Vulgar Display Of Power

I was a teenage dirtbag. Not in the parlance of our current time, where a celebrity like Reese Witherspoon will post awkward photos from her teenage years where she had braces, then type “cringe” as a caption and #teenagedirtbag. I was a teenage dirtbag in the traditional sense: a weird, cigarette smoking metal head; a total societal misfit. To prove my dirtbag credentials: The first concert I went to of my own accord was a split bill of White Zombie and Pantera in 1996 at the Brendan Byrne Arena in NJ. (Now I’m not saying metal heads are dirtbags, but at that time, if you were 15 and listening to Pantera, chances are you weren’t one of “the cool kids”. ) A little known (at the time) band called Deftones opened the show. Being the hipster that I am, I had already known about them and owned Adrenaline. I must’ve been one of maybe 100 people in the arena who were excited to see them. It was rough going for them. Pantera fans were not interested in buying what the Deftones had to sell and made their disapproval known throughout the set. Still, Chino and company managed to coax a few mosh pits out of the crowd and it was going about as successfully as it could, given their mostly unknown status… Until Chino decided to go crowd surfing. Towards the end of their set, he jumped from the stage and into the crowd. He finished out the song, getting tossed around atop the crowd, occasionally screaming his lyrics into the mic. The song ended and he returned to stage, missing a shoe. “Who stole my fucking shoe?” He says. “Bunch of thieves in here tonight.” He argued with the crowd a little bit, gave them the finger and moved on to the next song. A minute or so later, about 50 feet from the stage, dead center, a sneaker flies through the air, hurtling towards Chino and hits him right upside the head, mid-song. The NY Giants or Jets should have drafted whoever threw that shoe to be their quarterback in ‘96. My man dropped a dime right on Chino’s head in a dark arena. It was an amazing toss and you could hear laughter and cheering throughout the crowd. Deftones finished up and White Zombie took the stage shortly after. Their show was a psychedelic horror trip with crazy video, pyrotechnics and lights. Highly entertaining. The crowd was weirdly subdued, but I guess tormenting the Deftones for 40 minutes drained them a little. Now, for the “relevant” part of this story: Pantera. I was never a huge Pantera fan. I liked Vulgar Display of Power back then, but that was about it: Cowboys from Hell was always cheesy to me and Far Beyond Driven had a few decent tracks, but was grating on the ears after a while. My friend who got the tickets was a fan, though, and at 15 you’re going to go to whatever concerts you can. They were touring “The Great Southern Trendkill” that year, which was a concept record about…the South rising again to kill all false metal (?). I’m projecting a little, but Pantera always kind of had a Lynyrd Skynyrd gone metal vibe to me. However, as we all know, that title actually belongs to Jackyl. A few weeks prior to this show, Phil Anselmo nearly died from a heroin overdose. Technically, he was dead for a few minutes, but was resuscitated. I know this because he made a point of telling the audience about it in between songs and then announced his invincibility, saying “Nothing can kill me!” That was the lesson he took away. Not “maybe I should stop doing heroin” or “man, I’m lucky to be alive”. Nope…”I’m invincible”. That left a bad taste in my mouth. Pantera fans loved it that night, though, and maybe it was all for show…faux bravado for a rabid fanbase. Whatever it was, I felt dumber just having been in the room. I know I took the scenic route to get here and this might be my longest “review” to date, so I’ll touch on Vulgar Display of Power quickly then see myself out. It’s one of the most aptly named albums ever. It’s heavy, aggressive, blunt and lacking sophistication. Is that a bad thing? I don’t know. Pantera isn’t for me at age 40. Phil Anselmo certainly isn’t, either - his antics have only gotten worse over the years. Dimebag was an amazing player and his death was beyond tragic, but that’s where my appreciation of this band starts and ends. This is probably the best Pantera album and it is genre defining, so I think its inclusion here is warranted, but it’s hard for me to reconcile the music with Phil Anselmo’s persona. After all, he’s the one that’s screaming at you for 40 minutes.

Essential album in the evolution of Thrash metal as it grew out of its 80's infancy and continued to spread in the 90's. Anselmo's vocal style over groovy grind riffs are also clear inspiration for Nu-Metal bands that sprang up in the late 90's/early 00's. It's a shame Dimebag was murdered by a whacko, and Phil Anselmo has turned into a real piece of human garbage since the band's dissolution. Big stain on the reputation of a hugely influential band.

Bit much for Mothering Sunday.

Hate this album and this band

Pantera got the name of their album right at least. More about that in the conclusion of my review... I kinda appreciated the first two tracks, and honestly I can see why those two highlights were impressive for a lot of metal fans. When it comes to those sorts of dry guitar riffs, I'm much more of a Helmet fan myself, but the fact that I'm making this comparison here shows that I tried *very hard* to keep an open mind. And I can dig bands in the overall metal tag once in a while (Converge, Mastodon, Korn, Deftones--the latter also produced by Terry Date, by the way). So maybe it was time for me to properly reassess Pantera, decades after their heyday... But then, after those first two good cuts, came "Walk". Which, inexplicably, is Pantera's most played song on Spotify... 🤨 Er... What? Can someone explain to me how a so-called "groove-metal" band can have such a half-assed, lethargic rhythm section, one that's actually so devoid of said... *groove*? Worse, I feel like I have become dumber now that I have gone through Phil Anselmo's inept vocals and lyrics: "RE!!! SPECT!!!! ARE YOU TALKING TO ME???!!!" Er... I don't know... MAY!!! BE!!! PHIL!!!! The mere fact that "Walk" is Pantera's most popular song on a major streaming service shows that Pantera fans and I have nothing in common. What follows this (inexplicably popular) low point can be decent sometimes. There's the sort of Tool rip-off that "This Love" is (minus the interesting time patterns) ; or the nicely upfront and aggressive "Rise". But those decent cuts are mixed with stuff that's often as obnoxious as "Walk" is. See "Fucking Hostile", or, most especially, "Hollow", with its cheesy hair-metal-ballad lengthy intro. That song about a comatose friend ironically manages to be as brain-dead as its subject matter. I don't know if the lyrics of this song refer to real events, so I should probably err on the side of caution here. Yet I would be lying if I said I thought the *music* on it was any good. But there's worse, and that is the incredibly awkward "No Good (Attack The Radical)", right at the center of the tracklisting, and making this album lose a whole point all by itself. I'm not even attempting to describe how ridiculously bad the music is here (see what I wrote about "Walk"). The *real* problem is that Anselmo is unable to articulate any cohesive point about race relations in the US, a subject he wants to tackle here without having anything to say that's interesting or relevant on the matter. After all, no one *asked* him to sing about such a heavy topic in the first place. And reading those lyrics, what I mostly understand is that Anselmo actually had very muddled thoughts on this subject. Which may or may not explain how he sometimes had, well... *moments* on stage that still seem quite suspicious to me. Add the man's dumb public stances about rap music, which were equally suspicious, and you have quite an ugly picture here. Oh, and guitarist Dimebag Darrell was a George Bush enthusiast, I hear... No wonder a lot of listeners, reviewers and even fans felt some Lynyrd Skynyrd overtones in Pantera's music. Those were mostly conveyed through Anselmo's drawl, and I guess that's another aspect that worked in favor of the band, because it gave them a "distinct" identity. But let's face it, such identity didn't age very well, did it? Aaaaah, the South...It's a "different culture", if you take my meaning... About Anselmo and his problematic stances and words--onstage and elsewehere--go online to find out about all that. Don't get me wrong, I'm not necessarily saying that Anselmo is a full-blown racist. What I'm merely suggesting here is that he is not the sharpest knife in the drawer, as they say. See also the debacle of his relations with the Abbott brothers towards the end of the band's career. That guy never learned to shut his mouth for his own good, that's for sure. Both brothers are dead today, may they rest in peace. One was awfully murdered onstage by a lunatic with a legally purchased gun--another sad layer of irony about the right-wing ideas that Pantera is often associated with. And what's also pretty disturbing about this situation is that Anselmo can now cynically use the Pantera brand to tour with the band's bass player and two other musicians--something that Dimebag Darrell and his brother were dead-set against when they were still alive. So does Anselmo have any shred of decency left in his bones? It's up to you to decide on this. All of this happened decades after *Vulgar Display Of Power* came out, I'll grant you that. But as I have pointed out earlier, what an apt name for this record! And dare I say, one that was also extremely prophetic, foretelling many sad events to come. Sorry, but I can't have any benevolent feelings about this band. There are too many things in their music and history that sound pretty bad. Or just sad. So next, please. Number of albums left to review: 555 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 216 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 104 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 129 (including this one - with a 1/5 grade for the purposes of this list, which means a 6/10 grade for more general purposes: 5 + 1)

Awful. And the cynical ballad track at the end made it even worse.

Music for when you must commit felony assault.

One of the reviews for this album called it “punishing.” Throw in “tedious” and you got my summary.

What's with the shouting? No.

id never listened to entire metal albums before but this was super good. hollow was my favorite track i could listen to this any day

What a fun listen. I mean, for fans of this stuff. It’s not my favorite Pantera album. That goes to Far Beyond Driven, but this one is a powerhouse in its own right. What a hard hitting, in your face, fuck you if you don’t like me collection of songs. One of the better ones on this list so far!!!

Fucking badass! Proper classic

Five stars. Duh. wtf.

first listen, nothing reached out and grabbed me -- TOO loud. Maybe next time. 2-3/5 (there were some pretty good rhythms that I heard, so I'll have to try it again. 3 for now)

The worst

Remembering the cringe of when I set my flip-phone’s ringtone to “FUCKING HOSTILE” in Middle School.

My favorite Pantera album, and easily one of my favorite albums as a teenager. Pantera solidified my love for metal music, this is like listening to history for me.

Stone cold classic

its pantera.

Heavy, powerful, awesome.

Very good!

my uncle used to play metal every day and I hated it but this album made me start to love metal and I'm gonna listen to a ton of metal now. super insane made me wanna riot.

Oui

Love this álbum, one of the best metal bands

Pantera played some of the best gigs I ever went to. As much as Anselmo is a total asshole, these guys rock so hard I can ignore that a while. Love the band, love the album, it makes me want to get up and get aggressive, or dance manically, or both. One of my favourite albums from my favourite time period for music.

Fuck yea.

Bangin

Powerful album that takes me back to my "rebellious" youth. Listening to this album that my friend burned for me with "P-VDOP" written in sharpie in my Discman. Those were the days. Plus, these boys were local to me (DFW, TX area) and are legends here. 5 stars for sure.

RE.........SPECT.......WALK!

Vulgar Display of Power Went in with an open mind and started off quite enjoying it. I’m not a metal aficionado at all but there are some songs in the genre I like. I can sometimes see a world where I get into stuff like this, but then after 3 songs I don’t want to get into it and I want to go home please. This definitely started to drag by the middle and then get quite boring quite quickly after that. I was glad when it was over. Obviously It’s not for me, although I would assume for the genre it is good. A couple of things stood out. I liked the riff on Mouth for War, I liked Walk, that had a kind of groove and felt like a song. Hollow’s first part seemed like a superior version of a metal ballad with a decent tune, before evolving into more standard riffing. There is an earnestness to this type of music that gets quite tiring. If you are really into metal I would guess that you can see the subtleties and nuances in the music, but to me the lack of light and shade drives a sense of monotony and stasis that ends up being frustrating and ultimately very dull. Reluctant to to say 1, its obviously not for me, and I would never listen to it again, but if you are into metal it surely must be a very good album, so I’ll go: ⭐️⭐️

Utter waste of time.

Vulgar display of something

HATE

oh no it’s metal oh my god are their vocal folds okay?? I’m literally on one volume right now they said SCRELTING I can’t with this it’s almost over I can make it

No.... just no

Yeah, I still don't like heavy metal.

I don't like screaming music, it gave me a headache.

1/10, not my thing

Listening to this album made me realise how good this is. And strangely how much it sometimes sounds like Alice In Chains. But you'll always recognise a Pantera song. Vinnie's drums are unique, Dimebags riffs are masterful and Anselmo's vocals give it just that needed edge. Was about to give it a 4* but re-listening to it again made me aware about how good this album was in its time. And that deserved that extra star, even if it drops off a bit near the end.

Solid hard core metal album. Walk is a classic that hits hard. The album has a good mix of hardcore lyrics and plenty of flowing guitar riffs. Always enjoyed when in the mood. 8.1/10

Not my usual genre, but an ok listen.

This album is intense and in your face. Pantera barks at you. Pretty great record incorporating a lot of styles, excellent guitar work, excellent vocal work. Great band.

I don't get how this was "era-defining". There is nothing on this album that wasn't done by others before. In most parts, it's quite repetitive.

Not a metal fan.

Why do they have to destroy interesting music with horrible vocals? The music is interesting enough to me but then you have some horrible vocals just take a massive dump over it. Screamy and annoying.

I don't get this kind of music at all. Just boring to me.

If you entered "metal" into a stock music service, you'd get something like this back, which one doesn't consider a compliment. "Hollow" and "This Love" have very brief passages of something that might be vaguely redeemable, but well you know where it ends up .... in "Fucking Hostile" territory. In other words, it's the very essence of awful.

Could barely bring myself to listen to more than 2 songs of this. This is not and never will be me: for that, I apologise. I will never be able to give an objective review of musicianship within this genre due to my pure distain for it. Resting heart rate 103bpm. Praying the next album will be less panic attack inducing.

Not my thing at all. Gave it a fair chance and a full listen and it’s still not my thing. RIP to Laura’s heart rate.

Not a fan of this type of music

Nope!

Awful

1/5 metal? well sadly no!

No me gusta el metal :/

Hated it. Gave up after 2 songs

Had a terrible time getting this to play in Spotify, and finally got a couple individual songs to play on it. Hated both.

I was in 7th grade. And this was the greatest thing on Earth. One indelible memory about this album: my buddy Cory and I were hanging out at his house after school. We happen to look out the window and noticed a pair of Mormon missionaries making their way up his street. Quickly we started Vulgar Display and cranked it up to full volume. The Mormon boys knocked for a while and finally we threw open the door right as Phil belts out "FUCKING HOSTILE!!" They both looked around nervously and asked if our parents were home. We thought we were so funny. We were.

Ah, yet another album that's effectively a soundtrack of me going to the gym

One of the albums that saved metal in the 90s!! Not a bad song on here!! An all-time favorite!

I have never listened to Pantera much. I bought one of their albums (Far Beyond Driven) in high school, but my mom found it and was disturbed by the lyrics. She made me get rid of it before I could listen to it more than once. I got into Metallica after the above incident, and my mom didn't have the same issue with them for some reason. This is probably the first time I've listened to Pantera since then, and I really missed out on not listening to them during the years when a teenage boy would REALLY enjoy this style of music. If you like metal at all, you'll love this album. If you don't.. you won't.

Fav songs: Mouth for War; Walk; This Love; Regular People (Conceit) Super fun album IF you like metal. Otherwise at nearly 55 minutes, this would be a long, aural assault. RIP Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul.

i was wrong about pantera

Y'know what fuckin' rules? Metal music. Like, when I said in my BLACK METAL review/babble that I don't have high standards for metal, let's be clear about what I actually am: I'm a metalhead. I just love the sound of this genre, and there's very little in it that's not going to satisfy enough. Like I said, as long as there's loud riffs, thundering drums and some hard-ass lyrics, I'm a damn happy gal! And me being a metalhead is not something I actually think about too often. Like, to me it's just common knowledge that metal music is fuckin' amazing, so it's weird to me whenever I see that people **don't** like it. I was reading negatives reviews for this album on this website and I had to remind myself, "Oh, yeah, most people don't hear this stuff in the same way I do." Particularly this album and this band: good ol' Pantera. The cowboys from and the lords of groove metal. Whatever "groove metal" is supposed to be. Like, even though at this point now I've heard two complete Pantera albums, I'd be hard-pressed to tell you exactly what makes this subgenre what it is. I know I ain't the only one wondering how exactly this music "grooves." But that's hardly an issue to me, 'coz whatever this music lacks in groovery, it makes up for tenfold in, like, the exact thing that makes me love this album and other people, y'know, not: the brutality. This is some brutal-ass music. So brutal, in fact, that I almost feel the need to spell it "BROOTAL" so you have an idea of how I say it to reflect how brutal I think this is. This guitar tone, this vocal styling, these lyrics about being pissed off and kicking some unspecified ass in the butt... Yeah, that's all brutal as hell, and it's nonstop for a little over 50 minutes. It's amazing. And actually, the fact that I like this so much is a bit surprising to me. See, before now, although I love metal and a bit of brutality every now and then, I didn't consider myself much a fan of Pantera's album before this, COWBOYS FROM HELL. As far as I know, that's the primordial ooze! The origin point of groove metal! At the very least, it's one of the first-ever groove metal albums.And yet, I'unno. Every time I tried it before now, I just wasn't into it. I suppose I could've just been in the wrong frame of mind back then, but if I had to throw an additional guess on top... Well, maybe this album is just a little more refined? A little tighter in its groove metal-ness? Or maybe it's just because this album has "Walk" and the other one doesn't have a hit on that level to pull me in. For sure, I'll hafta give it another shot... However, I should finish this review first before I dive off on **that** tangent. I can't tell you how the rest of my group is gonna rate an album like this, since the last time they got something approaching brutality was ROOTS by Sepultura, and, well, they weren't a big fan of that... And come to think of it, I wasn't, either... Maybe it was a bit **too** brutal... This album, though? Oh, yeah. Ooooh, yeah. This is the **good shit**, 100%. If you ain't a metal fan, well, this probably just isn't going to convince yah... But for a metal gal like me? Fuck yeah. This: love. Goodness.

Not much to say besides this being some kickass metal. Solid 5 Stars.

Damn. That really was a vulgar display of power, wasn't it? You know what else it was? Pretty frickin' awesome! Pantera is one of the most influential bands within the heavy metal genre. Not quite the most influential, obviously. However, their influence on the groove metal subgenre specifically is not to be understated. For those not in the know, groove metal is a subgenre that's kind of like thrash metal, but a bit slower and filled to the brim with crazy rhythms. Honestly? I love it. This album is full of banger after banger. Let's start by discussing the musicianship at work on Vulgar Display of Power. It's great! All of the band's members provide the intensity that's necessary for a band like this to work. I especially want to highlight the band's guitarist, Dimebag Darrell. His riffs and solos on this album are some of the best I've heard in the genre. Stuff like the riff on the opener, "Mouth for War" and the solo from its most popular song, "Walk" are just legendary. Of course, I also have to discuss the vocals. Phil Anselmo's vocals are just as intense as the instrumentation. I have to respect the ability to scream like he does without completely demolishing his vocal cords. Those two work with bassist Rex Brown and drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott to create a collection of amazing metal songs here. Admittedly, the album is a bit top heavy. That run from "Mouth for War" to "This Love" is just incredible, with the latter of those being the album's best song (in my opinion). The way that that song makes hard jumps from being kind of melancholic to groovy as hell really speaks to me. The latter half does have some great songs though, with "Hollow" being a great closer. Let's talk about the lyrics now! The album seems to have a bit of a common theme dealing with strength. Some songs give off the tough-guy image that Pantera is heavily associated with. "Walk" is the quintessential example of this. I've seen some people call the song overrated, and while I agree that there are better songs on the album, I still really like this song. However, despite the tough guy energy on the album (it's literally called Vulgar Display of Power), there's still some vulnerability on songs like "This Love" and "Hollow" that I can really appreciate as well. The latter half especially has some good messaging, with there being two back-to-back songs that appear to be anti-racist! Of course, it seems as though Phil "White Power" Anselmo has forgotten about his own lyrics, but let's just move past that and close out this review. Is Vulgar Display of Power the greatest metal album of all time? No. I don't think so. But is it like top 10 or 20? Yeah, probably. Between the legendary guitar work, strong lyrical theming, and the sheer influence this album has had on heavy metal, I think Vulgar Display of Power is an album worthy of its reputation. It's pretty great. Low 5/5.

Excellent album that I owned when I was young. I listened to this all the time, it really brought back memories. Great guitar work and vocals. There is a lot of power behind these songs, they are very hard hitting. Definitely listen to this when you are in the right mood. To me it's perfect for the genre and time it came out. I heard them play live one time and the guitarist (Dimebag Darrell) was phenomenal. It was absolutely incredible, like his fingers were floating all over the fretboard. Probably the best live guitar work I have ever heard. Too bad he was killed at a relatively young age.

Sounds like the cover. You will run through a wall. I don't like it but my wife has strong feelings

great album

Pedal to the metal Hell Yeah!

Genre defining album. It makes no apologies for "shouting", being too "tedious", or too loud. There should be some indication with an album cover of someone getting punched in the face that it wasn't going to be smooth jazz from a long curly haired guy playing a soprano saxophone.

Like a punch to the face. Amazing.

Great album. Exactly what is says on the box - powerful aggressive and violent. This is a no skip album filled with strong tracks. 5/5

Heavy!

I have a habit of giving 5's to every album that I already own. Not very subjective I know, but in the early days of me being on this generator it helped with the 'pressure' of rating an album everyday. Plus you're familiar with the album so it kinda makes sense. In all honesty, I want to give yhis a four. I'm familiar with it. But it doesn't reach the levels of Cowboys from Hell. They found the sound they wanted and never gave any other stylistic change a chance. Phill's voice was getting rougher and gone were the more high vocals he sporadically did. They had their groove and dumbguy hardcor vibe and while I have nothing against that, there could have been more to this band. If you're looking for great groove metal you could easily go for Cowboys From Hell or Machine Head's Burn My Eyes or Chaos AD by Sepultura or anything by Rob Zombie. They stick the landing more imo. Still giving this a 5, cause a man who doesn't stick to his guns ain't worth a damn.

Vulgar Display of Diff

Idk why, but I actually fw Pantera's music in general. I think the two albums that came after Vulgar Display of Power are better, but this is still an overall great album with some of the band's best songs. Mid 9

Pantera's *Vulgar Display of Power* (1992) is widely regarded as one of the most influential groove metal albums of all time. Combining raw aggression, technical mastery, and memorable songwriting, the album cemented Pantera's place as a defining force in 1990s metal. Below is an in-depth review focusing on its lyrics, music, production, themes, influence, and a balanced critique of its strengths and weaknesses. --- ## Lyrics Lyrically, *Vulgar Display of Power* channels themes of anger, defiance, and introspection. Tracks like **"Fucking Hostile"** express unfiltered rage against societal norms and authority figures with lines such as "The truth in right and wrong / The boundaries of the law," which critique hypocrisy in law enforcement[2]. Similarly, **"Rise"** calls for unity against oppression, while **"Mouth for War"** turns personal frustration into motivation. On the other hand, songs like **"This Love"** and **"Hollow"** delve into emotional vulnerability. "This Love" explores the struggles of a toxic relationship, while "Hollow" addresses loss and grief, making it a spiritual successor to "Cemetery Gates" from *Cowboys from Hell*[1][2]. Despite the album's aggressive tone, these tracks reveal a surprising depth in Pantera's songwriting. However, some critics argue that the album leans too heavily on "tough-guy" posturing in tracks like **"Walk"**, which has been both celebrated for its simplicity and criticized for its perceived machismo[5]. While the lyrics resonate with many listeners as empowering, they can also come across as one-dimensional. --- ## Music Musically, *Vulgar Display of Power* represents Pantera's full embrace of groove metal. Dimebag Darrell’s guitar work is central to the album’s identity. His riffs are heavy yet groovy, with tracks like **"Walk"** featuring simple yet iconic chugging patterns that have become synonymous with the genre[3][7]. His solos are equally impressive, blending bluesy phrasing with shredding techniques that showcase his technical prowess. Vinnie Paul’s drumming is tight and dynamic, providing a solid backbone to the grooves. Tracks like **"By Demons Be Driven"** and **"Live in a Hole"** highlight his ability to shift between pounding rhythms and intricate fills[5]. Rex Brown’s bass work complements Dimebag’s riffs effectively but rarely takes center stage. Phil Anselmo’s vocal performance is raw and visceral. He abandons the high-pitched falsettos of earlier albums for a more aggressive style that alternates between shouting and melodic singing. While this approach suits the album’s tone, some fans miss the vocal diversity showcased on *Cowboys from Hell*[2]. Despite its strengths, some critics have noted a lack of variety in the riffing. Many songs rely on mid-tempo grooves and similar structures, which can feel repetitive over the course of the album[2][5]. --- ## Production The production on *Vulgar Display of Power* is both a strength and a point of contention. Terry Date’s work ensures that every instrument is clear and punchy. Dimebag’s guitar tone is particularly noteworthy—thick, heavy, and razor-sharp[3]. The drums are crisp and impactful, enhancing the album's aggressive energy. However, some critics have described the production as overly polished or "stinky," arguing that it sacrifices rawness for accessibility[2]. This has led to debates about whether the album represents a commercialized version of Pantera’s sound compared to their earlier work. --- ## Themes Thematically, *Vulgar Display of Power* is an exploration of strength—both physical and emotional. The album resonates with listeners who feel marginalized or oppressed. Tracks like **"A New Level"** celebrate self-empowerment, while others like **"No Good (Attack the Radical)"** confront societal issues such as racism[4]. The juxtaposition of aggression and vulnerability adds depth to the album. For example, while "Fucking Hostile" exudes unrelenting anger, "Hollow" provides a poignant reflection on loss. This balance makes *Vulgar Display of Power* more than just an angry metal record; it’s an emotional journey. --- ## Influence The impact of *Vulgar Display of Power* on metal cannot be overstated. It helped define groove metal as a genre and inspired countless bands with its emphasis on heaviness and groove over speed. The album also proved that metal could be commercially successful without compromising its intensity—it reached #44 on the Billboard 200 and was eventually certified double platinum in the U.S.[3][7]. Pantera’s refusal to follow trends during the grunge-dominated early 1990s further solidified their reputation as trailblazers. Their influence can be heard in bands ranging from Lamb of God to Slipknot. However, some critics argue that Pantera's success contributed to the rise of less sophisticated "tough-guy" metal bands in subsequent years[1][5]. While this doesn’t diminish Pantera’s achievements, it highlights the mixed legacy of their influence. --- ## Pros - **Iconic Riffs:** Tracks like "Walk," "Mouth for War," and "A New Level" feature some of metal’s most memorable riffs. - **Emotional Range:** Songs like "Hollow" showcase Pantera’s ability to balance aggression with vulnerability. - **Tight Musicianship:** Dimebag Darrell’s guitar work and Vinnie Paul’s drumming are standout elements. - **Cohesive Themes:** The album effectively channels anger into empowerment. - **Cultural Impact:** It remains one of the most influential metal albums ever released. --- ## Cons - **Repetitive Structures:** Many songs rely on similar mid-tempo grooves. - **Overly Polished Production:** Some fans feel it lacks the rawness of earlier Pantera records. - **Lyrical Simplicity:** While empowering for some listeners, tracks like "Walk" can come across as overly simplistic or macho. - **Limited Bass Presence:** Rex Brown’s bass lines rarely stand out amid Dimebag's dominant guitar work. - **Polarizing Influence:** The album inspired both groundbreaking bands and less sophisticated imitators. --- In conclusion, *Vulgar Display of Power* is a landmark album that captures Pantera at their peak. Its combination of aggression, groove, and emotional depth has made it a timeless classic in metal history. While not without its flaws—such as repetitive songwriting and polarizing lyrical themes—it remains an essential listen for any fan of heavy music.

Fuck yeah.

Pantera at it's finest, Thrash metal del bueno

Hell yeah fuck you!!

Superb metal album - though it is difficult to separate the art from the artist (the singer has what might generously be called "questionable" political opinions) the music is strong enough to stand on its own. Fat, powerful riffs, growling vocals and hooks a plenty. Create your own mosh pit and have a blast (beat). Best Tracks: Mouth For War; A New Level; Walk

Pure agression

Absolutely fire. Makes me want to fight stuff.

Metal classic, must listen for anyone looking for angry yet beautiful sounds

I’ve seen this one on the list and have been waiting for it. I liked it as a teenager but my tastes drifted away as I got into my later teen years and beyond. I probably haven’t listened to this record at all in the 2000s. I made sure I listened to this on my main stereo system and at a good volume. First off I was struck by how well recorded and produced this record is. It’s not just slapped together. Proper isolation of instruments and soundstage that I was not expecting or remembering for this type of music. Passion check. Emotion check. Music that makes you bop check. Now I’m off to listen to more Pantera.

I fancy myself a discerning metal head. This album is an absolute masterpiece. Dimebag's riffs are iconic, Vinny has so much groove to his playing and Phil rounds it out with the all the angst you could want. The production of this is top notch. The album art is spot on. A sonic punch in the face.

Classic metal album. I resisted it when it first came out. But eventually couldn’t evade its “power”. It hits hard. Great from front to back 1001 album worthy: Yes - 38/66

dudes rock. just under an hour of guys being dudes. pantera will never not be good.

What a great album! absolutely massive!

Pantera is waaaaaaay better than the Beatles. Sorry. This is an incredible album start to finish.

An all time great album that changed music

This landmark album stands among metal's greatest achievements. The foundation of thick, powerful guitar riffs is complemented by a dynamic groove tinged rhythm section. Phil's hardcore-influenced delivery helped pioneer a fresh approach that reinvigorated heavy metal during the dawn of the grunge era.

Awesome

Absolute classic album ! 5 stars no doubt !

Rating: 10/10 One of the greatest metal albums of all time. So damn groovy and heavy.

very good metal album, I understand the accolades. Really like Walk and This Love.

Amazing. Defined an era!!!

One of my favourite metal albums of all time!

Absolute corker of an album. Difficult not to add every single one of these tracks to my playlist (not sure I didn't, actually). Plus, listening to this with lingering mosh pit injuries feels appropriate. I'm just sad I'll never get to listen to Walk for the first time again. Untouchable song

Band sucks since Dimebag died for music/political reasons. Otherwise this record is classic.