"Far Beyond the Great Southern Cowboys' Vulgar Hits!," the subtitle to
Pantera
's best-of reads. Combining the titles of the band's output since 1990 -- and discounting the four albums that came before that -- fully admits what fans and the band have been winking and nudging about since the sea change of
Cowboys From Hell
. The 1990 album marks the real beginning of
, simply because it records for posterity the moment when the Texas quartet began to truly, consciously kick ass.
Best of Pantera
further defines that timeline, and marks in blood and spilled booze the band's place in history. Even if it's a little heavy on material from
Far Beyond Driven
and
Reinventing the Steel
(these albums get four songs, while others get between one and three), the true zenith of each
album is duly represented, making
the essential testament to the band's destruction of
metal
's precepts. But since it's chronologically arranged, it's also the perfect introduction for anyone not yet familiar with the Cowboys From Hell. It's difficult to find a way out during the first half's onslaught, where material from
's definitive early-'90s output snaps its jaws around your ankle. Later, after the incredible sludge of
"Drag the Waters,"
it's time for some live material, as well as a fun run through
"Cat Scratch Fever,"
Ted Nugent
's classic
cock rock
nugget that plays right into
's famously bawdy lifestyle. (The track originally appeared on the
Detroit Rock City
soundtrack
.) Of the latter-day material, what's most apparent is that vocalist
Phil Anselmo
only became more effective and vengeful with age. On tracks like the grinding
"I'll Cast a Shadow,"
you can just about feel the knife turning in his stomach. The staggering, pounding instrumentation of the track only makes
Anselmo
's vocals more visceral. Ending its first greatest-hits package with
's highlights restates the band's original purpose -- to make
its own, no holds barred and no prisoners needed. This mantra is made clear for the benefit of new listeners, and reaffirmed in the hearts and minds of the faithful. Both groups of fans will be happy to find the DVD portion of
, which features videos spanning the band's entire career. [This record was released in Europe as
Reinventing Hell: The Best of Pantera
with a slightly different playlist.] ~ Johnny Loftus