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"Domination" is a song by American heavy metal band Pantera. It is the sixth track on their 1990 studio album Cowboys from Hell. The song is very notable for its breakdown in the middle of the song, which is considered to be the best out of all of Pantera's breakdowns. From 1990 to 1991, it was used as a live set opener.

For the late Dimebag Darrell's birthday in 2022, thrash metal band Anthrax played part of the song at a show.

Background and composition

The song is composed in the key of D major, and has a tempo of 141 beats per minute. According to vocalist Phil Anselmo in an interview with Louder Sound: "it was written in the practice studio" and he also commented: "It was the first time we were gonna actually lay it down after we'd been jamming on it. And we used the first take. It's full of energy and it's very raw."

It was one of the first songs written for the album along with "The Art of Shredding" and "Heresy".

Reception

Loudwire ranked the song number 2 on their 10 Best Pantera Songs list. Loudwire also ranked the song number 1 on their "Five Pantera Breakdowns That Will Seriously F--K You Up" list.

The song was ranked number 12 on Revolver's 25 Greatest Pantera Songs list. They described it as "a frantic Cowboys cut that featured a gargantuan breakdown in the final minute that was clearly intended to tear down the house."

Guitar World ranked the song number 13 on their 25 Greatest Pantera Songs list, describing the song being played live: "as it was guaranteed to immediately whip a crowd into a batshit-crazy frenzy"

ManiacsOnline placed the song at number 2 on their Top 10 Pantera Songs list, describing the breakdown "The star of the show here is the monstrous breakdown at the end of the song that sees Dimebag shred up an absolute storm over a simple, crushing chug pattern."

Personnel

• Phil Anselmo – vocals
• Diamond Darrell – guitars
• Rex Brown – bass
• Vinnie Paul – drums

References

1. Hadusek, Jon (July 28, 2022). "Pantera's 10 Best Songs". Consequence. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
2. Pantera - Cowboys From Hell, September 16, 1990, retrieved September 25, 2022
3. Multiple sources:
   • LoudwireLoudwire (May 17, 2022). "The 5 Pantera Breakdowns That Will F--k You Up the Most". Loudwire. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
   • Millspublished, Matt (May 20, 2020). "The 10 heaviest breakdowns in metal". loudersound. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
   • Teitelman, Bram (June 23, 2018). "10 of Vinnie Paul's Hardest-Rocking Songs, From Pantera's Picks to Hellyeah's Hits". Billboard. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
   • Hartmann, Graham (July 27, 2017). "10 Sickest Breakdowns of All Time". Loudwire. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
4. ^ Bienstock, Richard; published, Chris Gill (April 26, 2019). "The 25 Greatest Pantera Songs of All Time". guitarworld. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
5. "See Anthrax Cover Pantera's "Domination" For Dimebag's Birthday". Revolver. August 22, 2022. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
6. Blabbermouth (August 21, 2022). "ANTHRAX Plays Snippet Of PANTERA's 'Domination' As Tribute To DIMEBAG (Video)". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
7. DiVita, Joe (August 22, 2022). "Watch Anthrax Cover Part of Pantera Song in Honor of Dimebag Darrell's Birthday". Loudwire. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
8. Song Key of Domination (Pantera), retrieved September 25, 2022
9. "BPM and key for Domination by Pantera | Tempo for Domination". Song BPM. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
10. "Key, tempo of Domination By Pantera | Musicstax". musicstax.com. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
11. "Pantera: 10 Things You Didn't Know About 'Cowboys From Hell'". Revolver. December 28, 2020. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
12. ^ Jon Wiederhorn (November 10, 2010). "The Story Behind: Cowboys From Hell by Pantera". loudersound. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
13. Sciarretto, Amy (December 8, 2014). "10 Best Pantera Songs". Loudwire. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
14. "25 Greatest Pantera Songs". Revolver. January 20, 2021. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
15. "The Top 10 Pantera Songs". Maniacs Online | Heavy Metal News, Music Videos, Tours & Merch. Retrieved September 25, 2022.

• Pantera songs
• 1990 songs
• Songs written by Dimebag Darrell
• Songs written by Vinnie Paul
• Songs written by Phil Anselmo
• Songs written by Rex Brown
• Song recordings produced by Terry Date