Cowboys From Hell
Cowboys From Hell is Pantera's fifth studio album and their major label debut, released on ATCO Records in 1990. It was the first of many collaborations with producer Terry Date, and it was recorded between late 1989 and April 1990. After four albums on independent labels, the band dropped the glam metal style of their earlier records and went for something far heavier, taking a lot from thrash metal, Overkill's The Years of Decay in particular.
Sales were slow at first, and the album did not chart until 1992. It has since been certified double platinum in the United States. It is widely seen as one of the first groove metal albums, and it is the record where Pantera found the sound that shaped Vulgar Display of Power and the albums after it. If you only know the later, harder-hitting Pantera, this is where it starts.
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Cowboys From Hell: tracklist, credits and charts
12 tracks · 57:41Tracklist
- 1Cowboys From HellPantera4:06
- 2Primal Concrete SledgePantera2:13
- 3Psycho HolidayPantera5:19
- 4HeresyPantera4:47
- 5Cemetery GatesPantera, Anselmo, Brown, Darrell, Paul7:03
- 6DominationPantera5:04
- 7ShatteredPantera3:22
- 8Clash With RealityPantera5:17
- 9Medicine ManPantera5:15
- 10Message in BloodPantera5:10
- 11The SleepPantera5:47
- 12The Art of ShreddingPantera4:18
- Produced by
- Terry Date, Pantera
- Recorded at
- Pantego Sound (Pantego, Texas)
- Recorded
- Late 1989 – April 1990
- Mixed by
- Terry Date, Pantera
- Mixed at
- Carriage House Studios
- Engineered by
- Terry Date
- Label
- ATCO Records
- Length
- 57:41
Line-up
- Rex Brown · bass guitar
- Dimebag Darrell · guitar
- Vinnie Paul · drums (drum set)
- Phil Anselmo · vocals
Singles
- “Cowboys from Hell” · 1990
- “Psycho Holiday” · 1990
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 · 2010 | 117 |
| US Catalog Albums · 1995 | 8 |
| US Heatseekers · 1992 | 27 |
| UK Rock & Metal Albums · 2010 | 32 |
| Swedish Albums · 1995 | 46 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification |
|---|---|
| Argentina · 1993 | Gold |
| Australia · 1995 | Gold |
| Japan · 1983 | Gold |
| United Kingdom · 2006 | Gold |
| United States · 2023 | 2× Platinum |
From MusicBrainz, Wikipedia and Wikidata. Only what the sources record is shown.
Also released on 24 July
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Releases and pressings
How we know the release date sources disagree on the year (1990, 1991)
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 24 July 1990 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | 24 July 1990 | |
| Wikidata | 24 July 1991 | |
| US release | 24 July 1990 | earliest US date |
| UK / Europe release | 1990 | earliest UK or European date |
16 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | US | ATCO Records | other | |
| 1990 | US | ATCO Records | 020831410328 | other |
| 1990 | DE | ATCO Records | 7567913721 | other |
| 1990 | XE | ATCO Records | 075679137227 | other |
| 24 July 1990 | US | ATCO Records | 0075679137210 | original |
| 24 July 1990 | US | ATCO Records | 075679137227 | original |
| 7 August 1990 | CA | ATCO Records | 075679137227 | other |
| 25 September 1990 | JP | ATCO Records | 4988029014047 | other |
| 2010 | XE | ATCO Records | 081227980191 | deluxe |
| 2010 | XE | ATCO Records | 081227980207 | deluxe |
| 17 April 2010 | US | Rhino | 081227981297 | other |
| 7 September 2010 | DE | Rhino | deluxe | |
| 14 September 2010 | US | Rhino | 081227980191 | deluxe |
| 2013 | US | Rhino Atlantic | 603497921874 | other |
| 23 April 2021 | US | ATCO Records | 081227890988 | other |
| — | — | Atco Records | 075679137227 | other |
Cover art sources
coverartarchive · native: native 2000x2000
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| coverartarchive ✓ | 2000×2000 | native: native 2000x2000 |
| deezer | 1200×1200 | upscaled |
| fanarttv | 1000×1000 | upscaled |