Bil Sabab Power Hour: Pantera - Avoid the Light

"Avoid the Light" is a song by seminal heavy metal outfit Pantera.  It was released in 2000 on the Dracula 2000 soundtrack. It was a time when movies had tie-in soundtracks jam-packed with some rather inspired choices (the very same soundtrack contained modern Slayer classic "Bloodline" and System of a Down rendition of Berlin's "Metro") mixed with some utterly unbearable filler in a form then-unescapable post-grunge and nu-metal schlock. 

It was a very complicated time for the band. They came out of extensive hiatus due interpersonal tensions and drug issues and started recording what was to become their final record "Reinventing the Steel" which was rather underwhelming all things considered. That's why "Avoid the Light" got lost in the shuffle and was quickly forgotten. It was never released outside of Dracula 2000 soundtrack (except for the accompanying single for the album boxset released in 2015). Today it is fondly remembered by the few and sometimes mentioned in general overviews and soundtrack reviews. It is truly one of the best Pantera tunes - but it is still on the margins of their canon - even more than their dreadful "80's" era. It is quite unfair.

Listen to this song. It is amazing piece. "Avoid the Light" is a master-class of multi-layered songwriting. It is a vertical slice of Pantera's style. It contains everything that made them tick - twisted soulful tunes combined with hard-edged aggressive power-chord takedowns and intense rhythms paired with expressive soloing and colored by dynamic shifts and uncanny technical equilibrism. Basically every trick of their book is in this song (except for Seth Putnam, duh).

It builds up gradually and moves naturally. Every part of the songs adds something new - everything moves forward. From gothic arcane acoustic intro to the heavily distorted first part of the verses to disorienting whirling second part of the verses to the tragic stabilizing and somewhat stilted choruses to emotional interlude which sums up the story to truly operatic solo which basically tells the whole thing from the different perspective. It is impressive to say the least. 

The guitar work is exceptional even by Dimebag Darrell standards - so many different techniques are used - you have pitchshifting squealing, digital manipulations, walls of distortion, acoustic fills, dramatic soloing. Drum pattern is also very dynamic - ranging from thundering stomp to bone crushing blasting double bass to simple 4x4 backbeat. Phil Anselmo's vocals are quite diverse and more akin to things he did on his side releases - there are some backwards talk, extensive double tracking, shrieks and growls combined. Bass line keeps it all together in a really tight knot - it adds up a lot to the guitar solo in the middle and gets some tasty fills here and there all over the song.

"Avoid the Light" is exceptional song that is criminally little-known. It deserves more exposure and i hope this little post will help.