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Few thrash-metal bands provoke a crowd into frothing fits of rage as effectively
as Pantera. The group's first live album, Official Live: 101 Proof,
captures the sonic assault that sparks such hysteria. Militaristic beats, jagged
riffs and tortured guitar squalls are intertwined with Phil Anselmo's
rabid-drill-sergeant vocals, which can build from a staccato bark to an
elongated roar. Song tempos alternate between a goose-step march
("Walk," "Becoming") and a full-tilt spring ("Strength
Beyond Strength," "Fucking Hostile"), and even the slowest tracks
broil with tightfisted fury. Throughout Official Live, Pantera's
followers roar with approval as their messiah spews bits of betweensong wisdom
like, "May you get high, may you drop acid, may you get laid and all that
good shit!" For those who survive the 14 live tracks, the band draws fresh
blood on Official Live: 101 Proof with two new studio cuts. Drink up! (RS
769)
JON WIEDERHORN (rollingstone.com)
*****
The most important characteristic of a good live album is that it can transmit a
listener into a show, I mean in one´s mind. And what´s even better: If you´ve
been on a gig and it is released as an album or video, that´s just bloody
great, innit?!
Well, I wasn´t at these gigs, because this material have been recorded in
American leg of 'Tourkill' 1996-1997. I´ve seen the band twice: First time they
warmed up for Megadeth in Helsinki in 1993 and I had a temperature of over 38
celsius! Fuck, what a trip, physically AND mentally... Second time they were
headlining, again in Helsinki ice hall, and it was a good and energetic gig. But
enough of that crap already.
'Official Live' consists
of fourteen live recordings and two new studio tracks. Live part is simply
magnificent. The sound is heavy and good, just like you´d be standing in
audience 10 metres from a stage. Very live-sounding! The band performs their
songs well, imitating studio recordings very closely and sometimes making songs
even better than studio versions (adding new riffing etc.). This recording comes
with many Pantera live classics, such as a triple treat from 1992 studio album
'Vulgar Display of Power': 'New Level', 'Walk' and mad-thrashing 'Fucking
Hostile'. Other classics are shredding 'Becoming', brutal 'Strength Beyond
Strength', highly moshable 'Cowboys from Hell' and hurting 'Cemetary Gates' (Phil´s
clean vocals are in a good shape). Some newer material, namely 'Sandblasted
Skin' and 'War Nerve', works here better than on album (both from 1996 album
'The Great Southern Trendkill'). Just check out that fat fucking sound! Phil´s
speeches between the songs are, well, just what you´d expect from him.
The first studio
recording 'Where You Come from' is a typical 'The Great Southern...' -era Black
Sabbath-esque song, but not album quality (except Whiskey-praising (?!) lyrics).
'I Can´t Hide' is a great fast song, with some punk bass in the beginning, and
then some true heavy metal riffing! A Classic.
'Official Live' can
transmit live energy well. No weak moment (collected from the best material,
after all), a fantastic collection for beer-drinking nights.
Reviewed by Lane
09-02-2001.
Taken from Metallurgy.
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