Pantera's members have all gathered acclaim as fundamental contributors to the history of metal. Vocalist Phil Anselmo is esteemed for his aggressive attitude on top of his shrieks and howls. Drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott brought an extra ounce of bounce to his double bass approach, a technique still recognized within the genre. And, most importantly, guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott was an endless font of crushing riffs.
You've probably never heard of bassist Rex Brown. Which is a shame. Surrounded by an admittedly talented trio of metal musicians, Brown rarely gets the credit he deserves. Music Times figured he finally should get some recognition—particularly as July 26 marks his 50th birthday—for the fundamental role he played within the band's sound, even if it wasn't as flashy as the playing of Les Claypool or Geddy Lee.
In chronological order of appearance:
"The Art of Shredding" from Cowboys From Hell (1990)
Pantera didn't always embody "bad-ass." Heck, flash back to the band's 1984 debut Metal Magic and its album art. Still, Cowboys From Hell is accepted by most as the first true representation of the metal band we know and love now. Many of those hair metal qualities were still present for Cowboys however, including tracks with names like "The Art of Shredding." The aforementioned shredding alludes to Abbott of course, but the song is still relevant for being perhaps the last time we heard Brown's bass without actively trying. The line he opens the track with is as basic as it gets and we commend it. Thrashy efforts like this one need at least one guy to just chill and take one for the team. No one gets famous for this kind of bass work but plenty of people get paid for it.
"A New Level" off Vulgar Display of Power (1992)
Pantera truly became a heavy metal monster on Vulgar Display of Power, its most iconic album. This also means Dimebag had assumed nearly all control of the riffs. We think the best way to understand Brown's contributions is to compare them to 2014's Godzilla reboot (spoiler alerts ahead). Both Abbott and Brown are colossal monsters, but Brown is actually Godzilla in this case. Dimebag operates more like MUTO, a massive, spindly creature that scuttles more quickly and quietly than its costar. Brown's bass provides the actual earth-shaking rumble here. We're not trying to say Brown could headline a monster movie on his own, but the combination of the two makes for a truly crushing experience.
"I'm Broken" from Far Beyond Driven (1994)
"It's funny, if it were up to Dime he would've had me play everything in unison with him for the entire record." Such was Brown's summation of being in Pantera, and indeed the most realistic tribute to the bassist is how well he played second fiddle to the band's star for many years. Single "I'm Broken" from Far Beyond Driven is one of many examples you can gather to prove the point. This track features, we would argue, the single best Pantera riff and indeed one of the greatest riffs of all time ("Walk" is the popular and clichéd answer). Abbott's artistry must be noted, but the bounce of the bass again lends to the overall size of the riff. Pantera is hailed as the godfather of "groove metal," a term best defined by well-rounded heavy metal rhythms such as "I'm Broken."
"Drag The Waters" from The Great Southern Trendkill (1996)
Brown wasn't only playing second fiddle to Dimebag during his time with Pantera. Very often he was the backup to Vinnie Paul, the drummer and brother to the guitarist, and sometimes he was an instrumental servant to both at the same time. "Drag The Waters" is a somewhat rarity in that the drummer isn't hammering away to back the guitarist (Abbott rarely recorded—even solos—with a backing track, so the rhythm section was especially important). Paul provides atypically mild verse support for this single so Brown gets an opportunity to shine. Subliminally, of course.
"I'll Cast A Shadow" from Reinventing The Steel (2000)
We've already established our metaphor of Abbott and Brown as huge monsters crushing cities in tandem. Like the analogy, most of Pantera's best musical moments aren't complex whatsoever but rather feature an approach that Anselmo would refer to as "ass-stomping." Perhaps the best example of this occurs during the bridge to "I'll Cast A Shadow," one of the band's last singles. Anselmo introduces the moment with his slurred improvisation "everyone can f-----g die" and the string players go on a monstrous jog across the landscape before fading out for a slower, head banging segment before jumping back into the rumble. The outgoing "solo" is just as awesome and actually allows for Brown to temporarily be heard on his own, a moment he long deserved.
