Damageplan
New Found Power

THE REVIEW

I must admit, it is quite difficult to find reviews on DeBaser that haven't already been written, especially for my favorite bands (bitter coincidence!) even though I have noticed that there are quite a few "duplicates" for some (take "Mezmerize" by SOAD).
However, this one isn't here, and I won't miss the chance...

A brief historical note: Pantera disbanded (alas) and from their ashes Damageplan was born, ashes composed of the sacred monster Dimebag Darrell and his equally monstrous brother Vinni Paul, joined by Shawn Matthews on bass, who recently played with Jerry Cantrell (ALICE IN CHAINS) and Pat Lachman on vocals, previously with Rob Halford. A story common to many others, which in 40 (and more) years of "rock" music have seen plenty.

The first impression when listening to the record is that they sound like Pantera, well, it's almost true after all 50% of the members of this group are ex-Pantera, and maybe it couldn't be otherwise. However, Damageplan was a refresh of the last Pantera, those of "Reinventing The Steel" if you will, where already the title presents itself as a renewal: "New Found Power". Their music is hard, powerful, a mix where all the barriers between Thrash, Power, and Nu Metal fall. Deadly riffs, very refined drumming, excellent bass, and excellent vocal performance.
The start is massive with "Wake Up", while in the title track the versatility of Pat Lachman's voice is evident. "Pride" and "Save More" have more rock influences, while "Crawl" is very reminiscent of Pantera. A couple of songs feature guests Corey Taylor (SLIPKNOT) in "Fuck You", and Jerry Cantrell (ALICE IN CHAINS) in "Soul Bleed", which feature lovely acoustic guitars, ensuring a great ending preceded by the heavy "Moment Of Truth".
Needless to say, comparisons with Pantera abound, and Damageplan probably wins compared to the latest Pantera effort, only the last one though, because I would never allow myself to question pillars like "Cowboys From Hell" or "Far Beyond Driven" for instance.
It's a shame (and here comes the sentimentality, allow me...) that this album remained as the testament of dear friend Dimebag Darrell tragically killed last year by a mad criminal. But what better memory could he leave us besides his great personality?
Worth listening to. Undoubted rating: 5.