THE 50 GREATEST PANTERA SONGS EVER
throes Of rejection
(Far Beyond Driven, 1994)
The final original song on the album that sent Pantera straight to the top of the US charts is defiantly uncommercial and pointedly ugly. ‘If there is a god, then it’s punishing me constantly’, raged Phil Anselmo, all hell breaking loose around him.
Planet Caravan
(Far Beyond Driven, 1994)
A respectful but subtly distinctive cover of the psychedelic Black Sabbath classic, Far Beyond Driven’s oddly serene finale was a plain and simple tribute to the band that started it all. Full marks to Vinnie Paul for his exemplary bongoplaying, too.
the Badge
(The Crow OST, 1994)
A skull-shattering cover of a song originally by US punk legends Poison Idea, The Badge ended up on the soundtrack to director Alex Proyas’s 1994 movie The Crow, injecting the whole gothfriendly enterprise with a muchneeded dose of bilious rage.
the Great Southern trendkill
(The Great Southern Trendkill, 1996)
Pantera marched on to their eighth studio album in an uncompromising mood. The opening title track, replete with backing vocals from Anal Cunt frontman Seth Putnam, was a fast and furious statement of total defiance.
War nerve
(The Great Southern Trendkill, 1996)
‘Fuck the world, for all it’s worth / Every inch of Planet Earth…’ On arguably their most ferocious album of all, Phil Anselmo was truly letting rip. Angular, twisted and horribly dark, War Nerve is without doubt one of Pantera’s heaviest songs ever.
Drag the Waters
(The Great Southern Trendkill, 1996)
Released as a single in advance of The Great Southern Trendkill, this fairly traditional but hugely potent Pantera stomper is notable for the rare sound of Vinnie Paul playing a cowbell. looking back, it’s hard not to wish he did it more often.
Suicide note Pt. I
(The Great Southern Trendkill, 1996)
memorably and beautifully covered by
Zakk Wylde to commemorate Dimebag’s passing, this woozy, lysergic ballad showcased the true depth and strength of Phil Anselmo’s voice as he wrestles with the trials of mortality and the lure of oblivion.
Suicide note Pt. II
(The Great Southern Trendkill, 1996)
In stark contrast to Part I, the second half of Suicide
Note sounds like a sustained bombing raid in hell. Phil has never sounded angrier, his bandmates are locked together in destructive harmony and yes, Anal Cunt’s Seth Putnam turns up again. horrible.
Living through Me (Hell’s Wrath)
(The Great Southern Trendkill, 1996)
One of the less wilfully unhinged moments on TGST, Living Through Me combines punchy Vulgar… vibes with Pantera’s still-blazing love of extremity, resulting in a whisky-guzzling Southern metal assault that swings like a buffalo’s ballbag.
Floods
(The Great Southern Trendkill, 1996)
Often voted
Dime’s greatestever solo, the one the late legend plays at three minutes and 50 seconds into Floods possesses a unique magic. A thrilling snapshot of a revered musician at the height of his powers, it turned a great song into a classic.