10 Legendary Rock Bands That Got Darker Over Time
6. Pantera
During Pantera's glory period, it felt like they were on a mission to make the heaviest record imaginable. From the minute that you heard Cowboys From Hell, these guys were the real deal and were willing to stomp out any kind of lesser metal that would stand in their way. Which is strange when you consider the glam band that originally formed back in the early '80s.
When Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul were first starting to work things out, there was a lot more spandex involved with Pantera than you would think, donning traditional '80s fashion on albums like Metal Magic and Projects in the Jungle. Since they were mostly in their teens at the time though, it was a learning curve, and they grew into the giants that we know today once Phil Anselmo entered into the fold on Power Metal.
It's not like they hit the ceiling with Cowboys From Hell either. Whenever the band went into the studio, the mindset was always trying to outdo the last record they made, with Vulgar Display of Power hitting you like a smack in the face and Far Beyond Driven making even the darkest side of metal look quaint by comparison. They may have been down to have a good time wherever they went, but when you put on Pantera's music, you had better be prepared to take a beating.