Billy Corgan on Pantera, the controversial band that “transcended” metal
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, rock and metal embarked on a transformation that saw many bands take a more liberal approach to what initially constituted heavy music. While many metal lovers continued to advocate that metal should look and sound a certain way, others, like Billy Corgan, felt that many players were starting to innovate the space and borrow from elsewhere.
Given that Smashing Pumpkins also accrued immense popularity due to Corgan’s ability to take traditional sensibilities from a range of genres and repurpose them for a modern audience, it makes complete sense that his favourites in the metal genre all vary in approach, lyricism, and overall sound. As a result, his tastes vary, but he remains appreciative of its traditional roots.
As he explained in 2012 when discussing the current state of metal: “Heavy metal is obviously way more mainstream than it used to be. For the most part, musicality is really embraced in heavy metal. A lot of us ‘alt people’ have stolen vigorously from that musicality.” Although he admitted to borrowing many of its tropes, many of his own inspirations did exactly the same thing.
Whenever the idea of traditional or early metal is mentioned, it would be strange if it wasn’t immediately followed by the two words that came to represent the entire revolution: Black Sabbath. Corgan shares the same sentiment as others regarding the difficulty of putting Sabbath’s artistry into words, but he also claims them to be a major source of inspiration, mostly because he feels “Tony [Iommi] is the man”.
However, another act he appreciates, and one he labels as beyond any other metal outfit musically, is Pantera. Although this may seem relatively controversial given the current climate, Pantera is a band Corgan has seen live multiple times, which has left him nothing but astounded every time. “I knew the band a bit back in the day. Dimebag Darrell even gave me a guitar, which I treasure,” Corgan once said.
In terms of their impact, Corgan says that “not everybody on the alternative side of the equation understood them right away, because they were seen as just a straight up metal band”. However, with time, their ability to “transcend genres” was recognised more. “Like the great metal bands, they tend to create their own category of music,” Corgan explained.
Pantera is often credited with pioneering the groove metal subgenre, so explaining why they appeal to Corgan makes sense. Of course, their more recent controversial political positioning raises some questions about issues of prejudice in the metal genre, but musically, their impact on bands like Smashing Pumpkins is clear, particularly in how they encourage ambitious and innovative musical visions.
