UMUR
"New Found Power" is the debut full-length studio album by US, Texas based groove metal act Damageplan. The album was released through Elektra Records in February 2004. Damageplan was founded in 2003 under the New Found Power monicker but changed to the current band name in early 2004. Damageplan was formed by the Abbott brothers, Dimebag Darrell (guitars) and Vinnie Paul (drums) after the demise of Pantera. The lineup on "New Found Power" is completed by lead vocalist Patrick Lachman (ex-guitarist for Halford) and bassist Bob Kahaha. Damageplan would be a short-lived affair as Dimebag Darrell was shot dead in a Columbus, Ohio nightclub in December 2004, while performing with Damageplan. A tragic episode which meant the end of the band.
Stylistically the 14 tracks on the 61:39 minutes long album are vers/chorus structured groove metal, featuring heavy groove laden riffs and rhythms, and a raw and angry sounding vocalist in front, who occasionally sings clean vocal parts too ("Save Me" is an example of that). The performances are tight and the sound production relatively well sounding, but the material is generally a bit generic and feel uninspired. Other than a couple of sharp groovy riffs here and a pitch shifter effect laden lead guitar part there, and a drum sound that is somewhat similar to Vinnie Paul´s distinct sounding drum production on Pantera´s releases, there aren´t much on this album which reveal that the Abbott brothers are involved. To hear a guitarist of Dimebag´s caliber play one anonymous and generic groove metal riff after another is almost a tragedy when you know what he is capable of producing.
While this is of course a made up story, I picture the Abbott brothers playing these songs to Phil Anselmo, asking him to sing on them on the new Pantera album, and Phil crying out in disbelief at what he has just heard..."hell no! I ain´t going to sing on those generic groove metal tunes"... "and by the way...I´m done with Pantera, if this is all you can muster". Back to reality Lachman is actually a decent vocalist, who does a good job with the material he has to work with, but it really isn´t much. "New Found Power" isn´t a terrible release, but it´s a mediocre one and considering the musicians involved it´s hard not to be disappointed by the quality of the songwriting in particular. Don´t expect anything near the quality of the Abbott brothers former act. A 2.5 star (50%) rating is warranted.