Metal Magic

Metal Magic
Studio album by Pantera
Released	June 10, 1983 [1]
Studio	Pantego Sound, Pantego, Texas
Genre	Glam metal [2] heavy metal [3] hard rock [3]
Length	39:37
Label	Metal Magic
Producer	Jerry Abbott & Pantera
Pantera chronology
Metal Magic (1983) Projects in the Jungle (1984)

Metal Magic is the debut studio album by American heavy metal band Pantera, released on June 10, 1983, through Metal Magic Records. ^[1] Like the band's next three releases, it is musically oriented toward a glam/heavy metal sound influenced by Kiss and Van Halen. The album was released on the band's own label (also called Metal Magic) and produced by Jerry Abbott (under the alias "The Eld'n"), a country music songwriter and producer and the father of Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell (then known as Diamond Darrell), who were 19 and 16 years old, respectively, at the time of release.

Background

Pantera was formed in Arlington, Texas in 1981. The band was originally named Gemini, then Eternity, before finally settling on Pantera. ^[4]

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[3]
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal	6/10 [5]
The Daily Vault	C+ [6]
Metal Forces	8/10 [7]

In a retrospective review for AllMusic, Eduardo Rivadavia gave Metal Magic a largely negative ranking of 1.5 stars out of a possible 5. He described the album as "exceedingly average hard rock and metal misfires" with only two promising songs in "I'll Be Alright" and "Widowmaker". Furthermore, the album's "strongest asset" even in these early years was Diamond Darrell's guitar playing. ^[3]

Drummer Vinnie Paul said the album sold around 5,000 copies by 1990. ^[8]

Track listing

All credits adapted from the original LP. ^[9]

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Ride My Rocket"	Vince Abbott Darrell Abbott	4:55
2.	"I'll Be Alright"	V. Abbott D. Abbott	3:13
3.	"Tell Me If You Want It"	Terry Glaze	3:44
4.	"Latest Lover"	V. Abbott D. Abbott Glaze	2:54
5.	"Biggest Part of Me"	Glaze	4:49

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
6.	"Metal Magic"	V. Abbott D. Abbott	4:17
7.	"Widowmaker"	V. Abbott D. Abbott	3:03
8.	"Nothin' On (But the Radio)"	Glaze	3:30
9.	"Sad Lover"	V. Abbott D. Abbott	3:27
10.	"Rock Out!"	Glaze	5:45
Total length:			39:37

Personnel

Pantera

• Terry Glaze  – vocals, guitars
• Darrell Abbott  – guitars
• Rex Rocker  – bass
• Vince Abbott  – drums

Production

• Jerry Abbott  – production, engineering, mixing
• M.C. Rather – mastering
• Recorded at Pantego Sound, Pantego, Texas

References

1. Wiederhorn, Jon (June 10, 2022). "39 Years Ago: Pantera Release Their First Album 'Metal Magic'". Loudwire. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
2. Ewing, Jerry (January 15, 2019). "Every Pantera album ranked from worst to best". Metal Hammer . Retrieved May 26, 2021.
3. Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Metal Magic - Pantera". AllMusic . Retrieved July 2, 2012.
4. "Pantera / Hellyeah's Vinnie Paul Plays 'Wikipedia: Fact or Fiction?'", YouTube , November 30, 2016, retrieved September 3, 2025
5. Popoff, Martin (November 1, 2005). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 258. ISBN   978-1894959315.
6. Thalen, Christopher (January 10, 2005). "The Daily Vault Music Reviews : Metal Magic". The Daily Vault. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
7. Hammonds, Steve (1984). "Pantera - Metal Magic". Metal Forces . No. 3. Retrieved July 2, 2012.
8. "Hell Bent For Texas". Metal Forces . No. 53. Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England: Rockzone Publications Ltd. August 1990. p. 20–22.
9. Metal Magic (LP sleeve). Pantera. Arlington, Texas: Metal Magic Records. 1983. MMR1283.