Power Metal Drum Setup: Vinnie Paul's Last Gear Before Cowboys from Hell (1988) | MetalForge
Vinnie Paul recorded Power Metal (1988) on a Tama Imperialstar kit with a Tama Steel 14" x 5.5" snare.
Pantera's fourth and final independent album before the Cowboys from Hell reinvention. A look at Vinnie Paul's Tama Imperialstar-era setup on 1988's Power Me...
Frequently Asked Questions
What drum kit did Vinnie Paul use on Power Metal?
On Pantera's 1988 independent release Power Metal, Vinnie Paul played the same Tama Imperialstar setup he'd used throughout the band's Metal Magic years — a single 22" bass drum driven by a Tama Iron Cobra double pedal, 12" and 13" rack toms, and a 16" floor tom. It was the last record on this kit before Vinnie rebuilt his entire setup for Cowboys from Hell in 1990.
Why was Power Metal released independently?
Power Metal was originally intended for release through Gold Mountain Records in September 1987, but the label's leadership reportedly found the material too heavy and wanted changes. Pantera refused, the deal fell through, and the band released the album independently through their own Metal Magic Records in June 1988 instead.
How does Power Metal connect to Cowboys from Hell?
Power Metal is the direct predecessor to Cowboys from Hell, both musically and in terms of gear. Vinnie Paul recorded it on the same Tama Imperialstar kit and Zildjian A cymbals documented on the band's earlier independent releases. Within two years of Power Metal's release, Pantera signed to Atco Records and Vinnie overhauled his entire setup — dual 24" Tama Artstar II kicks and Sabian AAX cymbals — for the band's 1990 major-label debut.
Was Power Metal Pantera's last independent album?
Yes. Power Metal, released June 24, 1988, was the fourth and final Pantera album released through the band's own Metal Magic Records. It closed out the band's independent era before they signed to Atco Records and released Cowboys from Hell in 1990, which introduced the groove metal sound to a national audience.