When I first heard Vulgar Display of Power (which was also the first I’d heard Pantera) it blew me away. I didn’t know what to think, but it was definitely the heaviest shit I’d ever heard. I was compelled to hear more, like we’re all compelled to watch an MMA fighter get his arm broken even though it makes us squirm, so I bought the album. Twenty-one years later, I still listen to it and, honestly, it still holds its ground as one of the heaviest albums of all time – even in today’s scene.
One of the interesting aspects of Vulgar was its ability to cross genre lines; it appealed to a wide audience that included hardcore metal fans, glam metal fans, jocks, stoners, girls, etc. You name it, Vulgar captured the audience.
Pantera’s success with Vulgar Display of Power is owed, in no small part, to “Walk.” There’s so much that this track harnessed in its 5:15 minutes: a killer riff, a heavy groove that you feel in your groin, a great lyrical message delivered in the form of a chant, a wicked guitar solo underlined by a heavy bass line, and so much more.
As a complete work, Vulgar has been heralded as one of the greatest metal albums of all time in addition to being among the most influential within the genre. Obviously, “Walk” wasn’t the only track that contributed to the album’s success. With major usage from MTV’s Headbanger’s Ball, “Fucking Hostile” has become a fan favorite (can anyone tell us why?), along with “A New Level,” “This Love,” “Regular People (Conceit),” “By Demons Be Driven,” and “Hollow.” OK, so that’s nearly the whole album – basically, if you don’t own this album, you need to turn in your metal membership card, rent every season of Sex and the City, eat a tub of ice-cream, and start wearing a dress.
Trivia bonus: The title, Vulgar Display of Power was taken from a direct quote in The Exorcist.
Far Beyond Driven (1994)
Far Beyond Driven proved that Pantera wasn’t a fluke with a couple of decent albums and that their well of material was far from tapped. Debuting at number one on the Billboard Top 200 (the heaviest album to ever do so), Pantera’s place in the pantheon of metal was solidified.
Featuring far less guitar solos, Far Beyond is a groovier album with considerably more experimentation with sound – but not so much as to alienate their fans. It’s crunchy, sludgy, thuddy, and fucking loud – everything a metal album should be. Though more guitar solos were featured on subsequent albums, Far Beyond Driven is the album that defined Pantera’s sound, serving as the template for anything to come afterward. It was also their last effort as a cohesive unit; due in part to Phil Anselmo’s addiction to heroin after Far Beyond, nothing that Pantera would release would ever sound as united again.
While there are a number of standout tracks, nobody can deny that these have to be the best lyrics (at least the funniest) on the album:
“I fucked your girlfriend last night.
While you snored and drooled, I fucked your love.
She called me Daddy. And I called her baby when I
Smacked her ass…
…Your girlfriend could have been a burn
Victim, an amputee, a dead body, but god damn I wanted
To fuck.”
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