Like many massive follow-up album, Pantera‘s 2000 album Reinventing the Steel was deeply misunderstood when it came out. The record’s attempts to reconcile the Texan quartet’s classic metal past and their newer, more extreme identity sat poorly with many fans of both, and as such the record spent some years in fan limbo after its release (and this was before anyone knew it would be the band’s last full-length record, shortly preceding the murder of Dimebag Darrell in 2004). But now, Reinventing the Steel has gotten its due among Pantera diehards — and just in time for the band to release a 20th anniversary edition of the album, loaded with goodies.
Included in the anniversary edition of Reinventing the Steel is a three-CD set featuring the original album, a new mix of the record by producer Terry Date (known for producing the band’s previous releases like Cowboys from Hell and Vulgar Display of Power, not to mention legendary albums by White Zombie and Deftones), and instrumental versions of all the songs thereon. Also included are fun extras like Black Sabbath and Ted Nugent covers from various compilation albums and soundtracks.
According to a press release for the record, Date didn’t want to completely remix Reinventing the Steel, being a big fan of producer Sterling Winfield’s original work on the album. “I’m just trying to remember what we used to do as I’m going through this stuff,” said Date. “But the riffs and performances are strong. It’s just classic Pantera.”
For completionists, the Reinventing the Steel 20th anniversary edition will also be released two-LP 180-gram vinyl set, featuring the Date mix and eight of the bonus tracks. That version comes in an embossed foil jacket, and will arrive Jan. 8, 2021, but it’s limited to 5,000 copies, so fans should act fast and preorder it via the band’s webstore.
***
Words by Chris Krovatin
