Reviews (page 5 of 8)
Fine. Does what it says on the tin. 3 stars.
Not for me. But at least you can hear the lyrics, and there are a few OK tracks
Shame about the dodgy lyrics
Perfectly listenable metal. I was fairly bored overall tbh.
Fav song: Fucking Hostile Not usually the type of thing I’d listen to but really fun album to listen to. Super surprising amount of half time breakdowns for 1992, but I’m a little bit disappointed in the production especially in the drums - these drums sound like they were produced in the mid 80s making this album sound a bit dated despite it being early 90s. Maybe these type of high fundamental/verbed out snare drums was standard for metal at the time and I just haven’t heard enough, but I’ve heard enough of it on this album to know it works against the overall sound. But production gripes aside I do think the album is good. I could imagine some of these tunes on Tony Hawks Underground!
apparently everyone around me absolutely hates pantera walk was cringey the rest was like, fine
pretty dope power metal
Enjoyed this. Always enjoy metal drums and guitar. “Walk” is a great song. 3.5/5 Might listen again
Not as bad as expected
I’ve never been a big Pantera fan, I can’t stand Phil Anselmo. That being said, this album was awesome. Not five stars because they were/are racist pieces of shit
Nice sound a bit shortv
Has some cool riffs sure but overall immemorable...It's not a Bad album. Or maybe idk I'm just not into it.
A high three, but not quite a four. This album’s quality jumps around a lot in my opinion, ESPECIALLY the vocals. Some of the songs I liked, some I thought were boring. Evens out though.
I do like this album, I'm a Pantera fan, but it's always struck me as tricky sophomore album, despite it being far from Pantera's second release. It's good but not their best, a band still working on a new sound.
Not bad!
Metaaaal
It's loud and shouty, but at least not incomprehensibly so, so I guess there's that. Some good vibes (the driving rhythm at the end of "No Good," in particular).
solid metal album. the instrumentation is aggressive in a way that i enjoyed and i didn't mind the screaming vocals, even though i tend to find i don't enjoy that style of singing. it is definitely a loud album with attitude. unfortunately, i guess the singer for pantera has a penchant for saying edgy racist things so i do have to make the distinction that i do not agree with him and it did mar my enjoyment of this album a little bit.
Pantera’s “Vulgar Display of Power” may benefit from being listened to right after Slipknot. It’s quite tolerable in comparison. While it is much more listenable, with some great grooves and clear guitar playing, nothing really stands out aside from “Walk” (and I can’t tell if that’s just because I know it as Rob Van Dam’s walk out music 🤣).
I've never listened to Pantera before, but this was exactly what I expected.
Sometimes I think I shouldn't dig too deep into Wikipedia when reading up on daily albums. I'll get to that. First, this album was surprisingly good. It seems to have been a landmark release for metal, particularly thrash metal, picking up where Metallica left off. There's something ridiculous about these lead singers doing their best cookie monster impersonations, but I still love it. Even though it's not my usual style, sometimes I'm really in the mood for something exactly like this. It's raw, energetic and heavy. And it's great. I was a little familiar with Dimebag Darrel and his story. But I kept hearing people call the lead singer an asshole. I was tempted to ignore this until I heard the lyrics to 'No Good (Attack the Radical)' and I found the message to be a little too vague. So I went a bit deeper into Wikipedia and Phil Anselmo. Sure enough, he is a racist asshole. Just when I was about to call myself a Pantera fan. Never meet your heroes. In the modern day, maybe don't Google them either. Great album otherwise.
Expected to hate it - didn’t hate it - is that a win?
Some things from your childhood stand the test of time, some don't, and some still hold up but YOU'VE changed and it just doesn't play the same anymore. I grew up listening to this record so I know every song. There is something almost catchy about a lot of them. They've got hooks! And there's that inimitable and instantly recognizable snare sound from Vinnie Paul. It's weirdly missing low end. Everything just feels like harsh high mids. The thing that really keeps me from loving it is the vocal. Phil Anselmo is THE cautionary tale about how to ruin your voice. He used to be capable of glam metal wailing but he took zero care of his voice and sang with zero healthy technique and these days he sounds less a human and more like a wood chipper with a head cold. His approach to distortion just sounds miserable and always makes him sound flat. And I dunno - I love metal, but this isn't it for me. All the same, it's a legendary record for good reason. I'd recommend anybody listen to "Fucking Hostile" to understand the impact the band had on Thrash Metal and then to album closer "Hollow" if they want to hear a song that's just plain powerful and easy to listen to - featuring, gasp, actual singing!
Ah, the glory of Dimebag Darrell. It’s an interesting album and definitely a stepping stone from heavy metal of the 1980s to nu-metal of the 2000s. Possibly the only real stepping stone, in fact. Enjoyable. Would listen again. Would steal a car to this as a soundtrack.
Lots of energy, lots of anger. Thirty years later it starts to feel a bit trite, but 17 year old me will still have a soft spot for it.
Lleno de rabia buena.
Rock n roll babyyyy
3.5
I don’t have the ear to hear what makes each heavy metal band unique. So it did sound kinda generic but I did still like it. The guitars aren’t too aggressive and pretty melodic and the main vocals, while I don’t like the style, I did get used to his voice quicker than I usually do. Still pretty middle of the road for me. Rating: 2.9
Actually groovy/intricate/melodic/interesting guitar riffs and metal sound that I would place somewhere in between Slipknot and Disturbed (I know, newer bands that were probably inspired by Pantera), being held back by the vocals. I think that's why “vulgar display of power” doesn't quite fit. What I associate with this screamo voice is strained bowel movements. Vulgar? Maybe, but not powerful.
Ugh pantera 😒 Better than I was expecting, the second song was my favorite, mostly sounds like a Metallica wannabe.
Never listened to Pantera! I can hear lines to Metallica, Dream Theater, Black Flag, Alice In Chains, and lots of late 90s and 2000s punk, metal, and hard rock. Enjoyed it.
This wouldn't be worth a re-listen for me. But I enjoyed the head banging why I was banging my head through a design review.
Sometimes the album cover and title say it all. Pantera have a lot of raw power and rock solid sound that smashes into you. Ooh I love that strutting rhythm + riff on “Walk.” A natural head banger. You can’t help but nod along. The band is really tight and I like when the shredding guitar solos come in. The solos sound loose and free on top of a tough, locked in groove. Okay “Fucking Hostile” is different. Thrashy and fast! Another change in style with “This Love.” Mid-tempo, melodic verses that rip open into an intense riff and screamed vocals. I feel like Pantera has a little bit of everything for metal fans on this album. Wow the drums on “Rise” are insane. Pantera play a lot of different styles and they play them all exceptionally well. 3.5
Ok early 90s metal, but memorable to me because Rob Van Dam used "Walk" as his entrance music in ECW and that fuckin RULED
Okay. This is at the punkier end of that hardcore/metal crossover and I'm much more there for that than the other. It zipped by fairly pleasantly
Good in their style, not quite my thing 3.3
First of all, a great cover. Second, this is pretty perfectly performed metal. Though I think Priest should probably sue for that 'Beckon the call, beckon the call' bit. Still, this goes down real nice.
2.5
Simple straightforward metal. Nothing great, nothing bad.
Rock heavy and leading the way into the 90's of metal without the frills
the platonic ideal of Average Metal
6 / 10 Aunque no soy muy de Methal, musicalmente me han parecido muy buenos. El cantante gritando todo el rato es superior a mi. Entiendo que fueran un pelotazo en los 90.
My late friend Robert loved these guys. I'd always bust his balls over how much Pantera sucks, but listening to this today reminded me of him. I miss you buddy. Also, Pantera still sucks.
Oh, it's hard alright. Excellent examples of thrash metal and breaking into their own sound after they finally broke through. At points it's almost too much, but its definitely got power
Je moet het denk ik waarderen dat zo'n genre toch binnen deze lijst komt. Niet mijn muziek, maar wie ben ik
Ok album
Oh you boys
Nothing special but still good
particularly good instrumentals i thought
I couldn't think of a more fitting album title. This is heavy man. It got me jacked up. It's heavy metal precision. It's like if Metallica stayed angry all the time.
eehh....Avenged Sevenfold: better, Pantera: Racist, redneck, annoying, Anti Federalist guitar noodling with a anti federalist guitar and Pantera.
It's decently heavy and loud. I feel like it could've been more varried.
It's good.
I appreciate the groove, but it gets a bit monotonous. If they Could have written a few more tunes like «This Love» I wouldn’t mind
I've never been a big fan of Pantera, but I found myself enjoying this one. Although the front half is stronger than the back half.
Walk was kind of cringe. The only thing I am will RE-SPECT’ing is deez nuts bud. but some other songs went pretty hard and the guitar was ripping so illl give her a 3
Well, it’s loud! Not my thing… but, if I was in a metal mood… this would work. 3
Had not listened to Pantera back in the day (at that point Barney and Friends was my in car playlist). Very solid!
A five star album less two for the frontman’s recent unpleasantness.
vulgarians indeed
One of the few albums I forgot was on the list. It’s classic 90’s metal, but not really super amazing. It also sort of blends together, save a few songs. Still a fine listen, though.
Good old classic Metal Songs. Hard.
Metal :/
I usually don't do agro rock nowadays. I'd mess with this if I was in a rare mood. I'm more familiar with Far Beyond Driven.
This album hits so hard, when my barber asked me if I like my haircut, I said no.
Thrash metal indeed
Decent, classic, shit-kicking metal. Couldn’t get through the whole thing in one sitting bc it got long and monotonous, but it’s not bad.
I probably would have found this more appealing in High School when I was into heavy metal bands of the time (mid-2000s). It’s definitely an important album from the genre, but I’m at a point in my life and music tastes where it doesn’t really do anything for me.
Walk is by far my favorite song, the rest didn't really stand out.
didn't think I would like it because it's not my music.. But it was pretty good
I'm not sure when one would listen to this kind of music except working out or some other hobby that being angry is a plus. It's not awful. I've actually seen them in concert in 1994 but I just don't see listening very often.
A classic heavy rock album, featuring a very popular metal song that no one remembers is Pantera, 'Walk' A staple flavor of the 1990s heavy rock genre
Walk is an all time great, the others follow the familiar pattern but never to the same heights.
Loud. Yes, sometimes loud is good. Really, I have to be in the mood to listen to stuff like this. Generally, it isn't something I listen to anymore. But, if I am in the mood, this would definitely do the trick. Standout: Hollow (because it is mellow, and that I was in the mood for). 3/5
Music for adults that weren't loved enough as kids. Gourmet version of Five Finger Death Punch.
A classic, I guess?
I think this is a very solid trash metal record. The powerful guitar riffs compliment the growling vocals really well. The power ballad towards the end is also a beautiful summary of the entire project.
fucking...FffUCKING.....FUUUCKINGGGGG, FUCKING RIPS!!! 7/10
Some individual songs are fantastic, but as a whole album, it does blur together sometimes.
Decent metal album. Holds up for its genre, but not objectively. Lyric writing isn't strong.
Average I guess
Good rhythm. Cool vocals, but overall not really for me.
I'm not a huge thrash metal person, but I would say this album is overall decent. Had some really good moments and songs, but also some stinkers. Walk is the biggest song off this album, and I had only heard the main riff since it's pretty well known, but I found the overall song a little underwhelming. 7.5/10 Fav song - A New Level
This was very American small-town angst. Teenage boys trapped with their friends feeling the need to belong. Nothing particularly bad- in fact it's well written and produced but it coud be so much better. Take for example Nirvana? Now if you want to make a example and wake up the world there you go........
Malgré toutes les victoires que j'ai pu accumuler dans ma vie, être capable de résister à une heure de métal sans vomir ni me tailler les veines reste sans doute la chose qui me rend le plus fier aujourd'hui.
Not bad in the end. Thought it was gonna be all thrashy and growly and it was a bit, but there were also some decent guitar riffs and more variety in styles than I feared.
Rather be listening to Slayer.
Last record 'Dusty in Memphis', then this! But all good - Life's Rich Pageant (haven't had that yet). I knew of Pantera, but hadn't really listened to them before. This was one of those records which 'did what it said on the tin' - but did it well I think.
metal metal metal
Snoeihard, goeiedagschotel zeg... Maar ik ga er eigenlijk verassend goed op? Ik vind dit minder herrie dan sommige van de meer punk albums die we gehad hebben. Dit doet me meer denken aan mijn eigen, zij het korte, metal periode. Had ik eigenlijk niet verwacht na mijn heerlijke jazz trip. Het is grappig, waar ik chagerijnig werd van het schreeuwen bij Linkin Park vind ik het hier beter klinken ofzo? Misschien ben ik vandaag gewoon meer in de stemming hiervoor, ik heb geen idee. Ik vind het instrumentaal gewoon heel sterk, en zelfs met de screamende zang kan ik prima overweg. Dit is gewoon een scheurend metal album zoals ik ze vroegah ook wel luisterde. Ik zit hier met duivelhoorntjes achter het bureau hoor! Is het gek dat ik last van mn keel krijg van te lang deze muziek luisteren? FAVO: A new level, Fucking Hostile, This love
Great guitar riffs - if Metallica and Children of Bodom had a lovechild
Not a metal fan but do admire the groove and proficiency.
Pretty solid. Got to respect the founders. Only about half the songs are something I would listen to again.
Good metal album...I think. Not a genre I'm super clued up on but I did enjoy this album, woke me up on a tired Friday morning, enjoyable listen.
3.6 - Possibly the angriest record I've ever heard, and it expresses that rage exceptionally well. The thrashing guitar lines come on fast and relentless, supported by some amazing drumming. Unlike other metal vocalists, I can actually decipher the lyrics through Phil Anselmo's grunts and bellows. I like Dimebag's Darrell's screaming solos on songs like "A New Level." They also show a dynamic range on songs like "This Love" and "Hollow."
I used to hate this kind of thing. Now I can appreciate the skill but it’s still not what I’d listen to by choice. Could honestly be a 2 or a 4, depending if I’m feeling like judging objectively or subjectively. Let’s split the diff
Not to my taste, but it’s fine for what it is.
conflicted because musically i think this album is closer to my genre than a lot of others i’ve listened to. however, phil anselmo makes me so angry and i couldn’t stop feeling uncomfortable while listening. i feel like nothing will be the right rating for this so i’ll just go for a middle one.
This is just not for me.
Trash. Rippin. Heavy but like 90’s heavy.
greatest album ever made
I rule you fool
This sounded like Metallica with less good vocals.
Easily my favourite album fronted by a neo-nazi, solid 3 stars
Well, I'm relieved I put this album off. The short story is that I've been feeling a bit poorly. Upset stomach, pounding head, coughing, nose blowing, aches… The whole nine yards. It doesn't really take a stroke of genius to wonder why someone wouldn't want to listen to loud instruments, heavy, growling vocals, and pure aggression under such conditions. But something about choosing today, the day my body aches have slipped away and only the faintest frog in my throat, to listen, feels like a strange breath of fresh air. One could call it energising. This review isn't glowing - some of these tracks feel a bit too repetitive, and I would never point to this sort of vocal style as a favourite - but honestly, I get the appeal. I wish there were more tracks like This Love and Hollow, though. I really enjoy a switch between tender and growling vocals. Utilizing different vocal styles in music can elevate the emotion in a unique way!
This is getting a 3 because I had this on while playing Diablo 4 and it fit perfect with the game. Would listen again only while playing D4
violent and agressive
In den Neunzigern konnte ich nicht recht etwas mit ihnen anfangen, dieses Album hat mir beim hören ein Grinsen ins Gesicht gezaubert. Auf's Maul!
This was decent but not a huge fan of the vocals.
Honnêtement un peu déçu, je m'attendais à ce que l'ensemble de l'album soit plus solide au lieu de juste les gros hits. Je veux pas enlever l'impact que le band a eu sur la scène grove, mais en général les riffs sont très standard. 7/10
It's pretty decent. Lots of metal.
After listening to Sepultura, this is slightly more melodic. There is more of an effort to find a driving riff or groove and then a couple of songs that slow the tempo down to ballad level.... with Hollow actually having something that is closer to singing. Energetic aggressive set. Seems good in doses but a bit exhausting by the end.
I don't like it when they growl, and while the growling isn't the worst I ever heard here it can still get a bit much sometimes. Otherwise I would have given it 4 stars.
HL: "Hollow", "Walk", "Regular People (Conceit)", "This Love" Hardest rate in a while- on one hand, it's an ugly sounding record (lots of bands/songs don't have to be pretty) with vocals I don't really care for, & the racism controversy centered on the vocalist doesn't help. On the other, the ugliness belies some socially conscious lyrics (including a song that's sort of anti-racist?) and head-bopping grooves. The ballads are pretty strong, meaning that Anselmo has a chance to show off more than one dimension. One of the better albums out of an era & genre of music that I don't appreciate all that much, aka late thrash/the tailspin into nu metal.
So edgy, a little too edgy. Didnt quite come across as believable. At least the sound was ok
Soild 90s metal album, that should be in the list, clearly influenced a lot of the metal I listened to as a teenager, I am now a grown man so will not be adding this to my frequent rotation.
Mon chum m'a fait remarquer qu'il s'agissait de metal "lent", ce qui n'est pas courant, et ça m'a permis de comprendre ce qui les distinguait. C'est une musique lourde qui nous entoure et ne nous laisse pas nous échapper.
Pas si horrible qu'on pourrait le penser (3.5) L'album aurait pu s'arrêter By Demons Be Driven, Hollow venant briser l'énergie assez unique et brutale de l'album
Ok album, Pantera defined heavy metal in the late 80’s, early 90’s. Their fueled rage has never been my thing, as it’s lacked melody.
Tres heavy des classiques de ma jeunesse au travers, mais quand emem une ecoute difficile. Pour 50 min. 3.5
Wasn’t expecting to like this, but the riffing is excellent, catchy and pretty damn heavy. The singing isn’t my taste, but isn’t as awful as growling howling metallers are known for. Similar to Metallica from the same period without such clean melody lines and memorable tunes, nonetheless it’s actually ok to listen to.
Too hard for my personal taste, but I understand the music. I liked the "Metallica-like melody" track.
not for everyone i suppose, walk is a banger the rest of the album is surprisingly alright
First thing, fuck that Nazi Anselmo. The album is still a classic, but definitely thinking twice about listening
Not my thing, but they do their thing well. 3-
Klinkt wel vet, begrijp de vooruitstrevendheid. Verder beetje eendimensionaal album.
Dette albumet har utvilsomt en egenverdi, til tross for at sjangeren normalt ikke treffer. «Walk» er jo sinnsykt fet.
A string of metal after a long absence has proved very enjoyable. Though a tad long, you can really see why this album is considered an influential touchstone for metal in the 90s. Phil Anselmo (a bellend by all accounts) delivers a vortex swallowing howl that offsets the general lyrical banalities that plague this genre. There’s a real working man’s approach to Pantera’s crunchy assault, but equally there’s nothing rudimentary about Dimebag Darrell’s fantastic guitar work. There’s a bit of glam, prog and arena rock underlying the thrash moniker - and this is as much to the record’s detriment as anything. It falls into indulgent pitfalls which totally lose my attention, especially on the longer form compositions. This is a shame because as its raucous best, this record delivers some truly colossal riffs. A solid 3.5/5 for me.
Nice and heavy, not sure about those lyrics, some dodgy thinking going on there.
I never learned to appreciate death metal death metal.
Listening to ‘Vulgar Display Of Power’ is like having someone using a pneumatic drill to bore into your skull, with a sound heavy enough to burst an eardrum. It’s balls to the floor all the way with nary a moment to catch your breath. Full of angry lyrics, frenetic guitar solos and furious drumming, from a technical point of view at least, it’s excellent. I would’ve liked a bit more subtlety and variation to proceedings, but obviously that’s not the point. Definitely does what it says on the tin though.
Pretty good, I think there's not as much to latch onto today, but there's definitely significant cultural impacts that's taken into effect. I think the album got better as it went along. Good effort. 3.5/5
Oof. Mixed. I remember Walk from Jilly's Rockworld and Ritz Mondays, class. This Love is epic. No Good Attack the Radical is decent musically with problematic lyrics. People say it's "beyond racism" whatever the fuck that's supposed to mean. "You blame oppression and play the role of criminals". Yeah. Hmmm, nah, fuck off mate. Rise, is another cracker that seems to espouse free thinking but when they guy has done a Nazi salute and shouted 'white power' on stage, well, that does inspire some thoughts. By Demons... is decent. Hollow is sub-Nickelback shite until the metal part starts. Separating the politics out of it, some bangers, some I'm less fond of without even paying attention to the lyrics, so it's going to be a 3.
Scared my wife.
I'm not a fan of yelly music. It's hard to take it seriously; it comes across as comical to me, like a bunch of little angry boys raging. But I guess this album isn't the worst of the yelly music.
Not my thing, but not bad either.
This wasn't too bad of a metal album for me. Would I revisit this whole thing? Maybe not, but if some songs came on shuffle I wouldn't mind. That being said, I made the grave mistake of doing a deep dive of the band and its members, and let's just say I'm a little turned off by it. 3.5...maybe a 4 on a good day. Today's not a good day.
Album cover sums up what it feels to listen to it. Not bad, though.
Treading old ground in many respects - real tough guy shouting about how little respect there is these days, violence to follow if you to continue with the disrespect - this is old man on front porch music in truth. on first listen, I was preparing to knock this album all the way down but after a few listens it started to grow on more. There’s something almost hypnotic about this wall, this brick of sonic pressure, bashing in your brain and I got caught up a little more in some of the riffs. I don’t know, I was having a rough day so maybe this acted like a release valve? Is that the secret to this otherwise unlistenable music?
Fuck yeah, Dimebag 4 life.
Pantera have been a bit of a palette cleanser on this list which I’ve really enjoyed. Loud, heavy, brutal chaos. Fucking Hostile says it perfectly. Don’t think I’d ever properly listened to them before so I’m glad this come up. Dimebag shreds. Anselmo is a racist piece of shit
Idk if I finished it, its a little too hardcore for me but I see how it could be fun live.
As someone who bough Kerrang every fortnight in my teenage years to supplement the weekly inkies, 'metal' in the 90s lost me. 80s metal was just more fun and colourful even if it wasn't really 'metal'. Far better for escapism from small rural towns by the sea than the angry shouty men that came after it. This is ok. Still better than a lot of what came after it.
\m/
First, I love the title of this album. "Oh my! Those are some rough vocals!" was my first reaction to listening. I'm often not a fan of being yelled at. But behind that voice was some pretty amazing guitar work that really grabbed my attention (especially as I'm not usually a rock guitar guy). And soon I found myself moving my head to the beat and finding that the guitar and voice were really working together. I liked "Mouth for War" (that part towards the end where it goes nuts), "Walk" has some hard swinging syncopated moments, and "Rise" kicks ass! The rest can get tiresome and make me beg for relief, but I was surprised how much of it I got into.
Back when I was a metalhead I didn't really like Pantera and I still don't, although the reasons might be different now. The guitars on this album are pretty nice, but I find the vocals quite annoying. Despite the nice guitars, the music gets pretty repetitive. That makes it not interesting enough to pay too close attention, but it's still too intense and abrasive for pure background listening.
Made it about halfway through, but I've heard it a few times in the past. Some surprisingly groovy parts, albeit extremely straight and very aggressive. Reminds me of growing up in rural New England.
3 metal?
några låtar som är tvåor, några låtar är fyror. så det får bli en trea
Does better than the usual metal album at keeping things interesting and varied. The wide variety of rhythmic structures and guitar tones here keep the LP from falling into the usual metal doldrums of endless mid-heavy guitar tone and chugging riffs for 40 minutes straight.
Classic album artwork! As for the album itself, I can't make my mind up. The guitar riffs are ace, but feels dated now, maybe "you just had to be there, man!"?
Can see where they're coming from. Enjoy it on the right mood. Not in regular rotation.
Not particularly my cup of tea, but I'm sure it's considered good for the genre. My man needs to calm down. See a therapist or something.
Never been a metal fan but have come to appreciate to an extent. Some very good musicians here but I can't stomach the screaming lyrics. A few cuts in, I gave up on this.
not for me mate
Trash. Pesado. Se hace machacón.
The songs here are solid. A New Level is groovy as fuck. Fucking Hostile is a thrashy rager. This Love is an eerie alt metal song, while Rise is another angry groovy banger with a great solo. The album does grow repetitive around the halfway point and the overly macho lyrics are a little cringe when you know who's singing them. But it's overall a fun, heavy album.
Pantera are one of the first metal bands I really fell for. I skipped past the nu metal scene, which was really fading out at that point, and went for Texas' finest after becoming acquainted with the classics, but just before discovering death metal. So I know this album pretty well. But at the same time, while my devotion for Sabbath and Maiden will never die, Pantera do little for me nowadays. Part of that comes from recognizing their problematic elements, primarily with racism. Anselmo is by far the guiltiest, but Dime and Vinnie did love the Confederate flag... And I'm southern, yet I have no defense for said love. Even before that, I just realized that the songwriting just isn't there. They're all fine musicians- I do have a lot of respect for Dime being a one-man guitar team and making the band sound just as full as your average twin attack in metal- but this all feels too juvenile to resonate for me beyond, like, 10th grade. I'll always go back to Beavis and Butthead's take down on the "This Love" video- "You treat your stepmother with respect, Pantera, or you'll be sleeping in the street." I laugh despite that track being a highlight for me. Cowboys would probably rate higher for me, but even when I was all aboard the Pantera train, I always found Vulgar a little overrated. Current grade would be a C-, but 15-year-old me would easily be in the B range.
This is the most overrated Pantera record by a mile. Personally, I find this band peaked with their groovier stuff, specifically GST. Give me Exhorder’s Slaughter in the Vatican or The Law over this & CFH 10/10 times. Still, these dorks had considerable influence on extreme metal of so many varieties it’s ridic, and this album is a big reason why. Say what you will about Dime’s shit tone (something I think people should be aping more often), dude had a style and carved himself a guitar legend niche, I suppose by way of writing tons of killer and innovative riffs and solos. Similarly, Vinnie had his own style, but for me his party trick doesn’t come to fruition until later records. Not that he’s slacking here (IIRC everything he recorded is sound-replaced – I could be wrong – but it just works better for me in slower contexts), he’s got a super ear for drum hooks and really knows when to dial things back. Phil is serviceable at best, technically (a dumbass at best, otherwise), but is the perfect kind of meathead to pull together this fusion of hardcore and heavy metal that’d live on for decades. Rex played electric bass guitar in Pantera… (lol). Side A is loaded with the hits, though if I never hear “Walk” or “Fucking Hostile” in my life ever again, I’d be just fine. “A New Level” and “This Love” hold up fairly well. Side B is pretty uneven, but this is where you can hear ‘em lean into the stomp/groove shit they master on later records. “Rise” and “No Good” are laughably bunk, but “Live in a Hole” is neat, working this schticky classic rock call-and-response thing, keeping the leads front and center. “Regular People” also has some cool lead work, but that’s about it… The 1-2 conclusion of this album is killer, though. “By Demons Be Driven” is one of my faves from their discography – that blend of livewire leads and jackhammer kicks is the essence of Pantera – and “Hollow” is the kinda “Cemetery Gates” shit this band should’ve wrote five times more of (honestly, someone should blatantly rip this off, there’s an entire band idea sitting right here). 3.5/5
I actually enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would.
Not a big fan of this kind of music anymore, but I did really think it was pretty good. If I am ever in the mood for something like this, I'll definitely think of it. 3/5
Heavy metal music is fine for me... but I cannot bear such voice... it exhausts my own throat simply on listening.
Perhaps not the best time to listen. Some really interesting chord progressions in the groovier bits, but the vocals somewhat distracted me from such goings on.
not really a fan of speed metal but give them credit for their skill
i wanted to like it...felt kind of generic though. metallica rip off, C+
En su momento los escuché. Eran demasiado Heavies para mi gusto. Sin embargo, pasado el tiempo veo que tenían más en común con los primeros Soundgarden o Alice in Chains de lo que recordaba. Interesantes. Estaba tan desconectado de ellos que ayer me enteré de la muerte del guitarrista tiroteado por un fan. Muy triste terminar así.
This is not really the type of music I enjoy. although it is not bad, I don't like it.
6/10
Pretty good.
один из лучших их Альбомов у них
Das war (und ist!) truly Musik zum Eltern schockieren. Geiler Maschinengewehr-Metal! Diese Sattheit der Drums, ich könnte direkt jemanden verprügeln. Nutzt sich - für Nicht-Metal-Fans - auf Albumlänge bisschen ab/wird eintönig, aber trotzdem mit 3,4 knapp unter 4 Vollsternen raus. Fucking Hostile!
Bit too heavy for my tastes. Could do with a few more flourishes.
Tight, crunching riffs. Great 90s guitar production fork Terry Date. Could be the great lost metallica album (if they hadn't gone down the Black Album accessible route). Tends towards "all loud, all the time", with some exceptions with greater dynamic range, such as "this love". The Rollins-like yelling gets a bit wearing after a while.
Alright. Seems to have been groundbreaking at the time. Over the course of the album I went from "Hell yeah" to "meh" so either it got old fast or the best songs were also the first.
I wanted to like this more than I did since these guys throw down some crunchy grooves on the tracks, but my problem with this album is that most every song is pretty simple sounding so in the end it all just devolves into indistinguishable background noise.
6/10. Pretty decent metal album, but I wish all metal albums didn't insist on being an hour long.
It's pretty much established at this point that the metal, of whatever flavor, is not generally my thing. Competent but for me monotonous and uninspiring.
Pretty nice
Not into metal but this really surprised me. Some class punchy guitar playing and less screamy than some heavier forms of metal. Not as bad as I expected it. Good job for what it is.
Para cultura general.
Classic metal album, not sure if I'd revisit. Probably only one or two songs.
oula je viens d'écouter 10 secondes ça commence mal, trait mâle. Nvm c'est stylé un minimum en fait!!!! XD genre enjoyable un peu ! ouais j'imagine ca va, 3.63 mais je vais pas arrondir a 4 quand meme faut pas dec
Definitely won’t be for everyone. Can get very ‘samey’ but I can see how some people would love it! Didn’t love it, didn’t hate it. Probably not going to return to it anytime soon, but I also wouldn’t be furious if someone wanted to listen to some Pantera now so y’know…there’s that!
Maybe it caught me on a particularly angsty morning but this was more enjoyable than I assumed. Almost earned a 4 but some of the slower, quieter songs are actually what lost me.
Considered a higher score. Love the music and while it's metal there's still some good melodies. Enjoyed it more than I thought I would.
Makes me appreciate just how good Metallica were at this kind of shit I must. I really like Walk, Regular People & This Love. Overall it's absolutely solid and I can't say that I didn't consider going to 4. Instead, I plan to sit firmly on the fence.
thrasher
Vroeger veel gedraaid, vond het echt te gek; 3 sterren als jeugdsentiment, maar niet omdat ik het echt goed vind.
* did not listen to the whole album* Not as heavy as I was expecting. Didn't mind the music, but vocals were a bit much for me. In ignorance, I'll admit that most Heavy metal sounds the same to me and it all sounds like Metallica? 🤷 Just not as good... Hehe. Always most impressed by drummers in metal bands! Incredible.
Rock duro metálico, paso de este ruido
groove metal go chug-a-chug. 6/10, could benefit from switching up the instrumentation
Never listened to Pantera before. Was a fun listen, sort of disjointed across styles of metal though. Not mad about hearing it
‘a new level’ was great. I’m a sucker for some good guitar. some songs like ‘this love’ didn’t sound right to me with the different ranges of style combined between metal and slow grunge-rock, woulda been better off without the shouting on that one. the first half of the album was better. 3.5 -> 4 doesn’t seem right ?
i’d be lying if i said i didn’t like it but i don’t have the ability to listen to the whole thing
Almost a four star for me here. Walk and This Love are standouts. Not what I'd listen to each day, but in the right mood I enjoy this. Not quite enough great songs for it to be a 4 though. If I could, it would be a 3.5.
I really love the music. But I hate those heavy-metal screaming singers. Hate. Complete boner-loser. 2 "just give me the music and the vocals from songs like This Love" stars.
I am a metal fan but Pantera was never on the list of my favourite ones. I miss musicality here. Knowing that the title of this album is not 'Musicality', I must say it is all right - but I do not like it at all.
Just goes to show how insular your musical knowledge can be. Seems these guys have been really big since the 80-90s. I’d never once heard of them. Didn’t like the music though!
Pre Listen: Another album I'm not really feeling the album art for, and artist I've never heard of. Could be good! Could be not good! Who knows, no expectations. Notable Tracks: Walk - Opinion on the album started to really form here. Kind of boring. Musical equivalent of walking! Fucking Hostile - Fuck me it's only been one song since Walk? This isn't good. Live in a Hole - Probably my favorite on the album. Feels like it has the most variety. The guitarist really gets to shine here. Post Listen: Out of all the heavier stuff I've heard on here so far, this one's probably the lamest. Scratchy voice semi-screamo vocals and a heavy guitar with minimal changes in tempo, rhythm, chords, etc. The drum is there to keep a beat, nothing more. The bass just copies the main guitarist, but with less flair. To be completely fair, the guitarist was the strongest member of the band, with some good solos. I mentally categorize this type of music as "Biker Rock". It's the kind of thing losers who smell like cigarettes and wear black leather listen to, and think it makes them tough. Maybe one day decades ago it did, but now it's so played out. https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/5cb58755-7534-48f6-9cc4-09335ac9ed8a/scale-to-width/755 I think I heard a song or two from this album in an older Guitar Hero game, idk. 2/5.
It’s like a worse Slayer, I guess? I don’t know man all metal sounds the same to me.
Pantera is to heavy metal what Panera is to fast casual food
Even at the peak of my teenage metal years I never made it through a complete listen of this or Cowboys, etc. Just too much of the same and I could never suss out if they were in on the joke.
This is fundamentally not my music, but I appreciate it’s doing this kind of rock very well, and there are bits of certain songs that mirror the more vibey hard rock I enjoy.
I liked this in the day but I’m probably a lot less angry and also I didn’t know the lead singer was a massive racist PoS.
This album was not made for me.
Too harsh for me
Car wreck from the past! I think I’d actually rather get punched in the face than listen to this again.
This is one tedious slog of an album. Just the same one note riffage, testosterone fueled aggro. They're like a much less interesting Metallica. Points, I guess, for trying to vary it a little here and there and for decent drumming and rhythmic interludes but this couldn't end soon enough.
Goofy, so far over the top, tough guy vocals just ruin the great musicianship here. Methtallica is just not for me, was pretty bored by the end
2 stars. meh.
Ojj hvað þetta var leiðinlegt. Walk var einusinni á ræktarplaylistanum mínum. Ég kláraði plötuna og fyrir það fæ ég verðlaun. Þau eru að gefa þessu drasli tvær skitnar stjörnur.
4/10
I remember my brother bought this album for me as a teenager. While the guitar work is undeniably impressive, the overly macho, "tough guy" vibe just doesn't do it for me. 2.5 -> 2/5
Another favorite of my middle school metalhead friend! Although his favorite band at the time, Nevermore, is notably unrepresented on this list. Sad. Never been the biggest Pantera guy myself, I feel like their take on Groove Metal is the middle road between Thrash and Doom/Stoner that doesn't do much for me. Thrash is fast and exhilarating, feeling like it's about to go off the rails if not for the control of the players, Doom/Stoner slows the riffs down enough to be pummeling and atmospheric, placing the emphasis on the "heavy" in heavy metal. Groove kinda does neither, so it leaves me wanting. Either speed it up or slow it down, guys! Of course this record had a huge hand in influencing other acts that would take the idea of slowing down Thrash to its most extreme ends so.... I don't disagree with this record being on here. Influence/importance to the genre is high, my want to come back to it is low. That 1-2 punch of Walk and Fucking Hostile is pretty sick though. And credit to Phil Anselmo, his lyrics are surprisingly progressive and are a nice counterbalance to the meathead metal music that frames them.
Last song and Walk were OKish, rest same screaming
++: A New Level, Walk, This Love, Regular People (Conceit) +: Mouth for War, Rise, Live in a Hole +-: Fucking Hostile, No Good (Attack the Radical), Hollow -: By Demons Be Driven 5,5/10
Not my cup of tea. Hard driving metal up and down. Impressive. But not for me.
El metal no es mi tipo de música favorito, pero siempre intento al menos sacarle algo positivo. Me molestó bastante que en un punto se sintió muy repetitivo y sentía que estaba escuchando siempre la misma canción con una pequeña variación en un acorde (lo que no quita que se haga un muy buen uso de los mismos). This prolly hits hard if u are 50 yo white man.
Heavy Metal? Wenn man es leise hört, gehts noch.
Not my sound
Walk goes hard, the rest is pretty naff. I'm not really much of a Pantera fan, but I like Cowboys From Hell much better.
Juuh ei oo mun musaa.
I'm travelling, so I didn't have much time to listen to this closely. Having only ever heard the MTV hits, I was never compelled by Dimebag Darrell's storied genius. But, from my half-eared listen, I'll cop to the possibility: remarkably light, clean riffs, awesome solos. An obvious influence on Billy Corgan's latter day riffing, that's for sure. I will come back to it. 2.5 This strikes me as a lopsided album. The first 4 tracks cudgel the listener - energetic, rhythmically arch music, all the more dramatically effective for having most of its notes removed. I think a sort of rot sets in with This Love. I don’t like it when Phil Anselmo sings - I don’t say ‚tries to sing‘ because he has an unexpectedly sweet voice when he takes the notion to tackle a melody - his singing just has a tacky, witless quality that his shouting and screaming doesn’t. I should say that the next track Rise is my favourite on this album, but after that I find I lose interest. Each track becomes a tedious ticking clock counting down to Dimebag‘s awesome soloes. Perhaps that’s just my lack of stamina as a listener and there is more life in that second half than I think but surely Hollow feels completely out of place to most people; a bargain bin Metallica pastiche and a miserable way to end the album. 2/5
Not particularly up our alley and extremely discordant with the pleasant sunshine vibe of our Sunday.
Not my cuppa tea. Was not a bad listen though. 7/10 [DROP]
Not normally my choice of music, but I was vibing with it this time.
Lyndsie walks in near the end of the album: “Ugh! Why Pantera, aren’t they like Nazis or something?” I don’t choose the albums! Had to double check Anthrax, Megadeth & Metallica to see where Pantera fits in & I think they’re like right down there with Metallica.
I don’t know if it’s because I’m on vacation in a topical area or if because I’ve seen too many dirt mustache teens in denim vest who clearly have listened to Pantera with the patch still proudly displayed but I couldn’t bring myself to care. Walk is good though.
2.5
boring and bland metal, i liked hollow but the rest did absolutely nothing for me
NO !!!!!!!!!!!! annoying
This band is an interesting fulcrum in how they get us from hair metal to the alt / nu metal that is going to take over the latter half of the 90s and I can also hear plenty of the DNA of other great southern metal bands like Acid Bath et cetera. But there's basically a lot of stuff that is influenced by this (or that influenced this) that I vastly prefer because it rises above the meathead mid-tempo chugging that this album so frequently settles for.
One ok song.
I need a screaming album, but it was still wannabe metallica energy
I’m sure this is a good example of the genre and I found it slightly less offensive than expected. Has not converted me and will not revisit.
Felt the power for sure
3/10 I'm sure someone out there likes this, but I don't. Screaming, poorly enunciated vocals and loud, brash music are not my thing. The disappointing thing is that when they slow down it's really great - the final track, Hollow, is terrific.
Not for me
Okay, I get the idea. Really only had to know that "Walk" is the best tune on the album, even though a couple come close. Nothing I really feel compelled to hear again.
Ok - bit dull repetitive heavy guitars
Vulgar Display of Power is a searing critique of US & Israeli hegemony and foreign policy in Iran and the Middle East and their respective war mongering leaders. Oh wait no, it's more early 90s heavy metal. 2 stars
I have a lot of time for the melodic metal here. The first half of "Hollow" is great, for example. But when it comes to the thrash stuff... see my previous comments on thrash. And there is a LOT of thrash on this album.
This sort of thing can be good
4/10 Yuck. Despite it not being relentless riffing, with at least something resembling a nod to song craft, this still sucks
I used to work in a movie store similar to Blockbuster called movie gallery and every release day there are some people who came in and rented all of the horror movies that came out that week. The big budget ones that released in theaters and all of the B and C movies that were much much worse than those ones. As someone who work there, I never really understood this. I always thought that people would not want to watch those movies made on a shoestring budget with bad acting and no plot but I saw the frequency that people were renting them and figured that there was an audience for everything out there. And similarly, I feel the same way about metal. This music is not for me. I do not care for it and there are a lot of people who do and I'm happy for them. And this is very technically proficient and I'm sure a lot of people's favorite. But not mine.
I know a lot of people like this type of music, but this is just annoying.
Not my cup of tea. The music is more or less ok, I like the slower songs, but sometimes the riffs are too loud, too intense. However, I found the music partially appealing.
Walk
dont hate it just not my favourite type of music
Best Track - "Walk"
2.2/5
These heavy metal groups sound very similar with an exception of 3 or 4. Not impressed with Pantera.
This does rip, and Dime is a great guitarist. But, they might be white supremacists.
De bekende beukende gitaren en het geijkte waanzinnig gekrijs. Soms heb ik best zin in metal. Vandaag niet, of in ieder geval, van deze plaat raak ik er niet van in de stemming. Hilarisch: na tien nummers nihilistisch gedram, gooien ze er ineens een Aerosmith-achtige ballad tegenaan. Daar zijn ze ook al niet heel goed in, want binnen de kortste keren staan ze toch weer te raggen.
That driving guitar for each song gets a bit redundant
Oh, this must be how other people feel when they listen to the stuff I like.
I spent my teen years as a metal head. It's not my preferred genre today, but I still appreciate it for what it is. Pantera is one of those bands, I've always been familiar with. I even played in my own band at the same venue where Dime Bag Darrell was shot. But, even in my hey day, Pantera was never a band that really clicked with me. Listening to this album in my 40s only served to reinforce how I felt even when metal was my preferred genre of choice: Pantera is not for me.
By the early 90’s, classic, black, and glam metal was evolving to grunge, which I like, and to nu-metal, of which I am not a fan. Musically, this album is heavy metal. Lyrically, it’s already looking toward the coming nu-metal, full of violence and nihilism. I guess I prefer my angst laced with the occult, not with violence. And to that end, “By Demons Be Driven” was a standout for me.
didn't listen
Tracks I liked: fucking hostile, hollow. Man, I'm sad I didn't enjoy this more. Just tuned out in between lol. Maybe thrash metal just isn't my thing? Awesome guitars though.
Metal for people who unironically watched the kid rock halftime show.
Nope nope nope
Liked the basic setup of syncopated riffs / grooves and simple production. Vocal style wears after a while.
Hmm. Very raw shouty. No colour to the music. Some solid guitar riffs allow me to present a 2.
I get what it did for the genre but not for me.
Just not a fan. Guitar and drums are good, but lyrics and sound just make you feel mad.
I didn’t wake up today thinking ah today is the day I became psychotic and mad
all the tracks just blend together in a mess of trash metal, yelling, and me wanting to sit in silence for a while
Not for me. Disliked it.
i’m in it until the vocals come in.
Redigt arga gossar
In a way this makes a nice change from some of the recent albums but this isn’t my jam. Likely very influential on metal that followed but a lot of the tropes used in this (double kick pedal, tapping solos, half time chorus) are things I don’t particularly like from the genre. Got huge Metallica vibes from it - would be interested to know who influenced who.
The technicality on display on the guitars is great But I always feel I’m missing something slightly with metal. It doesn’t move me in the way other genres do.
Meh. Not my cuppa even before listening to the singer's political ramblings. Bad enough for 1/5? Nah.
In my best Anthony Fantano voice, I’m feeling a decent 2 on this one.
I fear I have never really understood 99% of metal and probably never will. I appreciate the moments of variety here though.
Favorite track(s): A New Level, This Love I think my lack of a female partner who I desire to make the victim of physical violence hinders my potential enjoyment of this album.
some songs kind of slap though
It's nor for me
I am NOT a metal girlie and this was hard to get through. This love was probably my favorite if I had one.
Heavy Metal mit viel Screaming 2/5
It was okay. A few decent moments but truly could not tell what makes it great.
not my vibe
Not for me. I enjoy some metal and find some incredibly dull. What makes this a 2 rather than a 1 for me is that I can catch glimpses of where it influenced later bands I like. But it felt like every time I encountered a moment I liked it was quickly overwhelmed by an obnoxious vocal or a repetitive riff or incoherent lyrics. It’s sort of the opposite experience of listening to Metallica… they have their annoying moments but they seem small in comparison to their overall spirit. I just didn’t hear that kind of soul in this music, tho some I guess a few moments showed me why people might.
I know they’re huge and important. They’re just not for me. At least I suppose there’s an argument for this album being one should hear.
Forventa nåke bittelitt annerledes, egentlig. Ikkje ein ny favoritt
Not my cup of tea, but I can appreciate it.
Oh, this album has that song that kept me from getting into guitar hero.
The music was good. The lyrics were bad. Odd track at the end.
Even trying to objective for a white supremacist, there's nothing in here I super enjoyed but there were a few songs that made me bob my head.
Generic loud shouty rock, Pantera are a substandard Metallica. This album will be enjoyed by the immature males it is aimed at. When they grow up they’ll move on to something more musical.
this project is confirming what I already knew was true - I don’t like heavy metal
This was a Vulgar Display Of Power
Schräges Punk Rock & Metall Album ohne gute Tracks.
Probably nonces.
walk is a banger, rest kinda sucks sorry
Slightly more suited to a Monday morning where you need a kick up the backside than a chilled Sunday, but bloody hell this is exhausting. Kudos I guess for its pioneering status but it’s a one-trick pony for me.
Not my genre
If you had told me this was Metallica with a guest singer, I would have believed you. Tedious heavy metal.