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Why We Love… “Cowboys From Hell” by Pantera
48 Plays1 year ago
Today we break down the awesomeness of Cowboys From Hell by Pantera! Join us to hear our reasons why we love this track so much and share your thoughts in the comments below!
You can also watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7mfJVCp_TzbPNZNMMemJuw
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Transcript
Introduction to Pantera's Cowboys From Hell
00:00:00
Speaker
Here's why we love Cowboys From Hell by Pantera. Let's get into it. Hi and welcome back to Minds Is Metal.
Meet Daria and Laz: Musicians & Hosts
00:00:15
Speaker
My name is Daria. And I'm Laz. And together we're a husband and wife team, both pro musicians talking all things heavy metal.
Why is Cowboys From Hell Iconic?
00:00:21
Speaker
Let's just get into it. Why do you love Cowboys From Hell? I think it's one of the most famous and iconic metal songs of all time.
00:00:29
Speaker
I love that it kind of, it has its own unique sound. It is a groove metal song and it is one of the most iconic groove metal songs. But yeah, you still have little sprinklings. You've got little sprinklings of traditional metal with the dueling guitars and those unison kind of neoclassical riffs. You've got spring things of thrash with the heavy post-solo section. You've also got some glam there in terms of Phil's vocals and also the production of the guitars. Why do you love it? You know what, guys? I'm just going to say it, okay? Straight away.
00:00:58
Speaker
I think, and I've only realized that literally a few days ago, I think that Cowboys From Hell is the ultimate heavy metal song for me personally. It's a big sound. Yeah, because it's got everything I absolutely love. It's got the energy, it's got the iconic riff, it's got really memorable melodies, and I just love it so much. I think it's a great track.
00:01:24
Speaker
I think it is one of the, like you said, you know, it is a token heavy metal song. Someone says to you, I want to get into heavy metal, give me 10 songs. Cowboys from Hell has to be one of them.
Understanding Groove Metal
00:01:33
Speaker
And what it does differently to a lot of heavy metal is, as I said, as I alluded to earlier, it's groove metal. And what we talk about when we say groove is you can use it in a vague term where you can say groovy. Oh yeah, it's groovy. You want to dance. If you want to talk technically, musically, it's emphasizing beats two and four.
00:01:50
Speaker
So when you count normal metal music, you emphasise one and three. So you might go... And that's putting emphasis on beats one and three. But when you emphasise beats two and four, it grooves. So I'm going to use the cowboys from hell. It's... And it makes you want to dance and groove. And that's a jazz technique. When you're doing walking bass, you don't go...
00:02:22
Speaker
from me just doing that silly thing where we're bouncing. And that is the effect that Groove Metal has. And we hear it from bands like Pantera and Sepultura and many others. And that's why I think this is, to agree with you, a really important heavy metal song.
00:02:34
Speaker
because whilst 90% of heavy metal does focus on beats one and three, grooved metal and most particular Pantera often focus on grooving and putting emphasis on beats two and four and making a really kind of heavy music danceable. Another thing I actually love about this song is the solo and the breakdown.
Dimebag Darrell's Influence
00:02:51
Speaker
Yeah. I mean, Dimebag Dow is just the epitome of a metal guitarist. He's obviously no longer with us, but yeah, one of the most famous and technically impressive metal guitarists.
00:03:01
Speaker
I think what do you love about the solo and the breakdown? The drums. Yeah it's good and I think we can link this to my point which I was going to make which is about syncopation so we're talking again a bit more technically in musical terms syncopation if you if you if you play notes on the beat you're going bam bam bam bam if you do it off the beat which is called syncopated you play it in between those beats so it's
00:03:25
Speaker
like that. And you're just playing in between and you can hear it in the solo. You can have a section of being on the beat and then a section of being off the beat. And again, it just works towards making the song groove, doesn't it? Is that hi-hat? It's that hi-hat. I just love it. It's so dancing. It makes it even more dancing than it already was. And again, as we said earlier, it just makes the song groove even better. And do you know what I think?
Pantera's Evolution: From Glam to Heavy
00:03:48
Speaker
I think you've got the 80s have just happened. Pantera now sort of making their stamp in the 90s.
00:03:55
Speaker
Now, for those who don't know, Pantera were a glam metal band. There were photos and albums that I don't think they ever want to release where you see them dressed up like glam metal. And I think it's really important because I think, although we are hearing really, really heavy music in Cowboys from Hell, the album and the song, there are still elements of glam. Phil Anselmo's first scream, if you sort of take out the raspiness of his voice, that's a glam metal singer.
00:04:23
Speaker
Yeah, but you know, actually about talking about Phil, I think, his vocal is, I absolutely love it because it's so gritty. Yeah. It's so punchy. It's out there. Do you agree with what I'm saying about the glam metal? Absolutely. If you take away that grit, you're just hearing this kind of really high belting. But other Pantera songs, check out Cemetery Gates. There's a note he sings at the end of that, which I'm glad you could put him in Poison, Rap, Motley Crue with those kind of vocals.
00:04:54
Speaker
It's just really good this song, isn't it? Because the overarching theme and the overarching takeaway you get from it is the groove metal side of it, the groovy, the bounciness. But like I said, in that post-solo section, you've got the kind of the snare, which is all thrashy. You've got a neoclassical stuff that we always hear Rainbow and Richie Blackmore doing with that little, you know, really intricate and tightly played unison. You've got dual lead guitars.
00:05:23
Speaker
It just encompasses everything about heavy metal, but in a new package, which we call groove metal. Yeah. And it makes me smile because everything works in this song. This is why it makes me smile so much.
Impact of Cowboys From Hell as Debut Track
00:05:33
Speaker
And another, like, I want to make two points about like the awesomeness of this track. Yeah. Apparently it's their first single. I mean, what a way to announce yourself to them. Wow. And it's the opening track of the album as well.
00:05:50
Speaker
it's like wow again well there's an argument that it's one of the best opening tracks in heavy metal oh i would i would vote for that yeah it's funny because actually in terms of albums i prefer their second one vulgar display of power but cowboys from hell as a debut album
00:06:06
Speaker
and we know that they did their other albums, but Cowboys From Hell is what Pantera want you to think is Pantera's debut. So who are we to argue? What debut album and what an opening track.
Listener Engagement & Future Episodes
00:06:17
Speaker
Thank you so much you guys for being here with us today. I hope you enjoyed our thoughts on Why We Love, Cowboys From Hell so much. Yeah, and even if you don't like Cowboys From Hell, but you like other Pantera stuff, let us know in the comments. What's your favorite Pantera song? What do you like most about it? And what do you love about Pantera in general?
00:06:35
Speaker
And let us know if you want us to do more of these quick episodes on the songs we love and why we love them and give us some ideas in the comments. Absolutely. Have a metal day. Have a lovely day. We'll see you very soon.