Celebrating 30 years of ‘Cowboys From Hell’
It’s hard to believe that Pantera’s ‘Cowboys From Hell” turns 30 years old today. Not only is Pantera one of my favorite bands, but this record is also one of my favorite metal albums. While the band had started out almost a decade prior to it’s release, ‘Cowboys from Hell’ is where Pantera transitioned into their classic heavy sound that we all know and love.
Tracklist for ‘Cowboys from Hell’
“Cowboys from Hell” starts out with the title track, immediately setting the tone for the record with a casual build up before an explosion of powerful headbanger chaos. This continues through “Primal Concrete Sledge” which is only just over 2 minutes long. Vinnie Paul said previously this is because the track happened on accident after Dime overheard Vinnie come up with a pattern while taking down his drum set. They didn’t have much time to work on it, but it still managed to make it on the record.
“Psycho Holiday” then continues the heaviness with a bit of an upbeat flair. As one of my favorite Pantera tracks of all time, this song definitely showcases where the band’s influences come from. It has the catchiness of hair metal while still keeping those classic dark and heavy undertones. This blend of styles is what makes the band unique as a whole, and it truly shines on this track.
With short electrifying notes starting us off, we’re then hit very heavy in the chest with “Heresy”. After that, Pantera gives us a change of pace with “Cemetery Gates” aka one of, if not the, greatest metal power ballad of all time! It is so atmospheric and powerful that it is rightfully thought of by many as one of Pantera’s best songs. Phil Anselmo also crushes every high note in this song.
Next up is the in your face track “Domination”. With booming drums, this track is completely aggressive as it switches between fast paced choruses and broken down verses. Pulse pounding drums continue to lead us in “Shattered”. Anselmo’s high pitched vocals here give that extra dose of adrenaline before pushing the momentum even further with Dimebag’s riffs.
“Clash With Reality” then drags us straight into the pit where no holds barred anthems “Medicine Man” and “Message in Blood” follow. “The Sleep” comes in after that with a melodic intro before kicking into an almost militarized sound. While this is completely different than every track on the record, it still perfectly fits as it begins to wind things down. It is a severely underrated song and is one of my personal favorites.
Last but not least is “The Art of Shredding”. This entire song is just a pure jam session. The combination of bass and guitar in this song while the drums pulse along with them are an example of metal at it’s finest. Phil doesn’t start to deliver his harmoniously aggressive vocals until after the one minute mark, and each member of the band has their own stand out moments throughout.
Is ‘Cowboys from Hell’ Worth listening to?
In my completely biased opinion, YES! Pantera delivers banger after banger on this album. It’s also where Pantera started becoming the icons we love today.
Pantera’s variety of influences are truly apparent on this record. I think that fans of each of the different metal genres can find something they like on this album. In a world plagued by subgenres, Pantera’s ‘Cowboys from Hell’ is just 100% pure metal.
