Customer Reviews

Metal Magic & I Am The Night

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Pantera were one of the few commercially successful Heavy Metal bands in the 1990's, a decade that killed off most of the 80's metal bands. What few people know, even Pantera fans, was that Pantera used to be one of those 80's bands; and they were pretty good! Pantera had 4 albums in the 80's: 'Metal Magic' (83), Projects in The Jungle (84), 'I Am The Night' (85), and 'Power Metal' (88).

This compilation is odd in that it includes their '83 debut with '85's I Am The Night, completely skipping Projects In The Jungle. I have a cd that combines Projects with I Am The Night. Projects and Power Metal are arguably their best two albums from the 80's, especially Power Metal, which has the best production and music out of the four albums.

This is a far cry from the grindcore/thrash-metal of 90's Pantera, instead this material was much closer stylistically to early Def Leppard, and 80's Judas Priest. This was the same band however, aside for the singer, Phil Anselmo made his debut on 'Power Metal.' 80's Pantera wasn't straight up glam or pop metal like Poison, they were in the heavier pack of commercial metal bands, but they sure weren't thrash. Dimebag Darrel, even this far back was a top-notch shredder. He shows his Eddie Van Halen and Randy Rhoads influences well on all of these albums.

Pantera, even in the 80's, had a very Heavy Metal take no prisoners like attitude to their music. They were confident and competant musicians, and were easily as good if not better than most of the more succesful bands from that era. If they weren't underground in the 80's I have a feeling they would have mopped up a lot of better known bands. However, if they were more succesful in the 80's, they might have not been as succesful as they were in the 90's. From Cowboys on, Pantera were able to start with a new slate. Their 80's albums were underground label records, so Pantera had a smooth transition into the 90's.

Metal Magic is very much like Def Leppard's 'On Through The Night' but heavier. It also reminds me of 70's UFO. The production is weak but effective. I wish Pantera would re-release and remaster this album! I Am The Night is heavier and darker style-wise and has some killer guitar playing as usual. My gripes about this album are the electronic drums, (they sound so cheesy, I hated it when 80's metal bands used them), and the production is also low budget.

In closing I recommend this, 80's Pantera was good! In fact I actually prefer them to 90's Pantera, though Cowboys and Vulger Display were good records. In retrospect 90's Pantera often seemed too forced and lacking in melody, unlike their 80's stuff. If you like 80's Heavy Metal with attitude and smoking guitars, you'll like this!!!

This album rocks.....pantera was a shred/glam band before becoming thrash in 1990. I prefer this stuff over their "thrash" material..this stuff is a lot more melodic !

This cd was better than I thought it would be. Pantera has great music.I would rate it a 10/10.