Vulgar Display of Power [PA] (CD - 1992)

Recorded at Pantego Sound Studio, Pantego, Texas.

Personnel: Phil Anselmo (vocals); Grady Champion, Diamond Darrell (guitar); Vinnie Paul (drums).

Audio Mixers: Terry Date; Vinnie Paul.

Recording information: Pantego Sound Studio, Pantego, TX.

Photographer: Brad Guice.

Arranger: Pantera.

One of the most influential heavy metal albums of the 1990s, Vulgar Display of Power is just what is says: a raw, pulverizing, insanely intense depiction of naked rage and hostility that drains its listeners and pounds them into submission. Even the "ballads," "This Love" and "Hollow," have thunderingly loud, aggressive chorus sections. Preaching power through strength and integrity, Phil Anselmo discards any further attempts at singing in favor of a militaristic bark and an unhinged roar, while the crystal-clear production sets Diamond Darrell's pummeling riffs against a rhythmic backdrop so thunderously supportive that Darrell often solos without underlying rhythm guitar parts. The album again follows Cowboys from Hell's strategy of stacking the best songs at the beginning and letting their momentum carry the listener through the rest, but the riffs and sonic textures are more consistently interesting this time around. Pantera's thick-sounding, post-hardcore power metal and outraged, testosterone-drenched intensity would help pave the way for alternative metal acts like Korn and Tool; Vulgar Display of Power is the best distillation of those virtues. ~ Steve Huey

With a rougher image and a more focused, aggressive sound than in their hairspray and spandex days on an independent label, Texas natives Pantera made a serious dent in the heavy music scene with the major label release of COWBOYS FROM HELL, which inspired radio play and MTV support. While Metallica and Megadeth were watering down their approach for a more mainstream sound, Pantera got harder with VULGAR DISPLAY OF POWER.

From the moment vocalist Phil Anselmo screams his first "Revenge!" in "Mouth for War," the stage is set. Drummer Vinnie Paul showcases relentless technical prowess thrashing out complex double-bass drum patterns in "A New Level" and "By Demons be Driven," while guitarist Diamond Darrell's seemingly endless supply of hard-grooving, blues-inspired hooks are the heart of "No Good" and "Live in a Hole." In the emotional power-ballad "Hollow," the song's protagonist faces the heartache of having a friend trapped in a coma; and just as in the epic "Cemetery Gates" from COWBOYS FROM HELL, Anselmo continues to struggle with the consequences of fate and the will of the world. minimize