Pantera was an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas. It was formed in 1981 by the Abbott brothers – drummer Vinnie Paul and guitarist Dimebag Darrell – along with vocalist Terry Glaze. Bassist Rex Brown joined the band the following year. Looking for a new and heavier sound, Pantera replaced Glaze with Phil Anselmo in 1987. Having started as a glam metal band, Pantera released four albums during the 1980s. With its fifth album, 1990's Cowboys from Hell, Pantera introduced a groove metal sound. The sixth album, 1992's Vulgar Display of Power, exhibited even heavier sound. Far Beyond Driven (1994) debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.

Tensions began to surface amongst the band members when Anselmo became addicted to heroin in 1995, which led to 1996 seeing an overdose involving his effective death and resuscitation. These tensions resulted in the recording sessions for The Great Southern Trendkill (1996) to be held separately. The ongoing tension lasted for another seven years, in which only one studio album, Reinventing the Steel (2000), was recorded. Pantera went on hiatus in 2001, but was disbanded by the Abbott brothers in 2003 amid communication problems and their conclusion that Anselmo would not return to the band.