Mike Portnoy: “Pantera kept metal alive in the 90s.”
Mike Portnoy discusses the influence of Pantera and the importance of Vinnie Paul
In a recent interview with Consequence, Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy cited Pantera’s 1992 album Vulgar Display Of Power as one of ten albums that influenced his drumming. Portnoy remembers: “Vulgar Display Of Power came out around the same time as Dream Theater’s Images And Words in 1992. We were on the same label at the time. I was already a fan of Cowboys From Hell, released a year or two prior, but this album took their sound to a whole new level. For me, Pantera is the band that kept metal alive in the 90s.”
He goes on to explain that in the 90s, thrash began to disappear and grunge dominated, threatening both metal and progressive rock: “We were all fighting grunge, whether in metal or prog. Pantera, in my eyes, carried the torch. While Metallica and Anthrax were going through changes, Pantera carried the flag for metal throughout the 90s. I also have to credit Machine Head and Sepultura for contributing.”
Portnoy also highlighted the uniqueness of Pantera: “They took the heaviness of thrash and speed metal, but added groove to it. Vinnie Paul had this way of playing with swing and groove that a lot of thrash drummers didn’t have. That’s what gave all the power to Dimebag’s riffs.”
Return of Pantera: controversy overcome
Last year, Portnoy shared his views on Pantera’s reformation with Phil Anselmo, Rex Brown, Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante. Although this meeting caused much controversy, Portnoy said he was impressed after attending one of the concerts: “I saw the show in Reading, Pennsylvania, and it was absolutely phenomenal. Charlie and Zakk really deliver, and I think all the early skeptics must now face the facts.”
He went on to explain that if Dimebag hadn’t been tragically murdered, Pantera probably would have reformed before then. But after Vinnie’s death, he believes that Philip and Rex have every right to continue the band’s legacy: “They do it with so much respect for Dime and Vinnie. They are present at every concert, there, on Charlie’s drums.”
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Vinnie Paul: a legend beyond the drums
Portnoy, a long-time friend of Vinnie Paul, also wanted to recall the importance of the drummer not only for Pantera, but for the entire metal scene: “When Vinnie came along, it was exactly what metal needed in the early 90s, as a lot of the big thrash bands were being overshadowed by grunge. Pantera was one of the few bands that really carried metal at that time.”
Vinnie Paul left an indelible mark on metal with his unique style, but also as a producer. As Portnoy recalls: “Vinnie was very involved in the production of Pantera’s first albums. He was really passionate about that aspect and co-produced several of the band’s albums.”
Vinnie Paul died in June 2018 at the age of 54, ending the tragic story of the Abbott brothers, co-founders of Pantera, following the death of Dimebag in 2004. Despite this loss, Pantera’s legacy continues live through the new formation and the concerts in tribute to these two legends.
