10 Rock Bands That Quit At The Top

Most metal bands in the '90s didn't have a prayer until Pantera came along. While giants like Metallica and Megadeth were still making their respective classics, it wasn't until this band from Texas came along that metal actually had a shot in the age of alternative. Even though they were a blast to listen to, it seemed that the magic died right as it was starting to get good.

Ever since the release of Cowboys From Hell in '91, it always felt like these guys were trying to out-heavy themselves on every other record, from the smack in the mouth that came with Vulgar Display of Power to the pure dread that is laced throughout tracks on Far Beyond Driven. Even on the lower lights like the Great Southern Trendkill and Reinventing the Steel, Dimebag Darrell kept casually re-writing the rulebook on what metal guitar could be, with tracks like Floods and Goddamn Electric being the beefy start to the next era of metal music.

That kind of heaviness does take its toll though, as Phil Anselmo took time off from the group to recover from back pain, only to go on to work with acts such as Superjoint Ritual and Down. With the Abbott Brothers left to fend for themselves in Damageplan, what everyone thought was a brief hiatus was quickly snuffed out when Dime was killed onstage in 2004. Given that Vinnie has now passed on, it seems that we will only have the records to remind us of the dark beauty Pantera brought to metal.