With the release of REINVENTING THE STEEL, the 9th (and final) PANTERA studio album (and 6th consisting of the “classic lineup” of Phil Anselmo, Rex Brown, and the brothers Abbott: Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul), it seemed as if the southern metal lords were set to begin yet another decade of heavy metal domination in not only a new century, but also a new millennium.
After consistently releasing album after album of heavy, grooving, brutal sonic bliss throughout the 90’s, the band managed to combine the essence and energy of each of those albums, coalescing into one final masterwork that would serve as the perfect coda to the band’s storied career and tremendous output.
Listen on iTunes, Spotify, Podbean, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your Podcasts.
Leave us a Voicemail to be played on a future episode: 980-666-8182
Follow us on the Socials:
Facebook - Instagram - Twitter
Can’t be LOUD Enough Playlist on Spotify
Some links may be affiliate links. This means that we may receive a small commission (at no cost to you) if you purchase something through the links provided. Metal Nerdery is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com
Check out our other PANTERA episodes:
Pantera
Phil Anselmo – vocals
Dimebag Darrell – guitars
Rex Brown – bass
Vinnie Paul – drums
Kerry King – outro on "Goddamn Electric
It's time to stop by the relaxer room for a pre-show pick me up before “running in flip flops” down “Chunky Bum” Boulevard on your way to our 33rd Floor I.U.B.P. Studio Lounge to JOIN US as we celebrate the band and dive into the album that helped bring in the new millennium with one hell of a bang!
Time for PANTERA: REINVENTING THE STEEL
HELLBOUND:
Definitely one of the most killer openers in all of modern metal. The original release was sick enough, but for extra tastiness, go check out the 20th anniversary “new mix” by Terry Date. Thinking back, there was nothing quite as badass as when Slayer played with Pantera in early 2000, shortly after the release of “Reinventing the Steel” (and about 5 months prior to Slayer’s “God Hates Us All”). When you see Pantera open with THIS and then there’s fucking actual FIRE that you can feel from way up in the cheap seats, you KNOW you’re in the presence of Metal Greatness!!!
“Facing fears, you’ll overcome and one of these years you’ll know you’ve won.”
GODDAMN ELECTRIC:
This song is the secret to “eternal youth”. All of the key elements are present: whisky, weed, Black Sabbath, Slayer, and also, oh yeah, actual Slayer (okay, it’s just Kerry, but still, THAT is 25% of Slayer). The swing, the swagger, the attitude, the MESSAGE and most importantly: the balls! ALL the balls!!!
And what a killer outro (thanks Mr. King!).
Again, if you haven’t already, PLEASE go check out the modern remix by the Pantera Production Lord, Mr. Terry Date. And also, you’re welcome, btw.
“Don’t waste your time, embrace it. And then you’ll know yourself, the change in you is Goddamn Electric.”
YESTERDAY DON’T MEAN SHIT:
A nice blend of speed and groove. The vocals, the guitar, the bass, the drums, the groove, the ‘tude…” all boxes are checked, Captain!” Dime quite literally was blessed with ALL of the riffs!!! A song about living in the present moment and not succumbing to any regret or garbage that may have previously tainted one’s life experience, such as with bad reviews, naysayers, and general, negative energy. Keep moving forward, tomorrow’s a new day.
“You protect you and I’ll keep to myself, it can only be that way.”
YOU’VE GOT TO BELONG TO IT:
Pitch shifting, rifftactical goodness. It NEVER gets old. Dime could play while hungover and projectile vomiting diarrhea out of his ass in the bathroom where Kerry King recorded the outro to “Goddamn Electric” and it would STILL be absolutely fucking legendary!!! I also think there’s a brief ode to relaxers buried somewhere in the lyrics and/or spoken word part near the end. Here again…it NEVER gets old!!
EVER!!!
“You recognize it, while some ignore it, avoid the masses, you’ve got to belong to it.”
REVOLUTION IS MY NAME:
Fun fact: if you get the 20th anniversary version of “Reinventing the (Metal… hahahaha, sorry that’s still hilarious (thank you, Russell!!!). Obviously, I meant to say…) Steel”, you can hear how they actually faded into the crazy intro donkey-riff of this song that got COMPLETELY edited out of the music video (which you should also go watch, because there are a plethora of artists that the boys paid tribute to…including one “artist” who collaborated with The Beach Boys. An “artist” who is no longer with us and also has a tangentional connection to The Beatles and DOWN. True story.)
“Take under wing all the ones who are lost and build up around them an infinite wall.”
DEATH RATTLE:
This could have easily been on “The Great Southern Trendkill. It’s got that straight out of the gate, no warning, no buildup (and definitely no lube and/or anesthesia). Taking two of the greatest gifts that Pantera brought to the world of metal (speed and groove) and combining them together to create the most old-school, straight ahead, borderline thrash tune on the record. Plus, it’s got some of that “ugly & uncomfortable” vibe that made Trendkill so brutally fan-fucking-tastic.
(P.S. The 20th anniversary remix has a nice little surprise at the intro of this as well. Just go buy it. You’re welcome.)
“Disease of eyes, the addict blindfold, reduced to the realms of death.”
WE’LL GRIND THAT AXE FOR A LONG TIME:
There’s the third facet of Pantera that makes them one of the best in the business: HEAVY! You add speed, groove and heavy in a blender and pour it out in the jam room, Pantera will materialize (of course, you have to throw some relaxers in the mix to “activate” the mixture, but trust us, it works!!!).
This one is most definitely a favorite, and those Dime stoner-slides in the riffs definitely give it some extra gravy. And just so we’re ALL on the same page: Vinnie and Rex are, without question, ONE OF THE FINEST rhythm sections in ALL of Metal. That’s right, I said it. And I’m not wrong.
“Out of strength you know we speak the truth, every trend that dies is living proof.”
UPLIFT:
Kind of a different vibe; definitely groovy and heavy. It’s pretty clear that this is definitely an Ode to Relaxers and free thinking. And that last line before the end…PRICELESS!!! (Thank you for that!). That chorus riff is absolute genius!!! Definitely a grower, but it gets better every time it’s heard. Only legends like Pantera are capable of creating such sonic sorcery.
“I do anything that I want, I get everything that I ask, and if this message bothers you, you know just kiss my fucking asshole!!!”
IT MAKES THEM DISAPPEAR:
Okay, so this might be a bold statement, but this might be Pantera at their most BRUTAL!!! It’s tuned down to DROP C, which translates to tuning the guitars down from E to D (that’s a full step down!!!) and then dropping that low E down another whole step, from D to C!!! Most definitely some stoner metal sounding influence here.
Read those lyrics.
The theme of this song seems to be one of “tragic loss” and/or “extreme relief”, depending on the perspective (probably more the former than the latter, but I digest). That fuzzy bass during the guitar solo gives this that “Black Sabbath on steroids with a side order of Chong-Dogg relaxers” kind of vibe. Side note insertion: this kind of has a “Floods” vibe to it in a way, only heavier (if that’s even possible).
“It might hurt so bad, but I can’t feel sad, rid of a fool like you.”
I’LL CAST A SHADOW:
Interesting realization: it almost sounds like the album “ends” with the previous song (It Makes Them Disappear), and then this one comes in like an encore to the album. Sick riffs and heavy, stony goodness are found in abundance. There will never EVER be another band like Pantera.
That middle part is like a groove-breakdown solo instead of a guitar solo, which is just fine by us.
Even the ending with the ridiculousness in the background is awesome (even though it got completely mixed OUT of the remixed 20th anniversary edition!!!). It sounds like they’re just hanging out in Metal Nerdery’s lush, 33rd Floor Inverted Underground Bunker Poon Studio Lounge, just enjoying some relaxers and chilling out before they join us.
“I can’t tell you nothing…Okay, here we go…I said, “Shut up and go back to work,” Okay. Kiss my ass, Dracula.
Show Notes:
(00:01): #hippychemopatient #newclinky #screwingASMR and #flipflopsrunning #thisepisodesclinkyoftheepisode #RevelStrokeNutcrusherPeanutButterWhisky #killeralbumcover #mycuprunnethover #allinsidemahqwerty and #clinkybone and a #vulgardisplayofalcoholabuse #thehealthiestmetalnerd #toomuchclinky #trexarmsunite #cheers / ***WELCOME BACK TO THE METAL NERDERY PODCAST!!!*** More #peanutbrittle flavored than #peanutbutter (There’s a working squirrel with a #sawzall on the #albumcover). #aimforthenuts ***Thanks be to #Doro for assisting with this segment.*** #salttherim #markthetime for #saltynuts #markthetimeagain #fillupyourthermos ***If you’d like to sponsor #MetalNerderyPodcast you can email us at metalnerdery@gmail.com or ping us on the socials (#notthefbiASMR) or GIVE US A CALL and leave us a #voicemail at 980-666-8182***
(06:43): And now the #segue into #recordscratch #thisepisodesbeeroftheepisode (#rewindingtime now…standby) #TheBrewingProjekt #payustodrinkyourbeerASMR #PuffTartXL #extralarge (a #magnumbeer). #babyarmswithboxinggloves #gothim #theverdict (WAYYY too tasty!) #Wheresthecocaineroom? #OneOfTheBestFuckingBeers and #HailToTheBrewingProjekt #lookatyou / BUY OUR SHIT at metalnerdery.com/merch / Greetings from #TheLandDownUnder #gdaymate #skinnyface #MetalNerderyAnonymousASMR (and the #MetalNerderyMissionStatement) #pastashred and a #listenerinquiry: ***Who’s the BEST band YOU guys saw LIVE in the 80’s and 90’s?*** #PanterA #MotleyCrue and #publicboobies , #Slayer at #TheCivicCenter (see also “ripping up the chairs”) and #Testament and #WrathchildAmerica and #Annihilator (Testament came through town many, many times!!! And for that, we give you thanks!) And the #JOY of discovering a brand-new band at a concert!!! PanterA and #WhiteZombie at the #Ballroom (which was fucking #EPIC!!!) And the #shoeshow #VanHalen at #TheOmni and #Metallica #aneveningwith (What was described sounded like #TheLoads and not #TheBlackAlbum tour, but #IDigest) #StoneTemplePilots #SoulsAtZero #Forbidden (and entirely too much #radness) #CaptainCrustyPants and #KoRn LIVE from the #earlydays (***see also, new KoRn either coming out soon or just came out!!!***) #fifteenminutesofbullshitASMR
(23:22): #ACDC from #1978 (it’s either called a #romper or a #jumper) #angrymom #RIP / #verballychallenged And another message from #DownUnder regarding our recent #Forbidden #InsideTheMetal #episode (***Can there really EVER be too much #thrashfanbone!?***) / The mystery of #vegemite and/or #marmite #assholeflavored #toolow #nochunks from a #chunkybum and/or #chunkybung and the definition of #betrothed and a secret way for #dudes to get laid more often and also #pussyrepellent/ #threegoodyears vs #multipledecadestogether
(30:18): On THIS episode’s #docket: #ringcameras #PanterA was the #Pantera of the #nineties (and/or also the #LedZeppelin of the 90’s, and/or/and/or/also #Pantera was the #Metallica of the 90’s) / #LegalAdvice #legallyallowedtolieASMR and a shit ton of #math / #TrendkillReprise / It’s time for #ReinventingTheMetal ***REINVENTING THE STEEL*** (and the perfect #PanterA platter with all of the various elements of their entire catalog). #adifferentreference / #getchapull / #killeropeners and #calgon / ***Go check out our #TrendkillDive!!!*** The never-ending river of rad riffs courtesy of #Dime and the sound of #Reinventing relative to the rest of the catalog (and a shuffling of the order of release based on #heaviness). #ReinventingTheSteel is #FarBeyondDrivenPlus #pissfilledballs / ***#TWILIGHTZONEASMR and also #WTFASMR!!!***#wheresthepreviousload? #putitbackin #NoPayload #WhereDidTheLoadGo #TheLoadIsThere ***WELCOME BACK (again) TO THE METAL NERDERY PODCAST!!!***#lightningstrikes #technicaldifficulties and #todoshuevos #alltheballs #tryingtositupASMR
(40:50): #fortyfiveminutesofnothing and now we’re getting back to Reinventing #TheMetal (Reinventing the Still) #sunvomit and #coronalmassejections #dontdenythepowerof #productiontentacles #notbitter #killeropener HELLBOUND (and a great reminder of Pantera and #Slayer at #TheTabernacle in #Atlanta, which was actually BEFORE #GodHatesUsAll was released: on #Friday 3/30/2001, I have the #ticketstub) #PerfectPanteraBone #boldstatement / GODDAMN ELECTRIC #cantbeloudenough #never #killeroutro thanks to #KerryKing and #SlayerTangentionalalityCoreASMR #hard
(47:57): #livinginthepresent because YESTERDAY DON’T MEAN SHIT #norewindingtime and the subtle #stoner vibe to Dime’s riffs. #oldschoolthrashshapes #DimebagIsOurSpiritAnimal #ThatDimebagIsABlessing / YOU’VE GOT TO BELONG TO IT #crazyriff #absurdlymetal #evilocity #fingernailsofmetal #TheDimebagStonerSlide #PanteraPissesExcellenceCore #TheNewCore / #myfavoriteriffinmylife REVOLUTION IS MY NAME (***check out the #video for this tune, it’s #awesome! ***). #namechanger #REVOLUTIONismynewname #PanteraBone #editing #nointro #RexAndDimeSynchronicity #HAIL to #Dime #Vinnie #Rex and #Phil (***How many levels of #tangentionalality to other #Metal #artists can you spot in the video? ***)
(58:50): Throwback to #Trendkill #allballs #todoshuevos #cantbeloudenough #turnthatallthewayup DEATH RATTLE #cantbeloudenough (***#FastPantera vs #GroovePantera, which do you like better (if not #bolth)? ***) / WE’LL GRIND THAT AXE FOR A LONG TIME #andisayagain (that fucking middle part…#HFS, or #HolyFuckingShit if you don’t understand #acronyms!!!) /The Joy of #Panterajaculation #thesmellintheair / The magic of the PanterA #classiclineup (and a “maybe” not so accurate #analogy back to #Ozzy and #Sabbath). ***#NoApologiesNeeded: This is a #safespace*** #MetalMotivation
(1:05:37): #inthroughtheoutword #toomuch #sorryaboutthat and songs that “may not quite be” a #favorite (“Initially…”) / #grower vs #shower #waitwhat #playthesong UPLIFT #verygroovy #9806668182 and a #newsegment #ThisEpisodesPanteraMomentOfTheEpisode (#toomuchmath) and the #resurgence of #MetalEdge #tunedWAYdown #veryveryheavy #absolutelyzerobullshitASMR IT MAKES THEM DISAPPEAR (***Tuned down to D, with the low E string tuned down to C!!!*** #DropC) #PanteraBoneASMR (almost #stonermetal) #alltheballs #todoshuevos
(1:12:57): How about #PrimalConcreteBalls for $500, #Alex? (***Hypothetical question: #ChongDogg yay or nay? The #crickets say #yay) and quite the collection of #deadsoldiers I’LL CAST A SHADOW (Pantera definitely has a #stonermetalessence) / #BoneUs #BonerTrack #BonusTrack (on the #Japanese version) and a completely unrelated #DireStraits moment: HOLE IN THE SKY (That’s #BlackSabbath #btw! Surely, you’re well aware of this!!!) ***go check out the #NativityInBlack #SabbathCovers compilation albums***) #tuneinturnondropout #Pantera and #Pufftart for #Pfebruary / THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AND PLEASE CONTINUE TO SPREAD THE GLOBAL WORDERY ABOUT THE METAL NERDERY!!!
metalnerdery.com/merch / #thelastword #untilthenext #theoutrosection #loadsandloadsofoutrocore
Check out our other PANTERA episodes:
Pantera on the Spotify