Editing Pantera (section)

===1981–1986: Formation and early glam years===
[[File:Panteraoldlogo.png|thumb|right|Pantera's original logo, used during their [[glam metal]] era in the 1980s]]
The band was originally named Gemini, then Eternity, before finally settling on Pantera after it was recommended to Vinnie while he was in a drum line at highschool.<ref name=":1" /> The name was inspired by the car [[De Tomaso Pantera]].<ref name=":1">{{Citation|last=Loudwire|title=Pantera / Hellyeah's Vinnie Paul Plays 'Wikipedia: Fact or Fiction?'|date=November 30, 2016|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2K-AS-2iAk|access-date=November 30, 2016}}</ref> The band consisted of [[Vinnie Paul|Vinnie Paul Abbott]] on drums, [[Dimebag Darrell|Darrell Abbott]] on lead guitar, and [[Terry Glaze]] on rhythm guitar; the lineup was completed with two more members, lead vocalist Donny Hart and bassist Tommy D. Bradford. In 1982, Hart left the band and Glaze became the group's lead vocalist. Later, Glaze stopped playing rhythm guitar, leaving Darrell as the sole guitarist, doing both lead and rhythm duties. Later that year, Bradford also departed and was replaced by [[Rex Brown]] (then known as Rex Rocker) on bass.

Pantera became an underground favorite, though its regional tours in this era never took them beyond [[Texas]], [[Oklahoma]], and [[Louisiana]]. The band began supporting fellow [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]]/[[glam metal]] acts such as [[Stryper]], [[Dokken]], and [[Quiet Riot]]. Pantera released their first studio album, ''[[Metal Magic]]'', in 1983. ''Metal Magic'' was released on the band's record label of the same name and produced by the Abbott brothers' father, [[Jerry Abbott]], at Pantego Studios.<ref name="MusicMight">{{cite web|url=http://www.musicmight.com/artist/united+states/texas/arlington/pantera |title=Pantera biography |work=[[MusicMight]] |access-date=December 29, 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160330173817/http://musicmight.com/artist/united%2Bstates/texas/arlington/pantera |archive-date=March 30, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 1984, Pantera released their second studio album, ''[[Projects in the Jungle]]''. Although still very much a glam metal album, the band members crafted songs that had less overbearing melodic influences than songs from the previous album.<ref name="upr">{{cite web|last1=Hugar|first1=John|title=Pantera's Early Glam Days Will Have You Rethinking Everything You Knew About Metal|url=http://uproxx.com/music/pantera-glam-metal-dimebag-darrell-phil-anselmo/|website=Uproxx|access-date=January 24, 2017|date=August 20, 2015}}</ref> Another change was Terry Glaze's name, as he was henceforth credited as "Terrence Lee". In addition, a music video for the album's lead track, "All Over Tonight", was eventually created. ''Projects in the Jungle'' was also released on the band's independent Metal Magic Records label and produced by Jerry Abbott.

In 1985, Pantera released their third studio album, titled ''[[I Am the Night (album)|I Am the Night]]''. As with ''Projects in the Jungle'', this album saw Pantera's sound becoming heavier (though still rooted in glam metal),<ref name="upr" /> and the heavy metal press took more notice of the band. Because of poor distribution, ''I Am the Night'' turned out to be a costly album to many fans. Around 25,000 copies of the album were sold. Pantera's second music video was produced for the track "Hot and Heavy". By 1986, Glaze's glam approach did not fit the band's developing style, and he and the other members parted ways.<ref>{{cite news|last=Richards|first=Sarah|title=Bowie rocker: "I want to be doing this forever"|url=http://ww2.gazette.net/stories/02042010/laurnew113258_32561.php|access-date=January 24, 2017|work=Gazette.net|publisher=Post Community Media LLC|date=February 4, 2010|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304044127/http://ww2.gazette.net/stories/02042010/laurnew113258_32561.php|url-status=dead}}</ref>