I’ve known about Pantera for a very long time. They’ve never entered my mind, but they always crept at the edges. Having been around since the 80s, they definitely have a legacy in not 1, but 2 genres of Heavy Metal. Glam Metal on their first 4 albums, and a mix of Thrash & Groove after those. Given that I’m covering Nu Metal this summer, it seemed right that one of the intentional/unintentional originators of the style, and their was only one album of their’s that definitely added some spice to the mix. So, dust off your cowboy hat, get your 6-shooter, and get ready for my review of the classic Cowboys From Hell. Yeehaw!
Background
Taken from Wikipedia:
“Writing sessions for Cowboys from Hell took place throughout 1988 and 1989. After being turned down "28 times by every major label on the face of the Earth", Atco Records representative Mark Ross was asked by his boss, Derek Shulman (who was interested in signing Pantera), to see the band perform after Hurricane Hugo stranded him in Texas. Ross was so impressed by the band's performance that he called his boss that night, suggesting that Pantera be signed to the label.
Ross on the performance:
"By the end of the first song, my jaw was on the floor. The sonic power of it all — the attitude and the musicianship — blew me away. Basically, you had to be an idiot to not think they're amazing. I mean, how could you see these guys and not think, 'Holy shit!'?"
Atco Records accepted but the band had to wait a six month period before they commenced recording at Pantego Sound Studio in Pantego, Texas. Accounts vary as to how long the recording sessions of Cowboys from Hell lasted; bassist Rex Brown stated in a 2010 interview with Metal Hammer that the recording sessions took place from February to April 1990, however vocalist Phil Anselmo has also claimed that the album was recorded in 1989. Pantera's initial choice as the producer for Cowboys from Hell was Max Norman based on his work with Ozzy Osbourne. Norman, who flew to Houston to watch the band perform, initially agreed to work on the album, but right before the recording sessions started, he was offered to produce Lynch Mob's debut album Wicked Sensation instead. Pantera then proposed Terry Date to produce the album on the strength of his work with Soundgarden, Metal Church and Overkill, the latter of whose latest album at the time The Years of Decay had influenced Dimebag Darrell's guitar tone, as well as the band's transition away from glam/traditional heavy metal to thrash/groove metal.
Pantera adopted a new sound and attitude, and the writing of what would become Cowboys from Hell saw the band exploring darker subject matters, while the guitar would be notably heavier. Influences and inspirations to the making of the album, as well as its musical direction, were Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, ZZ Top, Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax, Testament, Overkill, Faith No More, King's X, Soundgarden, Minor Threat, Mercyful Fate, Savatage, Voivod and then-upcoming band Exhorder. The band recorded a self-produced demo album in 1989 which featured 11 tracks, 10 of which would make the album cut. The last two tracks to be written were "Clash with Reality" and "Primal Concrete Sledge", while a song entitled "The Will to Survive" would be discarded early in the recording sessions. During recording sessions, the band chose an unorthodox method: Vinnie Paul recorded the drum tracks first, then Darrell recorded the guitar, and Brown recorded the bass with the guitars only. This resulted in a tighter sound; slight inaccuracies were fixed by manually editing the tapes.
The band were feeling confident about their material and themselves, finally feeling that they were making the kind of album they believed in. One key track to emerge during the writing was "Cemetery Gates", a seven-minute power ballad that would be the first song to show both their diversity and Anselmo's vocal range; the acoustic intro was written last by Brown. Although they had already recorded four albums prior to Cowboys from Hell, the members of Pantera have since acknowledged this as their official debut album, working with a professional producer and a major label for the first time and creating music that was not simply stealing from other similar bands in an attempt to attract attention.”
Cowboys From Hell would go on to be Pantera’s breakthrough record, and one of the most influential metal albums of the 1990s. It would chart at no. 27 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers in 1992. In March of 1995, it would enter the Swedish Charts at no. 46, where it would peak at that spot for a week. The album has since gone twice Platinum in the United States, and Gold in the United Kingdom (100,000 copies sold). IGN would go on to call CFH the 19th most influential metal album of all time, saying:
“Along with Vulgar Display of Power, Pantera's fifth album is not only considered one of the band's best, but is also one of the defining albums of early '90s metal. The band's chemistry really begins to gel with collective symmetry here, as a pre-Dimebag Darrell (he was known as Diamond Darrell back then) rips the strings of his axe like a rabid weasel, frontman Phil Anselmo following in kind with chaotic vocal utterances, and the rhythm section of Vinnie Paul and Rex Brown keeping the rhythms in check and the whole mess glued together with low end prowess.”
In their review, Allmusic wrote:
“Pantera's breakthrough album, Cowboys from Hell, is largely driven by the band's powerful rhythm section and guitarist Diamond Darrell's unbelievably forceful riffing, which skittered around the downbeats to produce unexpected rhythmic phrases and accents, as well as his inventive soloing.”
Basic Description
Balanced Whiplash
I think anyone who first listened to Cowboys From Hell way back in the day after first hearing the band’s Glam Metal routes probably had one of the biggest shocks of their life. The more upbeat energy of the band first 4 albums was practically gone, and a more gritty tone was put in it’s place. So much so, that from CFH and onward it almost sounds like a completely different band, and Pantera seemingly wanted it that way (More on that a little later). So, where does the “Balanced” part come in you ask? Well, when you compare CFH to The Real Thing from last week, it’s obvious that Pantera are more focused in their endeavor. As much as I love TRT, I do find that Faith No More went a little too far with the funk & groove elements. Cowboys From Hell, on the other hand, balances out the grooves & rhythms with standard Heavy Metal beats, and just a touch of Cowboy vibes. Given the name of this record, that last bit shouldn’t be a surprise.
Best Track
The Sleep is something of an oddity when compared to everything else on Cowboys From Hell, but in a good way! Though you can definitely hear Phil Anselmo sing, and the drums are certainly there, this track is devoted to the guitar & bass, and sweet baby Jesus do they carry things! From softer & atmospheric to nice & crunchy, there’s a lot going on in this department, and it’s all good.
The Sleep
Worst Track
Apart from me simply not liking this era of Pantera, my only other gripe stems from the fact that the band has/was seemingly been doing everything in their power to practically bury their past releases, and make it look like they were always like what was on Cowboys From Hell. It is exceedingly difficult to find their first 4 records, and the group seems intent on keeping it that way. I can understand maybe being embarrassed by prior releases, but I personally blame CFH as being the release that ushered in the “Jerk Bro” era of the band. It’s funny I say that, as I genuinely don’t think there’s a bad thing on here, but at the same time I think it’s a betrayal from what Pantera once were.
Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, then click on the link below:
Cowboys From Hell
Overall Impression & Rating
Cowboys From Hell isn’t bad. It really isn’t! Phil Anselmo, Diamond Darrell, Rex Brown, and Vinnie Paul all put in a ton of work, and it shows with each & every musical note. However, I just can’t stand the fact that the band would bury their previous 4 releases because they simply didn’t fit in with their new image! Even with that said, I kinda had some fun listening to CFH. It may not be on my radar some days, but I’m not going to deny that it’s definitely a catchy release. Maybe I’ll buy it for my collection a little bit down the line.
Cowboys From Hell gets a 10 out of 10 due to quality, but I enjoy it as if it was a 7.5 out of 10.
And that was my look at Cowboys From Hell. I’m definitely not a massive fan of this period of the band as so many others are, but none the less I can’t deny how good it is. If Pantera weren’t sp dead set on making it look like their past never existed, I probably would be a harsh in that regard, but the overall quality doesn’t completely push me away. So, see you all by the end of the month, when I’ll take a look at an AMV from a series I haven’t revisited in a little over 5 years. See you then!
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