As the current drummer of a reunited Pantera, Charlie Benante has a unique perspective on the kitwork of the late Vinnie Paul.
Benante, best known as the stickman for Anthrax, obviously had to learn Paul’s parts before stepping behind the kit in Pantera — a significant undertaking that required acute memorization, instinct, and mimicry of Vinnie’s own signature tricks and techniques, a la his double-bass drum work.
“Cowboys from Hell” would have been one of the first songs Benante had to master, and we’re already privy to its expert-level drum parts after Drumeo cruelly thrust EDM artist Zedd behind the kit and forced him to compose a drum part having never heard the song before.
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Now, Drumeo is back with a slightly more educational video focusing on “Cowboys from Hell” and featuring Benante himself, with the drummer sitting down for a full-song breakdown of Vinnie Paul’s arrangement.
As Zedd can testify, the intro to the song is an immediate hurdle and requires patience and anticipation on the part of the drummer, who must wait for the guitar riff as the cue for that first snare hit.
“Zakk [Wylde] starts that riff that is so identifiable,” said Benante, “and man, when that song kicks in, I just let that groove happen. It’s just so powerful.”
From there, Charlie runs through the song’s pre-chorus double-kick pattern and accompanying tom work, a sort of rhythmic burst that is bookended by the central riff and verse structure. The part allows Benante to add a bit of variation and inflection depending on his mood.
“Sometimes I play it with more excitement,” laughed Benante, “and sometimes I just play it the way [Vinnie] does it.”
The real challenge comes during what Benante describes as the song’s “lead section,” which features some spastic shred guitar soloing from Dimebag Darrell. Here, Vinnie Paul changes up his beat while throwing in some cymbal flourishes, and hearing Benante’s isolated drum mix showcases just how rhythmically intricate this section is.
“He changes the beat on the second and fourth time where he’ll do what I call a ‘Neal Peart part,’” Charlie said. “I love playing that because it reminds me of RUSH.”
That takes Benante right to the song’s outro, a barrage of double-bass and snare that even the longtime Anthrax stickman has trouble describing.
“He does quite a bit of that throughout the career of Pantera; I don’t even know what you would call it… a double-bass rough?” he said.
After breaking down each section, Benante then runs through a full playthrough of the song. Watch the entire clip below, and if you’re looking to pick up the drums or improve your skills, Drumeo is offering a 30-day free trial for new members.
