"Domination" is a song by American heavy metal band

Pantera Pantera () is an American heavy metal music, heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas formed in 1981, and currently comprised of vocalist Phil Anselmo, bassist Rex Brown, and touring musicians Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante. The group's best-kn ...

. It is the sixth track on their 1990 studio album ''

Cowboys from Hell ''Cowboys from Hell'' is the fifth studio album by American heavy metal band Pantera, released on July 24, 1990 by Atco Records. It marked the band's major label debut and their first collaboration with producer Terry Date. This was also the al ...

''. The song is very notable for its

breakdown Breakdown may refer to: Breaking down *Breakdown (vehicle), failure of a motor vehicle in such a way that it cannot be operated *Chemical decomposition, also called chemical breakdown, the breakdown of a substance into simpler components *Decompo ...

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 Darrell Lance Abbott (August 20, 1966 – December 8, 2004), best known by his stage name Dimebag Darrell, was an American musician. He was the guitarist of the heavy metal bands Pantera and Damageplan, both of which he co-founded alongside his ...

's birthday in 2022,

thrash metal Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and often fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, 2007, . ...

band

Anthrax Anthrax is an infection caused by the bacterium ''Bacillus anthracis''. It can occur in four forms: skin, lungs, intestinal, and injection. Symptom onset occurs between one day and more than two months after the infection is contracted. The sk ...

played part of the song at a show.

Background and composition

The song is composed in the key of

E minor E minor is a minor scale based on E, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has one sharp. Its relative major is G major and its parallel major is E major. The E natural minor scale is: : Changes needed ...

, and has a tempo of 141 beats per minute. According to vocalist

Phil Anselmo Philip Hansen Anselmo (born June 30, 1968) is an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal vocalist best known as the lead singer for Pantera, Down (band), Down, and Superjoint, amongst other musical projects. He is the owner of Housecore Records ...

in an interview with ''

Louder Sound ''Classic Rock'' is a British magazine and website dedicated to rock music, owned and published by Future. It was launched in October 1998 and is based in London. The magazine publishes 13 editions a year, mainly covering rock bands from the 60, ...

'': "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 "The Art of Shredding" is a song by the American heavy metal band Pantera. It was released in 1990 on their sixth studio album ''Cowboys from Hell'', and is the twelfth and final song on the album. Background The song was composed in the key of D ...

" and "Heresy".

Reception

Loudwire ''Loudwire'' is an American online media magazine that covers news of hard rock and heavy metal artists. It is owned by media and entertainment business Townsquare Media. Since its launch in August of 2011, ''Loudwire'' has secured exclusive ...

'' 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 A revolver (also called a wheel gun) is a repeating handgun that has at least one barrel and uses a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers (each holding a single cartridge) for firing. Because most revolver models hold up to six roun ...

'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 ''Guitar World'' is a monthly music magazine for guitarists – and fans of guitar-based music and trends – that has been published since July 1980. ''Guitar World'', the best-selling guitar magazine in the United States, contains original art ...

'' 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

– vocals * Diamond Darrell – guitars *

Rex Brown Rex Robert Brown (born July 27, 1964) is an American musician. He is best known as the bassist for heavy metal band Pantera, from 1982 to their disbandment in 2003. As of their reunion in 2022, he is the band's only constant member. Brown is ...

– bass *

Vinnie Paul Vincent Paul Abbott (March 11, 1964 – June 22, 2018) was an American musician best known for being the drummer and co-founder of the heavy metal band Pantera. He also co-founded Damageplan in 2003 with his younger brother, 'Dimebag' Darrell ...

– drums

References

{{Pantera 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