"Floods", the album's longest song, contains a guitar solo considered by many to be Dimebag Darrell's finest. Guitar World magazine voted it as the 15th greatest guitar solo of all-time, Darrell's highest-ranking of three solos to make the list. The album is available as downloadable content for the video game Rock Band, with the exception of "Suicide Note Pt. I". The song "10's" was featured in the Funimation dub of the Dragon Ball Z film in 2003.
Music and lyrics
Considered Pantera's most aggressive album to date, The Great Southern Trendkill is known for featuring much screaming, most notably on "Suicide Note Pt. II" and "The Great Southern Trendkill" while also featuring some of the fastest tempos and most down-tuned guitars that the band ever recorded. It also has a more experimental nature, such as the acoustic guitars and ballads. Unlike Pantera's first three major label albums, the vocals are often double-tracked and layered to create a more "demonic" effect. An example of this can be heard in the chorus of "13 Steps to Nowhere", when Phil Anselmo's singing voice is backed up by high-pitched screaming, done by Seth Putnam of the band Anal Cunt. Screams done by Anselmo on the song "The Great Southern Trendkill" were compared to Putnam. The lyrical themes on The Great Southern Trendkill include drugs, a flood that ends mankind, finding deeper meaning, anger and the media. The album features elements of thrash metal and death metal while still being a groove metal album.
Critical reception
Melody Maker - "It makes my brain hurt, my eyes water and my genitalia retract like a startled turtle. I cannot think of higher recommendation, considering the kind of album it is. If it made me feel all warm and gooey or tearful and lovelorn, then it would be a pitiful failure by its own lights."
Spin - "...mature speedmetal and perfect summer fun: twisted power ballads, rap-style toasting, almost radio-worthy melodies, plus all the right jackhammer drum jolts, wrestler bellows, and guitar lurch..."
Reissue
On August 12, 2016, Pantera announced via social media that a 20th anniversary edition of The Great Southern Trendkill would be released on October 21. The reissue will feature two discs, including a remastered version of the original album as well as 12 unreleased tracks. These are expected to include instrumentals, as well as alternative mixes and live recordings from the Dynamo Festival in 1998. In addition, a separate LP named The Great Southern Outtakes will be released. This LP will consist of songs also released on disc 2 of Trendkill's reissue except for the intro and early mix of "Suicide Note Part l".
