I Am the Night
I Am the Night is the third studio album from Pantera. It was released in 1985 and produced by Jerry Abbott. Its total length is 37:51. The band's lineup included vocalist Terry Glaze, guitarist Dimebag Darrell, bass player Rex Brown, and drummer Vinnie Paul. This was the last album to include Terry Glaze as the band's vocalist, which was a good thing for Pantera. This album is definitely the heaviest of the band's first three albums. Songs like "Valhalla" and "Down Below" are as heavy and fast as Pantera has ever been. Strengths of this album include better consistency of producing solid tracks, improved production value, and a faster and heavier sound. The weaknesses in this album include no real track variation, some weak vocal moments, and another poor ending to the album. Here are my thoughts about each track.
1. "Hot and Heavy" 4:06 (2.5/5)
"Hot and Heavy" has some pretty cringe-worthy lyrics and is extremely cheesy. Also, Terry Glaze’s vocals are a little annoying on this track. Luckily the song has very good guitar riffs and a solo to accompany them. Overall, a pretty mediocre track to get this album started.
2. "I am the Night" 4:27 (3.5/5)
"I am the Night" is a very fast paced track with strange vocals from Terry Glaze and some sweet guitar riffs throughout. Dimebag Darrell also delivers another great guitar solo on this track. The drums and bass are also pretty prevalent on this track as well. The title track is certainly one of the better on the album as every member has memorable moments. This is probably my second favorite track from this band up to this point in their discography.
3. "Onward We Rock!" 3:56 (3/5)
"Onward We Rock!" is a fast paced, straightforward, and hard-rocking track. It is basically all about speed which seems to work for Pantera. It is a somewhat anthem like track. Lyrically it is very simple and the vocals are very average as usual. The guitar solo is fantastic once again. Overall, "Onward We Rock!" is a decent track.
4. "D*G*T*T*M" (Darrell Goes to the Movies) 1:43 (4/5)
This is one of the strangest tracks you will ever here from Pantera. It has a weird distorted demon voice, random synth effects, and evil laughing all happening in the background, while Dimebag is just tearing it up on the guitar. This is another guitar solo track like on their last album, but with more replay value because of the background effects and the simple fact the solo itself is better. "D*G*T*T*M" is one my favorite tracks from the album and continues to prove why Dimebag Darrell is the best thing about this band.
5. "Daughters of the Queen" 4:16 (2.5/5)
"Daughters of the Queen" has a solid vocal delivery and it may be a bit slower at times, but it doesn’t bore me. Dimebag yet again delivers another great solo. Certainly one of the songs that is pretty mediocre in every way on the album, "Daughters of the Queen" may drag at times, but isn’t a bad track.
6. "Down Below" 2:49 (3/5)
Fun and fast paced is probably the best way to describe "Down Below." It has a speedy guitar riff, wailing vocals that are pretty impressive, and a nasty solo to accompany the rest of the song. These kind of songs are the ones that Pantera is at its best. "Down Below" is certainly one of the better tracks off this album.
7. "Come-On Eyes" 4:13 (3.5/5)
This number has an extremely catchy chorus, great guitar riffing, an excellent solo, and a solid vocal delivery from Terry Glaze. This is one of those songs that makes you just bob your head the entire time it’s playing. Dimebag just continues to foreshadow what is to come from one of the guitar gods in rock and metal music. It is definitely one of my favorite Pantera tracks up to this point in their entire discography.
8. "Right on the Edge" 4:06 (3.5/5)
The intro starts with a very drum and bass beat and then kicks in with a sweet guitar riff. Terry Glaze is okay on this song, but is lifted up by his bandmates. Yet again Dimebag delivers another great solo as usual. There is also some nice acoustic guitar parts in a bridge section right before Dimebag starts shredding. Overall, "Right on the Edge" is a pretty nice track.
9. "Valhalla" 4:05 (3.5/5)
Do you want to hear Terry Glaze scream about Valhalla? After this track you may just want to. One of the heavier tracks on the album, "Valhalla" is fast, catchy, and rocks. This song really foreshadows what Pantera will one day become as this song gets away from the glam metal. Of course, there is yet again another awesome solo from Dimebag.
10. "Forever Tonight" 4:10 (1/5)
Pantera really doesn’t understand how to end their albums on a good note. Lyrically, the song is pretty laughable, vocally Glaze give a weak and pathetic sounding delivery. A boring guitar riff is played throughout. At least we get another sweet guitar solo.
My Verdict:
This album shows growth for Pantera towards a more heavy sound. There are no spectacular tracks here, but there are some pretty good ones. Dimebag's guitar playing continues to grow and so does Pantera's song writing. I Am the Night is a slight improvement over Projects in the Jungle.
