Projects in the Jungle:
Projects in the Jungle is the second studio album from the heavy metal band Pantera, released on July 27, 1984 by Metal Magic Records. Its total length is 35:47. This album continues the glam metal style, but with a little more heaviness on certain tracks mixed in. The band's lineup remained the same with vocalist Terry Glaze, guitar player Dimebag Darrell, bass player Rex Brown, and drummer Vinnie Paul. There is certainly a massive amount of improvement for Pantera on this album.
Dimebag continues to prove he is one of the best young guitar players in the music business, Rex Brown actually is audible on this album, Terry Glaze, while still mediocre is much improved from the last album, and Vinnie Paul is much more involved on the drums. This album is better in every way in comparison to Metal Magic. It is heavier, it has better guitar riffs, lyrics, vocal, you name it, it is probably better than their last effort. The album's strengths are certainly the overall guitar work, the catchy choruses, and the improved songwriting. The weaknesses are the abundance of very mediocre tracks with only a few standing out. Also lyrically and vocally, again it falls short. Here are my thoughts about each track.
1. "All Over Tonight" 3:36 (4/5)
"All Over Tonight" was done in the same style as many of the songs on Def Leppard’s famous album Pyromania. It contains catchy guitar riffs, a wailing guitar solo, and a very simple drum beat. Terry Glaze has grown as a vocalist and delivers a solid vocal delivery on this track. It sounds like a hit 80’s song and honestly, I think it is pretty darn good. This is as good as it gets through Pantera’s first 4 albums.
2. "Out for Blood" 3:09 (3.5/5)
"Out for Blood" is fast paced and very upbeat. The chorus is extremely catchy and the guitar riffs deliver yet again. Throw in a very good guitar solo and you got yourself another solid song off of this album. The vocals are not great, but they are still improved from their last album.
3. "Blue Lite Turnin' Red" 1:38 (3/5)
Do you want to hear a Dimebag shred on the guitar for a minute and a half? The answer is “yes you do.” This solo certainly isn’t the greatest, but Dimebag shows off his guitar chops and why he is the best thing in the band.
4. "Like Fire" 4:01 (3/5)
Another song that sounds like it is straight from a Def Leppard record. "Like Fire" is another catchy tune with some nice guitar riffs and a very catchy chorus. The verses aren’t very interesting, but the rest of the song is pretty nice. Plus this track contains another sweet guitar solo. Overall, another catchy 80’s tune.
5. "In Over My Head" 3:58 (1.5/5)
Probably the worst song on the entire album, "In Over My Head" is slow, dull, and boring. The guitar riff isn’t interesting and the vocals are laughably bad at times. There are some great moments of guitar prowess from Dimebag, but overall this song is pretty cringe worthy.
6. "Projects in the Jungle" 3:05 (3.5/5)
"Projects in the Jungle" is definitely one of the best songs from the album. It is fast paced, has solid vocals, and very nice guitar riffs. Yet again Dimebag delivers another great solo. The drums on this track are very powerful and the bass finally makes a nice addition to a song on this album.
7. "Heavy Metal Rules!" 4:18 (3/5)
"Heavy Metal Rules!" is the anthem track of this album. It is a cheesy tune with a wailing guitar solo, repeated simple lyrics, and very simple drumming. It kind of sums up what this entire album is. Still, it is better than anything off of their first album.
8. "Only a Heartbeat Away" 4:01 (2.5/5)
Certainly one of the low points on the album. "Only a Heartbeat Away" isn’t a bad song, but after listening to it for a few minutes, you realize that you’ve basically heard everything you need to hear. There is a really good guitar solo in this song, but that doesn’t make up for how average the rest of the song is.
9. "Killers" 3:30 (3.5/5)
"Killers" is fast and upbeat, it also has some guitar riffs that definitely point more towards speed and thrash metal. Definitely one of the better and more unique tracks on the album. This song is definitely heavier than most of the tracks on the album.
10. "Takin' My Life" 4:31 (2/5)
"Takin' My Life" is a bit of a drag. There is really nothing that catches your attention in this song. After a couple of minutes, you wonder why you are still listening to it. It has pretty uninteresting lyrics, a boring guitar riff, and a decent guitar outro and solo. Pantera really needs to learn to finish albums off with more upbeat and interesting music.
My Verdict:
Pantera certainly has made huge strides with this album. Overall, this album has much better production value and more complex music. As long as Pantera continues to have mediocre vocalist Terry Glaze, they will never me more than a mediocre band.
