Metal Reviews

Pantera, Lamb of God, and Machine Head all suck quite hard. I dislike grooving in metal with the exception of an extremely small amount of grooving, so small that I can't recall when exactly I don't mind it.

Clearly you must dislike almost all mainstream American metal since the early 90s, so in that case why do you care whether people say they're overrated or not? That battle was lost nearly 20 years ago.

And as for Lamb Of God being more talented than Pantera?
I think Pantera has them beaten (pretty badly) in every category except drumming. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy Lamb Of God at times, but their best albums can't hold a candle to Pantera's best. All this is besides the fact that you're comparing apples to oranges; albeit two aggressive types of fruit, but very different approaches.

You are absolutely right when you say this, though I challenge anything Pantera's done to be as aggressive as "New American Gospel". On memorability Pantera wins though it's hard to beat songs like "Cowboys from Hell" and "This Love".

Pantera after Cowboys from Hell was fairly uninteresting. Love Cowboys from Hell tho.

I think Lamb of God is a lot better however, like someone said their songwriting stomps all over Pantera. Hardly overrated .. but I'm not sure there is a valid comparison. Lamb of God appears not to be aiming for the mainstream.

As for 90's mainstream metal I'll take Helmet, Tool and Prong over Pantera any day.

Indeed it really is a pretty fruitless task to compare the two bands. I agree LoG may not have been going for mainstream in their early days, but like it or not that is what they have become, and they've written some extremely memorable and catchy material. However, I really like Pantera's longer and more intricate songs like Cemetery Gates, The Sleep, and Floods. Actually I would like to hear LoG cover one of those songs.

I enjoy Helmet and Tool a lot more as well, haven't heard much Prong.

My fav Prong songs ..

Snap your fingers, snap your neck
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cl-5TrGakWY

Whose Fist is this anyway
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLya_k_lQL0

Unconditional
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vP-F87sn ... re=related

Get a grip on yourself
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJw6W3Oi ... re=related

Prove you wrong
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6cCRsN8 ... re=related

Not bad, sounds like an interesting band. Unconditional reminds me of Testament.

FUCKING HOSTILE

Are you suggesting Pantera was aiming for the mainstream?

according to Metal Archives yeah.
lmfao

I take it back.

Awesome, but for probably reasons most pantera fans won't agree with.

I like the heavy metal side of them. The pantera fans can keep the attitude, aggression, beer-chunging bullshit. I'll take the melodies, musicianship, precision and Phil's falsetto.

Honestly, I think Phil Anselmo's influence is why Pantera changed their musical style during the early-90's. If they were really in it for the money (as some people suggest), I would think they would've stuck with the glam metal image since that's what was popular at the time. A big part of the reason why 90's Pantera was so successful is because they (supposedly) didn't really care about fads or what was "in." Heck, at the end of the grunge age and beginning of the alternative age, the band released Far Beyond Driven, which was heavier than anything they'd ever done (before or after) in their entire career.

Glam metal in the 90's was about as popular as a cold toilet seat on a winter morning.

Phil had nothing to do with the change in style. It was more like Atco insisted they not do anything remotely related to their 80's output and wanted something more like metallica, who, lest we forget sold a fucking shitload of records.

I mean, anyone that claims phil was responsible has never heard his Judas Priest inspired vocal on Power Metal. I think he could have kept that up if had wanted to, ie, kept in shape and not started smoking an ounce of weed a day.

His JP influence was still fairly apparent on CFH. Just listen to Shattered.

In response to COTB, glam metal wasn't really kicked out of the mainstream until Nevermind became popular in late-1991/early-1992. Remember that Warrant released Cherry Pie around the same time Pantera released Cowboys From Hell. And it was a smash.

And how 'bout that "who ripped off who" debate Pantera Vs. Exhorder

And it debuted at #1.

But I don't think Phil had anything to do with their heavier style. People always act like one year they were cheesy glam metal, then they were this thrashy groovy modern metal band. It didn't happen like that at all. They slowly progressed over time, getting heavier and heavier each record.

Hell, "Down Below" was original on I Am The Night, just as heavy as it is on Power Metal. And numerous riffs from those early albums turned up on Cowboys From Hell. And even on Metal Magic, they were doing much heavier things within that so-call "glam metal" style than their peers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Vf9ru3ecBc

That's pretty fucking heavy for 1983. Of course, there are some songs on that album, like "Biggest Part of Me," which are nowhere near heavy, but it's still very clear—to those who care to open their eyes and ears—that Pantera made no drastic changes in sound. They just stayed the path, you know. Phil's heavier style added to the heaviness, though. I can't imagine Terry Glaze singing on Cowboys From Hell, and surely nothing after.

And here we have an example of why this Pantera debate continues.

There is no debate. It's total bullshit.