Editing Pantera (section)

===Comparisons with Exhorder===
[[New Orleans]] heavy metal band [[Exhorder]] have suggested that Pantera copied their sound during the change from glam metal to groove metal. Pantera's ''[[Cowboys from Hell]]'', marking a major stylistic shift, was released just before Exhorder's debut, ''[[Slaughter in the Vatican]]''. However, Exhorder self-released two demos in the late 1980s (around the time that Pantera was still playing [[glam metal]]). Exhorder's members allege Pantera copied these demos.<ref>{{cite web |title=Former Exhorder Frontman: 'Did Pantera Rip Us Off? Possibly' |url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/former-exhorder-frontman-did-pantera-rip-us-off-possibly |website=Blabbermouth|date=April 22, 2007 }}</ref>

A review at [[AllMusic]] noted some "striking similarities" between the two bands, both emphasizing mid-tempo songs and "gruff but very expressive" lead singers – similarities that fueled debate about whether one band imitated the other. In disagreement with the opinion that Exhorder is "Pantera minus the good songs", AllMusic's review of ''Slaughter in the Vatican'' expresses that "perhaps a more accurate billing would be to call them Pantera without the major label backing." In explaining Exhorder's much less successful career, AllMusic also point to the fact that the title of their debut, along with the blatantly provocative album cover, "certainly didn't help [their] cause any."<ref name="exhorder">{{cite web | url = {{AllMusic|class=album|id=r6976|pure_url=yes}} | title = ''Slaughter in the Vatican'' review | work = [[AllMusic]] | access-date = October 21, 2005}}</ref>

However, some critics dispute any notion that Pantera imitated Exhorder's sound. Brian Davis, a contributor to Internet radio station [[KBUE#KNAC|KNAC]], addresses the issue as follows:

{{blockquote|Exhorder's main "claim to fame" is the common opinion that they're the band that Pantera stole their sound from. That's total bullshit. There are minor similarities in guitar style, and on occasion, vocalist Kyle Thomas spits out a line or scream that will bring Pantera to mind, but to go so far as to say that Pantera is an Exhorder clone is ludicrous.<ref name="briandavis">{{cite web | url = http://www.knac.com/article.asp?ArticleID=2628&StartTime=12%2F9%2F2003+10%3A10%3A37+AM | title = Exhorder ''Slaughter in the Vatican/The Law'' 2-in-1 Re-Release | work = [[KNAC]].com | access-date = October 21, 2005}}</ref>}}

Although originally decrying Pantera as a rip-off of their sound, Exhorder lead vocalist Kyle Thomas has stated that he does not care about any of the criticism and is sick of seeing Exhorder's name tied to Pantera's. He also stated that he and the members of Pantera were great friends who used to tour together, and that he mourns the loss of Dimebag Darrell.<ref name="kylethomas">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.blistering.com/news/newsdet.php3?ID=3846 |title=Kyle Thomas Speaks Out on the Pantera/Exhorder 'Feud' |magazine=[[Blistering (magazine)|Blistering]] |access-date=November 5, 2005 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070926235512/http://www.blistering.com/news/newsdet.php3?ID=3846 |archive-date=September 26, 2007 }}</ref><ref name="dimebagloss">{{cite web | url = http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=30285 | title = Former Exhorder Frontman: We 'Lost An Innovator, A Warrior, And A Metal God' | date=December 12, 2004 | work = [[Blabbermouth.net]] | access-date = November 5, 2005}}</ref> Guitarist Marzi Montazeri, however, who worked with Anselmo on one of his solo projects, said that Anselmo "ripped off" Thomas' vocal style, {{"'}}cause he was doing Rob Halford stuff back then, when he first joined Pantera. And when ''Cowboys'' came, he wanted to be in Exhorder so bad, he went back and said, 'We're gonna sound like these guys.' And he took it, simplified it, and became the biggest band in the world. But the formula was that."<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://loudwire.com/marzi-montazeri-philip-anselmo-ripped-off-exhorder-vocals/|author=Schaffner, Lauren|title=MARZI MONTAZERI SAYS PHILIP ANSELMO 'RIPPED OFF' EXHORDER VOCALS|magazine=[[Loudwire]]|access-date=April 26, 2019}}</ref>