Pantera is an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas, formed in 1981 by the Abbott brothers, and currently composed of vocalist Phil Anselmo, bassist Rex Brown, and touring musicians Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante. The group's best-known lineup consisted of the Abbott brothers along with Brown and Anselmo, who joined in 1982 and 1986, respectively. The band is credited for developing and popularizing the subgenre of groove metal in the 1990s. Regarded as one of the most successful and influential bands in heavy metal history, Pantera has sold around 20 million records worldwide and has received four Grammy nominations.
Cowboys from Hell is the fifth studio album and major label debut by American heavy metal band Pantera, released on July 24, 1990, by Atco Records. It marked the first of many collaborations with producer Terry Date. This was also the album where Pantera fully abandoned the glam metal style of their previous albums in favor of a heavier sound. It has been recognized as one of the first ever groove metal albums.
Vulgar Display of Power is the sixth studio album by American heavy metal band Pantera. Released on February 25, 1992, through Atco Records, it was the band's second collaboration with producer Terry Date, after having worked with him on their breakthrough album Cowboys from Hell (1990).
Darrell Lance Abbott, best known by his stage name Dimebag Darrell, was an American musician. He was the guitarist of the heavy metal bands Pantera and Damageplan, both of which he co-founded alongside his brother Vinnie Paul. He is considered by many to be one of the greatest metal guitarists of all time.
Metal Magic is the debut studio album by American heavy metal band Pantera, released on June 10, 1983 by Metal Magic Records. Like the band's next three releases, it is musically oriented toward a glam/heavy metal sound influenced by Kiss and Van Halen, rather than the groove metal style they became famous for playing in the 1990s. The album was released on the band's own label and produced by Jerry Abbott, a noted country music songwriter and producer, and father of "Diamond" Darrell and Vince Abbott, who were 16 and 19 years old, respectively, at the time of release.
I Am the Night is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Pantera, released on August 16, 1985 through Metal Magic Records. It was made available only on vinyl and cassette, with any subsequent CD releases being bootlegs transferred from the vinyl or tape originals.
Hail to England is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Manowar, released in 1984 by Music for Nations.
Out of the Silent Planet is the second studio album by the American rock band King's X, released in 1988. The title of the album comes from that of a book by C. S. Lewis, an author favored by band members Ty Tabor and Jerry Gaskill. "Out of the Silent Planet" is also the title of the first track from the follow-up album Gretchen Goes to Nebraska. The cover art features the skyline of Houston with the southern outline of the state of Texas. The album received widespread acclaim from music contemporaries. Pantera bassist Rex Brown commented of his and Dimebag Darrell's impressions, noting "Dime called me and said, 'Dude, have you heard this? Have you checked out King's X?'" He says. "We went on a long road trip, and we must have listened to that first record I don't know how many times, and we couldn't stop! This was the sound that Dime and I were always looking for."
The Warning is the first studio album by American heavy metal band Queensrÿche, released on September 7, 1984, and reissued on May 6, 2003, with three bonus tracks.
Morbid Tales is the debut album by Swiss extreme metal band Celtic Frost, released in November 1984. It was originally released in Europe on Noise Records as a mini-LP with six tracks, while the American release by Enigma/Metal Blade added two tracks, bringing it to the length of a regular studio LP. The band retrospectively refers to the LP release as the band's debut studio album.
Bonded by Blood is the debut studio album by American thrash metal band Exodus. Although the album was completed in the summer of 1984, it was not released until 1985 due to issues with Exodus and the record label. It is considered one of the most influential thrash metal albums of all time. This is also the only full-length studio album of Exodus to feature Paul Baloff on vocals, though he was also on their 1982 Demo and appeared on their 1997 live album Another Lesson in Violence.
Something Wicked is the fifth studio album by American thrash metal band Nuclear Assault, released on February 23, 1993 by I.R.S. Records.
Jerry Bob Abbott was an American country music songwriter and record producer. He was the father of heavy metal musicians Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell, both formerly of Pantera and Damageplan.
"Cowboys from Hell" is a song by American heavy metal band Pantera. First appearing on the band's 1989 demo album, the song is the band's first single. It was released later on the major label debut album Cowboys from Hell, and on the band's compilation album.
Metal Church is the debut studio album by American heavy metal band Metal Church. The album was originally released by the independent record label Ground Zero in 1984. Based on the success of the album, the band was signed to a recording contract by Elektra Records, who reissued it in 1985. The cover art depicts a cruciform Gibson Explorer hidden in shadows and smoke.
Balls to the Wall is the fifth studio album by German heavy metal band Accept. European label Lark Records released the album in December 1983, with its release in the United States delayed a month to not compete with the band's then-current album Restless and Wild. It is Accept's only record to attain Gold certification in the US. The album's title track became Accept's signature song and remains a metal anthem and trademark in the genre.
Slaughter in the Vatican is the debut studio album by American heavy metal band Exhorder. It was released in 1990 through Roadrunner Records. It was reissued by Roadrunner in 2003 in a double-disc package with the band's follow-up album The Law and reissued again in 2008.
"I'm Broken" is a song by American heavy metal band Pantera, released on their 1994 studio album, Far Beyond Driven. It was the first single released from the album.
Spiral Castle is the twelfth album by American heavy metal band Manilla Road, released in 2002 by Iron Glory Records.
"Psycho Holiday" is a song by the American heavy metal band Pantera, released as the third and final single from their 1990 album Cowboys from Hell. It is the third song on the album.
