Pantera

Vulgar Display Of Power

Thanks for the memories

Review Score:

(10/10)
Somewhere in amongst my old hockey card collection, in it's own protective sleeve, is a signed (Dimebag) ticket when I saw them on tour for this album here in Phoenix at the Celebrity Theatre. Also, somewhere there's a pack of "death smokes" (those of you who don't know, don't matter) that Dime threw at me during the show (yes, he threw them AT me...I was going apesh*t the whole show, hanging off a railing, air guitar and drums, all exactly on-time...the whole nine yards. He loved that and he could see me because I was right in front of the mixing board which was probably no more than 80-100 ft. in front of them.) That tour would pretty much be the last of the small venues for them as they would later go on to play massive shows in Russia and all over the world. White Zombie and Crowbar opened for them that day. I never did see them live again although I kept buying their albums and to a certain degree I'm glad I didn't (see them again) because I was spoiled by that one show...it was amazing and you just can't duplicate the intensity of being so close to the band. One of the funniest things I remember is maybe about halfway through the set Phil proclaimed he was gonna puke, to which the whole crowd started shouting "PUKE! PUKE! PUKE!" while he was hunched over on stage. He never managed to, but the whole scene was something that would stick in anyone's mind this many years later. Anyhow!

This is one of the best metal albums of all time and strangely (or maybe not) enough, the critics typically agree. Vulgar Display of Power is the showcase of a metal band at a stage in its career where they're young, arrogant, full of energy and anger, with the touch of naive that all young bands have before they're stressed out with endless touring, interviews and all the other junk that begins to wear bands down. To their credit Pantera always did stay true to their music but there's always been something special about this album. Even when songs started off like ballad's (This Love), it would end with a bone cruching riff that made you just want to break something (way before your time I might add, Mr. Durst) or like the cover shows, punch someone right in the face. It was the ultimate anger management album for me in those angst-ridden teenage years and it's still an album that even though I haven't followed metal for probably around 6 years, I can still pick up and let loose with. Dime's guitar work is superb and this would be the album that put him on the map as a guitar idol and make all us kids back then flip out like he did when he listened to VanHalen's 'Eruption' at the same age. Vinnie's drums are brutal and Rex was the perfect backbone for them all. Top it all off with Phil's vocal antics and they were another example of a band where the sum were greater than its parts. Even though my penchant for metal has waned over the years I would still buy a new album from them because they were a great band. It's sad when a good thing falls apart but it happens all the time. Thanks for the memories, guys.

Standout songs (the whole album, to be honest...but these are my fav's):

1. F*cking Hostile
2. Regular People (Conceit)
3. By Demons Be Driven
5. This Love
6. No Good (Attack The Radical)

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