The first time I heard Pantera’s “Walk” I loved it. It was super catchy, and I really dug the message about respect. And they definitely earned mine when I heard the rest of “Vulgar Display of Power.” They perfected the thrash sound and helped heavy music evolve in a big way. But does it hold up today? Sure, I guess. I mean, it’s not like they’re Drowning Pool or anything. Like, Pantera is fun. Drowning Pool is a goddamn revelation.
Let’s explore some examples of how Pantera walked so Drowning Pool could let the bodies hit the… well, you know.
1. Nothing Wrong With Me – Sometimes my friends make fun of me for how much I love Drowning Pool. It’s unfortunate how insecure they get knowing they will never enjoy DP as much as me. But then I play the two bands back to back while drawing a direct line showing how “Cowboys From Hell” helped shape “Bodies” into the metal masterpiece it is. I try to tell them that Pantera still has historical value so they’ll be less defensive, but metalheads can be really oblivious sometimes.
2. Nothing Wrong With Me – I don’t think most people who judge Drowning Pool have even heard any of their other stuff. While I will cede that Pantera has a diverse catalog of heavy music, every other Drowning Pool song sounds exactly like “Bodies.” How sick is that?! Sometimes me and my fellow “Pool Boys” will listen to them for hours and not even know if we’re listening to a song on repeat or their entire discography.
3. Nothing Wrong With Me – Maybe you heard “Bodies” and just thought they were a one-hit-wonder. But Drowning Pool is so much more than that one song. Hell, they’re more than a band. Pantera was good and all, but beyond “VD of Power,” their stuff isn’t super well-known. Drowning Pool is a movement. Oh, and their second album has a hot chick on the cover. This band seriously rocks.
4. Nothing Wrong With Me – Drowning Pool deals with issues like religion, dying, and being too afraid to tell your bro you love him. Pantera talked about all that stuff but, like, 10 years before I was a teenager, so it didn’t resonate as much. Drowning Pool played it smart and released their first album when I was 14, the same week I had been grounded and was really mad at my dad. That’s just smart marketing right there.
1. Something’s Got to Give – I want to end this with a quote from one of the fellas in Drowning Pool (I don’t know their names. I’m not a loser, sorry):
“It’s not how your body hits the floor, what matters is how well you swim through the drowning.”
Namaste.