Pantera: Vulgar Display Of Power 500 wide

This has to be one of the best examples of a cover perfectly conveying the content of the music contained on the album, which in this case is a shitload of aggression. Sure a majority of metal covers have alot of dark and violent themes but it seems many take it for granted, like it’s a given for a metal cover to come across this way. But this cover does it in such a simplistic and timeless way and for me with a slight twist of humor. Vulgar Display Of Power is regarded as a classic and Pantera’s best, and i always wonder does a classic album transform it’s cover into a classic as well.

It’s a shame they decided to follow such a great cover with such a lame and obvious one as the cover for Far Beyond Driven. Although i guess once their original concept for the album (WARNING:this cover may offend) was banned the care factor dropped.

Pantera: Far Beyond Driven Front CD cover

A Vulgar Display Of Hairspray:
Pantera glaming it up in the 80′s

Glam Pantera 3
Glam Pantera 4Glam Pantera 2

If you like people getting hit in the face then check out these videos:

And one for the ladies:

Art Direction: Bob Defrin, Design: Larry Freemantle, Cover photo: Brad Guice

«
»

Pantera: Vulgar Display Of Power

Pantera: Vulgar Display Of Power 500 wide

This has to be one of the best examples of a cover perfectly conveying the content of the music contained on the album, which in this case is a shitload of aggression. Sure a majority of metal covers have alot of dark and violent themes but it seems many take it for granted, like it’s a given for a metal cover to come across this way. But this cover does it in such a simplistic and timeless way and for me with a slight twist of humor. Vulgar Display Of Power is regarded as a classic and Pantera’s best, and i always wonder does a classic album transform it’s cover into a classic as well.

It’s a shame they decided to follow such a great cover with such a lame and obvious one as the cover for Far Beyond Driven. Although i guess once their original concept for the album (WARNING:this cover may offend) was banned the care factor dropped.

Pantera: Far Beyond Driven Front CD cover

A Vulgar Display Of Hairspray:
Pantera glaming it up in the 80′s

Glam Pantera 3
Glam Pantera 4Glam Pantera 2

If you like people getting hit in the face then check out these videos:

And one for the ladies:

Art Direction: Bob Defrin, Design: Larry Freemantle, Cover photo: Brad Guice

Posted by Ash on 9 August, 2007
Album: Vulgar Display Of Power
Artist: Pantera
Cover Artist: Bob Defrin, Larry Freemantle, Brad Guice
Record Label: Atco
90s, Album Art, Genre, Metal, Photography, Visual Style




  • Ash

    Agreed. The Far Beyond Driven is utter shite.

    I want to know the story behind the dude getting punshed int he face though!!

  • Ash

    OK I’ve scoured the net and there are multiple theories.

    1: The fist is lead singer Phil Anselmo and he’s punching a guy for $10-$100 a punch. It took them between 6-30 punches to get the right photo

    2: The fist is Phil, the guy is a fan who was honored to be punched.

  • dan

    i don’t think i’ve ever seen a middle aged woman get punched square in the face before.ever.pretty solid punch too…

  • Paul

    Is there any intended presumption on the reader’s part that the bulk of the art covered here is supposed to be GOOD? 60 posts in and it seems like the underlying theme of the blog is just to write about whatever the hell gets dug out of a used cd bin someplace.

  • Ash

    hey Paul,

    maybe you can enlighten us as to what you think is good?

    While this Pantera cover doesn’t have the best design or typography it’s iconic. It’s powerful and it tells the passer by this album will punch you in the face! All those things make this a memorable album cover than even some 15 years later is still talked about. (by people other than us)

    cheers
    Ash

  • http://www.pantera.com Phil

    Maybe Paul you need a punch in the face :)

  • Paul

    @Ash

    Sticky Fingers is iconic. Never Mind the Bullocks is iconic. Vulgar Display? Um, no. It’s just a manipulated photo of a punch in the face by hourly-wage staff in the basement of Atlantic Records.

    Anyway, not everything written about has to be ‘iconic.’ I’d settle for just ‘aesthetically well-assembled’. Vulgar Display doesn’t pass muster.

  • Ash

    Hey Paul

    true it’s not the best example but we can’t please everyone :) To throw a wide statement like of the 60 we have posted only 2-3 are any good is a hyperbole though.

    As long as the cover is interesting it’s worth discussing. If we only posted the top 1% of covers that ticked every box then we’d have stuff all to talk about :)

  • Carl

    The original banned artwork for Far Beyond Driven was much better:

    http://metaljesusrocks.com/gallery/d/89-1/far1.jpg

  • James

    Check out the 80′s Pantera’s album covers. http://www.stuffmagazine.com/articles/index.aspx?id=1414

  • http://www.fernandamolinaro.com fernanda

    I think is iconic cause when I think of Pantera… I remember this cover.. it’s not about a simple manipulated picture.. it’s about simplicity in express an idea in a remarcable way. The punch is the “face”of this album.. wich I think it’s the best of then.. I also love the cowboys from hell.. but I can hardly remenber that cover.. : )

  • http://www.monumentstudio.com Pascal

    A classic cover album if you ask me. Why? Because just about every “metalhead” in high school use to wear one of those, so it is very recognizable and unmistakably Pantera.

  • http://www.mojangles8.space.live.com Mo

    ..although this has nothing to do with Pantera, it would be a gas, if someone submitted the video of Glenn Danzig getting punched out..

  • Pingback: Andrew W.K: I Get Wet » Sleevage » Album Cover Blog. Music, Art, Design.

  • jordan

    it’s not phil’s fist.. Pantera wasn’t even there for the photo shoot… it has the whole story in march 2004 issue of revolver magazine..the record label sent them horrible pics of boxers punching eachother & Pantera wanted a street type real image..so the label set up a photo shoot paying $10 a punch.. it took 30 takes & the guy got $300 … Pantera didn’t even meet the guy until a show in 1995 & the photo shoot was in 1992..

  • His*Infernal*Majesty

    i agree with fernanda, whenever i think of pantera, this image come straight to mind.
    its simple and its icnic
    sometimes the simpleist covers are the best!

  • nate

    the guy getting punched is dime, not a woman

  • sam

    yo guys pantera have the best albums ever ok so mabey you all need a good punch in the face lol

  • Klintopher

    You give this album no credit. You do not understand the power of this album. Far Beyond Driven had a different cover before that one, but it was too vulgar to put out. You don't know anything about Pantera.

  • http://www.theslipperytruffle.com mrtruffle

    I like the album, I like the cover. I didn’t like the cover of Far Beyond Driven though. I know very little about Pantera that is true

  • Pingback: FIST Albums: The Good and the Bad » Sleevage » Music, Art, Design.

  • Blah

    WHo is the fucking douche who wrote this article? A DRILL literally going through a skull is lame? YOU’RE FUCKING LAME.

  • http://www.theslipperytruffle.com mrtruffle

    hey Blah, it was me and yes the cover for Far Beyond Driven is lame. The idea of a drill in a head is OK but the cover looks like dogs balls.

  • Lazarus

    This was one I was hoping you would provide more details on, such as who is photographed? Something I’ve always wondered…

  • http://www.theslipperytruffle.com mrtruffle

    this was back a while ago where we didnt go too in-depth into the covers. Sorry

  • Suck

    Stupid Douche-Bag! F-U!

  • FU

    Shut up then

  • Wercochj

    what was the other cover, i mean what did it look like

  • Dnlflnn

    the first cover of far beyond driven was meant to be a drill bit going up a models arse