Pantera was a heavy metal band, which is often credited with helping to pioneer the groove metal subgenre, blending elements of thrash metal, heavy metal, and Southern rock. The band’s lineup consisted of vocalist Phil Anselmo, guitarist Dimebag Darrell, bassist Rex Brown, and drummer Vinnie Paul. It is safe to say that the work of these four musicians will never be forgotten, nor will the work of those who inspired these guys to become who they are. Thus, Pantera deserves a place in the eternal Hall of Fame of heavy metal.
Meaning and History
The band was born in the early 80’s in Texas, where blues and country were held in high esteem, but even then these guys were more drawn to the legacy of Black Sabbath, Van Halen, Kiss, etc. Original Pantera (Pantera’s Metal Magic at the time) had a completely different look. The guys started out as a typical glam metal band. If you follow their early path step by step, you can see how their music is transformed from carefree hard to heavier material. In 1982, it released its first album, Metal Magic. The first record was released when Vinnie Paul was 17 years old, and Dimebag Darrel was 15. Maintained in a style bordering on hard rock, speed metal, and thrash, their fourth album (1988) paved the way for Pantera’s further transformation into one of the strongest metal bands. Of course, the 90s were the time of Pantera’s unconditional triumph. The quartet worked tirelessly in the studio and on stage, putting their heart into each work. Unfortunately, due to long-term conflicts within the group, Pantera broke up in 2003.
What is Pantera?
Pantera was an American heavy metal band. Pantera’s career was not exactly short and left behind an exceptionally strong and resilient footprint. Its influence on heavy metal is profound, inspiring countless bands and musicians in the genre.
1981 – 1989
The original logo features the band name printed in black with a thin black outline slightly indented to create white space. The characters are bold, geometric, and have pointed elements. What makes this inscription unique is how the letters are fitted together. It is often accompanied by a realistic head of a panther. The animal looks fierce, strong, and determined. The logo slightly resembles logos of sports teams, which is not surprising given the age of the guys when they formed the band.
1990 – 2003
The updated design is minimalistic and has only the name. It is still printed using a bold font and all caps. The letters, though, are placed in one straight line. The exception is the first and last letters, which extend below the base line and look somewhat bigger. The font looks blocky and has angles cut on a diagonal, which gives it a geometric and industrial appearance. The overall design gives an impression of a strong, influential band.
2022 – Today
Even though the band no longer existed, surviving members Vinnie Paul and Rex Brown announced a reunion tour featuring Phil Anselmo and Zakk Wylde on guitar, bringing their music back to the stage for new and longtime fans. This is when a modified version appeared. It looks almost identical to the logo created in 1990. The only difference is the distressed finish, which is meant to reflect the rough and challenging times the band had to go through.
Font and Color
The original logo features a custom geometric font with angular elements. The strokes are thick and characters are set one next to the other, morphing to fit the shape of a nearby letter. Since 1990, the logo has featured a cleaner geometric font that resembles Machine Medium font. In 2022, it was decided to give the characters a distressed look. The font, otherwise, was the same.
Throughout the years, the band consistently used a black-and-white color palette. The black gave the logo an aggressive, bold, and heavy look that matched the music genre of the Pantera band.