Atco Records - 1992
10/10
Groove metal as a whole may be one of the easiest genres to attack, considering the usual tough-guy attitude, gruff vocals, and downtuned guitars that deviate from thrash metal (and perhaps a touch of doom). Pantera has never really helped with that, being the staple band one thinks of. Thinking about Phil Anselmo’s questionable statements of the recent decade, and Dimebag’s stars and bars guitar, it becomes less-than-surprising that so many have a foul taste left in their mouth. I get it, absolutely none of this helped the band age well, but one thing I think is seldom considered is why so many thrash metal bands in the ‘90s went this direction. Someone, somewhere, did something right, and I truly believe the shining achievement of this genre’s peak is Vulgar Display Of Power.
Some stick to “Glamtera,” some avoid it like the plague, and then there are those like myself who think peak Pantera was right in the middle, running from I Am The Night through this one, getting progressively tighter with each album. Here we see the fullest realization of groovy chops, tight solos, and hard attitude that stop just where they should, before going over the top in future efforts. Much of the makeup here relies on clear bass passages paired with intricate click-drumming to let Darrel’s guitar sweeps standout further. Almost never is there a rhythm section backdropped behind the solo for this reason, saving the riffier nature to co-opt Phil’s vocals.
Despite said attitude, absolutely none of the vocals feel forced or overdone, and they basically never lack some form of melody. Different variations of this combo present themselves from cover to cover, without so much as a note feeling out of place. We can talk about how “Walk” is overplayed day in and day out, but for how typical it is, I still think Dime’s solo here is one of his best. Nevermind the fact that its overall steadier nature works as a nice breath between “A New Level” and “Fucking Hostile.” Both utilize my favorite tactics of the same breed, the former flexing repetition and crawling anger for suspense, while the latter channels thrashy inspiration only to feel clearer in the chorus than in the verses. Actually, I would argue that “Rise” does this even better, another favorite of mine that packs in so much, so nicely. The way it transitions from pummeling thrash riffs to bouncy groove rhythms in such a swift manner gives me goosebumps every time.
But like I said, Vulgar Display Of Power showcases its biggest strengths in the grooves; the suspense and speed swapping are just what take it to a new level (pun intended). “Live In A Hole” is a concrete example, layering chugs with splendid timing, and “By Demons Be Driven” amps this same energy to jarring degrees. Opener “Mouth For War” uses this slower crawl to exchange dense fury for tighter melodies, still feeling plenty heavy. “No Good (Attack The Radical)” and “Regular People (Conceit)” work as nice transitional numbers, the former being a bit ironic in hindsight. Nonetheless, it plants a firm message with hook after hook for reinforcement.
All this leaves is the ballads, should one want to call them that, distributing the same characteristics to sit nice and snug with everything else. “This Love” displays clean singing without letting go of that unsettling undertone. Even with the softer guitar, there’s a sense of eruption coming in the chorus, and Vinnie’s fills shine nicely here. “Hollow” takes a more traditional formula, working as the perfect record closer, ending with some settled emotions before fading away with catchy guitar licks.
I understand why this is such a tough sell to some, and I’m probably pretty biased in my assessment here. Regardless, I absolutely adore this album. Seldom do guitar chops that so heavily contrast the same guitarist’s solos work this well, before you even throw Phil Anselmo or Rex Brown into the mix. It’s a shame that Pantera would fall into a pattern of disjointed albums following 1992, as they had a pretty perfect career since 1986. Never will I claim that they carried the torch in the ‘90s like so many other dweebs do, but there’s objectively no way to deny the impact this record (and Cowboys From Hell) had on the scene.
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