Hello and welcome! I am currently on a mini-vacation; part of my annual tradition of taking US Thanksgiving off to enjoy my favourite sport – football!
Disc 1427 is…. The Great Southern Trendkill
Artist: Pantera
Year of Release: 1996
What’s up with the Cover? A dangerous looking rattlesnake, bro! He’s sticking out his tongue, and based on that advisory notification, it is a very foul tongue indeed!
What’s that – you aren’t intimidated by a rattlesnake! You assert they are mostly harmless unless disturbed or provoked? Also, less than one in 1,000 of those bitten end up dying? Well, look at you, smarty-pants, wrecking this cover with your science. But let me ask you this – how do you know this isn’t a giant rattlesnake? You don’t. So unless you’re Conan the Barbarian, I suggest you give this bad boy a wide berth.
How I Came To Know It: I’ve known Pantera since my old roommate Greg introduced me to them in 1992. “The Great Southern Trendkill” comes to me from my friend Chris, who recently divested a whole bunch of his CDs. Other albums from Chris I’ve recently reviewed include a George Thorogood anthology (Disc 1409) and the Tragically Hip’s, “Day for Night” (Disc 1415).
How It Stacks Up: I now have three Pantera albums They are all good, but I must put “The Great Southern Trendkill” in the ‘bronze’ position, aka last. Here’s the full list:
- Cowboys From Hell: 4 stars (reviewed at Disc 821)
- Vulgar Display of Power: 4 stars (reviewed
at Disc 727)
- The Great Southern Trendkill: 3 stars (reviewed right here)
Ratings: 3 stars
If you ever need to process some anger, Pantera is your band. On “The Great Southern Trendkill” Pantera gets their angry on early, turns it up to 10, and breaks off the knob.
Fortunately, Pantera is very gifted at being angry, and they blend Phil Anselmo’s vitriolic with exceptional musicianship. People who aren’t metal fans may complain that this is a lot of noise, but those people would be dead wrong. It is damned hard to play this fast and furious, and still be so tight.
On “The Great Southern Trendkill” the band once again display their innate talent for finding the middle point between groove and rage that is just the right amount of incoherent. You can fight through the wall of sound to get to the message, or you can just let it wash over you. For the most enjoyable listen, I encourage a bit of both.
So just what are the boys so angry about this time? Well, it varies, but a lot of it relates to artificiality. The metal community prides itself on forthrightness and is very much against people following a trend for trend’s-sake. The opening and title track digs into the issue, tackling all manner of herd behaviour, from what people think they should listen to, to what they think they should wear.
“Buy it at a store, from MTV to on the floor
You look just like a star, it's proof you don't know who you are
It's bullshit time again, you'll save the world
within your trend”
It’s comforting to know Disney hasn’t cornered the market on the “be yourself” message. On “War Nerve” they explore the same issue from the reverse angle, taking on anyone who thinks they know what Pantera is all about based on a single lyric (hopefully I didn’t do that above – perils of being a music critic). Because the band has such aggressive imagery they have often been misunderstood. On “War Nerve” their reply is clear and unmistakable – fuck you all.
Mid-way through the record, your ears are given a brief respite, with a power ballad that is reminiscent of grunge. This being Pantera, the respite is both short lived and as the song title suggests – “Suicide Note Pt. I” – more than a bit grim. Lest you think they’re going soft, “Suicide Note Pt. II” immediately follows. Same topic, but with the most hard-core tune on the album. Tipper Gore would be mortified. Don’t worry, Tipper, the album comes with a warning label.
Musically, I don’t love it when the band slows down and Anselmo does the Cornell-throat singing thing (this also happens on “Floods”) but it didn’t wreck my enjoyment of the record overall. It gives you just enough respite for your ears recover before you leap back into the mosh pit.
Every Pantera album has at least one song with a groove built for the pit. “The Great Southern Trendkill” offers up “Drag the Waters.” The song is a disturbing exploration of a rich entitled serial killer, and the way Anselmo sings the chorus of “drag the waters some more” fills you with a heavy dread of just what they might find.
With all the murder, suicide and violent imagery, this record is not for the faint of heart. However, if you can handle the topics and the salty language, you’ll also get some powerful advice on being yourself, and telling people who’d rather you be someone else just where they can stick such notions. Also, some killer tunes.
Best tracks: The Great Southern Trendkill, War Nerve, Drag the Waters, Suicide Note Part II
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