Pantera - Far Beyond Driven (10/10)

[Oblivious Maximus]

Pantera's "Far Beyond Driven" was realesed in 1994, and by this time, Pantera were on top of the metal world. But that did not make them any lighter. Not at all. This is a very heavy record. It was recorded in 6 weeks, and many people bash this album, saying it's shit, but I disagree. I actually think it's one of Panter's best. It's filled with rage, aggression, and brutal heavy metal. Lyrically, this seems to be a very personal album, with intense, sometimes showboating lyrics. Musically, I think it matches up great with the lyrics, hard, dark and intense, and for that I think it's a great record. Also, Rex's bass is really audible on this album, especially on songs like "Good Friends and a Bottle of Pills" and "Throes of Rejection".

 

[byrne]

Well, I agree with the majority of people. The older Pantera got, the worse their material was. This album is jam packed with boring songs and mediocre riffs. It didn't have the flare and speed of its predecessors and was really a far cry from Pantera's best efforts (CFH).

Although, I do agree with the way you described the album, which I guess just shows a preference in styles and differing tastes.

 

[sumairetsu]

I have mixed feelings about this album.

It has great riffs, excellent songwriting, a guitar tone that simply can't be matched and some of the heaviest material in Metal.

My last comment is what does the album in. The album is heavy, heavy, heavy and this is what detracts from the production; there's no contrast. It's so heavy, it screws itself and contradicts its own power.

Vulgar had contrast in material such as This Love and Hollow. The only song that can provide any sort of contrast is Planet Caravan which doesn't arrive until the end of the disc.

Also, I think the band should have stuck with the original cover art that can be found on the vinyl versions of the album.

The songs, however, are top notch and put with other material shine on their own. Listening to this album all the way through though, they lose their impact.

 

[Oblivious Maximus]

The album is heavy, heavy, heavy and this is what detracts from the production; there's no contrast. It's so heavy, it screws itself and contradicts its own power.

That's one of the reasons I love it so much, and I think it works so well. Like I said in the review, the heavy music works so well with the lyrics.

 

[anonymousnick2001]

Yeah, you can't beat stuff like "Use My Third Arm." People just don't write fucked up shit like that anymore.

 

[fps]

I have mixed feelings about this album.

It has great riffs, excellent songwriting, a guitar tone that simply can't be matched and some of the heaviest material in Metal.

My last comment is what does the album in. The album is heavy, heavy, heavy and this is what detracts from the production; there's no contrast. It's so heavy, it screws itself and contradicts its own power.

Vulgar had contrast in material such as This Love and Hollow. The only song that can provide any sort of contrast is Planet Caravan which doesn't arrive until the end of the disc.

The songs, however, are top notch and put with other material shine on their own. Listening to this album all the way through though, they lose their impact.

totally agree, everything on 10 for a whole album ends up making it all sound weaker- pretty much every song on FPD slays on its own, but all together it becomes a real drag, something that happens on a lot of metal albums. Lack of light and shade's all that stops this being my fave pantera (VDoP)

 

[MURAI]

I listened to this album close to a billion times already.

They attempted a whole new level of aggression on Far Beyond Driven and they succeeded. "Five Minutes Alone" and "I'm Broken" are bloody catchy, groove songs. I love the all out aggression in the songs like "Strength Beyond Strength" and "Slaughtered". "Hard Lines, Sunken Cheeks" is truely depressing looking into how some Christians were trying to force Anselmo them to submit to them from his weakness to drug addiction. "Shredding Skin" is again another depressing song about a broken relationship with some woman.

But some of the lyrics were pretty tacky and juvenile especially the ones on Strength Beyond Strength:

"But I'm helping to legalize dope on
Your pristine streets and I'm making a fortune.
You're muscle and gall. Naive at best. I'm bone, brain and
Cock. Deep down stronger than all."

Hey fuckers, look at me! I'm fucking pissed and I do drugs! I still like how aggressive the song is but the attitude showing in the lyrics is a little annoying. Also, the album does get repetitive by playing the same riffs over and over in a song like "I'm Broken" as catchy as it is still.

This and Reinventing The Steel are the best work Pantera have done.

 

[Alteredmindeath]

I listened to this album close to a billion times already.

They attempted a whole new level of aggression on Far Beyond Driven and they succeeded. "Five Minutes Alone" and "I'm Broken" are bloody catchy, groove songs. I love the all out aggression in the songs like "Strength Beyond Strength" and "Slaughtered". "Hard Lines, Sunken Cheeks" is truely depressing looking into how some Christians were trying to force Anselmo them to submit to them from his weakness to drug addiction. "Shredding Skin" is again another depressing song about a broken relationship with some woman.

But some of the lyrics were pretty tacky and juvenile especially the ones on Strength Beyond Strength:

"But I'm helping to legalize dope on
Your pristine streets and I'm making a fortune.
You're muscle and gall. Naive at best. I'm bone, brain and
Cock. Deep down stronger than all."

Hey fuckers, look at me! I'm fucking pissed and I do drugs! I still like how aggressive the song is but the attitude showing in the lyrics is a little annoying. Also, the album does get repetitive by playing the same riffs over and over in a song like "I'm Broken" as catchy as it is still.

This and Reinventing The Steel are the best work Pantera have done.

You have listened to this album a billion times eh? and you don't even know the song titles correctly, it is Shedding skin not Shredding skin Doy.

 

[anonymousnick2001]

Way to nitpick at an otherwise astute post, numbfuck.

 

[thespectralsorrows]

When I first heard this album (the day of release) and for many years after I thought it was a great CD. However, when I went back and listened to it recently I realized that the heaviness and aggression oftentimes covered up what was an average or even weak song writting job. Still I definitely find it to be a very good CD, just not the legendary CD I had originally pegged it to be.

 

[Alteredmindeath]

Way to nitpick at an otherwise astute post, numbfuck.

Whatever dumbfuck... hail Dimebag hail Pantera.

 

[Evil Dead]

slaughtered owns your car stereo speakers

 

[anonymousnick2001]

Wait, what was the original album art?

 

[Edgecrusher]

slaughtered owns your car stereo speakers

true dat my nigga.

 

[CF87]

Good album, don't like it as much as Vulgar or Reinventing.

 

[MURAI]

Wait, what was the original album art?

You know the drill in the album cover for the picture in this thread. The original one was yello-brownish and had the drill go into some guy's anus. No, I'm not joking.

 

[MURAI]

slaughtered owns your car stereo speakers

Yessum.

 

[anonymousnick2001]

You know the drill in the album cover for the picture in this thread. The original one was yello-brownish and had the drill go into some guy's anus. No, I'm not joking.

Whatthefuckingcowshitdamncumhorsefuckdamnbitchapeshithellasscuntfucker...fuck? That's so screwed up. Why would they have that? No, don't answer...

 

[Pitiless Wanderer]

I used to be a huge Pantera fan. I found myself preaching their godliness to everyone, every day. I then realized how fucking annoying I was being and unrealistic as well. Nerf Herder was right...Pantera fans are (were) the most annoying bunch of idiots in thie history of metal. I luckily became rational and realized theyre not that great of a band and Dimebag (RIP) wasnt THAT good at playing the guitar. Today's best metal players, Loomis, Romeo, etc are far superior.

I still claim GSTK to be the best Pantera album and even that album isn't too good.

 

[anonymousnick2001]

Dimebag > Loomis

IMO