band playing a more talented, heavier, wilder form of metal, somewhere between thrash and hair band brand. That was the cornerstone for the inspiration for what was to become the benchmark for modern metal itself: The stripped down, ballsy, new school chaotic Cowboys From Hell.
Dimebag Darrell employed quite an impressive and unique technique to give Pantera the trademark sound that they had. Using mainly blues scale, and harmonics, combined with whistle bomb solos, and clean shredding, the man above most other Guitar Gods would carve like a chainsaw, and produce a clean cut; like the Stevie Ray Vaughn of heavy metal. His unique guitar tone cannot be copied. Why? Because he was THAT good, AND it would border on copyright infringement to imitate what he did with electronics. From the moment you pop that CD in, his trademark faster and cleaner than thou shred from the title track, comes at you full force. His tone could be described as Blues Electrocution meets Southern Shred. It's no wonder the man has racked up an incredible list of musician heroes; some even coming before his time, like Tony Iommi, Zakk Wylde, Slayer's Kerry King, and Jeff Hanneman, and oh yeah!!, a guy named Eddie Van Halen!! ALL of whom were HIS heroes growing up!!
Brother Vinny Paul Abbott gave new meaning to power drumming, with his double bass, almost tap-dance technique, making the most difficult of techniques, look and sound easy. The bull behind the kit just did NOT tire out. "Primal Concrete Sledge" offers up his amazing ability to lead the band, to play atop the rhythm section, to slam his kit like a wounded Grizzly Bear. His chops sound like they look easy to play; that is, until you try it. Rex Brown, Dime's partner in rhythm crime, holds the bottom line, employs complex time changes, and fuels the inspiration throughout. "Heresy" focuses in on Dime's shredding abilities, and "Cemetery Gates" was what broke them wide open. Not a ballad, but slower and more darker in nature, this put them on the map. Phil Anselmo, one of the best frontmen in the business, although a growler, and screamer, does have excellent range, as is showcased on "Cemetery Gates." An impressive upscale climb on the chorus, that according to the liner notes, was finally delivered via drunk on Port Wine!!
My favorite track from Pantera will always be "Domination." Song number 6 on this all time classic starts off as an ode to old school hardcore, and continues into new school romp. The guitar and bass trade off ending get me every single damn time!! "Shattered" focuses on Phil's Rob Halford inspired vocals, with his trademark growl. Another awesome tune is "The Sleep." Again, not a ballad, but a slower song, more darker in nature. Perhaps a 21st century tale of a vampire clan in trouble. It's one of those interesting, weird, middle of the night songs to listen to. So, 20 years later, the re-mastered edition of one of the most groundbreaking albums in heavy metal history, is available in all new format, and you better damn well pick it up!! What was great about these guys, is that starting out, they were just regular dudes, who wanted to bludgeon a serious dent into heavy metal AND music itself by staying true to their heavy, riff-laden vision. By having a sixth sense for what just might make the cut, in an all original way, Pantera sliced off a piece of the American pie for themselves, to throw right back at your face!! Keep it heavy enough for your masters to respect you, for the young ones to idolize you, and at the same time, scale it back to make it cool enough for people say "Wow"!!
Disc 2 Live:
Foundations Forum 1990/ a LIVE and Hostile E.P.- Monsters of Rock Festival
Moscow, Russia 1991 Tracks 8-12 are performed to an audience that came out of the woodwork in Moscow, for what was probably considered the Woodstock of Eastern Europe. Pantera as always, had no problem handling a big crowd. NOTHING was too big for the Cowboys From Hell. Disc 3 Cowboys From
Hell Demos Track Listing:
Disc 1 Cowboys From Hell Remastered When you read the liner notes, (although not an in depth review of those specific moments in time) it's simple: Pantera had old school work ethic. You got up in the morning, or the dominant figure in your household kicked your ass!! That work ethic rubbed off on their focus to hone their skills into the dominating force of the 1990's metal movement; a movement that easily stood it's ground against the alternative revolution. Only the truest of focus and metal heart, from both old and new school carried the torch and led the way. Everyone has nothing but the nicest things to say about Darrell Abbott too!! Just look a little further into the liner notes about what bassist Rex Brown had to say about how Dime was never a partier, and took his music more seriously than most. Cowboys From Hell ranks up there with likes of Back In Black, The Number of The Beast, and Master of Puppets. It's a before and after album. That which came BEFORE Cowboys From Hell, and that which came AFTER Cowboys From Hell. The youth of today, (most who do know and respect Pantera, from what I can gather) owe a debt of gratitude to their Great Southern Trendkilling forefathers, for paving the way to get their favorite heavy oriented songs on the radio today. From the whimps who pop pills and have half a hair cut and bangs, who had better add a little muscle, and lose the female studded belts, to the trench coat wearers who like their music hard and heavy, this is where it took that turn. If not for Pantera, there would have been death to music labeled heavy and different.
The band broke up in 2003. Shortly after, the Abbott brothers debuted a new band, called Damageplan. Their debut album "New Found Power" sold respectively well, and they toured to support it. It's a shame that on December 8, 2004, a little boy inside a grown man's body (who if you read further into his history, should not have been able to be employed at one time by the United States Military) took a loaded Beretta 92FS, that his mother bought him (HIS MOTHER of all people) into the Alrosa Villa nightclub, and ended the life of Darrell Abbott, and the lives of others. Once again, rightful gun owners got a bad name, due to the actions of a rogue. As a fan and supporter of law enforcement, I must commend the action of Officer James Niggemeyer for taking the life of the perpetrator (whose name does not deserve mention in this review, or EVER again, for that matter) with one shot to the head, and preventing other lives from being taken. You, Officer, are the real hero of this review.
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