For years, fans of Pantera have sworn up and down that on first pressings of the cover of the band’s debut Cowboys From Hell, tinted to look like an old time Western saloon, drummer Vinnie Paul was holding a hamburger in his hand. We even asked Paul about it last year, and while he had heard the rumor, clarified that it was always a stack of $100 bills – six of them. Frontman Phil Anselmo denied it too, but he’s been questioned about it as well.
Now, finally, the heavy metal titans have officially united with a burger, the Steakhouse Thickburger available at Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s. “All the flavors of a steakhouse, now on a burger,” goes the tagline in a brand new commercial for the chain, supplanted with the sounds of the Pantera song “I’m Broken,” the first single from the Texas based outfit’s chart-topping 1994 album Far Beyond Driven.
In the ad, which can be viewed below, light piano tinkling can be heard while the ingredients of the Thickburger sit nicely on a white tablecloth in a serene restaurant setting, only to be unceremoniously upended as guitarist Dimebag Darrell’s bludgeoning riff destroys the mood, but helps to create the burger.
Unfortunately, if you’re a Boston resident looking for 100% Black Angus beef, crispy onion strings, blue cheese, and A1 Sauce, the closest Steakhouse Thickburger is about a three and a half hour ride away at a Hardee’s in upstate New York. Of course, there’s always the option to learn how to infuse your meal with metal by checking out Cooking Hostile with Phil Anselmo.