10 Perfect Rock Frontmen Of The 90s

Any metal band that was worth their salt prided themselves on the ability of their vocalist. As the '80s started to come around though, it became less about the menacing quality of your voice and more of a contest to see which singer with the most hair could out high note the rest of them. At the turn of the decade, the times were changing and Pantera were the ones leading the charge with a bulldog out front.

With their former lead singer Terry Date out the door, New Orleans native Phil Anselmo was just the kind of ominous presence that fit perfectly next to Dimebag Darrell's guitar riffs. When you listen to an album like Cowboys From Hell or Vulgar Display of Power, Phil has made you his sonic prisoner, always pushing his voice to different places and singing like the toughest man you've ever seen on songs like Walk.

What isn't brought up nearly enough about Phil though is his versatility behind the mic. Even though most fans know him for his intensity, he has some definite chops, from sounding like a serial killer on Mouth For War to the slow and delicate sound of Planet Caravan to the amazing high notes on Cemetery Gates. Not counting the other side projects like Superjoint Ritual and Down, Phil Anselmo is the voice of someone who has been through hell and is going to show you exactly what it looks like.