Cowboys From Hell
Even those who scoff at the idea that rock & roll is the devil's music have to think twice when listening to Pantera. The pill-popping, strip-bar-ogling, beer-guzzling Texas combo takes Metallica's speed-metal cues to new heights of brutality and sacrilege.  Fortunately, they're extremely good at what they do. The polyrhythmic complexity of Vinnie Paul's drumming in "Psycho Holiday" and guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell's breathtaking solo in "Heresy" are examples of state-of-the-art metal musicianship. Vocalist Phil Anselmo often sounds like Metallica's James Hetfield, but his brooding croon on "Cemetery Gates" and his falsetto screams on the blindingly fast "Shattered" are more like vintage Deep Purple. Released in 1990,Cowboysmade Pantera one of metal's top draws during an era in which it was almost eclipsed by alternative rock.--James Rotondi