Cemetery Gates (Pantera song)

For the 2006 horror film, see Cemetery Gates (film). For the Smiths' song, see Cemetry Gates.

1990 promotional single by Pantera

"Cemetery Gates"

Promotional single by Pantera
from the album  Cowboys from Hell
Released|

* July 24, 1990 (album)
* 1990 (single)

Recorded| 1989–1990
Genre|

* Heavy metal[1]

Length| 7:02
Label| Atco
Songwriter(s)|

* Dimebag Darrell
* Vinnie Paul
* Phil Anselmo
* Rex Brown

Producer(s)| Terry Date

"Cemetery Gates" is a power ballad[2] by American heavy metal band Pantera. The song is the fifth track from the 1990 album Cowboys from Hell, the band's fifth record and second with lead singer Phil Anselmo. The song, the longest in Pantera's discography, showcases Anselmo's vocal ability and range, concluding with screaming high notes answered by Dimebag Darrell on guitar in a trade-off.

## Lyrics

[edit]

The lyrics lament the death of a female lover and the prospect of dying or dying by suicide and rejoining her in the afterlife.

Phil Anselmo has credited numerous inspirations for the song. The title comes from the similarly titled "Cemetry Gates" by The Smiths, of whom Anselmo is a big fan.[3] He stated in a 1991 interview that the song was written about his good friends that had committed suicide. He also stated in a Ustream.tv live Q&A that "there was a friend who had died in NOLA and it had a real heavy impact within my group of friends. When I wrote the lyrics I did not want them to be too personal, because that can be cheesy. I also had to make sure that the lyrics would not take away from the song, because that was one of our best songs."[4]

## Release and reception

[edit]

"Cemetery Gates" was the second single released by the band off their Cowboys from Hell album. It received a large amount of airplay by rock stations and has become one of Pantera's most popular songs. Guitar World magazine readers voted the song's solo the 35th-greatest of all time, which was Dimebag's second-highest ranking solo (after "Floods").[5] A live version of the song from Official Live: 101 Proof was nominated for Best Metal Performance at the 40th Grammy Awards in 1998.

Metal Hammer considered "Cemetery Gates" to be the best Pantera song, writing that it is one of the greatest epic ballads in metal history, and that it is "etched into the hearts and minds of metalheads everywhere".[6]

## Alternative versions

[edit]

A shorter version of "Cemetery Gates" without its acoustic beginning was released into a music video. A shortened, 5:47-second version without the conclusion was included on the soundtrack of the 1995 film Tales from the Crypt Presents Demon Knight. Pantera's live album, Official Live: 101 Proof, includes a six-and-a-half-minute rendition of the song.

## Personnel

[edit]

* Phil Anselmo – vocals
* Diamond Darrell – guitars, additional bass[7]
* Rex – bass, acoustic guitar, piano,[8] additional rhythm guitar[7]
* Vinnie Paul – drums

## Charts

[edit]

Chart performance for "Cemetery Gates"  Chart (1995)  | Peak
position

|

Australia (ARIA)[9] | 99
US Rock Tracks Top 60 (Radio & Records)[10] | 48

## Certifications

[edit]

Region  | Certification | Certified units/sales

|
|

New Zealand (RMNZ)[11] | Gold  | 15,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Rivadavia, Eduardo (June 23, 2018). "Pantera Albums Ranked". Loudwire. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
2. ^ "Top 10 Power Ballads That Don't Suck". Loudwire. April 12, 2018.
3. ^ "Phil Anselmo Explains How He Became The Smiths Fan". Ultimate Guitar. Archived from the original on April 10, 2023.
4. ^ "PHIL ANSELMO - Uncensored". Music Photocalypse. Archived from the original on February 1, 2015.
5. ^ "50 Greatest Guitar Solos". Guitar World. January 29, 2009. Archived from the original on February 19, 2011. Retrieved February 14, 2011.
6. ^ Lawson, Dom (February 4, 2019). "The 50 best Pantera songs ever". Metal Hammer. p. 5. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
7. ^ a b "PANTERA: 10 THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT 'COWBOYS FROM HELL'". Revolver. 2020.
8. ^ Jon Wiederhorn (July 24, 2015). "Rex Brown Recalls the Making of Pantera's 'Cowboys from Hell,' 'Vulgar Display of Power' and More". guitarworld.
9. ^ "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart – Week Ending 11 Jun 1995". Imgur.com (original document published by ARIA). Retrieved April 25, 2017.
10. ^ "R&R Rock Tracks Top 60" (PDF). Radio & Records. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 25, 2023. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
11. ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Pantera – Cemetery Gates". Radioscope. Retrieved January 28, 2025. Type Cemetery Gates  in the "Search:" field.

## External links

[edit]

* Music video on YouTube

* v
* t
* e

Pantera

* Rex Brown
* Phil Anselmo

* Vinnie Paul
* Dimebag Darrell
* Terry Glaze

Studio albums|

* Metal Magic
* Projects in the Jungle
* I Am the Night
* Power Metal
* Cowboys from Hell
* Vulgar Display of Power
* Far Beyond Driven
* The Great Southern Trendkill
* Reinventing the Steel

Live albums|

* Official Live: 101 Proof

Extended plays|

* Walk
* Hostile Moments

Compilations|

* The Singles 1991–1996
* Far Beyond the Great Southern Cowboys' Vulgar Hits!

Singles|

* "Cowboys from Hell"
* "Psycho Holiday"
* "Mouth for War"
* "Walk"
* "I'm Broken"
* "Planet Caravan"
* "5 Minutes Alone"
* "Drag the Waters"
* "Revolution Is My Name"
* "Hole in the Sky"

Promotional singles|

* "Cemetery Gates"
* "This Love"
* "Hollow"
* "Fucking Hostile"
* "Becoming"
* "Suicide Note Pt. 1"
* "Floods"
* "Cat Scratch Fever"
* "I'll Cast a Shadow"

Other songs|

* "Domination"
* "The Art of Shredding"
* "A New Level"

Video albums|

* Cowboys from Hell: The Videos
* Vulgar Video
* 3 Watch It Go
* 3 Vulgar Videos from Hell

Related bands|

* Arson Anthem
* Damageplan
* Down
* Gasoline
* Hellyeah
* Kill Devil Hill
* Necrophagia
* Southern Isolation
* Superjoint Ritual
* Viking Crown

Related articles|

* Discography
* Columbus nightclub shooting
* Rebel Meets Rebel
* For Those About to Rock
* Terry Date
* Jerry Abbott
* Elegant Weapons

* Category

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz work
* MusicBrainz release group

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