Published on May 21, 2000
“Does Pantera really
deserve a tribute CD?” is a reasonable question. Bands like
Led Zeppelin, KISS, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Van Halen, and AC/DC
certainly do. Can Pantera be added to that list? After all, the
band is only about 10 years past a little-known glam metal phase,
which critics used as fodder to criticize vocalist Phil Anselmo’s
anti-Metallica tirades during their 1996 tour. Are they really that
good?
Perhaps that question would be better answered in a review of
their latest release
Reinventing The Steel. For the CD we’re talking about,
Panther – A Tribute To Pantera, you get 12 fairly familiar
names, none of them as popular or with as much success as Pantera
in touring to sold-out arenas. The 12 bands here are signs of metal
to come.
Pissing Razors, a Noise recording artist, kicks the CD off with
a turbo-charged version of “Domination.” Like their own releases,
drummer Ed Garcia is a master of the double bass drums, combining
aggressive chops with precision. Vocalist Joe Rodriquez bellows his
part with conviction. Boiler follows with “Mouth For War” which
demonstrates the band that made
The New Professionals still have the fire that made that CD
heavy.
Step Kings follow with “Good Friends & A Bottle of Pills”
which falls short of the original. Drummer Mike Watt fakes the
double bass part of this song. Murder 1 come next with “I’m Broken”
which is then followed with Ill Nino’s version of “Five Minutes
Alone.”
The CD comes to a screeching halt with A.C.’s version of “The
Great Southern Trendkill.” Those that might have thought “Picnic Of
Love” was that band’s swan song can rest assured that Seth and Josh
are in fine form. Disarray, from the Volunteer State, and one of my
personal favorite bands, kick out “Cowboys From Hell” with their
trademark heaviness. Vocalist/guitarist Chuck Bonnett, drummer
Shane Harmon and bassist Chris Looney have been slugging out the
metal since 1996’s classic “Widespread Human Disaster.” FINALLY,
they’re with Eclipse Records and getting some attention.
Another band in Disarray’s league of not previously getting
their due recognition is Crush Efekt from Columbus, OH. Crush Efekt
burst through “Use My Third Arm” with a ferocious intensity that
made their
Real release so brutal. NOK rounds out this release with the
worst mixed track, “Fucking Hostile.” Vocalist Jeremy Jenkins is
shoved to the front of the mix, which covers the faking of the riff
by guitarists Mike Marchand and Frank Busshaus. Drummer John Keane
attempts to hold this chaos together, but isn’t very successful
with sloppy fills.
This is definitely a mixed bag. On one hand, you get rising
stars like Pissing Razors, Boiler, Step Kings, Disarray, and Crush
Efekt playing songs that Pantera has bashed out previously. On the
other hand, though, you get A.C. screeching like a banshee,
Hollow’s decent (but not outstanding contribution) and the ugly
rendition by NOK.