Pantera was formed in 1981 in Arlington, Texas, by brothers Vinnie Paul , drummer, and Dimebag Darrell , guitarist. Initially named Pantera's Metal Magic , the band featured Terry Glaze on guitar, Donnie Hart on vocals, and Tommy Bradford The band quickly shortened its name to Pantera, and Hart left the group, leading Glaze to take over vocals. In '82, Bradford also left and was replaced by bassist Rex Brown .
In 1983, Pantera released their first album, Metal Magic , heavily rooted in glam metal, and began playing shows opening for Stryper , Dokken , and Quiet Riot . In 1984, they released their second album, Projects In The Jungle , and the following year they released I Am The Night . The band's sound grew heavier with each album.
In 1987, Pantera began to draw its influences from thrash metal, which was at its peak. The vocalist, now known as Terrence Lee , no longer fit the band's new sound and left Pantera. In the same year, the band hired vocalist Phil Anselmo and in 1988 released the album Power Metal .
In 1990, Pantera released their biggest album, Cowboys From Hell , considered by the band to be their "official debut album." Achieving great commercial success, Pantera went on to open for Judas Priest and play alongside Metallica and AC/DC . Their next albums, Vulgar Display Of Power (1992) and Far Beyond Driven (1994), followed the same sound and achieved the same success.
From 1995 onwards, tensions within the band began to grow, mainly due to Phil Anselmo's drug abuse. In 1996, Pantera released *The Great Southern Trendkill *. While the band recorded in Dallas, Anselmo recorded the vocals in New Orleans, becoming increasingly involved in side projects and distancing himself from the band. In 1999, Pantera released their final album, * Reinventing the Steel* . Two years later, Anselmo requested a one-year hiatus, and in 2003 brothers Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell officially declared their departure from the band.
Paul and Darrell formed Damageplan , and during a band show in 2004, Dimebag was brutally murdered by Nathan Gale in a tragedy that left a total of 4 people dead and several injured. The motives that led Gale to commit these acts were never fully clarified, but those who knew him stated that he suffered from mental health problems.
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