Forging Ahead Pantera And White Zombie Are Still Cashing In On Their Heavy-Metal Sound

Metal-heads knew the inevitable was coming. Alternative rock has put heavy metal on the endangered species list.

Metal bands are absent from radio play lists. They’re no longer rotated on MTV. Rolling Stone no longer adorns the cover of its magazine with long-haired heavy-metal rebel-rousers. Further, metal has lost its dominance in the arenas.

Perhaps what’s most telling about metal’s imminent death is Metallica releasing a virtual alternative rock record with “Load.” Also, three of metal’s torch-bearers - Anthrax, Slayer and Danzig - all bombed on their most recent outings.

But if metal’s dead, how do you explain best-sellers Pantera and White Zombie? Both metallic combos co-headline The Gorge Amphitheater on Saturday, three days before Metallica is scheduled to lead the migrating alternatoid tour, Lollapalooza, into The Gorge.

Pantera and White Zombie continue to dive deeper into hard-core, skull-crushing music, and they’re not having difficulty selling records. White Zombie’s “Astro Creep 2000” has sold over 3 million copies, a considerable accomplishment considering that radio only played one song, “More Human Than Human.”

And Pantera’s brand-new pounder, “The Great Southern Trend Kill,” debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard album chart and has already soared past gold, even more impressive being that radio has ignored the album’s first single, “Drag the Waters.”

Those bands are almost the exception, however.

Since the fallout of the ‘80s, metal has taken a nose-dive. So who’s killing off the metal bands?

“I don’t really think much has happened to it at all,” said Pantera drummer Vinnie Paul in a recent phone interview. “It’s gotten a bad reputation because people don’t understand that it grows just like any other kind of music.

“People still consider it like the ‘80s, leather-and-spikes, Dungeons-and-Dragon, hokey-pokey fun rock. But it’s not like that these days. The true metal bands out there have a very street-oriented vibe. They’re singing about things that are very relevant to the times.”

Compounding matters, several bands (Helmet, Prong, etc.) don’t even want to be associated with the heavy-metal tag because they’re worried about survival, or worse, being branded un-cool.

“A lot of bands to me that are heavy metal, they won’t claim that moniker,” says Paul. “All of a sudden, they’re alternative or they’re industrial.”

As you might have gathered by the title of their new album, “The Great Southern Trend Kill,” Pantera won’t surrender to any musical movement. They got to where they are because of who they are, not because of who they are trying to be.

“That’s what ‘Trend Kill’ is all about for Pantera. We don’t care about all of these other things that go on around us. We want to remain true to our style and true to our fans. We don’t want to be swayed by all these trends. That’s never been what we’re all about.”

That’s undoubtedly the secret to the band’s continued success.

“I agree,” says the drummer.

No other album this year matches the heaviness of “Trendkill,” Pantera’s best outing yet. The unrelenting grooves drive listeners head-first into the pavement. Phillip Anselmo’s wrathful vocals, full of venom, peel away the skin and snap the spine. Listening to this album is like stepping into the ring with a heavyweight and getting completely obliterated. You get the point.

“We wanted to make a record that encompassed everything that Pantera had ever been about, past, present and future,” Paul says. “It’s a very broad record for us. It’s a really well-rounded record for us.”

On side note, Anselmo suffered a heroin overdose July 14 and collapsed while on stage in front of a hometown audience in Dallas. Although he was taken to the hospital, he was released hours later. Anselmo said in a press statement that he isn’t a heroin addict, but an abuser of intravenous drugs. Pantera hasn’t had to cancel any of its dates.

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MEMO: Pantera, White Zombie and Eyehategod will perform at The Gorge Saturday beginning at 8 p.m. Tickets are $29.95, available only at Ticketmaster outlets (Pay Less Drug Stores at University City, Northgate, downtown and South Regal) or call (509) 735-0500.