Pantera - Power Metal (1988)

Artist: Pantera

Release Title: Power Metal

Release Type: Full Length

Release Year: 1988

Artist Genre: Heavy Metal

Artist Origin: U.S.A.

My Rating: 86%

Track Listing:
1. Rock The World 2. Power Metal 3. We'll Meet Again 4. Over and Out 5. Proud To Be Loud 6. Down Below 7. Death Trap 8. Hard Ride 9. Burnnn! 10. P-S-T '88
Total playing time 38:15

It's a real tragedy if Vinnie Paul goes to the grave alongside never giving Pantera's 80's material, mainly THIS album, the props it deserves. This album, boys and girls, for me is THEIR finest hour, not "The Great Southern Earkill" or even "Cowboys From Hell". This is the album they were leading up to in the 80's and was their magnum opus and apart from maybe, a couple of songs on "Cowboys From Hell", they never topped this album. 

The title is misleading as there's nothing really power metal about this, it's basically them parading the good name of Judas Priest around, loud and proud whilst giving the occasional nod to Metallica, and Anselmo's best performance album of his career is here. Yes, better than Down and any of his embarrasing side projects or later Pantera albums, his range here is superb and the delivery screams "CLASSIC METAL!" like he never, ever did whilst he was squealing like a pig in his later career or doing embarrassing Robert De Niro impressions on "Walk", and whilst the production is more dirty and doesn't have the professionalism of the mix on "Cowboys From Hell" there's nothing that make you stare at a wall, where half the songs on "Cowboys From Hell" DO make you want to do that.

Really good moments include the speed metal title track, the epic "We'll Meet Again" which plays out as a sort of prelude to "Cemetary Gates", the thrashy flavour of "Over and Out", "Burnnn!" and the silly but ultra catchy "P.S.T. '88" (PUSSY TIGHT! TONIGHT!) with dimebag singing about his favourite love besides Judas Priest. *sigh* Rest In Peace. This isn't particularly original or outstanding but it's a SOLID 80's metal album and more enjoyable than anything else they did. Don't listen to the band member's opinion on this or whatever mainstream idiotic fan of the band say, this is seriously their best. It's pretty pricey so if you can't afford it get mp3 album downloads.