Artist: Pantera
Label: Atlantic
Release Date: 7/90
Rating: 5 Skulls
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Title: Cowboys From Hell Artist: Pantera Label: Atlantic Release Date: 7/90
Rating: 5 Skulls |
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Death's Review:
"The Art of Shredding" has never been more expertly displayed than on this amazing album, one of the 90's finest and probably the quintessential thrash/groove record of all time. From the beautiful power and desperately high-pitched guitar squealing on "Cemetary Gates" (the track that turned a lot of folks on to Pantera in the first place), to the pure thrashing insanity and sick-ass riffing of "Primal Concrete Sledge," this one just undeniably SCREAMS classic.The groove displayed on the title track is awesome, yet pales in comparison to the drama of tracks like "The Sleep," and "Psycho Holiday." Thank god Pantera evolved to the sound on Cowboys, moving away from their sound displayed on earlier pop-metal releases. But why they ever felt the need to evolve further than the perfection displayed here is beyond me. While I love the majority of the Pantera catalogue, Anselmo's voice gets screamier and screamier with every release, and I wish he'd go back to the more power metal style displayed on this record.
Of course, Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell are killer musicians, whatever else you think of these two veritable metallic cartoon characters, and that simple fact never changed. But it all began here (at least for the incarnation of Pantera which grew into the most commercially successful true metal band of our era -- and yes, I do think Pantera is true metal). And this album must be held high as a shining example of what all metal bands strive for. Like Master of Puppets, this record changed the metal world, creating a new band of heroes in the process. In that sense, Cowboys is the stuff legends are made of. There really is no other score one could give . . .
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