Souls at Zero or Pantera?

Ok probably not the right time to ask this question but what the heck? When it comes to songwriting
and style of singing I say Souls at Zero is clearly better they've got more intelligent things to sing about and don't
always sing about themselves like Phil Anselmo does. It's weak compared to Souls at Zero it's like comparing Motley Crue's songwriting to Thin Lizzy's songwriting ability. I probably wouldn't of said this when I was 15 since back then I was an inspired Phil Anselmo fan but I gotta say that the singer in Souls at Zero is better but not more talented since Phil as I said before showed his full talent on Cowboys From Hell and Power Metal
since he doesn't yell like Phil does and you can hear what he is saying. When it comes to riffs I'd say Pantera since Souls at Zero were heavily influenced by them but certainly not Wrathchild America they had better technical riffs than Pantera. When it comes to drumming I have to Shannon Larkin he's the Cliff Burton of drumming don't know why he would play in a boring nu metal band like Godsmack though (probably needed the money). Vinnie paul is brilliant as well though but not as good.

But it doesn't surprise me that Pantera were more popular than Souls at Zero since the music was more extreme and angry and appealed to the angry alternative fan base more. But I will always respect Pantera what they did in the 90s they proved to those stupid a**holes who were saying "Heavy Metal is dead and gone" Heavy Metal definitely needed them back then. Alot of metal bands today owe their debt to Pantera and not just those trashy metalcore bands.
But in a way it has to be Souls at Zero

Why does everyone view Pantera as the "Be All End All" of metal? Pantera were NOT that great! Just because Pantera kept metal in the mainstream don't mean a damn thing. Those who didn't want metal around didn't have to listen to it. It was just fine underground then as it is underground now. Sure its more acceptable now and probably more-so now than it was in the 80's. Pantera are and will always be a terrible band!

Never had much use for either one honestly, but since I do enjoy a couple of Pantera records I'd have to go with them.

Do you ever start threads about bands other than Pantera, by the way? Just curious.

Fat Freddy wrote:

Do you ever start threads about bands other than Pantera, by the way? Just curious.

Sure!

http://www.heartofmetal.net/heart-of-metal-f1/cliff-burton-an-rem-fan-t9577.htm?highlight=burton

I had the pleasure of knowing the members of Wrathchild America/Souls At Zero and saw them countless times between 1986 and 1995. I was also present for some of the rehearsal sessions for the 3-D album...an experience I'll never forget.

Souls At Zero was a far superior band, but didn't have a major label push behind them. The last show I saw them at was in Seattle on the "A Taste For The Perverse" tour...opening for Skid Row. ugh.

I liked both bands, but neither one thrilled me. So I can't really choose. Lame, I know.

Pantera is groovier so i'll pick them, although i'm not a fan of post Vulgar Display stuff.

One of the few times I will disagree with Lurideth here. I really enjoy CFH-FBD. Those three albums are solid through and through. My only wish is that Phil would have used more of his natural singing talent. On Cemetary Gates, the guy is unbelievable. But then he hardly ever used that killer clean vocal style after that. And even, sometimes when the mood is right, I like listening to the early pre-Anselmo stuff. Those first three are really good Def Leppard albums.

Just my opinion.

As far as S@Z go, no one has ever covered Bad Brains better!!!! And that is one big compliment coming from a lifelong 'Brains fanatic!

Lurideath wrote:

Why does everyone view Pantera as the "Be All End All" of metal? Pantera were NOT that great! Just because Pantera kept metal in the mainstream don't mean a damn thing. Those who didn't want metal around didn't have to listen to it. It was just fine underground then as it is underground now. Sure its more acceptable now and probably more-so now than it was in the 80's. Pantera are and will always be a terrible band!

+8000

Stender wrote:

Lurideath wrote:

Why does everyone view Pantera as the "Be All End All" of metal? Pantera were NOT that great! Just because Pantera kept metal in the mainstream don't mean a damn thing. Those who didn't want metal around didn't have to listen to it. It was just fine underground then as it is underground now. Sure its more acceptable now and probably more-so now than it was in the 80's. Pantera are and will always be a terrible band!

+8000

In my recollection, PANTERA were about 100 billion times better than SaZ.

Temple of Blood wrote:

In my recollection, PANTERA were about 100 billion times better than SaZ.

I remember reading a magazine article about S.A.Z. years ago where the writer cruelly referred to them as "Sales At Zero"

Fat Freddy wrote:

I remember reading a magazine article about S.A.Z. years ago where the writer cruelly referred to them as "Sales At Zero"

Yeah, I remembered that too when I saw the title of this thread.

Temple of Blood wrote:

In my recollection, PANTERA were about 100 billion times better than SaZ.

100 billion times? Man, that's impressive, what equation did you use to come up with that number?

detuned wrote:

Temple of Blood wrote:

In my recollection, PANTERA were about 100 billion times better than SaZ.

100 billion times? Man, that's impressive, what equation did you use to come up with that number?

I know ... I'm as surprised as you are that it came out exactly to 100 billion. But it did.

Fat Freddy wrote:

I remember reading a magazine article about S.A.Z. years ago where the writer cruelly referred to them as "Sales At Zero"

If you want to sell records you have to tour a lot and that is something Pantera specialized in back in the day.

Never heard Souls at Zero, but I do remember liking Wrathchild America a bit at one time. I like Pantera more than the WA stuff

was is up with all your pantera ranting lately?

It's subjective of course like all things. It seems folks are making a different statement than merely "Pantera is LAME" by saying that. I get this " I am/was too kewl to like them" vibe.

I saw Wrathchild America once and never really noticed they became Souls At Zero. I only saw Pantera twice after they got signed. First at Concrete in El Lay prior to CFH and once again here in Sac Town when they opened for the Skids. I saw them too many times to remember with Terry Glaze and dozens of shows with the teen age Phil back when he was actually kewl.

I listen to the first four Pantera on vinyl alot more than the first two major labels I have on CD. CFH and Vulgar....There are better players on each perspective instrument than the Pantera boys, that is for sure. Phil got caught up at looking at himself in the mirror too much and getting caught up in presenting himself in what he thought he saw. A talented singer who made a wrong turn and ruined the attraction I had in a band.
Folks can hate them, don't bother me a bit. But you can't deny they were talented musicians. my .02

...of course as I sit here now I'm thinking...why are we comparing Souls At Zero and Pantera? They aren't remotely similar.

detuned wrote:

...of course as I sit here now I'm thinking...why are we comparing Souls At Zero and Pantera? They aren't remotely similar.

That too ... except that they were both 90s metal bands.

Detuned, I want to hear more about the 3-D rehearsals.

I always thought the name changes hurt them a lot. Build up the name Wrathchild then have to tack on the America for legal reasons. Then the change to Souls At Zero. We used always joke about how the band really was called "Souls At Zero (formerly Wrathchild America)" since that was how they always got billed locally.

Nothing against Pantera but I would pick Souls At Zero.

Schbopo wrote:

Fat Freddy wrote:

Do you ever start threads about bands other than Pantera, by the way? Just curious.

Sure!

[url=http://www.heartofmetal.net/heart-of-metal-f1/cliff-burton-an-rem-fan-t9577.htm?highlight=burton

http://www.heartofmetal.net/heart-of-metal-f1/cliff-burton-an-rem-fan-t9577.htm?highlight=burton[/quote[/url]]

thank you.

detuned wrote:

I had the pleasure of knowing the members of Wrathchild America/Souls At Zero and saw them countless times between 1986 and 1995. I was also present for some of the rehearsal sessions for the 3-D album...an experience I'll never forget.

Souls At Zero was a far superior band, but didn't have a major label push behind them. The last show I saw them at was in Seattle on the "A Taste For The Perverse" tour...opening for Skid Row. ugh.

What was the best show with Souls at Zero? Lucky you for the 3d album experience, 3D one of the most underrated albums of the thrash metal genre and should of been more popular than the black album by MetallicA