The group's best-known lineup consisted of the Abbott brothers along with Brown and Anselmo, who joined in and , respectively. The band is credited for developing and popularizing the subgenre of groove metal in the s. Having started as a glam metal band, Pantera released three albums in the mids with lead vocalist Terry Glaze Metal Magic , Projects in the Jungle , and I Am the Night , with little success.
Looking for a new and heavier sound, Pantera recruited Anselmo in and released Power Metal in They secured a record deal with major label Atco the following year. Their fifth album which the band has since declared to be their official debut album , [ 6 ] 's Cowboys from Hell , popularized the groove metal genre, while its follow-up Vulgar Display of Power achieved an even heavier sound and increased their popularity.
The subsequent seventh studio album Far Beyond Driven debuted at number one on the Billboard Tensions began to surface among the band members when Anselmo, reeling from severe back problems brought on by years of intense on-stage performances, began growing distant from his bandmates in , eventually becoming addicted to heroin as a result of his pain issues he almost died from an overdose in July These tensions resulted in the recording sessions for The Great Southern Trendkill being held separately.
The ongoing tension lasted for another seven years, during which one more studio album, Reinventing the Steel , was recorded. Pantera went on hiatus in , but lingering disputes led to the band breaking up in The Abbott brothers went on to form Damageplan while Anselmo continued to work on several side projects, including Down , which Brown joined as well.
On December 8, , Dimebag Darrell was shot and killed on stage by a mentally unstable fan during a Damageplan concert in Columbus, Ohio.
