Pantera- Vulgar Display of Power
“one of the defining albums of the groove-metal genre…”
If you thought that Cowboys From Hell was heavy, just wait until you hear this record and probably Pantera’s best album they released in there short, yet legendary career. With the crushing drumming from Vinnie Paul, punishing bass from Rex Brown, the hard-hitting guitar playing and solos from the late great Dimebag Darrell, and to top it all off, the brutal voice of Phil motherfuckin’ Anselmo, Vulgar Display of Power has been one of the hardest hitting albums of the nineties, and probably one of the most important albums in the world of the groove metal, and even possibly, heavy metal in general. Lets just say if you want to be verbally assaulted for an hour, just put on this record and relax.
If the first track of the album is a huge hit as Mouth of War is, then you know that this album is going to be special. With an opening of the punishing drumming of Vinnie Paul and the intricate guitar playing of his brother, Dimebag, Mouth of War instantly became a classic within the body of work of Pantera. And when Phil Anselmo screaming “REVENGE!”, you knew that this song is going to be like any other Pantera song, brutal and four minutes of ass kicking. Becoming a staple in many Pantera shows, and being covered by many bands including crossover kings Biohazard, there couldn’t possibly be a better opening for Vulgar Display of Power than Mouth of War.
Following Mouth of War were eleven tracks that also verbally beat your ass and made Vulgar the insane album that fans continue to rock out to even to this day. A New Level is one song that makes want to fight someone for no reason. With a crazy intro like the one in A New Level, who wouldn’t? After A New Level, one of the most famous songs in the body of work of Pantera starts to play and musically beats the shit out of your ears. Opening with a mesmerizing yet heavy riff from Dimebag, Walk became a favorite amongst fans, and a staple within Pantera shows. Simply put, this song has fuckin attitude and a “don’t fuck with me” mentality which resonates with many Pantera fans (including myself), and which many bands often try to replicate but fall short.
Fucking Hostile, such a great name for a Pantera song, is short and sweet, and is also known for being a precursor for possibly one of the most famous and important songs in Pantera, and even possibly, the world of Heavy Metal. This Love, the greatest song about relationships…ever. With a slow yet haunting guitar riff, this song has been the most recognizable song wherever its being played, with many fans automatically knowing who the song is by, and if you didn’t know this song, you were NOT considered a true fan of Heavy Metal. This Love encompasses everything that would make a heavy metal song great, a slow guitar riff, a raspy yet incredible voice to go along with it, and a breakdown that would make even the most calm person in the room want to break shit and take names. With all of these qualities apparent within This Love, many (including myself) would argue that this song is probably the best song on the album and possibly the best song ever by Pantera (this is where shit starts to get heated between fans.)
With great songs succeeding This Love, such as Rise, No Good, Live in a Hole, Regular People, and By Demons Be Driven, Vulgar shows the pioneering ingenuity of Pantera, and also gives way to another Pantera classic that unbelievably failed to chart, Hollow. One major thing that separated this song from the rest is the fact that Hollow is power ballad, and an incredibly good one too, with the mesmerizing guitar riffs that Dimebag unleashes and the slow but powerful drumming of Vinnie Paul. And Phil Anselmo doesn’t disappoint either with the uncharacteristic calmness that he vocalizes in Hollow. But fuck, this can’t be a Pantera song without the breakdown to insanity that takes place, with the vicious guitar riffs and angry change within Phil’s voice. Just another great song that makes you hold your lighters up at the beginning and ends up making you start fights with random strangers just for the sake of it.
Although Pantera doesn’t play anymore shows, due to tensions within the band and the unfortunate and untimely death of Dimebag Darrell, they continue to leave a mark on the groove metal community and heavy metal in general with their landmark album Vulgar Display of Power. Next time you listen to this album, grab a beer, light a joint, sit back and relax, and enjoy the carnage.
