10 Best Opening Tracks In Metal

After the band had made a name for themselves in their stomping grounds, Pantera had drastically updated their sound from a glam rock tunesfest to no-BS heavy metal. While the band had incorporated the lion's roar of Phil Anselmo into the mix, the band had not yet found their stride with 1988's Power Metal. However, the 90's signaled bigger things lay ahead for this band from Texas.

Opening with the ominous sound of feedback, "Cowboys From Hell" displays a guitar riff from Dimebag Darrell that is slightly off-the-wall while still staying incredibly infectious. Once the riff is locked in with drummer Vinnie Paul's opening hits, you are automatically grooving to the track's undeniable beat. The sound had the audible bite of a band like Slayer while having the boogie-style rhythms of a band like ZZ Top. As Phil Anselmo's growl punishes you with relentless fury, the solo from Darrell runs through elaborate scales that seem wrong but whose execution is so right.

Just when you feel like you're about to snap, the final riffs of the track lead you on a ferocious gallop to the very end. Packing one hell of an opening punch, metalheads were just at the starting line of one of the greatest metal albums of the decade.