VULGAR DISPLAY OF POWER 1992

1) Mouth For War
2) A New Level
3) Walk 
4) Fucking Hostile
5) This Love
6) Rise
7) No Good (Attack The Radical)
8) Live In A Hole
9) No Good (Conceit)
10) By Demons Be Driven
11) Hollow
-Label: Atco
-release date: 2/10/92
-gold certification: 2/9/93
-platinum certification: 11/7/97
-All songs written and arranged by Pantera
-All lyrics © 1991 Power Metal Music/COTA Music, BMI
-Produced, engineered, and mixed by Terry Date and Vinnie Paul
-Co-produced by Pantera
-Recorded and mixed at Pantego Sound Studio, Pantego, Texas
-Mastered by Howie Weinberg at Masterdisk, NYC
-A&R Coordination: Derek Oliver
-Cover photo: Brad Guice
-Band Photography: Joe Giron
-Art Direction: Bob Defrin
-Design: Larry Freemantle

          Probably the heaviest album ever to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard album chart, Pantera's Vulgar Display of Power proved that, even in an era of alternative rock supremacy, heavy metal fans were still a force to contend with. Blending eerie, surging grooves influenced by Black Sabbath with thrashy speed metal riffs, Pantera created a bleak, oppressive disc that captured both ends of the speed spectrum without resorting to cliché, abrupt tempo shifts. Guitarist Diamond Darrell plays with as much crunch as the best Metallica, while vocalist Phil Anselmo screams loud enough to satisfy any GBH fan. Coupled with Vinnie Paul's insistent, double bass-drum onslaught, you're left with a record that's a dentist's wet dream--an album that'll shake the fillings out of even the strongest teeth. 

--Jon Wiederhorn, Amazon.com

*****          

          Now you're talking my kind of metal! The power groove and intensity of Dimebag Darrell's riffing and Phil Anselmo's hollowing vocals set Pantera apart from the pack. Some critics may point to the inconsistency and the song-writing weakness of the latter half of 'Vulgar Display Of Power', but 'No Good (Attack the Radical)' and 'Regular People (Conceit)' are just as powerful as the considered classics 'Mouth for War', 'Walk' and 'This Love'. Short story: my introduction to the groove-heavy 'Walk' was through a mid-90s UK metal programme called 'Noisy Mothers' (presented by Annnimalll) and I didn't realise the theme song was written by Pantera until I purchased 'Vulgar Display Of Power'. The understated and surprising melodic vocals from Anselmo on the verses to 'This Love' are in sharp contrast to the enormous "You take this loooove" chorus that are startling dynamics, and stands as best track of the album. I consider this to be Pantera at their creative peak, however it wasn't until the next album when the intensity and brutal vision would be raised a notch higher.

-entertainment.inuk.com

 

Lyrics:

1: Mouth For War (3:56)
Revenge, I'm screaming revenge again 
Wrong, I've been wrong for far too long 
Been constantly so frustrated I've moved mountains with less 
When I channel my hate to productive 
I don't find it hard to impress

Bones in traction Hands break to hone raw energy 
Bold and disastrous My ears can't hear what you say to me 

Hold your mouth for the war 
Use it for what it's for 
Speak the truth about me 
Determined 

Possessed 
I feel a conquering will down inside me 
Strength 
The strength of many to crush who might stop me 
My strength is in number and my soul lies in every one 
The releasing of anger can better any medicine under the sun 

Bones in traction Hands break to hone raw energy 
Bold and disastrous My ears can't hear what you say to me 

Hold your mouth for the war 
Use it for what it's for 
Speak the truth about me 
Determined 

 There comes a time within everyone
to close your eyes to what's real 
No comprehension to fail I vacuum the wind for my sail 
Can't be the rest Let others waste my time
Owning success is the bottom line. 
Like a knife into flesh After life is to death 
Pulling and punching the rest of duration
NO ONE can piss on this determination

2: A New Level (2:57)
Now a new look in my eyes my spirit rise 
Forget the past Present tense works and lasts 
Got shit on Pissed on Spit on Stepped on Fucked with
Pointed at by lesser men 

(Pre) New life in place of old life Unscarred by trials 
(Chorus) A new level of confidence and power

Demanding plea for unity between us all  
United stand Death before divided fall 
In mock military order 
Vulgar Power Impatient Because time is shorter 

(Pre) (Chorus) 

No fucking surrender Can't lose Life kills

3: Walk (5:15)
Can't you see I'm easily bothered by persistence 
One step from lashing out at you... 
You want in to get under my skin And call yourself a friend 
I've got more friends like you What do I do? 

(Pre) Is there no standard anymore? 
What it takes, who I am, where I've been Belong 
You can't be something you're not 
Be yourself, by yourself Stay away from me 
A lesson learned in life Known from the dawn of time 

(Chorus) Respect, walk 

Run your mouth when I'm not around It's easy to achieve 
You cry to weak friends that sympathize 
Can you hear the violins playing you song? 
Those same friends tell me your every word 

(Pre) (Chorus) Are you talking to me? No way punk

4: Fucking Hostile (2:49)
Almost every day I see the same face 
On broken picture tube It fits the attitude 
If you could see yourself You put you on a shelf 
Your verbal masturbate Promise to nauseate 
Today I'll play the part of non-parent 
Not make a hundred rules For you to know about yourself 
Not lie and make you believe What's evil 
is making love and making friends and meeting God you're own way 
The right way 

(Chorus) To see To bleed Cannot be taught 
In turn You're making us Fucking hostile 
We stand alone 

The truth in right and wrong 
The boundaries of the law 
You seem to miss the point Arresting for a joint? 
You seem to wonder why Hundreds of people die 
You're writing tickets man My mom got jumped -- they ran! 
Now I'll play a public servant To serve and protect
By the law and the state 
I'd bust the punks That rape steal and murder 
And leave you be If you crossed me
I'd shake your hand like a man Not a god 

(Chorus) 

Come meet your maker, boy Some things you can't enjoy 
Because of heaven/hell A fucking wives' tale 
They put it in your head Then put you in your bed 
He's watching say your prayers Cause God is everywhere 
Now I'll play a man learning priesthood
Who's about to take the ultimate test in life 
I'd question things because I am human 
And call NO ONE my father who's no closer that a stranger 
I won't listen 

(Chorus)

5: This Love (6:32)
If ever words were spoken Painful and untrue 
I said I loved but I lied 
In my life All I wanted Was the keeping Of someone like you 
As it turns out Deeper within me Love was twisted and pointed at you 
Never ending pain, quickly ending life  

(Chorus) You keep this love, thing, child, toy 
You keep this love, fist, scar, break 
You keep this love 

I'd been the tempting one Stole her from herself 
This gift in pain Her pain was life 
And sometimes I feel so sorry I regret this the hurting of you 
But you make me so unhappy 
I'd take my life and leave love with you 

I'd kill myself for you, 
I'd kill you for myself 

(Chorus) No more head trips

6: Rise (4:36)
We've got no time to lose 
Your news is old news 
Hate this, hate me, hate this 
Right approach for the wrong 
It's time to spread the word 
Let the voice be heard 
All of us, one of us, all of us Dominate
and take the motherfucking world 

Mass prediction, unification Breathing life into out lungs 
EVERY creed and EVERY kind To give us depth for strength 
Taught when we're young to hate one another 
It's time to have a new reign of power 
Make pride universal so no one gives in 
Turn our backs on those who oppose 
Then when confronted we ask them the question 
What's wrong with their mind? What's wrong with your mind? 

(Chorus) It's time to RISE 

We've lived with past mistakes 
And we've lived with our own 
Forgive, forget forgive Be a man, not a child 
There are to tears for peace 
Or the common sympathies 
Educate, reinstate, educate 
A thing of past The trouble in the states It's time to rise

7: No Good (Attack The Radical) (4:50)
In the states There's a problem with race
Because of ignorant past burned fires 
From evolution We've been killing each other
I figure man should have it down to a science 
No chance Not for a minute 
Not for a second I won't be defensive 
I'm straight out in my opinion 
You'd better listen to a man who knows what he is saying 
I've seen your side 
You run and hide for the mere fact that you feel inferior 
Be superior And know your interior 

(Pre) Race, pride, prejudice Black man, white man 
No stand Live in the past 
We make it last A hated mass 
No solution Mind pollution For revolution 

(Chorus) So low behold my eyes 
This land of fools will rise 
No good For no one 

You blame oppression and play the role of criminals 
To rape and burn show progress is minimal 
White hoods and militants you know it's such a pity 
Living, breathing Violence in your city 
If one man Had one home In one world 
Held live alone without variety 
Full of anxiety No one to point at, question Or even talk to 
in his private grave 
No matter what color 
He wouldn't be saved from hell 
He dwells 
A closed mind playing the part of prison cells 

(Pre) (Chorus)

8: Live In A Hole (4:59)
Full of grief I scream at the wind Thought I heard the words of others 
Imprison myself and stay in a shell 
I won't let you in to have a story to tell 
Things tend to drag me down 
Don't understand so they hate me now 

(Chorus) My fear grips the will of stone My grip fears I'll die alone 

I promised myself somewhere in the teenage life 
I'd never submit to the ones I will not be like 
Live in a hole But stay close to my kind 
Cause they understand what burns in my mind 
I still feel incomplete Friends are few and far between 

(Chorus)

 

9: Regular People (Conceit) (5:27)
I've trampled on that road 
That you think you own You have that "smart ass" attitude 
It's time to stop the fiction 
I live it every day 
While you're mind's far away 
I'm out here putting pride on the line 
And you case on me with pure respect 
One chance at one thing 
Hard time is coming 
My time, your pain I reign on you 

(Pre) You think you own 
I take away 
Take it with me 
You think you own I took away 
Made it my own 

(Chorus) Most regular people would say it's hard 
And any streetwise son of a bitch knows 
Don't fuck with this 

The so many times 
You practice in your mirror 
To be just like me 
But you just can't see 
You ain't got the balls, son 
I fight for love of brother 
Your friends fight one another 
You can't see because your head's up your ass 
And just in cast you think you're bad 
I crush your rush I rule you fool 
I'm immovable stone in your world of weak  
I speak 

(Pre) (Chorus)

10: By Demons Be Driven (4:39)
Serving the faith Abduction the oath 
It lie in wait for the offering 
Religion is old 
For drawing the young 
Purity withers and dies 
Never return to the ones that provided 
Children draining parents of will 
I hold out my hand to bloodless child 
I'm taken by the one I was saving 
From death 

(Chorus) By demons be driven Beckon the call 

With decline in mind 
End not far 
We're left hanging alone here 
He pulls us from nails 
Shatters our bones 
Leaving us crippled and strewn 
Boiling my corpse in the blood of his children 
Praying for his god to prevail 
Burying us with loved ones 
To sleep with shelled children 
....of the sixth dimension 

(Chorus)

11: Hollow (5:45)
What's left inside him? 
Don't he remember us? 
Can't he believe me? 
We seemed like bothers 
Talked for hours last month 
About what we wanna be 
I sit now with his hand in mine 
But I know he can't feel... 

No one knows what's done is done 
It's as if he were dead 

I'm close with his mother 
And she cries endlessly 
Lord how we miss him 
At least what's remembered 
It's so important to make best friends in life 
But it's hard when my friend sits with blank expressions 


No one knows what's done is done 
It's as if he were dead 

He as hollow as I alone now 

He as hollow as I alone 
A shell of my friend 
Just flesh and bone 
There's no soul He sees no love 
I shake my fists at skies above 
Mad at God 
He as hollow as I converse 
I wish he'd waken from this curse 
Hear my words before it's through 
I want to come in after you 
My best friend 
He as hollow as I alone