When Pantera met Metallica and found Phil Anselmo

This is how Metallica influenced Pantera in finding Phil Anselmo, changing their sound forever.

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Before dominating arenas and defining the sound of groove metal, Pantera was a Texas club band, just teenagers hustling gigs at proms, roller rinks, and bar mitzvahs, armed with their own PA and lights, and grinding their way through the circuit. In this episode of ICONS, Rex Brown takes us back to those raw beginnings, sharing the real story behind Pantera’s rise, from self-taught booking agents to hometown legends.

Rex reveals how, even in those early days, something was missing in the band until Metallica entered the picture. After meeting James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich and jamming together for two weeks, Rex and Dimebag Darrell were inspired by the raw intensity of Kill ‘Em All. That experience planted a seed: Pantera needed a frontman with that kind of edge that Metallica had.

As Rex recounts, their original singer stepped back to go to college, even as Pantera was becoming the hottest young band in Texas. They tried everything, from talent showcases in L.A. to multiple auditions with as many singers as they could find, but no one stuck. Then came the call about a kid from a band called Razor White. “He sounds like Bon Jovi,” Vinnie said, which was code for someone with mojo.

Rex booked him a plane ticket himself.

Phil Anselmo, just 18, rolled into town and walked straight into a jam session in Rex’s living room. Within minutes, it was clear: this guy looked the part, sounded the part, and was the part. After weeks of dead ends, Pantera had found their voice. “That feeling,” Rex says, “you just knew—oh, this could be something good.”


If you ever wanted to know how Phil Anselmo joined Pantera, this is it.

▶ Watch the FULL ICONS episode with Rex Brown HERE:
https://youtu.be/9Q82fv_fMnQ?si=tsbkjoF6f-Kguw9T

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