10 Most Important Metal Bands Of All Time

For a while, thrash metal was known as the heaviest the metal scene would ever get. Though there were some bands that dealt with more detuned experiments, there was no touching the absolute behemoth of sound you would get from bands like Anthrax and Testament. Thrash may have felt like that limit, but Pantera's rise to prominence shattered everyone's illusions as to what heavy really was.

Originally known as a glam rock outfit, Pantera heard thrash and never looked back, as they locked in on some of the meanest grooves in the history of metal. The beat was equivalent to something like ZZ Top, but the riffs had the power to rip through concrete. For as much as each member contributed, Dimebag Darrell was the real heart of Pantera, taking some of the heaviest riffs in the metal world and infusing them with some of the most heartfelt playing to ever come from the darker side of rock.

Though Darrell's leads were from another planet, Phil Anselmo's growl made every song feel like a pure beating, with shrieks that were absolutely torturous from start to finish. There's no disputing the heaviness of the thrash metal scene, but Pantera was the one band that was the sonic equivalent of getting kicked in the teeth.