Editing Pantera (section)

===1989–1991: ''Cowboys from Hell'' and mainstream breakthrough===
The Abbott brothers refocused their attention on Pantera, and in 1989 they were given their first shot at commercial success. That year was also when the band formed their relationship with Walter O'Brien at Concrete Management (the management arm of [[Concrete Marketing]]), who remained their manager until they disbanded in 2003.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.guitarworld.com/article/walter_o039brien_strength_beyond_strength |title=Walter O'Brien: Strength Beyond Strength |magazine=Guitar World |date=April 13, 2010 |access-date=November 16, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101114002632/http://www.guitarworld.com/article/walter_o039brien_strength_beyond_strength |archive-date=November 14, 2010 }}</ref>

After being turned down "28 times by every major label on the face of the Earth",<ref name="donkaye">{{cite web | url = http://www.officialpantera.com | last = Kaye | first = Don | title = Pantera: A Vulgar Display of Metal | year = 2003 | access-date = July 11, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080118035838/http://www.officialpantera.com/ | archive-date=January 18, 2008 | publisher = Warner Music Group}}</ref> [[Atco Records]] representatives Mark Ross and Stevenson Eugenio were asked by their boss [[Derek Shulman]], who was interested in signing Pantera, to see the band perform in Texas. Ross was so impressed by the band's performance that he called his boss that night, suggesting that the band should be signed to the label. Atco Records accepted, and at the conclusion of 1989, the band recorded its major label debut at Pantego Studios and hired [[Terry Date]] to produce it, in large part because of his work with [[Soundgarden]], [[Metal Church]], and [[Overkill (band)|Overkill]], the latter of whose latest album at the time ''[[The Years of Decay]]'' was one of the sources of inspiration behind Pantera's transition away from glam/traditional heavy metal to [[thrash metal|thrash]]/[[groove metal]], as well as Diamond Darrell's guitar tone on the album.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/updated-tributes-from-metal-musicians-pour-in-for-dimebag-darrell/|title=UPDATED: Tributes From Metal Musicians Pour In For DIMEBAG DARRELL|date=December 9, 2004|publisher=[[Blabbermouth.net]]|access-date=October 26, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/ex-overkill-guitarist-bobby-gustafsons-satans-taint-listen-to-desecration-song/|title=Ex-OVERKILL Guitarist BOBBY GUSTAFSON's SATANS TAINT: Listen To 'Desecration' Song|date=June 13, 2019|publisher=[[Blabbermouth.net]]|access-date=October 26, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indymetalvault.com/2019/10/14/thirty-years-of-decay-overkills-finest-moment-revisited/|title=Thirty Years Of Decay: Overkill's Finest Moment Revisited|work=indymetalvault.com|access-date=October 26, 2019}}{{Dead link|date=July 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rockhard.gr/somewhere-back-time/day-remember-1310-overkill|title=A Day To Remember ... 13/10 [OVERKILL]|work=[[Rock Hard (magazine)|Rockhard Greece]]|access-date=October 26, 2019|archive-date=October 25, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191025003311/http://www.rockhard.gr/somewhere-back-time/day-remember-1310-overkill|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Revolver 2020">{{cite news|url=https://www.revolvermag.com/music/pantera-10-things-you-didnt-know-about-cowboys-hell|title=Pantera: 10 Things You Didn't Know About 'Cowboys From Hell'|newspaper=[[Revolver (magazine)|Revolver]]|date=December 28, 2020|access-date=March 25, 2021}}</ref>

[[File:Pantera.png|thumb|The band's later logo, used on all Pantera releases since ''[[Cowboys from Hell]]'' (1990)]]
Looking for their first big breakthrough, Pantera released their fifth studio album, titled ''[[Cowboys from Hell]]'', on July 24, 1990, which was produced by Pantera and Date. Pantera showed a more extreme style on this outing, leaving behind its glam metal influences in favor of mid-tempo thrash metal dubbed "power groove" (groove metal) by the band. Although Anselmo still used some [[Rob Halford]]-influenced vocals, he also adopted a more abrasive delivery. Darrell's more complex [[guitar solo]]s and [[riff]]s, along with his brother's faster-paced drum-work were evidence of the band's extreme transformation. The album marked a critical juncture in the band's history. Many fans, and the band itself, have referred to ''Cowboys from Hell'' as Pantera's "official" debut.<ref name="bio"/> ''Cowboys from Hell'' also notably included the power ballad "[[Cemetery Gates (Pantera song)|Cemetery Gates]]", which ''[[Metal Hammer]]'' praised as the best Pantera song and "one of the greatest epic ballads in metal history".<ref>{{cite web|last=Lawson|first=Dom|date=February 4, 2019|title=The 50 best Pantera songs ever|url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-50-greatest-pantera-songs-ever/5|access-date=June 2, 2021|website=[[Metal Hammer]]|page=5}}</ref>

To promote the album, Pantera began the ''Cowboys from Hell'' tour by opening for thrash acts [[Exodus (band)|Exodus]] and [[Suicidal Tendencies]]. In 1991, Halford performed with the band onstage, which led Pantera (along with [[Annihilator (band)|Annihilator]]) to open for [[Judas Priest]] on its first show in Europe. In addition, Halford collaborated with Pantera on the song "Light Comes Out of Black", which was featured on the soundtrack to the film ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film)|Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://pantera.com/2014/10/17/rob-halford-looks-back-on-doing-light-comes-out-of-black-with-pantera/|work=Pantera Official Website|access-date=July 12, 2022|title=Rob Halford looks back on doing "Light Comes Out of Black" with Pantera – Pantera |date=October 17, 2014 }}</ref> Pantera also opened for other bands like [[Sepultura]], [[Fates Warning]], [[Prong (band)|Prong]], [[Mind Over Four]], and [[Morbid Angel]], and co-headlined a North American tour with [[Wrathchild America]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://metallipromo.com/pantera.html |title=Pantera Tour Dates |publisher=Metallipromo.com |access-date=January 11, 2017}}</ref> The band eventually landed a billing for "[[Monsters of Rock#Russia|Monsters in Moscow]]" with [[AC/DC]] and [[Metallica]] in September 1991, where they played to a crowd of over 500,000 in attendance to celebrate the new freedom of performing Western music in the Soviet Union shortly before its [[Dissolution of the Soviet Union|downfall]] three months later. The band was often found at the Dallas club "the Basement", where the band shot the videos for "Cowboys from Hell" and "[[Psycho Holiday]]". Pantera's 2006 home video compilation ''[[3 Vulgar Videos from Hell]]'' features performances of "Primal Concrete Sledge", "Cowboys from Hell", "Domination", and "Psycho Holiday" from the show in Moscow.