New Level by Pantera
New Level is a track from Pantera's 1992 album Vulgar Display of Power. Written by Pantera and produced by Terry Date, the song kicks off with a monstrous guitar riff that anchors the whole groove. Dimebag Darrell's down-tuned riffs and Phil Anselmo's vocal aggression helped redefine metal's groove metal approach in the early 90s.
Recording and impact: The rhythm section locks into a piston-like groove and the track became a staple of modern metal pedagogy, teaching players how to balance aggressive technique with tight timing. Its cultural footprint extends beyond the album cycle, appearing in films, sports arenas, and guitar education as a gateway riff for learning palm-muted chugs and a locked-in groove.
🎸 Want to know the techniques, practice tips, and lesson details? Scroll below the lesson!
What You'll Learn
In this lesson, you will tackle Pantera's signature opening riff built on heavy palm-muted power chords, the tight verse groove that drives the song, the chorus' rising power-chord progression, and the relentless bridge groove. We'll cover tuning, picking patterns, and how to count the 16th-note feel so the riffs land precisely. You’ll also get a practical, step-by-step practice plan and cues for when to switch from muted chugs to full-chord energy.
Intermediate; helpful to have solid palm muting, accurate down-picking, and comfort with power chords and fast groove-based riffs.
🎸 Techniques Used
Practice Tips
- 💡Start slow with a metronome (60–70 BPM) and loop each riff until clean, then gradually speed up to the track tempo.
- 💡Focus on consistent palm muting with a tight attack on the down-picks to keep the chugging groove even.
- 💡Experiment with down-tuned tuning options and amp settings to dial in a chunky, aggressive Pantera tone.
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