Cemetery Gates
"Cemetery Gates" | ||||
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Single by Pantera | ||||
from the album Cowboys from Hell | ||||
Released |
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Recorded | 1989–1990 | |||
Genre | Heavy metal[1] | |||
Length | 7:02 | |||
Label | Atco | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Terry Date | |||
Pantera singles chronology | ||||
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"Cemetery Gates" is a power ballad[2] by American heavy metal band Pantera. The song is the fifth track from the 1990 album Cowboys from Hell, the band's fifth record and second with lead singer Phil Anselmo. The song, the longest in Pantera's discography, showcases Anselmo's vocal ability and range, concluding with screaming high notes answered by Dimebag Darrell on guitar in a trade-off.
Lyrics[]
The lyrics lament the death of a female lover and the prospect of dying or committing suicide and rejoining her in the afterlife.
Phil Anselmo has credited numerous inspirations for the song. He stated in an interview in 1991 that the song was written about his good friends that had committed suicide. He also stated in a Ustream.tv live Q&A that "there was a friend who had died in NOLA and it had a real heavy impact within my group of friends. When I wrote the lyrics I did not want them to be too personal, because that can be cheesy. I also had to make sure that the lyrics would not take away from the song, because that was one of our best songs."[3]
Release and reception[]
"Cemetery Gates" was the second single released by the band off their Cowboys from Hell album. It received a large amount of airplay by rock stations and has become one of Pantera's most popular songs. Guitar World magazine readers voted the song's solo the 35th-greatest of all time, which was Dimebag's second-highest ranking solo (after "Floods").[4] A live version of the song from Official Live: 101 Proof was nominated for Best Metal Performance at the 40th Grammy Awards in 1998.
Metal Hammer considered "Cemetery Gates" to be the best Pantera song, writing that it is one of the greatest epic ballads in metal history, and that it is "etched into the hearts and minds of metalheads everywhere".[5]
Alternative versions[]
A shorter version of "Cemetery Gates" without its acoustic beginning was released into a music video. A shortened, 5:47-second version without the conclusion was included on the soundtrack of the 1995 film Tales from the Crypt Presents Demon Knight. Pantera's live album, Official Live: 101 Proof, includes a six-and-a-half-minute rendition of the song.
Covers[]
- After Dimebag Darrell's death, the song was performed by Dream Theater as a tribute during Gigantour for one show only -- the tour's stop in Dallas, Texas. Vinnie Paul and Darrell's longtime girlfriend Rita were in attendance on the stage wings and had previously given their permission for Dream Theater to perform the song. The band was joined on stage by Russell Allen of Symphony X for the first verse, Burton C. Bell of Fear Factory for the second verse and Dave Mustaine of Megadeth for the ending solo. This performance was filmed and is included as bonus content on the Gigantour DVD. Another cover version by Evile appears in the Metal Hammer Tribute to Dimebag Darrell album and a reissue of their Infected Nations album. A cover of the song was also released as a single and as downloadable content for the video game Rock Revolution.
- In 2006, the song was covered by American band Between the Buried and Me for their covers album The Anatomy Of.
- In 2010, English thrash metal band Evile released their version as a non-album single.
- In 2013, Faroese band Týr released their version as a bonus track for the album Valkyrja.
Charts[]
Chart (1995) | Peak position |
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Australia (ARIA)[6] | 99 |
References[]
- ^ Rivadavia, Eduardo (June 23, 2018). "Pantera Albums Ranked". Loudwire. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
- ^ "Top 10 Power Ballads That Don't Suck". Loudwire. April 12, 2018.
- ^ "PHIL ANSELMO - Uncensored". Music Photocalypse. Archived from the original on February 1, 2015.
- ^ "50 Greatest Guitar Solos". Guitar World. January 29, 2009. Archived from the original on February 19, 2011. Retrieved February 14, 2011.
- ^ Lawson, Dom (February 4, 2019). "The 50 best Pantera songs ever". Metal Hammer. p. 5. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
- ^ "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart – Week Ending 11 Jun 1995". Imgur.com (original document published by ARIA). Retrieved April 25, 2017.
External links[]
- 1990 singles
- Pantera songs
- Heavy metal ballads
- 1990s ballads
- Songs inspired by deaths
- 1990 songs
- Atco Records singles
- Songs in memory of deceased persons
- Song recordings produced by Terry Date
- Songs written by Dimebag Darrell
- Songs written by Vinnie Paul
- Songs written by Phil Anselmo
- Songs written by Rex Brown