Pantera to Release Great Southern Anniversary CD

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Pantera developed a cult base through much of the ’80s and ’90s with songs like “Walk” and “Cemetery Gates.” Now, the Texan groove-metal band will celebrate the 20th anniversary of one of its most intense yet somehow overlooked albums. To mark the occasion Rhino will release The Great Southern Trendkill: 20th Anniversary Edition. The collection will be available on October 21 as a two-CD set as well as digitally. Releasing the same day is a single LP titled The Great Southern Outtakes that will feature 10 of the unreleased tracks. (Pre-order links are below.)

This two-disc set includes the original album, Pantera’s eighth studio release, remastered, plus a dozen previously unreleased mixes, instrumentals and live recordings. The companion disc that accompanies the original album features an unreleased version of every album track, including two versions of “Suicide Note Pt. 1,” a rough mix of the track, along with a separate version of the introduction, which spotlights the late guitarist Dimebag Darrell on 12-string acoustic guitar.   The second disc also features a newly remixed version of the title track, rough mixes for “Drag the Waters” and “The Underground In America,” as well as instrumental takes of “13 Steps To Nowhere” and “Living Through Me (Hell’s Wrath).”

In addition to the studio recordings, the anniversary collection features three live tracks recorded at the Dynamo Festival in Holland in 1998: “War Nerve,” “Suicide Note Pt. II” and “Sandblasted Skin.” Aside from the tracks, fans can expect a featured collection of rare photos from the era, as well as new liner notes by rock critic and radio producer Katherine Turman that explore the stories behind the album and its legacy.

Released in 1996, the album reached #4 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, and went on to become Pantera’s fourth consecutive platinum release.  The record stayed on the charts for more than three months and produced three singles: “Drag the Waters,” “Suicide Note Pt. 1” and fan favorite “Floods,” a power ballad that includes an epic guitar solo that showcases Dimebag’s fretboard wizardry and is considered by many to be his finest, achieving the honor of being ranked #15 on Guitar World magazine’s list of the “100 Greatest Guitar Solos” of all-time.

In addition, the first authorized visual history of the band, A Vulgar Display of Pantera, a behind-the-scenes, comprehensive look at the metal band, featuring recollections from various band members and photos from Joe Giron – who has shot the band since 1983 – arrives September 13.

The Great Southern Trendkill: 20th Anniversary Edition Track Listing

Disc One

1. The Great Southern Trendkill
2. War Nerve
3. Drag The Waters
4. 10’s
5. 13 Steps To Nowhere
6. Suicide Note Pt. I
7. Suicide Note Pt. II
8. Living Through Me (Hell’s Wrath)
9. Floods
10. The Underground In America
11. (Reprise) Sandblasted Skin

Disc Two

1. The Great Southern Trendkill (2016 Mix)
2. War Nerve (Live ’98)
3. Drag The Waters (Early Mix)
4. 10’s (Early Mix)
5. 13 Steps To Nowhere (Instrumental Version)
6. Suicide Note Pt. I (Intro) *
7. Suicide Note Pt. I (Early Mix) *
8. Suicide Note Pt. II (Live ’98)
9. Living Through Me (Hell’s Wrath)(Instrumental Version)
10. Floods (Early Mix)
11. The Underground In America (Early Mix)
12. Sandblasted Skin (Live ’98)