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Rating:
Foreword that has nothing to do with this review: in my past reviews, I have given ratings that may seem exaggerated, sometimes given due to hasty judgments, other times to not belittle the album, seeing 5-star ratings given in a flurry to albums that definitely deserve less.
For example, a 5 I gave to Deliverance by Opeth, on a scale from 1 to 10, would correspond to a 7.5, while a 3 given to Hypnotize by System Of A Down would correspond to a 5.5. Now I will give a rating on a scale from 1-10 and a somewhat imprecise evaluation from 0 to 5. Now you might be asking, and why do I care? You're right :)
The year 1988, a new singer named Philip Hansen Anselmo joins the lineup of the Texans Pantera. Then a twenty-year-old with an excellent vocal range, the young singer showcases solidity and power, perhaps the classiest performance of his career. His entry into the band marks the beginning of the climb to charts and success in the Metal scene, making the 4 one of the most popular and well-known formations in the entire Heavy landscape.
"Power Metal" is an energetic, aggressive, melodic album with balls. It's a good healthy Heavy Metal album and it is absolutely not a Pantera album. Even the members themselves deny their past, so much so that on their official website, their career begins with the splendid next album "Cowboys From Hell", which marks the almost total abandonment of Heavy Metal for a Thrash landing.
Only Anselmo's voice still recalls the old times (which will then inevitably lower significantly with the next 2 albums due to the singer's excessive alcohol dependence). Returning to the album in question, we have to ask what is there of Pantera in an album that even Pantera themselves deny?
Surely one of the things that most reminds you of the Pantera of the 90s are Dimebag Darrell's solos (R.I.P.). Fast, precise, fluid, and use of the whammy bar to the max. The late guitarist was already on another planet at the time. Rex and Vinnie Paul don't even seem like distant relatives of the devastating rhythm section of the more famous subsequent albums; they are closer to Judas Priest. Anselmo has already been discussed, so let's move on to the best episodes of this tasty LP, now hardly available.
The opener "Rock The World" showcases all the qualities already described previously. Pumped bass, cadenced drums, never high rhythm, and highs worthy of Rob Halford. The title track is different, fast and aggressive, thanks to the double bass and Phil's nervous screaming. The album is tinged with AOR in the melodies of "We'll Meet Again". Seductive voice and obsessive chorus. "Down Below" reminds of "Shattered" from "CFH". Beautiful and perhaps the best of the lot, "Hard Ride", a track with a somewhat glam and mainstream sound, but absolutely fascinating. "P.S.T. 88" closes the album surprisingly, showing us an already decidedly Thrash side.
For those who want to discover not exactly the origins, but how the first course of Pantera concluded, "Power Metal" is the ideal album.
Recommended for all Heavy music enthusiasts.
"Hard ride with me
It's a matter of time before
You fall down on your knees
Hard ride stay free
It's a matter of time
'fore it's too late"
Rating: 7
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Rock the World (03:36)
In these times
Of confusion and sin
We must redeem
Our human ways
This force that
Fights to live
Will fight
Till it dies
And rise again
To save the day
[CHORUS]
WE ALL
ROCK THE WORLD
WE ALL
ROCK THE WORLD
The power grows
To destroy
This flag of hate
That waves so
High in the air
We raise our fists
In rebellion we stand
Our hungry hearts
Set the snare
[CHORUS]
Ageless as time
Change is revealed
We will rock for you
02 Power Metal (03:54)
You say you want it loud
I'll never turn it down
You wanta feel my power
Pound you in the ground
I wanta give you fury
Blow your head apart
I'll leave you comatose
From the very start
You say you want some Metal
I'll give you all i've got
My deadly grasp is lethal
This force will never stop
POWER METAL
ROCK FOREVER
POWER METAL
ON FOREVER
I am the metal beast
The battle dog I deal
My soul was spawned in hell
My body coiled steel
Put on this earth to
Melt it down to the core
I'll make you feel such pain
You're comin' back for more
You say you want some Metal
I'll give you all i've got
My deadly grasp is lethal
This force will never stop
POWER METAL
ROCK FOREVER
POWER METAL
ON FOREVER
03 We'll Meet Again (03:56)
I walk the
Streets of darkness
Where hell awaits
Guarded by the mystery
Just beyond the gates
Searching for the answer
Every man must find
Before eternity beckons
I will make you mine
GOODBYE MYSTERY
GOODBYE PAIN
GOODBYE LOVE
WE'LL MEET AGAIN
In another lifetime
She'll take another man
She's left me here to die!
Its killing me again!!!!!!!!!!
GOODBYE MYSTERY
GOODBYE PAIN
GOODBYE LOVE
WE'LL MEET AGAIN
05 Proud to Be Loud (04:04)
Listen up good
I got a lot to say
I know what I want
And I get my own way
I call 'em as I see 'em
I don't play by the book
One dose of volume
That's all it took
I've seen it, I've done it
I've heard it before
Now it's my turn
To settle the score
I'll sing it, I'll shout it
I'll say it again
I don't care if they
Never give in cause I'm
PROUD TO BE LOUD
PROUD TO BE LOUD
YOU KNOW I'M PROUD
PROUD TO BE LOUD
Well I've alway believed
In freedom of speech
And I've always been the one
Who practiced what I preached
LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT
I'll give you the choice
But it'll snow in hell
Before I lower my voice
I live it, I breathe it
I gotta have more
It's full blast
And this means war
The power, the glory
It's callin' my name
I won't start to
Play their game cause I'm
PROUD TO BE LOUD
PROUD TO BE LOUD
I'M PROUD TO BE LOUD
AND I'LL NEVER
TURN IT DOWN AGAIN NO!!
PROUD TO BE LOUD
PROUD TO BE LOUD
I'M PROUD,
PROUD TO BE LOUD
06 Down Below (02:51)
People runnin'
In the street
Lookin' for some
Meat to eat
Its in your
Dirty magazines
All across your
TV screens
Midnight Riders
In the street
Feel the fire
Catch the heat
YOU BETTER GO
DOWN BELOW
YOU BETTER GO
DOWN BELOW
See the ladies
Of the night
Built for speed
To my delight
I steal them
In my limousine
Hear them shout
Hear them scream
Its a dirty job
But somebody's gotta do it
S-C-R-E-A-M !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
08 Hard Ride (04:18)
You're in the danger zone
You can't be left alone
Your heart is
In this for the ride
But when it comes down to it
You spoke your mind and you blew it
I want you when I want
And still I hear you say
HARD RIDE WITH ME
Its a matter of time before
You fall down on your knees
HARD RIDE STAY FREE
Its a matter of time
'fore its too late
The pressure's building up
You feel you've had enough
So go now
AWAY
I'll lay it on the table
You're feelin' so unstable
I want to love you
But you seem so far away
CHORUS
And I don't even know your name
I just want to throw you away
09 Burnnn! (03:37)
We wanta live our life
Forever each day
To burn your candle
At both ends
Mach 10 velocity
Not slowing down at all
Your metal heart
Just never bends
OOOOOOO
Don't stop to
Wait for life just
BURNNN it to the ground
BURNNN ! ! !
ITS TIME TO SWEAT
HAVE NO REGRET
JUST BURNNN IT DOWN
BURNNN ! ! !
ALL YOU'RE LIVIN' FOR
IS THE GLORY IN YOUR HEART
LIVE HARD, DIE GREAT
BURNNN IT DOWN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
10 P*S*T*88 (02:41)
You are responsible !!!!!
The words to this song
Are invisible and therefore
Unable to be printed
When the "beast of pantera"
Runs loose words as such
Do not exist !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So whatever sounds you
Interpret as words
Are strickly up to you
Remember...you are in control !!!!!
Diamond darrell and
The boys have created
This flashback just
For all you girls and
Major praty animals
'cuzwenowhatchulike !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Soooo crank it up !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Listen at your own risk !!!!!!!!!!!!!
And party down!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
P.s.
Some sounds got on the
Tape backwards
We don't know how or why
But we also don't care!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Partytime!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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