When Pantera released Vulgar Display of Power in 1992, it landed at number 10 on Rolling Stone’s Greatest Metal Albums of All Time. Drummer Vinnie Paul said he felt they got the best out of each other during that time, but when recording Far Beyond Driven, somehow, they could take things to the next level. Metal bands often go heavier with each subsequent release, but Pantera didn’t just raise the bar in terms of brutality and aggression, they also raised the bar for metal music as a whole, setting a standard for high quality production with excellent recording and mixing.
Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul
Dimebag Darrell is seen as one of the greatest heavy metal guitarists ever. He was even banned from local talent competitions because he was so good. Vinnie Paul, his brother and drummer in their band Pantera, was also known for upholding the same standards. His hobbies didn’t stop at drumming either. He was also a keen gambler, often joining bassist Rex Brown for poker nights.
His game was so strong that he participated in numerous celebrity poker tournaments and often enjoyed playing roulette. It’s not hard to imagine him playing Spin Till You Win roulette and Live Speed Roulette after a show, as he and Brown often frequented Las Vegas between tour dates. Overall, when breaking down each member of Pantera, it was Paul’s drumming in songs like Walk and the assaultive power of his sibling Dimebag Darrell that helped to put Pantera on the map. When you look at vocalist Phil Anselo’s vein-popping delivery helped the genre of groove-metal to reach new heights.
Much of the band’s success came from Jerry Abbott, Vinnie, and Dime’s father. He was a country music producer and was always on hand to help with recording sessions. When paired with top-quality producing, ruthless aggression helped shape the world of heavy metal as we know it, with bands such as Korn, Slipknot, Hatebreed, and Limp Bizkit taking heavy inspiration from the music they put out.
The Success of Pantera
For a heavy metal band and a genre often overlooked by mainstream music, Pantera experienced a huge amount of success during their time. With 20 million records sold and four Grammy nominations, they helped prove that metal can be bigger and better without losing what the music is all about.
Even though Dimebag and Vinnie Paul are no longer with us, with Dimebag passing in 2004 during a concert in Ohio and Vinnie Paul succumbing to heart failure in 2018, the band is still very much alive and kicking. In 2022, it was announced that Rex Brown and Phil Anselmo would return to the road again. Dime’s best friend Zakk Wylde would fill in for him on guitar, and Charlie Benante would fill in on drums. The line-up played their first show in 21 years in Mexico in 2022, with the band continuing to tour throughout 2024, with many concerts currently close to selling out.