Pros: Incredibly heavy and pulse-pounding music, some of Pantera's greatest songs ever.
Cons: A few filler tracks, may be a little on the repetitive side for some.
The Bottom Line: Far Beyond Driven is easily one of Pantera's best albums and is absolutely an essential for anyone who's a fan of the band and/or metal in general.
head-driller's Full Review: Far Beyond Driven by Pantera (Metal)
As many of you reading this review probably already know, Pantera's legendary guitarist Darrell Abbot (better known as "Dimebag") was shot and killed recently in Columbus, Ohio on December 8th, 2004, when he was performing at a show with his new band DamagePlan (along with his brother, Vinnie Paul, who was also Pantera's drummer). The indescribably awful news shocked and saddened the metal community. In addition to being one of the best guitar players out there (seriously, just listen to all of his work with Pantera, and say he doesn't at least rank up there with the best), he was also known to be a friendly and down-to-Earth person and was as fan-friendly as any musician could be. He was a man who loved his family and friends and loved his profession, which was music. I decided to make a comeback here (not that I've quit, I haven't, but I've had a lot less time to write reviews) and wrap up my Pantera reviews by reviewing the rest of their albums, starting with their 1994 release, Far Beyond Driven.
Pantera are one of the 1990s' most popular and revered metal bands. Starting out as a hair metal band in the 1980s, they evolved in 1990 by becoming an all-out thrash metal band, with 1990's Cowboys From Hell, and following that very successful album with the even more successful Vulgar Display Of Power, released in 1992 and the album that pretty much gave the band their trademark heavy Southern-tinged tone and made them a landmark in heavy metal music. Both CFH and VDOP are excellent albums, and 1994's Far Beyond Driven is another masterpiece. With VDOP they hit the billboards without much help from the mainstream and with FBD hit the Billboard charts at #1 without mainstream help, and were the first metal band in history to do that. The line-up remained the same:
-Phil Anselmo (Vocals)
-"Dimebag" Darrell Abbot (Guitar)
-Rex Brown (Bass)
-Vinnie Paul (Drums)
Far Beyond Driven is even heavier and more brutal than VDOP (which is really saying something, because VDOP was an absolute audio assault on the senses). The band's sound got even more destructive, frontman Phil Anselmo's vocals got more unforgiving and harsh, and the musical talents of the band simply got more amazing. Dimebag creates yet more soul-crushing and rip-roaring riffs and solos and FBD has some of his very best work to date (in my opinion, the main riff to 5 Minutes Alone is the best riff he ever did). Vinnie Paul's drumming on here is uber fast and heavy and many of his rhythms and beats here are very catchy and amongst his best work. And Rex Brown's bass work was never better than on here, his bass just absolutely dominates on here, very clear and brutal and adding so much impact to the rest of the music, and he definitely helps to add polish and the finishing touches.
The songs on this album are some of Pantera's best ever and the album itself is simply an instant classic, eclipsing the already-excellent Vulgar Display Of Power and almost Cowboys From Hell (still my favorite album of their's). Just how good are this album's songs?
1. Strength Beyond Strength - The album gets off to a very intense start with this song, with some incredibly fast thrashy riffs and bone-crushing drumming, has a neat solo after the first two verses, and after the third verse slows down a bit and eventually gets to a spiral-sounding solo and later gets back into thrash mode and concludes that way. Excellent track overall and surely amongst the band's best songs. Vinnie Paul's drumming is a major highlight, as are Phil's relentless vocals, and the song's subject is pretty good too, about violence in society and how people willingly succumb to it and strengthen it.
Rating: 5/5
2. Becoming - Another Pantera classic, starting off with brief but strong drumming and then switching to a very heavy and memorable "sliding" main riff. Rex's bass really shines on this track, and towards the end he performs the main riff with his bass and it sounds great, and in addition to the main riff, Dimebag also pulls off some great riffs during the chourus' and a fine solo while Rex plays the main riff, and Phil's vocals are impressive yet again, and he actually experiments some more on here, singing in a more "normal" yet still very rough tone. The lyrics are also a lot of fun to listen to, about a very strong man who later becomes more powerful than Jesus. Definitely one of the album's best.
Rating: 5/5
3. 5 Minutes Alone - Another one of the band's most popular songs and rightfully so as it's one of their best (and personally my second favorite after Cowboys From Hell). It has, IMO, the best main riff of any Pantera song, it's so catchy and heavy and really makes you feel tough, not to mention sounds uber-angry. In addition to it's masterful riff, it also sports more hammering drum work, one of Phil's finest vocal performances (with him growling in a very angry yet actually quite understandable matter), an excellent guitar solo after the first two verses and more breath-taking bass work from Rex. The lyrics are very well-written (about venting off frustration from the seemingly never-ending problems and nuisances of the world and wanting just a short break from it all, or in the band's case, 5 Minutes Alone), and the chorus is amongst the most catchy and memorable the band has done (mainly due to the excellent vocal and music work). This song can really get you in an energetic and tough mood and is the perfect anger-venting song. This song alone makes the album worth it's price, but the album has many more classic metal tunes only found here.
Rating: 5/5
4. I'm Broken - This album just keeps on cranking classic song after classic song, and this continues with track 4, another Pantera masterpiece. The main riff to this song is just awesome, very similar to Surf Rock and very memorable and catchy, and also extremely heavy. All the band members are in top form here, with Dimebag pulling off more heavier-than-heavy guitar work with the main riff and a fine solo, more thunderous drumming from Vinnie Paul, and more fantastic bass work from Rex, and Phil gives yet another excellent vocal performance, very aggressive and angry. The lyrics on this song are some of the best and most thoughtful Pantera have ever written, about a person who was abused as a child and confronts his family as an adult about the abuse. Despite the very dark and depressing subject, the song's musical work is surprisingly upbeat, yet also very angry-sounding, and listening to it almost makes you feel like you've conquered over an enemy. This song is without a doubt an all-time metal masterpiece.
Rating: 5/5
5. Good Friends And a Bottle Of Pills - After the first four classic tracks, the album takes a bit of a stepdown here, though this track is pretty amusing it's really just filler. It's not really an actual song, rather just some story about drug-induced friends at a party who betray each other, but Rex supplies the song with a pretty catchy and heavy main bass line that's nothing short of impressive. Phil also swears like there's no tomorrow on this track, saying the "F" word so many times he'd probably shock the world's most degenerate and profane person. An amusing if forgettable track that's worth listening to for a good laugh, and it shows the band's humorous side, despite the lyrical subject matter, but it's definitely Filler with a capital F.
Rating: 2.5/5
6. Hard Lines, Sunken Cheeks - The album's longest song and a pretty solid one to boot, it starts off with a very dreary-sounding riff and then goes to a pretty heavy spiral riff, and it features some very good musical work throughout, with some excellent guitar riffs and tempos. I'm not sure what the song's subject is about though. All in all a fine track, though it's overshadowed by the album's five-star tracks, but it's definitely worth a listen.
Rating: 4/5
7. Slaughtered - One of the best songs on the album and one that sadly doesn't get that much recognition. Brutal doesn't even begin to describe this song, which features an extremely heavy and quite fast main riff that'll get your anger fuel flowing, some skull-shattering drumming, and solid bass work, and Phil's vocal performance on here is actually unique, in that he sings much like a Death Metal singer does, with a beastly and inhuman-sounding voice, and his vocals on this track are excellent. The song also boasts very dark lyrics (about religious extremists) and a cool solo around the middle that sounds somewhat Middle Eastern, I don't why but it just does. Excellent track overall and one of the band's most underrated and forgotten songs, and the closest the band has gotten to doing a Death Metal song.
Rating: 5/5
8. 25 Years - The album's weakest song IMO, that's not to say it's bad, but it's just overlong, rather dull in spots, and it's just not that enjoyable to listen to (at least in comparison with the album's best tracks and it's good ones). The lyrics are good, about a prison inmate who's been released from prison after serving 25 years (duh) and trying to restart his life but is still unable to forgive society for his lost years (though honestly, if you can't do the time don't commit the crime), but the song itself just isn't that good, it's too slow (and I don't mean the "good" slow, a boring and plodding slow) and lacks the energy and excitement of most of the other songs on the album, plus it feels too long and like it could've had at least a minute trimmed. It does feature a good opening riff though, and it speeds up around the end with an amusing chorus with Phil shouting repeatedly "We're F**king You Back!" (referring to the released inmate's anger towards society). Not a terrible song, just a dull and uneventful one.
Rating: 2/5
9. Shedding Skin - After the dull 25 Years, the album gets much better with this underrated Pantera gem. The riff work is incredibly catchy, there are some eerie acoustic parts throughout, and the lyrics are superb, about gang initiation and how new members often betray friends and family members by joining gangs (at least this is what I think the song's subject is about). Phil's vocals are top-notch, Vinnie's drumming is rock-solid, and both Dimebag and Rex take center stage once again, as later the song hits a faster tempo and Dime pulls off two short but incredible guitar solos and Rex just absolutely crushes with his bass. Superb track.
Rating: 5/5
10. Use My Third Arm - A very heavy and intense track sporting a very catchy and tough military-sounding main riff and some brutal bass and drum work throughout, and more angry vocals from Phil. The lyrics are pretty harsh (about police brutality) and the song boasts some good lines and a cool chorus and it never lets up from start to finish. Not one of the album's best but a rock-solid track and worth listening to.
Rating: 4/5
11. Throes Of Rejection - The third and final filler track on FBD, this song isn't terribly exciting and is rather overlong, and the chorus feels "throwaway". It does however boast some excellent bass work from Rex and some pretty catchy riffs throughout, but overall isn't that good and is one of the album's few downsides. Shame the song couldn't have been better because Rex's bass is just outstanding.
Rating: 2.5/5
12. Planet Caravan - FBD ends on a high note with this fantastic Black Sabbath cover. The song itself is a ballad and is probably the most tranquil and peaceful song Pantera has ever done (peaceful and tranquil are definitely not words you'd typically associate with Pantera's music), with a soft and engaging main riff, excellent atmospheric drumming and bass, and a very nice and pleasant vocal performance from Phil, who has an opportunity to showcase himself as a basic singer and not just a growling and snarling metalhead, and his vocals actually bear a very strong resemblance to Ozzy Osbourne's, making the song sound more authentic. The lyrics are fun yet emotional, about sailing through space and seeing the planets and stars, and the music creates a wonderful sense of peacefully traveling through the universe. The end of the song also features an outstanding Jazz-esque guitar solo. After the soul-crushing brutality of the previous eleven tracks this track provides a nice breather to the listener and adds some much needed variety (though admittedly most metal albums end better with an all-out heavy track), and the song has already become one of my favorite of Pantera's because of how moody and engaging it is (though I have yet to hear the original Black Sabbath version, I will definitely track it down). Excellent cover and song overall, and a solid way to conclude the album.
Rating: 5/5
Overall, Far Beyond Driven is easily one of Pantera's best albums, as well as one of their heaviest and most relentless. With a good number of some of the band's best songs on here and some amazing work from all the members (especially Rex, who's bass work has never been better than on here), this is definitely a quintessential heavy metal album. In my opinion it's their second best after Cowboys From Hell and even then it is superior to that album in many ways. Get this album now and hope your eardrums don't explode!
Track Listing in Best to Worst Order with Ratings:
1. 5 Minutes Alone (5/5)
2. I'm Broken (5/5)
3. Becoming (5/5)
4. Planet Caravan (5/5)
5. Slaughtered (5/5)
6. Strength Beyond Strength (5/5)
7. Shedding Skin (5/5)
8. Use My Third Arm (4/5)
9. Hard Lines, Sunken Cheeks (4/5)
10. Good Friends And a Bottle Of Pills (2.5/5)
11. Throes Of Rejection (2.5/5)
12. 25 Years (2/5)
Listing of All Tracks with Their Listening Time:
1. Strength Beyond Strength (3:39)
2. Becoming (3:05)
3. 5 Minutes Alone (5:50)
4. I'm Broken (4:25)
5. Good Friends And a Bottle Of Pills (2:54)
6. Hard Lines, Sunken Cheeks (7:01)
7. Slaughtered (3:57)
8. 25 Years (6:06)
9. Shedding Skin (5:37)
10. Use My Third Arm (4:52)
11. Throes Of Rejection (5:01)
12. Planet Caravan (4:04)
This review, and the rest I will do for Pantera sometime in the future, are all dedicated to the memory of Dimebag. May your soul rest in eternal peace. You are gone, but you'll never be forgotten.
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