Abigail Lim
Science & Tech Editor
Hard Rock & Heavy Metal
Within the greater field of music, many consider hard rock and heavy metal to be “misfits.” Those who felt wary about its outward intensity historically labeled metal as pagan, hateful, self-absorbed, and even violent. The staple guttural scream-singing, forceful drum sets, and aggressive guitar riffs have polarized music enthusiasts for over 60 years. Beyond its musical style, heavy metal’s far-reaching impact on fashion, visual media, and personal expression have also sparked cultural discourse. Yet metal is not a complete outcast nor victim within social debates.
Groove metal is a niche genre within a niche genre. Its emphasis on rhythm and steady tempo make it a not-so-thrash version that many enthusiasts disagree with. Why take on a simpler musical structure when rock focuses on complexity? How can groove be considered “metal” if its style is so different? These are questions, often less objectively posed, that skeptics constantly ask of supporters. But with so many subclassifications, it is ultimately impossible to draw a line where the genre begins and ends.
Pantera
Starting out as a glam-rock cover band in 1981 Arlington, Texas, Pantera did not initially focus on the darker sounds of classic artists like Iron Maiden or Megadeth. Its first four albums experimented with heavier instrumental themes, but ultimately came to represent its learning phase. Increasingly leaning on thrash and doom, these independently-produced albums symbolize the band’s evolution into grittier themes.
Pantera’s first commercially popular album is often considered to be “Cowboys from Hell” (1990). The lineup presented a new sound that set Pantera apart from the many emerging artists on the ’90s metal scene. With many of the trademarks of classic metal’s song structure, the album’s diversity and shift to anchored brutality caught listeners’ attention.
After going certified double platinum with their breakthrough album, Pantera released the record “Vulgar Display of Power” in 1992. One of rock and metal’s most notorious works, its haunting yet familiar focus on the genre’s roots revitalized fans who felt that the rise of grunge posed a threat to pure metal. “Pantera’s album carved out its own niche,” music journalist Neil Johnson wrote in a Riffology article. It offered “a rawer and more aggressive alternative to Metallica’s polished sound.”
Relevant or Reliquary?
These days, metal is considerably overlooked in the modern music realm. Perfecting a brand is almost essential to commercial success, and current music often acts as an escape from the harsh realities of the contemporary world. Reemerging fads such as recession pop provided “feel-good songs to get us out of a difficult time and they were the medicine we needed,” said Joe Bennett, a professor at Berklee College of Music and forensic musicologist of pop songwriting.
But Pantera has never taken this approach. Heavy metal frequently forces listeners to examine bitter, uncomfortable topics that we otherwise choose not to confront. The band emerged onto the metal scene just decades after the true global acceptance of classic rock and heavy metal.
Yet, it still took over a decade for Pantera to develop its true style through years of experimentation, failure, and self-discovery. In many ways, its journey mirrors the life history of humans. Self-acceptance and the desire to reach the right audience instead of the masses is the ultimate key to musical success.
Metal is for the people. At a time when it often feels like the world is struggling to understand itself and its inhabitants, Pantera’s origins provide hope. Many underestimate heavy metal and local bands for being too primitive in their style and struggling in a sea of underground artists hoping to make it big. But Pantera proves its continued relevance by creating opportunities for discussion. It remains timelessly unlabeled, yet deeply valued for its contribution to nu metal and other forms of rock. Its foundations harken back to the authenticity of grassroots artists whose music spreads through word of mouth instead of media virality. Local Isla Vista bands such as Rebelution demonstrate not only the appreciation of grassroots artists, but their necessity in connecting local communities through grounded humanity.
If metal were to be defined in a single word, it would be complex. Like all music, it allows listeners to process emotions that they often feel they cannot share with others or cannot otherwise express in their own terms. It has long given a voice to people who don’t seek to feel understood, yet experience a deep bond of resilience and individuality with others. Pantera understands that love entails pain, that darkness and light are not mutually exclusive, and that sometimes sound expresses more than words.