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Power Metal

 
Album Review: Power Metal
 

  • Artist: Pantera
  • Rating: StarStarStar
  • Release Date: 1988
  • Genre: Rock

Review

Although hidden away by the band and dismissed as fluffy hair metal by most, the four albums that came before Cowboys from Hell were far more along the lines of Judas Priest with a little Shout at the Devil-era Mötley Crüe tossed in. Power Metal, the first to feature Phil Anselmo on vocals, was the first of these albums to point toward the direction the group chose in 1990. Although this is still quite based in the time period, songs like "Rock the World" are heavier and more anthemic than their reputation would make you think. The lyrics are the biggest problem, showing none of the gutter poetry that Anselmo would develop through time and instead reflecting a bland interest in all things "rock," from the misogynistic "P.S.T. 88" to the stereotypical "Proud to Be Loud." The music is pure '80s power metal, with Dimebag Darrell pumping out speedy riffs like he had just joined Lizzy Borden. This is actually one of the more charming elements of the band's early sound, as he was obviously a very talented guitarist even then. Pantera was a rough-edged combo before Anselmo incorporated his Sheer Terror and Exhorder influences, but Power Metal is an interesting and transitional early effort from one of the most important metal bands of the '90s. ~ Bradley Torreano, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Rock the World Pantera
Power Metal Pantera
We'll Meet Again Pantera
Over and Out Pantera
Proud to Be Loud Pantera
Down Below Pantera
Death Trap Pantera
Hard Ride Pantera
Burnnn Pantera
P.S.T. 88 Pantera

Credits

Pantera (Main Performer), Vinnie Paul (Drums), Vinnie Paul (Group Member), Phil Anselmo (Vocals), Phil Anselmo (Group Member), Diamond Darrell (Guitar), Diamond Darrell (Vocals), Diamond Darrell (Group Member), Rex Brown (Bass), Rex Brown (Group Member)
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Wikipedia: Power Metal (album)
Top
Power Metal
Power Metal cover
Studio album by Pantera
Released 1988
Recorded 1988
Genre Heavy metal, glam metal
Length 38:10
Label Metal Magic
Producer Jerry Abbott, Pantera, Marc Ferrari
Professional reviews
Pantera chronology
I Am the Night
(1985)
Power Metal
(1988)
Cowboys from Hell
(1990)

Power Metal is the fourth studio album by heavy metal band Pantera, released in 1988 on Metal Magic Records. The album showcases a style closer to thrash metal rather than hard rock, which formed the basis of the band's previous three albums; although traces of glam metal can still be heard.

Notably, Phil Anselmo makes his first appearance on vocals (having replaced former vocalist Terry Glaze), as well as guitarist Dimebag Darrell, who performs vocals on "P·S·T·88" (he later provided vocals for the songs "Caged in a Rage" and "Heard It on the X", from the soundtracks to Supercop and ECW: Extreme Music, respectively).

"Proud to Be Loud" was written and produced by Keel guitarist Marc Ferrari and was originally intended to appear on that group's self-titled album, Keel (1987);[1] however, Keel would not record a version of the song until 1998. Pantera's version was used as the party song in the theatrical cut of the 2001 film, Donnie Darko, credited to "The Dead Green Mummies". Glaze helped to co-write "Down Below", with an earlier recording of the song appearing on the band's third album, I Am the Night (1985).

Like that of their previous albums, having not been reissued by the band since its original release on CD, vinyl and cassette, official non-bootlegged editions of the album have become rare collectors items, with any that exist often being circulated through online auction websites such as eBay.

Contents

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Pantera, except where noted. 

# Title Length
1. "Rock the World"   3:34
2. "Power Metal"   3:53
3. "We'll Meet Again"   3:54
4. "Over and Out"   5:06
5. "Proud to Be Loud" (Marc Ferrari) 4:02
6. "Down Below" (Dimebag Darrell, Terry Glaze, Vinnie Paul, Rex Brown) 2:49
7. "Death Trap"   4:07
8. "Hard Ride"   4:16
9. "Burnnn!"   3:35
10. "P·S·T·88" (Darrell, Paul, Brown) 2:51

Personnel

Pantera

Additional credits

References

  1. ^ Interview with Marc Ferrari at Full in Bloom Music Retrieved on December 21, 2008.



 
 

 

Copyrights:

Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Power Metal (album)" Read more

 

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