Pantera was an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas, that formed in 1981. Although initially influenced by 1980s glam metal/hard rock bands, thrash metal acts such as Slayer and Metallica as well as traditional metal bands such as Black Sabbath would prove to be influential in the band's significant change in musical direction at the end of the 1980s. Pantera subsequently became a key formulator of the groove metal (post-thrash) subgenre of heavy metal music. It would not be until nine years after forming that Pantera saw its first piece of commercial success in its major label debut, Cowboys from Hell. From there, Pantera became one of the most celebrated heavy metal bands of the 1990s. Despite the generally cold reception of the band's first four albums, critics have lauded Pantera's style thereafter; Jason Birchmeier of the All Music Guide considers Pantera to be "arguably the greatest metal band of '90s