Pantera - By Demons Be Driven

     Just a quick Throwback Thursday post tonight to keep things on time (such as they are), and when I need to throw it back, metal-wise, you know that means it's time to draw from my Old School band quiver. And no, I'm not doing another Nothingface song quite so soon.

     Much more universally loved than Nothingface is Pantera, making them a consistently solid choice for a Throwback Thursday song. Tonight we're going to keep things simple with a selection from what is arguably the band's masterpiece.

     "By Demons Be Driven" may come near the end of the running time of 1992's classic Vulgar Display of Power, but it is far from the back of the pack. Cutting guitar, punchy drums, Phil's snarl -- it's all here, and it's all Pantera at their finest. Sit down and study up one this lesson in metal history 101, because it most definitely will be on the final.

    

Thursday: Pantera - Cemetery Gates

     I've just posted an interesting blog article on the Loud Noises Facebook page (yes, there's a Loud Noises facebook page...) written by God Forbid's Doc Doyle and asking the question of whether or not Pantera had an adverse if unintended effect on the sound and production of modern metal. No matter where you fall on that argument, it's an interesting read, and all the reason I need to do a Pantera song for your way-late Throwback Thursday.

     And it's not going to be just any Pantera song. No, today I'm going with "Cemetery Gates", one of the band's most famous numbers and one of the best pieces of evidence for the fact that Phil could fucking sing when he wanted to. The call and return at the end of the song between Phil and Dime is still, twenty-five years on, absolutely epic. Throw this one back loud.

Saturday: Pantera - Floods

     All the ice and snow we've had here in the past couple of weeks have now combined with a weekend of mild weather to produce a great deal of water, on the roads, in the ditches... just about everywhere, really. So far it's just kinda wet out, nothing serious, but that doesn't mean the subject of today's song is super far from anyone's mind.

     One of the most badass solos Dimebag ever recorded was "Floods" from 1996's The Great Southern Trendkill, and it's part of the reason "Floods" is one of my favourite Pantera songs. The sludgy verses with Phil's watery vocals over top, the punishing choruses crashing like relentless waves -- the whole thing really does have an aquatic feel to it. If you know "Floods" you know what I mean, and if you don't, you should get to know it right now. Even if you're not a fan of the song, you can't deny it's classic Dime.