On March 21, 2000, PANTERA released their ninth and final studio album "Reinventing the Steel" on EastWest Records. The album debuted at #4 on the Billboard 200, a commercial triumph that confirmed PANTERA remained one of metal's dominant forces as a new decade began. After the experimental chaos of "The Great Southern Trendkill" (1996) and the relative accessibility of "Official Live: 101 Proof," "Reinventing the Steel" was a deliberate return to the groove-thrash blueprint that had made the band iconic. "Revolution Is My Name," "Goddamn Electric," and "I'll Cast a Shadow" showcased Dimebag Darrell's guitar at its most ferocious and Phil Anselmo's voice at its most savage. No one knew it then, but this would be PANTERA's farewell album — the band broke up in 2003, and Dimebag was murdered in December 2004. "Reinventing the Steel" is their epitaph.
