Heavy Metal music evolved throughout every decade of the 20th century and in the early 80s it became heavier and faster with the rise of Thrash Metal led by bands like Metallica, formed by James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Cliff Burton and Kirk Hammett. With the release of their first records, at a time when Glam Metal was the biggest thing in heavier Rock, they became a major inspiration for musicians who didn’t identify with what was happening in music at that moment. One of those bands was Pantera, who started as a Glam Rock band and later changed their sound and image, becoming much heavier in the early 90s. Over the years, James Hetfield gave his opinion on many groups, including the Texas band, whose classic line-up featured Dimebag Darrell, Vinnie Paul, Phil Anselmo and Rex Brown. What is James Hetfield's opinion on Pantera James Hetfield is a big fan of Pantera and the late guitarist Dimebag Darrell, who he had the chance to meet still in the 1980s, when the Texan band was still not that well known. “Well, what a blessing to have been in his life and him in my life. Yeah, some of those early days... Just traveling down there to the Dallas area and meeting with those guys and just hanging out. Dimebag introduced me to the solid-state amp. I remember he had this freaking amazing crunch going on. It was like, 'What is that?' You know? So yeah, (we) inspired each other. He inspired me as well. No doubt,” James Hetfield said in an interview with Sirius XM in 2023. In the mid-80s, when Metallica was going to play a show in Fort Worth, Texas, mutual acquaintances of the two bands suggested that Metallica invite Pantera to be their opening act. Ticket prices were three dollars, and only about 30 people came to see this historic line-up. According to Neil Daniels’ book Reinventing Metal, after the show, Lars and James went to Dimebag’s garage to play. "While Ulrich watched, Hetfield and Darrell riffed away all night long, swapping licks and techniques as they went. (It was from this jam that rumors began to circulate that Hetfield had borrowed some of Darrell’s licks, and vice versa.) Hetfield and Ulrich were blown away by how well Darrell knew their songs, and were particularly impressed with his take on 'Damage, Inc.'" He continued: "The three men became friends and developed a high level of mutual admiration, and it was through this that Darrell— and by extension Pantera—began to appreciate and understand the heavier forms of metal," Neil Daniels said. As said by the same book, the late drummer Vinnie Paul revealed that he even had photos of Hetfield wearing spandex. “I’ve got pictures of James Hetfield wearing spandex. We were young kids when we started. We emulated our favorite bands,” he said. A couple of years later the two bands would both be part of the historical Monsters of Rock festival in Moscow, in 1991, during the dissolution of the Soviet Union. James Hetfield supposedly showed Dimebag the riff that would later become "Cowboys From Hell" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEBp9ulELLA&list=RDpEBp9ulELLA&start_radio=1 According to the former Pantera guitar tech Walter Trachsler, James Hetfield supposedly showed Dimebag Darrell the guitar riff of "Cowboys From Hell" in the mid 80s. The Pantera guitarist asked Hetfield when they were at his house if Metallica was working on something new and then he played that slow guitar riff. “It was a Metallica song. One hundred percent. James Hetfield came up with that. It had nothing to do with Texas, nothing to do with cowboys." "It was one of those times they came to the ('Abbotts’) house to hang out. (...) We’re hanging out in the front room with James playing guitar. I said, ‘Hey dude, you're gonna come up with any new Metallica stuff?’ He said, ‘Yes, as a matter of fact (I’m finishing this off) wanna hear it?’ (...) He played all the way through and it was a slow song. I was like, ‘Dude, what the fuck? What’s that called?’ He said, ‘Cowboys from Hell'", Walter Trachsler said as reported in the book "Reinventing Metal". Although that information was not confirmed by the Abbott brothers, the guitar riff is similar to the one in Metallica's "Eye of the Beholder". That track was part of their 1987 album "...And Justice for All". "Cowboys From Hell" was released by Pantera three years later, in 1990 on the album of the same name. Like Metallica, Pantera was also formed in 1981 and also released their debut album in 1983. However, their first four records were more Glam Rock orientated. It was after the classic "Cowboys From Hell" that they became a heavier band and achieved fame. "Motorbreath" was one of Dime's favorite Metallica songs and he said James Hetfield was a God in guitar Dimebag Darrell was a big fan of Metallica and one of his favorite songs of the band was "Motorbreath", from the band's debut album. He mentioned the song in an interview with Guitar World in 1993, when he revealed some of his favorite songs by other artists. "I love Hammett's lead playing, but Hetfield's rhythm playing is truly phenomenal. He's the God of chugging riffs, and Motorbreath is a good example of tight, chunky, galloping speed playing. Man, when I first heard that song, I didn't know what it was! It was so heavy, but real clean. That song really taught me how to play clean, driving rhythms. I don't know any guitarist that can down-pick like Hetfield. Motorbreath is a prime example of his expertise," Dimebag Darrell said. Pantera's vocalist Phil Anselmo also praised Metallica over the years, crediting them as one of the bands that took Heavy Metal to another level. "Heavy metal production was in a really odd place back in 1988, 89 when we actually recorded the record. Either you got good production or you got sh*t production, straight up. It was a hit or miss thing. Honestly, heavy metal production, once again I gotta turn to Metallica. To say they were the first ones to really bring that bite to the f*cking guitars. So they really upped the game." He continued: "But I also have to say this. Dimebag Darrell had known James Hetfield, and Lars, and all those guys a long time, even before I’d met them. I was still living in New Orleans. Dimebag would tell me stories about them coming down and playing. Daryl told me he taught James many, many scales, and they taught us a lot about sound. The sound actually coming out of the amps. So you know Metallica got that ripping sound," Phil Anselmo told Elliot Levin in 2010. The singer joined the band in 1986, being part of the album "Power Metal" (1988). That one was the final record of their Glam Rock phase. Two years later with the release of "Cowboys from Hell" the band entered their most praised and successful era, with a heavier kind of sound. Phil Anselmo said Metallica's "Load" was a terrible record In 1991, with the release of their self-titled record, also known as The Black Album, Metallica made a crucial move that would help them become one of the most successful bands of all time. They freed themselves from the need for most songs to be as heavy as those on their previous records. What led them to create a more accessible sound for listeners who were not necessarily fans of Thrash Metal but enjoyed traditional Heavy Metal. After the huge success of that album, the band decided to experiment even more throughout the rest of the decade. The result was albums like Load, which divided fans’ opinions. Pantera's frontman Phil Anselmo is among those who didn't like that record at all. Talking with Metal Hammer in 2014, the musician said that it was a "terrible" album. "I would have to say 'Load' by Metallica. I mean, it's a terrible record, man, I just don't get it. If you're gonna put out a record like that, just do a f---ing side project or something, ya know?" Although that didn't was well received by Metallica members like Lars Ulrich, once responded to that commentary saying Anselmo "has a tendency to talk a lot of horses - most of the time", they continued to be friends. Phil's band Down was even Metallica's opening act in 2008. More recently, Pantera also toured extensively with Metallica during their M72 tour. They current line-up has Anselmo and Rex Brown accompanied by Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante
