Reviews (page 6 of 8)
The album is just a war of attrition and Pantera supply the meat grinder. Many tracks are fine when listened to in isolation but by the middle of the album you often have to check to see if you've restarted by accident.
meh, ik ben normaal niet vies van wat metal, maar dit klinkt voor mij heel oppervlakkig, beetje stereotyp thrash metal en eentonig. Beetje hoe je denkt dat Metallica klinkt totdat je er een keer daadwerkelijk naar luistert.
Not for me
So this style is called "groove metal" apparently - because it's slower and "groovier" than Metallica (who were the style at the time). Sometimes this is true - sometimes this sounds like speed metal to me. And Darrell's solos always sound like EVH rip-offs..... "This Love" actually sounds a lot like Alice in Chains...... "Walk" is a fun, off-putting, groovy riff. They have some fun breakdowns here, as well. This isn't a bad record, but the songs are just so punishing. On that score, it succeeds admirably - punishing is exactly what they're going for. But the lyrics are juvenile ("I'd kill myself for you; I'd kill you for myself") and the vocals are hilariously corny to me. But how does that balance with the other performances, which are excellent? I don't know, man. I didn't love this. It has to be - TWO STARS [Post Script: There is a moment at the very end of "This Love" where Dimebag does a sustained super-high pitched squeal on his guitar, and it sounds just like Mariah Carey doing "whistle tones." That was fun.]
🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑 My Dad raised me a metal snob, often shielding me from dangerous Nu-identifying deviants and general buttrockery, so the sheltered bigot in me shivered at the name Pantera, though I knew not why. Having read some of the more colorful reviews of this album, I was delighted to discover Phil Anselmo's prolific history raging agnostically towards the machine, and had my expectations low purely because he seems to be a perpetually immature guy. I could've gone as high as a three on some of these early songs—sort of clean and flat in the way a lot of thrash metal ends up sounding to me, but very headbangable, and toward the better end of the spectrum of songs my Tae-Kwon-Do instructor would blast during burpees. They're definitely doing kind of a Motörhead thing sometimes, a Metallica thing other times, and a little too Oasis-ly doing Judas Priest toward the end there. Was put off by the bully-aggro "Walk" and "F*****g Hostile," but was delighted to recognize the opening riff of "This Love" from Dexter meme edits, I think—it's a shame they really do it to death with three re-introductions. Where this one ultimately lost me was in the enlightened centrist eye-rolls of "Rise" and "No Good (Attack the Radical)," which are about the least metal thing possible. I can easily forgive the accidental racism of an immature contrarian (not because it's okay, but because it's so meaningless), but I can't forgive rap-metal, which rears its ugly head here, which was the final nail in the coffin. Still, I can't deny the headbangability, which is perhaps the last thing preventing me from giving this a flat-out 1. 1: Bad | 2: Okay, No Desire to Revisit | 3: Good, Conditionally (OR Inconsistent Mix of Qualities) | 4: Great (OR Technically amazing but missing the sauce emotionally) | 5: Amazing
Ugh, spare me please. I can usually give some credit to cool guitar and drums, but this is so dramatic, tedious, and, in my opinion, deeply uninteresting. Also, the lyrics... come on.
The album is very loud, and it just seem that it is loud, well, dor loudness' sake. There are some good moments here and there, where the guitar really shines and shows what it can do, but most of the music is more or less the same. Too many songs are too similar, and musically interesting ideas remain brief and undeveloped. And even the loud parts would be better, if there was, let's say, interesting drumming or vocals, but no, not here. It's not the worst, but certainly not the best album. Side note: No song here can hold up to Cementary Gates by the same group, which is a lot better than this whole album.
Wasn't expecting the ferocity!
“Groove metal”, you say? Is the groove in the room with us right now? The closest this gets is the lurching rhythm on “Walk”, which I guess I’d call a highlight. My ears and taste are not tuned to appreciate (or even parse) metal very well, which I’d hoped this project would help with (foolish; there aren’t really that many metal albums present). I’m still in the unfortunate ‘this all sounds the same to me’ camp. I respect their musicianship (the drummer in particular), but I concede that this is not for me and I won’t be revisiting.
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’m glad the people that love this, truly love it. I just can’t enjoy it unfortunately.
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.
Not exactly my cup of tea, but there's some good rhythms to be found on some of these tracks that made the experience slightly better than expected.
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.
last song is the only reason i’m ranking it a place higher
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.
2.5
I actually didn't hate this. It's not something I'd go out of my way to listen to, but I prefer this thrashier style of metal compared to most subgenres. There's still some of the cheesy elements of metal present, especially in the lyrics, but if you ignore that, there's a handful of decent songs. I kind of like "Walk". 2.5 stars.
104/1089 Not sure how to sum up my thoughts on this one, i’m not into hardcore metal etc (though i do generally quite enjoy softer metal and metal influences in songs) so a lot of the music here just doesn’t land for me. This kind of aggression (or this mode of expression) just doesn’t resonate with me especially knowing that Anselm has been conisistently weird with his racist moments. This Love was the one track that stood out to me, that was a bit more my speed. the instrumentation was pretty cool throughout 23/100
I was previously familiar with Pantera but don't really know any of their material. This is about what I expected from a metal album. It has some nice guitar and drum work, but the vocals are a bit harsh for me. I can handle a few songs at a time, but it gets to be too much for a full album. This Love and Hollow stood out as good tracks. I may listen to this again, but definitely have to be in the mood for this one.
Pantera are a band I never cared much for, but it'd be hard for me to argue that the instruments don't sound kickass. I never got behind the singer's voice, though, it honestly brings it down quite a bit for me. If you want an album that typifies Pantera, this is probably the album. For me, though, there's loads of much better metal bands and albums.
Ehhhhhhh, this is just more thrash metal that is not my cup of tea. Nonetheless, I understand this is a highly regarded metal album and has some hits in it.
rip dimebag There's something primal about Pantera. When Walk comes on it's like a neuron that I didn't know existed activates. Rise does something to me internally that feels like it shouldn't be legal. I respect this album for being what it is, a pillar of 90s thrash. The band is tight, the sounds are guttural, the energy is there, but I find it extremely hard to separate the art from the artist here.
Not my thing. Not really interesting enough to elevate it beyond its boring tough guy lyrics and riffs.
While I dont dislike all of this, it cant really do a whole album of it.
Ok, but not my style.
Good genre music, just not a genre I'm into
Appreciate the musicianship, especially the guitar playing, but it's not really my cup of tea
I tried to let go of everything I know about the members of Pantera and approach this album with an open mind, I really did. There's a lot of enjoyable metal music out there, you know? Maybe this has potential! Nah. It's off-putting and unpleasant. "Vulgar" is an incredibly apt description. I appreciate its place in the evolution of the metal genre, but I'm never going to listen to Pantera again if I can help it.
Didn’t like Pantera in the early nineties and I still don’t like them
A braindead "mate" of mine back at school loved the song Walk. It was the only song he knew how to "play" on guitar. I associate Pantera with "braindead" because of this guy. I'm "giving" it a second star purely out of familiarity.
My issue with this kind of metal is that most of the songs are so. long. And the ones that aren't are basically just noise. I know objectively Pantera is an influential metal band, and I hear the talent there, but it's just not really for me. A lot of this album sounded the same, which made it feel even longer. I understand why this album is on the list, but I didn't like it.
Metal just always feels a little bit silly. Fun, but silly.
Been a very long time since I'd heard this. I don't think it's aged particularly well. There's something in the production that's really grating on my ears. Music is fine, but kind of feels like by the numbers metal to me now. Revisiting this album doesn't make me want to hear any more. I guess I'm more of a Down guy than a Pantera guy at this point in my life.
More like vulgar display of...poop...amirite? Eh, I've never cared too much for Pantera. The production of this album reminds me of a blender making a smoothie, maybe one from Panera. Nothing comes through clearly in the chase for the crunchiest guitar tones one can achieve, with vocals that drown in doubling. I guess everyone should hear Walk, but certainly no need to listen to the whole album.
Walk, don’t run, to pay your respects to Dimebag in this rather bland showcase of redneck groove metal.
It rocks, but the good ends there. If a guy were to make a case for vibes being a real thing, this would be exhibit A. Bad vibes off the charts, and I believe that would be true even if you didn’t know the political leanings of the members.
Music for dudes who used to think they were tough and don’t know how to communicate feelings.
Not my favorite metal album. There isn't much in the way of melody here. And the screaming vocals got old by the second track. "Hollow" is a little different from the others, but it just starts out as 80s "schlock metal" before returning to the same cacophony that characterizes the other songs.
Not my thing, but I can appreciate how it can get you super amped up.
I scream, you scream, why are we screaming?
Meh. I wasn't awful, but it could have been better if the vocals didn't sound like every other metal vocalist of the time. That, and the fact that thrash has never been something I really got into. Not one I'd go back to again.
I will start off by saying I was a big big fan of the Thrash Metal scene! This scene was at its peak from around 1986-1990. I would have to say 1990 was the ultimate year. 1990 Pantera released Cowboys From Hell, which is a great album, and was providing a new sound to this already waning sub-genre. Vulgar Display of Power came two years later, once grunge was really coming into play, and NuMetal had yet to rear its ugly head. I loved this album when it came out, even though, by musical tastes were still evolving. I enjoyed the thrash years, but already my musical mind was moving on. I no longer love this album, and as I continued to listen to it again, I just kept dropping stars off. It really does not age well, and the lyrics just come off as silly, and unintelligible today. There are so many other great thrash albums (that I could easily re-listen to today) that probably won't make this list because for some reason this album really struck a chord in the author of this book. If you are going to have this album on the list, we better see some representation from bands like Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, and Megadeth, who started and helped shape this genre.
Just not my vibe
Not a big fan of heavy metal
Djöfull tekur það á að hlusta á svona. Ég skil að þetta sé vinsælt en heil svona plata er of mikið fyrir mig.
I have no interest in this
chudmetal
Muscular riff work and aggression, I just don’t have enough interest in the genre to fully appreciate it, I think.
2/5 - I didn’t need to hear this, because I never got into Pantera, and this album doesn’t change my mind. Maybe on a different day, but probably not.
Didn't hate it
Could they all be like Hollow?!? That song actually seems unique, different and still in the metal genre. I can appreciate the guitar work and the singers actual voice. The rest of the album is so much screaming and yelling. Then the rough guitar over and over. The part that really frustrates me about metal is they all do the same exact thing, making it all sound exactly the same to me. I even chuckled at one point because all of the songs were marked as explicit but he screams so much you can't even tell he is saying explicit things! I am sure a real metal head would be able to show me the little differences that make Pantera and this album unique and different but to me it all sounds the same. I don't really like metal and I don't see anything super unique about this album (except Hollow).
I guess this is supposed to be one of the defining heavy metal albums of the 90s. Cool. I don't like it. I HAVE heard worse heavy metal, but that doesn't change the fact that I was annoyed by it and couldn't wait for it to be over. They sound like Metallica but screamier and angrier. Their front man sounds like a real piece of work too. This is my least favorite genre of music to get, and every time we get one, I hope it's the last. So we'll see if my wish finally comes true. It probably won't.
Not my style, but I didn't hate it.
This album was a bit too much for me personally. Although I would pick this over Jazz ten times out of ten it’s not something I would voluntarily listen to again.
Listened in the car driving home after work. Never been a fan of this genre of metal, I just find it boring and it reminds me why I loved grunge in the 90s instead. For me, it's like dance music in that I know there's a lot going on, but it completely fails to grab me in any way. This album sounded really clichéd but I'm guessing that may be because so many have followed in it's wake. Completely forgotten it after it ended.
One thing this project has taught me is that I like metal about as much as I thought I did. I think it’s the vocals.
No soy fan del metal, pero ha sido entretenido, no me terminaba de esperar el metal asi. Ha sido mi primer contacto con el como tal.
Did nothing for me, really. Yea, Dime plays a mean guitar, but Phil seems like a real jerk and I can't get over it. I saw the current rendition of Pantera (with Zakk) open for Metallica a few years back, they were fine live, but I wouldn't actively seek them out.
What are they so angry about?
Not my cup of tea.
I just don't enjoy metal
heavy metal. Lots of screaming not a fan. Also just a heavy metal album nothing goes terribly wrong.
The musical talent and ability is unquestioned, and im sure there’s a lot that’s influential when it comes to Pantera and Dimebag Darrel, I’m just not a fan of heavy metal.
I knew the name Pantera, but I didn't think I knew any of their songs. That was until I heard "Walk". It all came rushing back to me of being in the high school weight room. There was only one CD left in the stack next to the stereo that was not scratch to hell and it had this song on it. I had to listen to this song everyday for 2 years.... still the only lyrics I knew were 'Respect, walk. What did you say?'. Even with the bombardment of Pantera, I still don't like Metal. I respect their talent, but it's just not for me.
point8.
It was fine? Not a metalhead but there were a few songs that were listenable. Could have been a lot worse 4/10
Just reminds me of working at Hot Topic
Couple cool big riffs but kinda a slog
Was alright, songs got a bit repetitive though
had a good grove to it to start with but got grating quickly
In all honesty, this hasn't aged well. I still like Walk and it's one of those songs I'll keep around as a song I need for workouts or to release some anger. But, an entire album of this white anger is way too much. Also, Phil Anselmo is a scumbag. RIP DImebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul.
Lots of clean power chords, and alright yet uninspired drums. Vocals made this a difficult listen, and the songs were very same-y and repetitive. Not a Pantera fan after this album.
Слишком жёстко для меня. 4 из 10.
Ik ken de hoes, ik ken 'Walk' (iconische riff) en ik weet dat die zanger er uitziet als een gast waarmee je niet wil kutten. Als iemand eruit ziet alsof 'ie kan flippen omdat je perongeluk net iets te vrolijk uit je ogen kijkt is hij het. En dan schijnen er nog wat incidenten met z'n rechterarm te zijn. Niet fraai. Maar terug naar het album. Dit is geen gezellig metal-album voor familiegelegenheden met een mooi 'Nothing Else Matters'je ertussen (al lijken ze met die laatste track wel een poging te doen). Dit is echt van die boze metal. Snelle thrash, maar dan met bozer geschreeuw. Ik vind het voor een keer wel geinig, maar dit is niet helemaal mijn hokje. Ik heb het dan vanaf een nummer of twee na 'Walk', of misschien eigenlijk iets eerder al, eigenlijk wel gezien en gehoord. Daarna is het met gepaste tegenzin uitzitten geblazen. Ik vind het vet hoe hard dit is, maar een heel album is voor mij teveel. Ik ga deze op twee sterren zetten.
oh my goddd YAWNNNNN!!! i hate this type of music so fucking much bro.
I had a whole review typed up trashing this one, but it actually kinda grew on me. I still think the indiscriminate screaming doesn’t work, but some of this does. It would really be a 3, but minus one star for this guy apparently being Nazi trash.
Not my style.
Displays of power are always vulgar, no?
I liked this album quite a bit, and I think it's a shame. Dimebag is a great guitarist. Vinnie is a solid drummer. I didn't mind Phil's vocals. I haven't heard his voice lately, but he definitely wasn't doing growls/screams properly so if he continued the same away I imagine his voice sounds pretty rough. If I were rating this just as an album: 3/5 If I were rating this based on the band members:0/5
A challenging listen. Not terrible
Ok 2/5
A bit hostile for my taste. Ended on a high note tho.
ehh it was alright but im not super into this kind of music so i didnt love it too much. Overall: 2/5
I have the same problem with this album that I did with Metallica's black album: there isn't enough variety. It's all well and good for a band to have a unified, distinctive sound, but I do want to hear different ideas. "Hollow" was a nice change in texture, but too late.
Heavy metal. Not my thing
It's loud and in your face but that's about where it ends for me. Not that exciting to me, overall. I'm just not much of a thrash metal person, though.
It's loud. I'm not particulary a fan of metal and this didn't change with this album. Some of the guitar parts were cool, reminescent of Nirvana or Alice in Chains, but it was mostly just loud screaming and guitar.
Their 6th album. Heavy metal / Thrash metal and some Grunge type vibes. Walk is a track that's lyrically hilarious and not in a good way. RE..SPECT ! WALK! Over and over again. This album sounds like the same bass and guitar chords played over and over again at either fast or super fast speeds. However you also get a track like This Love which had a clichè Grungey vibe. Hollow- The final track, odd ending to the album. Starts out as a Grunge ballad and cheesy. I get it, if you're a Metal / Thrash Metal head this album is important. Just not my thing.
Puh. Und das gleich nach dem Frühstück. Der letzte Titel ist lustig: Seht her, wir können auch Metallica-Balladen spielen. Ok, es ist sicher innerhalb des Metal-Universums eine wichtige Scheibe. Aber den Rest der Welt hat sie vermutlich nicht beeindruckt. Mich auch nicht.
Solid 2.
Pantera = Anselmo. Y esito sería. Con una basta, dos ya bostezo, tres ya duermo. Ya terminó lo que el metal duro tenía. Fin.
Pantera is fine. This is fine.
The album is mostly a snoozefest, even when trying to be loud and in your face. There are some interesting ideas here in the lyrics.
What is it about metal bands where they produce a completely homogeneous album and then throw in an actual song as the final track. The whole album blended together for me in a bad way, and my loyal fans already know that I thought it was 10min too long. 2/5 just to separate this from the Korn album.
When I was younger I loved this album... now, it's try hard and knowing what kind of person Phil is, I can't really take it too seriously.
Not my cup of tea
Well, I guess it is my turn to say that an album was probably big for its time, but not much now. It is kind of generic and not that great. I think I only really liked one song.
Vulgar Display of Power Is The Greatest Album Ever. I Listen To It With My Buddies Before We Do Airsoft And It Feels Bad A$$! My Wife Doesn't Like Me Playing It All The Time From The Den But My Bro's Don't Care How Loud You Crank The Knob!!! - wraparoundsunglasses11281 the ultimate music for people who intentionally try to hit animals with their cars - thecouncilhasdecidedyourfate i have no idea why the album sounds like this. didn't Terry Date produce White Pony? like, the riffs are fine, but every drum hit sounds way too high pitched, especially that damn snare. if they wanted to make the heaviest album ever, they probably should have stuck with someone who didn't specialize in producing 80s metal. i'm writing this review in a white tank top and sport shorts. i didn't put them on, they just popped onto my body when i hit play. - m_crowley Listened to this album so much on tour in Afghanistan that the CD wore out in my Discman. I didn't even know CDs could do that! Even today, I still come back to "Walk" and feel cool as all get out. I gotta show my kids this! - McLovinFury i'm a 50 year old Black person from Chicago and i listen to Pantera every day! ROCK ON! - wonnywadke47 my dad used to listen to this with me in the car. we were never that close, but he's the reason i got into metal in the first place, and this album is where it all started. even now i still come back to it from time to time. miss you, dad. hope you're alright up there. - puddingthievesforhire All these youngsters playing punk today should bow down if Phil Anselmo ever walks past them -- he's the reason they're even able to do breakdowns int he first place! - EffingHostileTrucker
I simply was not in the mood and couldn't be bothered with any thrash doggerel dogma today. And there's one way to stand up to vulgar displays of power: RESIST! I don't much care if Pantera are probably some of the good guys; fuck off, this isn't what my ears want right now. I heard it out diligently (of course) and it just made me feel angry. And now of course that's got me thinking... perhaps that was the point all along ✊🖕🤷♂️
Vulgar attack on my ears. I can appreciate the soundscapes and portrayed anger. But I would never listen to this again. It's too larger-than-my-ears.
Not keen on this. Lyrically terrible and surrounded by noise. I enjoyed the song which chants: “RE - SPECT - WOK”
I knew Walk and always thought it was kind of a cool song even if my friends and I would mostly head-bang to it as a way to be silly. But I've learned that, beyond that song, there is nothing else here for me.
If you had no vocals, i would have given this a 4, but minus two for all the unnecessary screaming
There's some good guitarwork like on Live in a Hole and Hollow, but most this album doesn't resonate with me. I prefer metal with higher and more melodic vocals and guitarwork.
It does exactly what it says on the tin. I just don't think I quite have the energy for this these days. I am pleased that I've found 'Walk' though, which was on a playlist that used to go on at the soccer arena where I used to play indoor ball in Texas, and that comes with some very happy memories. So that's worth a whole bonus star.
It's okay. I guess the riffs are pretty solid, but I don't really see the magic in the album, and Hollow seems disjointed and badly mixed. I guess I could've given it some extra points for being early to the genre, but I'm not feeling it too strongly.
As far as metal goes not bad at all! The guitar playing was fucking awesome
I like metal and listen to plenty of it so it’s not a genre thing, this is just so boring
Nice hard and energetic listen. But a whole album of this kind is a bit too much for me.
I really am going to struggle with most of the metal on this list. I’ve never liked Pantera. Anselmo’s dogshit politics aside, they’re just really fucking boring to listen to. Just endless chugging. When the album ended and Spotify kept playing different Pantera songs I didn’t even realise. Rubbish.
Loud and boring with the style of vocals that suggest the singer is trying to sound nasty and brutish but could also be trying to pass a large stool.
Inspired by the cool riffage and shredding solos of thrash metal, Pantera took these elements and synthesized them into more groove-centered songs. Hence, groove metal. This was first explored on their previous album Cowboys From Hell, but it was Vulgar Display Of Power that ended up turning the most heads. In my opinion, Vulgar Display is mostly held up by a few solid tracks, particularly the first four. After that, the songwriting begins to stand out a lot less. This is especially tiring past the 40-minute mark, which makes me wish the album wrapped up a bit sooner. Not enough interesting songs to keep me engaged the whole way through.
2.3 Ah Pantera. The band I tried so hard to like when I was getting into heavy(er) metal. All my friends liked them, Fucking Hostile and Walk were played at literally every club night, and yet I just found them grating. Terrible sound production, a dickhead frontman who brought out the machismo side of the bellends at clubs/festivals that I hated. Just couldn't do it. Really sad to see them on this list, given all the amazing metal bands out there they could have gone for.
pau no cu do phil anselmo de resto, é só ruim, nada vai me convencer do contrário
pior que eh importante pro desenvolvimento do trash metal né. mas num gosto não. btw phil anselmo é um nazista filha da puta.
Not really for me, but I can tell how influential it is(was?) for 90s and 00s metal
No thanks
Hopefully one day I’ll be able to appreciate
Oof too noisy for me
Did not enjoy
Imagine listening to this twice before 9am. For 92 it sounds incredibly dated. So unbelievably dated. Feels like metallica had already done this ten years earlier. It has that marching beat that I don't like in metal music. Very one tempo, very uninteresting, very hollow sounding. When there's a guitar solo and the rhythm drops out it sounds so empty
Personal viewpoint - I hated this. Shouty cock-rock.
Gosh, it's good, but also terrible. Great guitar work, and I'm sure it I'd listened to this when I was young and cranky I'd enjoy it. At least in short doses, a full album is far too draining.
Oh boy, well I mean I know a lot of people really like Pantera, but they have never been one of my favorite bands from the early metal scene, of the big four I'm way more a Metallica guy than anything, but there were a few good songs, but I think that the problem is that for me all of Pantera sounds exactly the same as every other Pantera song, overall I didn't hate this album but I definitely prob won't listen again!
Uh yeah Pantera. They're alright. This album starts great and "Walk" is a classic but after "Fucking Hostile" this album just nosedives and I don't care about any song
Pior que não é uma música ruim. Mas é um tipo de música que eu prefiro ouvir em outros artistas. Dito isto, gostei de Walk, Fucking Hostile e Live In A Hole.
There's definitely some talent here. When the drum and bass would hit a groove, it was very impressive. I didn't care for the vocal or lyrics. I was also worn out by the end of it.
Mostly screaming and cursing with occasional displays of talent
Too much screaming for me
A bit entertaining but not something I would listen to again
After the Slipknot album I thought I was warming more to metal but nope, I don’t really like this one. I think the number one culprit is Phil Anselmo’s voice. Whatever he’s doing, I hate it. Best song: Walk
Once again we return to metal and I just don’t like it. The fuzzy guitars are cool. But the vocals and the aesthetic are turn offs for me. I believe that those who love this get some kind of catharsis that I don’t. It just leaves me feeling anxious and angry all day. 2/5
So blatantly, right-in-your-face manly and stupid that it's actually kind of funny. Makes me think of a caveman repeatedly hitting himself in the face with a club. Then, during the ballad at the end, he stares up at the sun and goes "maybe... Grok no have to hit self...". Alas, he goes right back to whacking shit right after. Anyway, I really didn't care for the majority of this album, but they're so committed to the bit, plus their riffs are just solid enough that I just can't get myself to give these poor troglodytes only one star.
I entered into this album with a heavy heart and a definite lack of enthusiasm. But…You’ve got to love the monster riffs, particularly on the first track. And the sheer tightness of band is incredible.The stop start rhythm of ‘A new level’ makes me feel want to play this type of music. But, I just find his voice really unappealing. It made me struggle to want to listen to the rest of the album. Highlights: ‘Walk’ came on and I’m transported back to the Dome nightclub in 1993 and a pint of snakebite and black! And… Just when I’d had enough…’This Love’ cuts through the sameyness. 💥 Too long, too angry, too samey… but when it hits the spot, it ROCKS
There's some really good and influential stuff on here. One of my first mentors in my professional life was a grizzled former session musician who was very good friends with everyone in Pantera and often told the story about how in 1999 when the Dallas Stars won the Stanley Cup there was an absolutely nutso party at Vinnie Paul's house and Guy Carboneau tried to toss the Cup into the pool and missed and that's where the visible dent during the parade came from. The Cup was then allegedly wrapped in a bungie cord anchored on either side of the pool and ridden by women like it was a mechanical bull. They're all such complete dickbags that it's kinda gross to listen to though.
Eh. I kind of hate heavy metal. But I can't deny they're talented. Plus I actually kind of liked "Hollow".
Walk is badass, too bad these guys are nazis. A lot of screaming in this one.
Instruments were ok. Good for a high energy workout, however I like to hear what they are singing about and you don't really get that here
Really not my thing. I can appreciate the technical ability, but I have no desire to listen to it again.
Not for me.
Too much screaming
Meh. Not for me.
Powerful maybe. But more so just vulgar. All seems pretty tiresome.
A bit much for my morning commute 😂
Yesterday, Slipknot and today, Pantera. If asked to choose between the two, it would be an overwhelming Pantera. But if I was asked to choose between Pantera and everything else (excluding Slipknot) I'd choose anything else. Well, that is except for Morrissey, The Who and basically any BeeGees or Kanye album, I'd choose anything else.
I legit thought the first 4 songs were just one long song. There is no variation in speed or sound until you hit the first half of this love. There’s some good stuff in there but it’s hard to hear when everything is turned up to 11.
трэшанина чисто по настроению. иногда, но бывает хочется залупни такой навернуть
This didn’t do anything for me, I just found it loud and frustrating, sadly. Rating: 2
Why people who can play instruments choose to play them like this will always baffle me.
Pants - tera
En haluais sanoa näin mutta ei voi mitään: joka biisi kuulostaa aiiiika samalta. Pantera kuulostaa mun mielestä enemmän glam-bändin nimeltä, joten odotan aina vähän kevennyksiä, mutta niitä ei tule. Ainakaan mulle tarpeeksi. En jaksa innostua.
Yllättävää kyllä levy alkaa väsyttämään vasta puolenvälin jälkeen. Toisin sanoen bändi on riittävän työteliäs keksiäkseen kiinnostavia riffejä, jopa vokaaleja. Mutta levy alkaa väsyttämään, eivätkä sanoitukset - tai se että niistä saa selvää - auta asiaa. 2,5
i never liked pantera very much
Cowboys from Hell is so much better
guitar and drums are insane. But couldn't get past the vocals.
Listened to two songs before I grew tired of the screeching vocals. Totally melodramatic.
Maybe 30 years ago, but not today.
I liked some of the guitars and the energy of it but in the end Grievance Metal isn't my favourite genre.
hardrocke, 1992 -> 2
New album for me, cannot say it is bad and Walk and No Good are quite pretty, but I fell asleep.
Well executed but I don't get any joy from this.
Difficult to not just tune this out as noise.
Metal, klingt eins wie das andere
Remarkable musicians. Obviously very talented. I listened to it quietly on tiny speakers while doing something else as a flex. Who's your boss now, Pantera?
Considering I was brought up on a diet of Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and AC/DC (who are responsible for my acute hearing loss) I don’t know what went wrong with regard to my appreciation of more modern metal. Somewhere along the line metal or heavy rock as I prefer to call it turned into thrash metal. I was never aware of this transition as I continued to listen to the classic heavy rock acts and ignored the other noise which seemed to be gaining prominence. I’m sure that this stuff sounds great live. In fact if Metallica qualify I’ve seen them live and for the majority really enjoyed the gig but must admit after 3 hours or so was glad to go home. Anyhow never heard of Pantera so wondered what they would sound like. Just a few bars of playing their instruments at 500 mph and a horrible rasping voice singing something inaudible to me but i accept this was probably Angus Young and Bon Scott’s fault back in 1978, I knew all there was to know. The album cover is a great metaphor for what I feel about the music although a picture of a heavy kick to someone’s groin would be more accurate. I certainly am more inclined to this stuff rather than the other genre which I hate - hip hop rap crap, so am forced to give it a rating above 1 star. A lowly compliment indeed. 2/5 13/8/24
1. uuar - 1.5 2. level - 1.5 3. uualk - 1.5 4. hoztile - 1 5. love - 1 6. rize - 1.5 7. good - 1 8. hole - 1 9. people - 1.5 10. demonz - 1.5 11. hollouu - 1
Guitar work is pretty good, but they needed an actual singer.
This didn't do much for me. It seemed angry without purpose. The musicianship left a bit to be desired as well. That said, they were definitely playing with energy and commitment so I'll not give them a one star.
I spoke too soon about 80s rock being more coherent than I remember. This was awful.
Too heavy for me but I got more enjoyment out of this one than other heavy metal albums on the list so I can respect it
Pantera is wanted to make the heaviest album of all time. Not sure they accomplished that but they accomplished make a record completely devoid of melody and anything actually dynamic. Metal riffs are great. But I don’t need 50 mins of the same one 4.2/10
Not my usual thing but I cannot give it a 1. I understand this albums place in music. 2/5
not my cup of tea
I can’t get past the singing to even try to enjoy this.
Too thrash metal for me, low 2.
There's some good riffs in here, but man, I did not enjoy the overall vibe. "Walk on home, boy" just did not hit me right, nor the cover art (no pun intended).
Dull and I can't understand the appeal of thrash metal, there's no variety (apart from one song)
C’est tout bonnement inécoutable, comme du jus de vidange en pouch-pouch dans tes yeux, mais je comprend l’appeal
A bit too 'shouty' for me.
The positives here, which are mainly guitar riffs and solos are far brought down by the awful screaming vocals and angry, edgy, tough guy lyrics. I like metal, but not this kind. I somehow knew This Love, but I don't know where from. I guess the last track was my favorite because it had some clean vocals on it.
Los grititos son molestos, pero puedo apreciar la influencia de este disco.
In a nutshell: Pan-tallica I listened to Cowboys From Hell before Vulgar Display of Power...and I think the former is better than the latter. Cowboys is focused and is not overproduced, whereas VDoP sounds more like a group of blokes playing in a Metallica parody (tribute) band. I didn't like it but I know Pantera is/was a gateway for some metal fans. Overall: 3/10
🎧Metal is not my genre, though some of this undeniably fucking rips. RIP Dimebag Darrell. “By Demons Be Driven" appears in the The Big Short. Christian Bale is seen performing along to the song, which he learned for that one scene.
I did enjoy aspects but overall a bit much for me
Not my thing but if you like it that's nice, I just want everyone to be happy :-)
Not for me.
I had a really hard time getting through today's album. Not because I dislike heavy metal, because it is one of my favourite genres of music. I just have a really hard time seeing the appeal of thrash metal in particular. This may be an unpopular opinion, but most of the thrash "greats" (Megadeth, Anthrax, Sodom, Pantera, Slayer) I just really don't like. I think it's because they distort their music so bad, and just wail on their instruments. None of it is really founded in musical theory, it just ends up being convoluted noise. And Phil Anselmo's incessant shouting doesn't help anything. The only thrash artists I like are Metallica (they made 2 of the best thrash albums ever, then changed their sound), and Sepultura. This was such a boring album, I just kept losing interest in the music and found myself drifting off a lot. This led to me having to restart songs quite a few times to really give my honest opinion on them. I think I lost interest so much because there was no flow to the music. It was just instrument abuse and shouting. I really hate thrash metal, and I'm glad that album is done. Favourite songs: This Love, Fucking Hostile, Walk Least favourite songs:... Most of the album.... One song ran into another in a drone of noise and distortion, so I couldn't tell you which song I hated most. Just.... All of it..... I suppose. 2/5 (mostly because of This Love and Walk)
I love heavy metal and loud vocals at the best of times but this album is just so uninteresting and seems to rely on being loud and intense instead of actually being music that’s good to listen to.
While I appreciate the technical proficiency of the music, this is not for me. It's my first 2, but I am also fascinated by the unhinged mass shooting that came from the guitar player forming a new band. WILD! This music definitely speaks to people.
I'm just not a heavy metal fan. I didn't know anything about Pantera before listening to this album and don't need to go learn more. Meh.
Well. THAT was quick. This is EXACTLY the music I enjoy listening to ....... for about a minute a year. ________________________________ 🎧 LPs reviewed: 54 🎧 LPs left to review: 947 🎧 LPs I found great/relevant enough to be mandatory listens (5): 12 🎧 LPs I *might* include in my own list (4): 17 🎧 LPs I will certainly *not* include in mine (1-2): 15
Perfect cleaning music, just don’t clean too often though, end up deaf. As the only way to listen to this is really loud. But clearly I’m not a proper Finn as this is all just bit too much. Favourite song Hollow
Though initially delighted to see this come up as it's a Finnish fave, two songs in I felt like I needed a lie down...
I kind of liked the music - guitar riffs and drums. But vocals & lyrics are pretty poor.
Never understood the appeal.
Music is driven, rhythm is compelling, but the vocals make it impossible to listen.
Never been a fan of this band. Don't really like the singer's voice.
Man, I really thought Pantera would slot right in to my musical tastes, but the feeling's just not there. Maybe didn't listen to this in the right headspace? Anyway...
Passionately anti-woke guy from high school that still posts his entire life on Facebook core.