Amazon.co.uk Review
Just two tracks into
Reinventing The Steel, and it seems that Pantera--the godfathers of speed metal--have brightened up: "Don't waste your life / Embrace it" roars vocalist Phil Anselmo on "Goddamn Electric", an unusual sentiment to hear amid the pile driver drums and Diamond Darrell's crunching guitar riffs. Does this mean that Pantera have lost their brutal edge? Of course not.
Reinventing The Steel is as vicious as they've ever been, it's just that now they're a bit more thoughtful and--after more than a decade--mature. Though for the most part the songs are as aggressive as ever ("We'll Grind That Axe For A Long Time", "Death Rattle" and frenzied album opener "Hellbound"), and display more depth than ever before, especially on standout tracks like "You Don't Belong To It" and "Uplift". Not since their breakthrough
Cowboys From Hell has thrash metal sounded so fresh, and not since
Vulgar Display Of Power have Pantera sounded so good.
--Robert Burrow
CD Description
Whether you like the genre of music Pantera plays or not, you have to give respect to these guys for staying true to form. The group is still churning out the same brand of aggressive metal that their fans have come to expect. Guitarist Dimebag Darrell takes the group into a previously-unexplored melodic realm with his effective use of sound processing on the opening riff of "Hellbound", and "Yesterday Don't Mean Sh**" is a heavy tune with a great guitar riff.
"You've Gotta Belong To It" is brutal, with swirling guitar sounds on the bridge and a do-your-own-thing message. The mid-tempo trudge of "Revolution Is My Name" in a fitting musical backdropto vocalist Phil Anselmo's rally against ignorance and prejudice. "Death Rattle" is a fast, thrashing number sure to inspire many a mosh pit. "We'll Grind That Axe For a Long Time" conveys the band's dedication to metal. Anselmo's screaming vocals, Dimebag's flashy solo and Vinnie Paul's double-bass drum action make "I'll Cast A Shadow" a thunderous album closer.