Having started as a glam metal band, Pantera released three albums in the mid-1980s with lead vocalist Terry Glaze (Metal Magic, Projects in the Jungle, and I Am the Night), with little success. Looking for a new and heavier sound, Pantera recruited Anselmo in 1986 and released Power Metal in 1988. They secured a record deal with major label Atco the following year. Their fifth album (which the band has since declared to be their official debut album), 1990's Cowboys from Hell, popularized the groove metal genre, while its 1992 follow-up Vulgar Display of Power achieved an even heavier sound and increased their popularity. The subsequent album Far Beyond Driven (1994) then debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.
Tensions began to surface among the band members when Anselmo became addicted to heroin in 1995; he almost died from an overdose in 1996. These tensions resulted in the recording sessions for The Great Southern Trendkill (1996) being held separately. The ongoing tension lasted for another seven years, during which only one studio album, Reinventing the Steel (2000), was recorded. Pantera went on hiatus in 2001 but lingering disputes led to the band breaking up in 2003. The Abbott brothers went on to form Damageplan while Anselmo continued to work on several side projects, including Down, which Brown joined as well.
On December 8, 2004, Dimebag Darrell was shot and killed on stage by a mentally unstable fan during a Damageplan concert in Columbus, Ohio. Vinnie Paul went on to form Hellyeah after his brother's death, and died of heart failure in 2018, leaving Brown and Anselmo as the only surviving members of the band's best-known lineup. In July 2022, it was announced that Brown and Anselmo were reuniting in 2023 for Pantera's first tour in 22 years, with Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante filling in for the Abbott brothers on guitar and drums, respectively. The new lineup played its first show in 21 years at the Hell and Heaven festival in Mexico on December 2, 2022.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantera
Studio albums
Metal Magic (1983)
Projects in the Jungle (1984)
I Am the Night (1985)
Power Metal (1988)
Cowboys from Hell (1990)
Vulgar Display of Power (1992)
Far Beyond Driven (1994)
The Great Southern Trendkill (1996)
Reinventing the Steel (2000)
Hollow
Pantera Lyrics
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Don't he remember us?
Can't he believe me?
We seemed like brothers
Talked for hours last night
About what we want to be
I sit now with his hand in mine
But I know he can't feel (feel)
No one knows what's done is done
It's as if he were dead
I'm close with his mother
And she cries endlessly
Lord, how we miss him
At least what's remembered
It's so important to make best friends in life
But it's hard when my friend sits with blank expressions
No one knows what's done is done
It's as if he were dead
(He as hollow as I alone now)
(He as hollow as I alone now)
(He as hollow as I alone now)
(He as hollow as I alone)
He as hollow as I alone
A shell of my friend
Just flesh and bone
There's no soul
He sees no love
I shake my fists at skies above
Mad
At gods
Mad
He as hollow as I converse
I wish he'd waken from this curse
Hear my words before it's through
I want to come in after you
My best friend
My best friend
Whoa, yeah
Come back
(He as hollow as I alone now)
(He as hollow as I alone now)
The lyrics to Pantera's song "Hollow" describe the feeling of loss that one experiences when their once-close friend or loved one has become distant and emotionally unavailable. The singer feels as though their friend is no longer present, as if they were dead. They express frustration and sadness at the fact that their attempts to reconnect with their friend are met with blank expressions and a seemingly hollow shell of a person. The singer wishes for their friend to wake up from this emotional "curse" and hear their words before it's too late. Throughout the song, there is an underlying theme of missed opportunities and regret for not making the most of the time they had together.
The repeated phrase "he as hollow as I alone now" emphasizes the singer's sense of loneliness in their attempts to connect with their friend. The image of shaking their fists at the skies above suggests a sense of anger and hopelessness in the face of this emotional distance. The singer's desire to "come in after" their friend highlights their love and concern for their friend, and the deep sense of loss they feel in their absence.
Overall, the lyrics to "Hollow" provide a powerful commentary on the importance of emotional connection and the pain of losing a close friend or loved one. The singer's struggle to connect with their friend is both relatable and heart-wrenching, and the song serves as a reminder to cherish the time we have with those we care about.
Line by Line Meaning
What's left inside him?
The singer wonders what is left inside his friend who seems to have lost himself.
Don't he remember us?
The singer is questioning whether his friend still remembers him and the bond they shared.
Can't he believe me?
The singer is saddened that his friend does not believe him, perhaps due to his current state of mind.
We seemed like brothers
The singer and his friend had a close relationship that resembled that of siblings.
Talked for hours last night
The singer and his friend had talked for a long time the previous night, discussing their aspirations.
About what we want to be
The singer and his friend had discussed their aspirations and what they desired in life.
I sit now with his hand in mine
The singer is holding his friend's hand, perhaps trying to offer support or comfort.
But I know he can't feel (feel)
The singer knows that his friend cannot feel the comfort or closeness.
No one knows what's done is done
The past cannot be changed, and there are some things that cannot be undone.
It's as if he were dead
The singer's friend seems lifeless and unresponsive, like he is dead.
I'm close with his mother
The singer is close to his friend's mother and shares her grief.
And she cries endlessly
The singer's friend's mother is unable to stop herself from crying, as she is devastated by her son's condition.
Lord, how we miss him
Both the singer and his friend's mother miss him deeply.
At least what's remembered
The memories they hold of their friend are precious and valued.
It's so important to make best friends in life
Having close and meaningful friendships is crucial in life.
But it's hard when my friend sits with blank expressions
The singer finds it difficult to connect with his friend, who seems blank and unresponsive.
(He as hollow as I alone now)
Both the singer and his friend feel empty and alone.
He as hollow as I alone now
The singer and his friend are both hollow and devoid of emotion or joy.
A shell of my friend
The singer's friend is but a mere shell of his former self.
Just flesh and bone
The singer's friend is devoid of any apparent emotion or thought – he is just flesh and bones.
There's no soul
The singer feels that his friend's current state of being lacks any kind of soul or personality.
He sees no love
The singer feels that his friend is unable to see or feel love in any form.
I shake my fists at skies above
The singer is raging against the heavens, perhaps feeling helpless and angry about his friend's condition.
Mad
The singer is angry and emotional over his friend's situation.
At gods
The singer is questioning the existence of a higher power that could let something like this happen.
(He as hollow as I converse)
Once again, the singer and his friend are both hollow and empty, unable to meaningfully interact.
I wish he'd waken from this curse
The singer desperately hopes that his friend will get better and return to his old self.
Hear my words before it's through
The singer wants his friend to hear him and understand him before it's too late.
I want to come in after you
The singer wants to support his friend and be there for him, even through the darkest times.
My best friend
The singer is talking about his best friend, whom he cares for deeply.
Whoa, yeah
An expression of emotion or enthusiasm.
Come back
The singer wants his friend to come back to him, to return to his former self, to be revitalized.
(He as hollow as I alone now)
Once again, the singer and his friend are both lonely, lost, and emotionally drained.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Philip Anselmo, Rex Brown, Darrell Abbott, Vincent Abbott
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind