Slayer vs Pantera vs Metallica

This week I look at the three biggest names in heavy metal. You will not find anyone who is into metal who does not like at least one of these bands. They are three of the most influential metal bands ever, their have been many bands who have taken elements of the above bands sounds. Which one of them is the best though? Lets find out...

First of all lets look at Metallica. It is somewhat essential to include Metallica because they are the most commercially successful and well known metal band of all time. But that does not make them the best band here. Actually in my opinion they are easily the worst band. I will grant that some of their early work is quite good, but since '...And Justice For All' they have either produced very average hard rock albums, or more recently nu-metal styled rubbish. Metallica are no match for the talent of Pantera, and even their earlier speed metal albums can not match the intensity of Slayer. Lars Ulrich is also possibly the worst drummer to ever play in a metal band along with being one of the biggest dickheads in the music industry.

Now that Metallica have been eliminated from this contest lets look at the remaining contenders. First up is Pantera.

Pantera were active as a band from 1981 until 2003. Unfortunately a reunion of the band will never happen due to the murder of their guitarist Dimebag Darrell. They initially started with a sound that can be described as glam or power metal. This is not the sound Pantera is famous for, but they did release a few albums in this period, one that is worth checking out at least for a laugh is 'Projects in the Jungle', particularly for the track 'Heavy Metal Rules'.

Pantera changed their sound once Phil Anselmo joined the band. This would not have been because Phil could not do their previous style vocally, he is an extremely talented vocalist with an impressive range, but more due to a desire to fit into the changing metal landscape at the time. Their first album with Phil was 'Power Metal', which while heavier than previous works still contained some of the earlier glam influence.

Their next album 'Cowboys from Hell' would complete the transition to a heavier sound. This album was Pantera's first commercial release and the beginning of their groove metal sound. They demonstrated an ability to be a very heavy band on some tracks, notably 'Primal Concrete Sledge', while also pulling off songs with some softer edges like 'Cemetary Gates'. They were able to combine their newer heavier sound with a groove that made the songs rather catchy for heavy music. Following 'Cowboys from Hell' they continued to build on this sound and subsequent success on their following albums to further enhance their reputation as one of the most important bands in metal.

Slayer formed in 1981 and are still an active band. Their initial releases were indenpendent releases, on which they played a fast brand of metal known as thrash, a relatively new genre at this point. In 1986 they released their third studio album, and first commercial release 'Reign in Blood'. With better production than they were used to Slayer honed their sound, and produced an album of shorter songs played at a breakneck pace in an extremely heavy tone. Slayer found it hard to get distribution for this album and radio play due to the controversial nature of their lyrics. Despite this the album quickly gained a cult following, as metal fans were attracted to the sound featuring extremely fast musicianship, outrageous and disjointed guitar solos and the overall harsh and heavy tone of the band.

The impact Reign in Blood had on the metal community ensured Slayers subsequent releases generated attention and has helped Slayer have a healthy musical career. Yet the success of Reign in Blood has hung over Slayer like a shadow ever since. Slayer on the albums they have done since have been unsure what to do, and have stated several times they feel they would never be able to produce an album like Reign in Blood again. This is not helped by the musical presses approach to Slayer. On all their albums since Slayer have had to ensure comparisons of their new work to Reign in Blood. On some albums, like South of Heaven, Diabolica in Musica and God Hates us all Slayer have tried to slow down their tempo. On other albums they reverted back to strength of playing metal at a break neck pace. Even though they have had some good releases since, none seem to match the intensity and quality of Reign in Blood. It is clear that unlike Pantera, who built on their initial success and continued improving their sound and style, Slayer struggled to deal with their initial success and have failed to reach the same standard since, let alone grow their sound further.

So who is the better metal band?

This is a really hard choice. I love both bands and think they are amazing musicians. Overall I believe Pantera had the more impressive career. They grew their sound on each album and each member of the band really brought alot to their sound. Phil Anselmo is one of the best vocalists I have ever heard, and Dimebag was an amazing guitarist with a great style. They incorporated a range of different sounds into their music to create a style many heavy bands try to emulate today.

Despite this, I do prefer Slayer as a band. This is because I believe Reign in Blood is the best metal album. Ever. It was released 23 years ago, yet even in current times it is an absurdly fast and intense album. The overall pace of the album was 250 beats per minute, a pace that only the most extreme death metal and grindcore bands can top. The influence this album has had on other bands is incredible. It goes beyond metal, Slayer themselves were all fans of punk and hardcore music, and with this album they produced a sound which I hear bands from metal, punk and hardcore backgrounds try to incorporate into their music. Even though it is a criticism of Slayer that they never really improved from this album, just by listening to it I cannot imagine a way that you could produce a heavier and faster album with a better sound. It is absolutely amazing.

Next week I will be comparing Pele to Maradonna