The Art of Shredding explained

The Art of Shredding
Artist:Pantera
Album:Cowboys from Hell
Released:July 24, 1990
Recorded:1990
Genre:
Length:4:20
Label:Atco
Producer:Terry Date

"The Art of Shredding" is a song by the American heavy metal band Pantera. It was released in 1990 on their fifth studio album Cowboys from Hell, and is the twelfth and final song on the album.

Background

The song was composed in the key of D minor.[3] Vocalist Phil Anselmo's voice ranges in pitch from Bb4 to G6.[4] "The Art of Shredding" is an example of Pantera changing sound from their 1980s glam metal style.[5]

It was the first song that Pantera wrote for the album.[6]

Reception

In the book The Rough Guide to Rock, Peter Buckley wrote that the song's riffs gave Metallica "a run for their money".[7]

Metal Hammer ranked "The Art of Shredding" the 23rd best Pantera song. They wrote: "An avalanche of jagged, churning riffs met Anselmo's rallying cry of 'It's only emotion!' and metal was noisily reborn."[8]

Guitar World ranked "The Art of Shredding" the 10th best Pantera song, writing that "with its rollercoaster ride of whiplash riffs and rhythms", it is one of the most enjoyable songs from Cowboys from Hell. They also wrote: "Dimebag tops off the proceedings with a gonzo, whammy-filled solo that ably demonstrates that shredding is, in fact, very much an art."[9]

Odyssey rated the song 4.5/5. They thought that it was an excellent way to end the album, while praising its solo.[10]

Personnel

Notes and References

  1. Book: Gale, Thomson. Video Sourcebook: A Guide to Programs Currently Available on Video in the Areas Of: Movies/entertainment, General Interest/education, Sports/recreation, Fine Arts, Heal. October 3, 2007. Gale / Cengage Learning. 9781414400990. Google Books.
  2. Web site: 25 Greatest Pantera Songs. Revolver. Kitts. Jeff. January 20, 2021. July 18, 2024.
  3. Web site: Key & BPM/Tempo of The Art of Shredding by Pantera Note Discover . 2022-09-26 . www.notediscover.com.
  4. Web site: The Art of Shredding. April 7, 2008. Musicnotes.com.
  5. Book: Daniels, Neil. Reinventing Metal: The True Story of Pantera and the Tragically Short Life of Dimebag Darrell. January 1, 2000. Rowman & Littlefield. 9781480362734. Google Books.
  6. Web site: The Story Behind: Cowboys From Hell by Pantera. Jon Wiederhorn2010-11-10T11:30:00 313Z. Louder. loudersound.
  7. Book: Buckley, Peter. The Rough Guide to Rock. October 3, 2003. Rough Guides. 9781843531050. Google Books.
  8. Web site: The 50 best Pantera songs ever. Dom Lawson2019-02-04T13:05:16Z Metal. Hammer. Metal Hammer Magazine.
  9. Web site: The 25 Greatest Pantera Songs of All Time. Richard. Bienstock. Chris Gill 2019-04-26T14:22:43Z. Artist. guitarworld.
  10. Web site: Top 25 Pantera Songs You Need To Listen To If You're A True Fan. May 31, 2017. The Odyssey Online.