Cover of Pantera Far Beyond Driven
diamond_darrell

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For fans of pantera, lovers of 90s heavy and groove metal, metalhead listeners seeking essential albums
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THE REVIEW

We are in the first half of the '90s. Even though the music scene is primarily focused on the Grunge scene, metal never gives up, and it is precisely during this period that some of the best metal albums of all time come to life.
It’s impossible not to mention Megadeth (Rust In Peace), Slayer (Seasons In The Abyss), Metallica (Black Album), and Sepultura (Arise). For a couple of years, however, a real tornado has also arrived from Texas, a new group intent on scorching the earth, which immediately gains immense fame with 2 exceptional metal albums like "Cowboys From Hell" and "Vulgar Display Of Power": this is Pantera.

Determination, technique, power, skill, and also speed; Pantera lacks nothing, and in '94 this explosive mix reaches its peak when the 4 Texans showcase to the metal audience "Far Beyon Driven", a fantastic album (like all those labeled Pantera), which on the cover, instead of the usual "Parental Advisory...", should have written: "Warning to posers, 100% pure metal!!!".
There really isn’t a song on the entire album that I would call bad, from the opening "Strength Beyond Strength" to the closing cover of "Planet Caravan" by their masters Black Sabbath, everything goes for the best. Anselmo on the microphone makes everyone envious (and from here on, in my opinion, his slow downward phase will begin), Rex Brown does an incredible job on bass, Diamond Darrel wipes out everything with monstrous riffs, which immediately stick in your head and give an incredible boost (as in "Becoming", "5 Minutes Alone" and "I'm Broken"), concluding his work with magnificent solos in his unique "Diamond Darrel" style, and finally for the drummer Vinnie Paul it’s just confirmations, remaining one of the wizards of his instrument.

In essence, "Far Beyond Driven" is more or less on the same line as the first two albums, and marks the point of fracture between the early Pantera and those closer to the thrash of the subsequent "The Great Southern Trendkill" and "Reinventing The Steel".
All good metalheads, but also fans of good sound in general, absolutely must listen to it.

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Summary by Bot

Pantera's 1994 album Far Beyond Driven is hailed as a powerful and skillful metal masterpiece. The band's technical prowess and energy peak here, delivering memorable riffs and solos. The review praises each band member's contribution, highlighting the album as essential listening for metal fans. It marks a turning point between Pantera's early and later thrash-influenced works.

Tracklist Lyrics Videos

01   Strength Beyond Strength (03:39)

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03   5 Minutes Alone (05:47)

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05   Good Friends and a Bottle of Pills (02:53)

06   Hard Lines, Sunken Cheeks (07:01)

09   Shedding Skin (05:36)

10   Use My Third Arm (04:51)

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11   Throes of Rejection (05:01)

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12   Planet Caravan (04:08)

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Pantera

Pantera are an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas, formed in 1981. Core members during their classic period were Phil Anselmo (vocals), Dimebag Darrell (guitar), Rex Brown (bass) and Vinnie Paul (drums). They rose to prominence with Cowboys From Hell (1990) and are cited for shaping 1990s groove metal with albums such as Vulgar Display Of Power and Far Beyond Driven.
36 Reviews

Other reviews

By CoolOras

 "Far Beyond Driven is a concentration of rage and aggression, a metal/thrash that sparks the urge to scream and jump without pause."

 "'5 Minutes Alone' represents the best of Pantera and is, in my opinion, one of the best tracks on the CD."


By korn

 This album is death metal; the guitar lines are extremely violent giving rise to tracks like 5 Minutes Alone.

 An album that has made history.