Power Metal (album)
Encyclopedia
Power Metal is the fourth studio album
by heavy metal
band Pantera
, released in 1988 through Metal Magic Records. It is the first album to feature Phil Anselmo
on vocals
, as part of a line-up which would last until the band's split in 2003.
rather than the glam metal
style heard on the band's earlier albums; however, traces of the latter are still clearly present. Notably, Phil Anselmo makes his first appearance on vocals, having replaced Terry Glaze
. Guitarist
Dimebag Darrell
(then credited as "Diamond Darrell") also performs vocals on "P*S*T*88".
"Proud to Be Loud" was written and produced
by Keel
guitarist Marc Ferrari
and was originally intended to appear on their 1987 self-titled album
; however, Keel would not record a version of the song until 1998. Pantera's version was used as the party song in the theatrical cut of the 2001 film, Donnie Darko
, credited to "The Dead Green Mummies". The song also appears on "Trail to Doomsday", a MacGyver
TV movie from 1994, as well as the film, The Mighty Ducks 2
, from the same year. Terry Glaze co-wrote "Down Below", with an earlier recording of the song appearing on Pantera's third album, I Am the Night
(1985).
Having not been reissued
since its original release on CD
, vinyl
and cassette
, like their previous albums, official non-bootlegged
editions of Power Metal have become collectors items, with any that exist often being circulated through online auction
websites such as eBay
.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Pantera
Pantera
Pantera was an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas. Formed by the Abbott brothers, Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell in 1981, bassist Rex Brown would join in late 1981 with vocalist Terry Glaze. Looking for a new and heavier sound, Pantera had Terry replaced in 1987 with Phil Anselmo as...
, released in 1988 through Metal Magic Records. It is the first album to feature Phil Anselmo
Phil Anselmo
Philip Hansen "Phil" Anselmo is an American musician who is best known as the lead singer for the heavy metal band Pantera. He is currently the frontman for the Louisiana-based metal act Down. He is also the owner of Housecore Records....
on vocals
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, as part of a line-up which would last until the band's split in 2003.
Background
The album showcases a more aggressive style which sounds, at times, closer to thrash metalThrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
rather than the glam metal
Glam metal
Glam metal is a subgenre of hard rock and heavy metal that arose in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the United States, particularly on the Los Angeles Sunset Strip music scene...
style heard on the band's earlier albums; however, traces of the latter are still clearly present. Notably, Phil Anselmo makes his first appearance on vocals, having replaced Terry Glaze
Terry Glaze
Terrence Lee Glaze is an Ohio-born and Texas raised singer who is most well known for his work in American heavy metal band Pantera during their glam metal years, and Lord Tracy....
. Guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Dimebag Darrell
Dimebag Darrell
Darrell Lance Abbott , also known as Diamond Darrell and Dimebag Darrell, was an American guitarist. He was best known as a founding member of the heavy metal bands Pantera and Damageplan. Abbott also contributed to the album Rebel Meets Rebel, a collaboration between Pantera and David Allan Coe...
(then credited as "Diamond Darrell") also performs vocals on "P*S*T*88".
"Proud to Be Loud" was written and produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
by Keel
Keel (band)
Keel is an American heavy metal band founded in 1984 in Los Angeles, California. They were known for their rock anthem "The Right to Rock." The band was active until 1989, with a brief reunion in 1998. Keel reunited in 2008 and is currently touring for their 25th anniversary.-History:Keel was...
guitarist Marc Ferrari
Marc Ferrari
Marc Ferrari is a guitar player famous for his work in bands such as Keel, Cold Sweat, Medicine Wheel and Ferrari. He also had a role in Wayne's World, as the guitarist of Crucial Taunt and guested on Pantera's 1988 album, Power Metal. In the 1990s he wrote the column "Power Sources" for Metal...
and was originally intended to appear on their 1987 self-titled album
Keel (album)
Keel is the fourth album by the glam metal band Keel, released on June 21, 1987. This was the last album to feature guitarists Marc Ferrari and Brian Jay, as they left the band a year later...
; however, Keel would not record a version of the song until 1998. Pantera's version was used as the party song in the theatrical cut of the 2001 film, Donnie Darko
Donnie Darko
Donnie Darko is a 2001 American psychological thriller film written and directed by Richard Kelly and starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, Patrick Swayze, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Noah Wyle, Jena Malone, and Mary McDonnell...
, credited to "The Dead Green Mummies". The song also appears on "Trail to Doomsday", a MacGyver
MacGyver
MacGyver is an American action-adventure television series created by Lee David Zlotoff. Henry Winkler and John Rich were the executive producers. The show ran for seven seasons on ABC in the United States and various other networks abroad from 1985 to 1992. The series was filmed in Los Angeles...
TV movie from 1994, as well as the film, The Mighty Ducks 2
D2: The Mighty Ducks
D2: The Mighty Ducks is the second film in The Mighty Ducks trilogy and the first theatrical sequel to The Mighty Ducks. It was produced by Avnet–Kerner Productions and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures, and it was originally released on March 25, 1994...
, from the same year. Terry Glaze co-wrote "Down Below", with an earlier recording of the song appearing on Pantera's third album, I Am the Night
I Am the Night
I Am the Night is the third album by metal band Pantera, released in 1985 on record and cassette. Any CD release is a bootleg transferred via vinyl or tape. This album is where some of Pantera's faster and heavier influences were becoming more apparent, especially on the title track and "Down Below"...
(1985).
Having not been reissued
Out of print
Out of print refers to an item, typically a book , but can include any print or visual media or sound recording, that is in the state of no longer being published....
since its original release on CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
, vinyl
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
and cassette
Compact Cassette
The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...
, like their previous albums, official non-bootlegged
Bootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
editions of Power Metal have become collectors items, with any that exist often being circulated through online auction
Online auction business model
The online auction business model is one in which participants bid for products and services over the Internet. The functionality of buying and selling in an auction format is made possible through auction software which regulates the various processes involved.Several types of online auctions are...
websites such as eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
.
Track listing
Personnel
- Phil AnselmoPhil AnselmoPhilip Hansen "Phil" Anselmo is an American musician who is best known as the lead singer for the heavy metal band Pantera. He is currently the frontman for the Louisiana-based metal act Down. He is also the owner of Housecore Records....
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
(except track 10), background vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
, productionRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - Diamond DarrellDimebag DarrellDarrell Lance Abbott , also known as Diamond Darrell and Dimebag Darrell, was an American guitarist. He was best known as a founding member of the heavy metal bands Pantera and Damageplan. Abbott also contributed to the album Rebel Meets Rebel, a collaboration between Pantera and David Allan Coe...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocals (track 10), background vocals, production - Vinnie PaulVinnie PaulVincent Paul Abbott, also known as "Vinnie Paul" is a heavy metal drummer and producer who is currently a member of supergroup Hellyeah, but is best known for being a member, and co-founder, of the heavy metal band Pantera...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, background vocals, production - Rex RockerRex BrownRex Robert Brown is an American heavy metal bassist. A former member of Down, he is most famous as the longtime bassist for the Grammy-nominated, platinum-selling band Pantera.-Pantera:...
– bassBasslineA bassline is the term used in many styles of popular music, such as jazz, blues, funk, dub and electronic music for the low-pitched instrumental part or line played by a rhythm section instrument such as the electric bass, double bass, tuba or keyboard...
, tubular bellTubular bellTubular bells are musical instruments in the percussion family. Each bell is a metal tube, 30–38 mm in diameter, tuned by altering its length. Its standard range is from C4-F5, though many professional instruments reach G5 . Tubular bells are often replaced by studio chimes, which are a smaller...
s, background vocals, production - Marc FerrariMarc FerrariMarc Ferrari is a guitar player famous for his work in bands such as Keel, Cold Sweat, Medicine Wheel and Ferrari. He also had a role in Wayne's World, as the guitarist of Crucial Taunt and guested on Pantera's 1988 album, Power Metal. In the 1990s he wrote the column "Power Sources" for Metal...
– guitar (tracks 3, 5), background vocals, production - Jerry AbbottJerry AbbottJerry Bob Abbott in Abilene, Texas, is a country music songwriter and record producer from Pantego, Texas. He is also the father of "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, and Vinnie Paul Abbott, both of Pantera, Rebel Meets Rebel and Damageplan....
– production