I put the Cranberries over as well, because when push comes to shove, they are a better band. They have not have some of the popularity as Pantera because they are decidedly not metal, but from a technical standpoint, they are more sound.
Pantera's music is extremely aggressive, which is fine, but I didn't see a focal point for much of the rage and the hate. Like a song says, they basically just say "fuck the world." Furthermore, I never seemed to see a reason for their anger and hate. It seemed like they hated just because it was cool, and the hypocrisy is that it was the same blind hatred that ended Dimebag's formidable career and life, which is a tragedy in itself.
The Cranberries' anger and rage was motivated by specific sources, such as politics, economy, war, class system, censorship, herd mentality, and organized religion. Then, they honed that anger and focused it in on specific sources in songs such as "Free To Decide" and "Zombie."
It's a shame a band with the talent and mind of The Cranberries won't get out of the 2nd round, but you have to chalk it up to a bad draw. Pantera's metal appeal, plus the sympathy votes for Daryll's murder, make this victory for Pantera an unfortunate matter of time. And this is coming from somebody who likes Pantera and thinks "Cemetary Gates" is one of the best metal songs in a long time.
