Phil Anselmo looks back on Pantera’s “Mouth For War”: ‘I wrote the main riff’

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Pantera‘s classic sophomore major label album “Vulgar Display Of Power”, The Pit recently uploaded a video interview with the band’s vocalist Philip Anselmo. You can now watch all four parts of the chat below:

Speaking about the LP’s opening track, “Mouth For War”, Anselmo said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):

When we wrote “Mouth For War”, I wrote the main riff and Dimebag liked it. And it sounded about a thousand times better when he played it. And he made it his own. And everybody — God — they put that song together; we put that song together. I think we knew we had written a pretty good song, that one. And I think the video for its time was unique to look at, groundbreaking, sort of, action-packed, shit like that — so very ’90s-band-like.”

When “Vulgar Display Of Power” first came out, my expectations for how it would do were none. I never had any expectations for any record we’ve ever done. I always felt like if I put an expectation upon it, I’d always get let down. So I just let things happen as things happened.

Now, the reception of the record and — God — the tours, the tours, the difference in the audience from “Cowboys From Hell” touring cycle to “Vulgar Display” was night and day — truly. But I was surprised at how positive the reception was and all the massive crowds and the fans. That was really the true… Well, that was when people started coming to shows — like, you had to see Pantera.

“Vulgar Display of Power” was certified double-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2004, signifying shipments of more than two million units in the U.S. since its February 1992 release.