Released May 1988 (1988-05) Length 38:10 | Genre Heavy metal Label Metal Magic | |
Producer Pantera, Marc Ferrari, "The Eld'n" Power Metal
(1988) | ||
Power Metal is the fourth studio album by heavy metal band Pantera, released in May 1988 through Metal Magic Records. It is the first Pantera album to feature Phil Anselmo on vocals, as part of a line-up which would last until the band's official split in 2003.
Contents
Overview
The album showcases a more aggressive style which sounds, at times, closer to thrash metal (particularly on "Down Below" and "Death Trap") rather than the glam metal style heard on the band's earlier albums; however, traces of glam are still clearly present. Notably, Phil Anselmo makes his first appearance on vocals, having replaced original singer 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 their own version until Keel VI: Back in Action in 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.
Critical reception
Bradley Torreano at AllMusic gave Power Metal 2.5 stars out of five, noting it as being the band's first album to begin the stylistic shift fully realized on Cowboys from Hell (1990) and describing it as "an interesting and transitional early effort from one of the most important metal bands of the '90s." However, he criticized the lyrics, remarking that they are "the biggest problem, showing none of the gutter poetry that [Phil] Anselmo would develop through time and instead reflecting a bland interest in all things 'rock'". He went on to highlight Dimebag's guitar work, calling it "one of the more charming elements of the band's early sound" and that "he was obviously a very talented guitarist even then."
Track listing
All tracks written by Pantera except where noted.