Vulgar Display of Power Review
| Band | |
|---|---|
| Album |  Vulgar Display of Power |
| Type | Album (Studio full-length) |
| Released | February 25, 1992 |
| Genres | Groove Metal |
| Labels | Atco Records |
| Length | 52:54 |
| Ranked | #5 for 1992 , #115 all-time |
Album rating : 90.4 / 100
Votes : 90 (5 reviews)
Votes : 90 (5 reviews)
September 28, 2021
The legendary Vulgar Display of Power. The TRUE original tough guy metal album, and the bottom line set for all of Groove Metal. Does it live up to the hype? Well, yes and no.
Vulgar Display of Power is actually one of the first metal albums I’d heard, thanks directly to three of its songs inspiring music in Doom. Back then, Phil’s harsh vocals bulging with testosterone were too tough for middle school me. I couldn’t handle the masculine aggression in that creature, but the riffs were awesome enough to get me to stay until my ears were able to withstand the full-on assault of his drug infused gorilla arms. The music was practically seeping with bull semen and stale alcohol, the guitar tone a disgusting buzzsaw drawl, and the drums hitting like concrete. The cover represents the music well.
The album jumps between aggressive Thrash beats and sharp riffs to plodding, sludgy groove sections; this pretty much set the standard for Groove Metal to follow as Thrash’s slower brother. For me, the Thrash bits are the best part. Songs like “Rise” are perfect example of unrelenting aggression. The pure Groove tracks like “Walk” do very little for me, and it’s that aspect of the album that makes it weaker than Cowboys from Hell to me. However, slower numbers “This Love” and the devastating “Hollow” are super unique and very well-done examples of Pantera’s slower side.
So why do I say “yes and no” as to whether this album lives up to the hype? Well, because across the span of many websites and circles, Vulgar Display of Power is actually not rated insanely high, usually sitting around the “great album, but no masterpiece” numbers. And that’s exactly what it is, simply an unprecedented, flawed, off-center punch in the face like no other. It is unabashedly itself; no masterpiece, but a very vulgar display of power that you can’t look away from, and will certainly never forget.
Vulgar Display of Power is actually one of the first metal albums I’d heard, thanks directly to three of its songs inspiring music in Doom. Back then, Phil’s harsh vocals bulging with testosterone were too tough for middle school me. I couldn’t handle the masculine aggression in that creature, but the riffs were awesome enough to get me to stay until my ears were able to withstand the full-on assault of his drug infused gorilla arms. The music was practically seeping with bull semen and stale alcohol, the guitar tone a disgusting buzzsaw drawl, and the drums hitting like concrete. The cover represents the music well.
The album jumps between aggressive Thrash beats and sharp riffs to plodding, sludgy groove sections; this pretty much set the standard for Groove Metal to follow as Thrash’s slower brother. For me, the Thrash bits are the best part. Songs like “Rise” are perfect example of unrelenting aggression. The pure Groove tracks like “Walk” do very little for me, and it’s that aspect of the album that makes it weaker than Cowboys from Hell to me. However, slower numbers “This Love” and the devastating “Hollow” are super unique and very well-done examples of Pantera’s slower side.
So why do I say “yes and no” as to whether this album lives up to the hype? Well, because across the span of many websites and circles, Vulgar Display of Power is actually not rated insanely high, usually sitting around the “great album, but no masterpiece” numbers. And that’s exactly what it is, simply an unprecedented, flawed, off-center punch in the face like no other. It is unabashedly itself; no masterpiece, but a very vulgar display of power that you can’t look away from, and will certainly never forget.
2 likes
Track listing (Songs)
| title | rating | votes | video | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Mouth for War | 3:57 | 94.1 | 35 | Audio Music Video |
| 2. | A New Level | 3:57 | 89.2 | 29 | Audio |
| 3. | Walk | 5:14 | 95 | 38 | Audio Lyric Video Music Video |
| 4. | Fucking Hostile | 2:48 | 95.7 | 34 | Audio |
| 5. | This Love | 6:32 | 95.2 | 38 | Audio Music Video |
| 6. | Rise | 4:36 | 88.9 | 26 | Audio |
| 7. | No Good (Attack the Radical) | 4:49 | 83.1 | 22 | |
| 8. | Live in a Hole | 5:00 | 82.2 | 22 | |
| 9. | Regular People (Conceit) | 5:27 | 83.3 | 22 | |
| 10. | By Demons Be Driven | 4:40 | 82.8 | 24 | |
| 11. | Hollow | 5:48 | 90 | 28 | Audio |
Line-up (members)
- Phil Anselmo : Vocals, Songwriting
- Dimebag Darrell : Guitars, Backing Vocals, Songwriting
- Rex Brown : Bass, Backing Vocals, Songwriting
- Vinnie Paul : Drums, Songwriting
16 reviews
| cover art | Artist | Album review | Reviewer | Rating | Date | Likes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | | Cowboys from Hell Review (1990) | 95 | Oct 29, 2024 | 0 | ||
 | | 75 | Feb 13, 2023 | 0 | |||
 | | 90 | Oct 31, 2021 | 3 | |||
| | ▶ Vulgar Display of Power Review (1992) | 80 | Sep 28, 2021 | 2 | ||
| | Cowboys from Hell Review (1990) | 100 | Feb 15, 2021 | 4 | ||
| | Cowboys from Hell Review (1990) | 85 | Feb 13, 2021 | 1 | ||
 | | Reinventing the Steel Review (2000) | 90 | Jun 13, 2019 | 4 | ||
 | | Far Beyond Driven Review (1994) | 90 | Jun 4, 2019 | 11 | ||
| | 55 | Mar 2, 2019 | 4 | |||
| | Cowboys from Hell Review (1990) | 90 | Jun 30, 2018 | 8 | ||
| | 95 | Nov 2, 2017 | 5 | |||
| | Cowboys from Hell Review (1990) | 95 | Apr 11, 2016 | 4 | ||
 | | Official Live: 101 Proof Review (1997) [Live] | 90 | Oct 26, 2013 | 2 | ||
| | 90 | Oct 18, 2013 | 14 | |||
| | Cowboys from Hell Review (1990) | 85 | Mar 24, 2006 | 1 | ||
| | 90 | Nov 9, 2005 | 4 |
1
krisiunking 100/100Feb 15, 2021 Likes : 4
이들의 메이저 데뷔앨범으로 지금은 약물, 알콜과 흡연으로 목이 맛가기 전 고음과 저음을 자유자재로 구사하던 안젤모의 보컬을 들을 수 있다. 또 날카롭고 헤비한 기타(트윈기타 부럽지 않다), 완벽한 리듬맨과 테리 데이트의 프로듀싱. 91년 고1때 백판으로 듣고 받은 충격은 아직도 생생... Read More
goremonkey 90/100Oct 31, 2021 Likes : 3
가장 메탈답게 즐기게 되는 앨범. 껄렁이며 때려대는 그루브에 머리를 흔들며 열광하는 모습이 절로 연상되고, 원조 마초 보컬과 육중한 기타톤은 더욱 단단하고 강한 사운드를 만들며, 열광하는 청자를 더욱 미쳐돌도록 만든다. 이런 와중에 투여되는 Fucking Hostile, Rise같은 시원시원한 트... Read More
▶ Vulgar Display of Power Review (1992)
SilentScream213 80/100Sep 28, 2021 Likes : 2
The legendary Vulgar Display of Power. The TRUE original tough guy metal album, and the bottom line set for all of Groove Metal. Does it live up to the hype? Well, yes and no.
Vulgar Display of Power is actually one of the first metal albums I’d heard, thanks directly to three of its songs inspiring music in Doom. Back then, Phil’s harsh vocals bulging with testosterone ...
Official Live: 101 Proof Review (1997) [Live]
이준기 90/100Oct 26, 2013 Likes : 2
카리스마있고 거칠고 난폭한 헤비메탈의 선두주자 판테라의 라이브 앨범으로 다임백 데럴의 죽음으로 처음이자 마지막 라이브 앨범이 되고 말았다. Cowboys From Hell부터 The Great Southern Trendkill앨범까지 골고루 선곡되어 베스트 음반격으로도 봐주면 되겠다. 라이브 음질은 약간 기름진 맛이 ... Read More
SilentScream213 85/100Feb 13, 2021 Likes : 1
Another one of the biggest shocks of the 90’s. Sleaze metal losers Pantera decide to reinvent themselves as some sort of cowboy metal saviors, become about 3 times as heavy and start cranking out sludgy mid-tempo riffs as if they’d been doing it all along. The drumming, despite being the same guy as always, takes on a much different flavor here, making way more use of doubl... Read More
