"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 32nd greatest guitar solo of all-time,[4] Darrell's highest-ranking of three solos to make the list (the other two being his solos from "Cemetery Gates", ranked 35th, and "Walk", ranked 57th).
Considered Pantera's most aggressive album,[5]The Great Southern Trendkill is known for featuring much screaming,[6][7] 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 ("The Underground in America" and "(Reprise) Sandblasted Skin" were played in A=425 Hz standard D tuning, with the 6th string tuned to a low G.)[citation needed] that the band ever recorded. It also has a more experimental nature, such as the acoustic guitars[5] and ballads.[8]
Unlike Pantera's first three major label albums, the vocals are often double-tracked and layered to create a more "demonic" effect.[citation needed] 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.[9] Screams done by Anselmo on the song "The Great Southern Trendkill" were compared to Putnam.[10]
The lyrical themes on The Great Southern Trendkill include drugs, a flood that ends mankind, finding deeper meaning, anger, and the media.[5][8][11][12][13][14] The album features elements of thrash metal[6][15] and death metal,[10] but is mostly considered a groove metal album overall.[6]
Melody Maker (May 25, 1996, p. 49) - "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 (July 1996, p. 96) - "...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 the release of a 20th anniversary edition of The Great Southern Trendkill for October 21.[20] The reissue features two discs, including a remastered version of the original album as well as 12 unreleased tracks (these include instrumentals, as well as alternative mixes and live recordings from the Dynamo Festival in 1998).[21] In addition, a separate LP named The Great Southern Outtakes was released. It consists of songs also released on disc 2 of Trendkill's reissue except for the intro and early mix of "Suicide Note Part l".[22]
