Search - Damageplan :: New Found Power

Forget Pantera, but don't forget Dime

A. Stutheit | Denver, CO USA | 01/07/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Like others are saying on here, I was completely devastated by the loss of Dimebag Darrell. The music world has lost one of the best guitar players of our time. I considered Dimebag almost a modern day Jimmy Hendrix, and I think "Vulgar Display of Power" and "Far Beyond Driven" are two of the all time greatest metal albums. I can honestly say that Dimebag was not only a great inspiration to me (he made me want to play guitar!), but also the entire metal community. Dimebag will be sorely missed.



I urge you to move on, past Pantera, and pick up Damageplan's debut. If you're a Pantera fan and you need something more, Pantera related, to listen to, Damageplan is exactly what the doctor ordered. To me, Damageplan is, musically, a continuation of the Pantera legacy. Many of the songs grind like Pantera's "Far Beyond Driven", with blowtorch riffs, great solos--although not as many-- and great hand and foot work by drummer Vinny Paul. But the vocals are where Damageplan differs from Pantera. Most of the time, the vocalist, Patrick Lachman, belts out a "throaty yell/gurgle," but he can also switch to crooning and staccatto barks. He may be more of a trendy singer than Phil Anselmo, but so what?! This C.D. rocks!



Highlights include:



"Wake Up" has a slow beginning, which builds into a heavy breakdown and Pat's yell of "Wake up!" It then turns to an almost galloping beat with calm growling.

"Breathing New Life" is a personal favorite. I can't get enough of it (or any of the C.D.'s first six tracks). This song begins with a small drum intro, then explodes into hard rock. Patrick Lachman sings "Can you feel it building?" That's an appropriate line, because this song builds and builds like many-a-great Pantera song. The chorus is a catchy breakdown which I have had running in my mind for days.

"F*** You" is almost like a Damageplan version of Pantera's "F***ing Hostile". The verses are fast and brutal, with blowtorch riffs and double kick drums. A great song to mosh or headbang to.

"Reborn" has verses which almost groove. The real highlight here, though, is the two wailing guitar solos contributed by equally-as-talented Zakk Wylde. I wish there were more of those guitar solos on here.

"Explode" is as heavy as you'd think a song with the title "Explode" would be. It begins with guitars that chug and churn, leading into the brutal chorus and some great guitar work by Dime.

"Save Me" fuses some melody into the typical Damageplan brutality (with big choruses and some of the aformentioned metal crooning and staccatto barks). That's the only reason why I gave this C.D. 4 stars instead of 5, because I think the vocals could stand to be a bit more multi-faced than they are, as in this song. And a few more guitar solos would be nice, too.

"Blink of an Eye" features wah-wah guitars and "Moment of Truth" hits as hard as ever, but "Soul Bleed"--an acoustic track with more guest guitar work by Zakk Wylde-- brings the C.D. full circle. Two tracks like this, one in the middle of the C.D., would have been nice.



Dimebag may be dead, but help his legacy live on. As a Pantera fan, a Dimebag fan, or even as a heavy metal fan, you owe it to him to help the legend of Dimebag Darrell live on. Pick up this C.D."

Dimebag's Musical Legacy Will Live On And Inspire Others

M. Hart | USA | 02/23/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The tragic and senseless end to 'Dimebag' Darrell Abbot's life on December 8, 2004 in Columbus, Ohio has affected not only those that were closest to him, but also the many fans that knew him only through his music in the bands Pantera and Damageplan. It was from the ashes of Pantera that Dimebag and his brother Vinnie founded Damageplan in 2003, and recruited the powerful vocals of Pat Lachman and the talented bassist Bob Zilla (a.k.a. Bob Kakaha). The release of their first album early in 2004, entitled "New Found Power", is, and will forever be, a testament to Dimebag's resilience and musical talent as he co-wrote and co-composed the album's 14 songs (just over 1 hour of music) with brother Vinnie and Pat Lachman:



1. "Wake Up" (5). A soft, but relenting start prepares for the burst of sound from Pat Lachman, Dimebag, Bob and Vinnie and never lets up until the very end.

2. "Breathing New Life" (5+). A no-nonsense start with double-drumming, artful guitar work and Pat's haunting & very aggressive vocals.

3. "New Found Power" (5). Awesome percussion, guitar & bass accompany Pat's aggressive vocals.

4. "Pride" (5+). A slower, but no less powerful song featuring Pat's ballad-like and aggressive vocals. One of my favorite songs on the album.

5. "F*** You" (4.5). No-nonsense, straight to the point thrash. Great lyrics too! Love the speed-up midway.

6. "Reborn" (4). This song features some great guitar & bass work accompanying Pat Lachman's aggressive singing.

7. "Explode" (4). Relentless percussion and guitars precede Pat Lachman's deliberate singing.

8. "Save Me" (5+). My personal favorite song on the album. Awesome singing, perfect guitar, bass & percussion.

9. "Cold Blooded" (4.5). Intense guitar & percussion with very aggressive singing that is somewhat reminiscent of Henry Rollins.

10. "Crawl" (4.5). Slightly slower percussion begins, then gives way to Dimebag's great guitar work before doubling in tempo with Pat's singing. The tempo then goes back & forth between the two.

11. "Blink of an Eye" (4.5). Singing reminiscent of David Bowie before giving way to a more aggressive style.

12. "Blunt Force Trauma" (5). Good chord progression starts then is joined with percussion and finally, Pat's aggressive singing. A well devised song that exemplifies Dimebag's masterful guitar work.

13. "Moment of Truth" (4). A mix of quickly changing tempos, guitar & percussion start this unusual song.

14. "Soul Breed" (5). An acoustic ballad with a rich harmonic chorus. An impressive finale to a great album.



There is no rationalization for the acts of a madman such as the one that took the life of Dimebag and the three other innocent people at the club in Columbus, Ohio on December 8, 2004. Though Dimebag will not have another opportunity to perform or compose, we can celebrate his life not only through this album and the many albums of Pantera, but also through those that will be inspired by him to compose and perform music of their own. Hence, Dimebag's musical legacy will live on, and heavy metal will never die. R.I.P. Dimebag."

Not Pantera, but a very nice change of pace

optichris | South Texas | 02/16/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this album hoping that the Pantera "sound" would continue, since I'm not impressed by their former vocalist's new band (Superjoint Ritual) AT ALL. For the most part, this album didnt let me down. It is refreshing to hear that trademark "Dimebag" sound, without Phil Anselmo's screaming all the time. Damageplan is a good transition, that shows potential. There's enough of the "Phil" type vocals on some songs to keep the hardcore Pantera fans happy, though this new vocalist suprised me, in that he can actually sing (some would argue Phil could at one time too, and I don't dispute that.) Overall, I enjoyed NFP, and think it shows this band has great potential to produce an album on the greatness scale of "Vulgar Display of Power" in the future, which I'm looking forward to. Keep up the good work, Dime and Vinnie!"