Review Summary: Almost perfects a defining sound if it wasn't for some tracks that descend to take a step to the left
Far Beyond Driven is the third album by Pantera after their glam period ended and they become caught up in having a more "tough" hardcore metal image, which is quite funny considering how terribly gay they were in the early days. Check youtube for early Pantera videos, theres one where they all introduce themselves complete with makeup and teased hair, hilarious. Anyway, Cowboys From Hell and Vulgar Display of Power (to later be commonly referred to as CFH and VDOP from many of the bands fans) were decent thrash/power groove albums, some even consider them essential (esp. VDOP). Far Beyond Driven is the follow up album to VDOP, and whilst it had a huge legacy to fill for fans of the group after VDOP it's release was met with mixed reviews despite the bands insistance they had followed up VDOP with an album that is much more hardcore, metal, heavier, insert exagerration here that you tend to hear in press release kits.
The truth to me is that the album is mediocre but has it's moments. Songs like Strength Beyond Strength, Becoming, 5 Minutes Alone and I'm Broken would later prove classic Pantera tracks and firm staples of their live sets. They aren't quite in the same league as VDOP, none of them, which sort of lose the "classic" metal sound of old which was still partially present in VDOP and more on CFH, but rather turn to a new, more focused sound for the group. Which is a shame because many of the other songs on here are terrible. But Strength Beyond Strength is the opener, a fast, almost punky wake up call for people to realise to hail the new "kings", I suppose it's talking about the destruction of social norms often dictated by religion and public morality and realise that there are open minded people who are beyond this, which reminds me of ***ing Hostile off VDOP. Becoming to me seems influenced by Nietzsche's superman idea, becoming more then just a person (godsize) by shirking off belied systems and realising that we are the ones who should be worshipped in this pity small slit of light between the years before we are born and after we die. Live for now people. Five Minutes Alone appears to speak of harrassment, and how we should all be treated with respect, a song that seems to be influenced by Phil Anselmo being "heckled" by a crowd at a show or another interpretation is that it is about the time he took heroin and his heart stopped for five minutes. Whatever the truth is, the drums and Dimebags guitars provide a sluggish, intense metal fest that kicks ass.
I'm Broken is perhaps THE song off the album, this slow, sluggish sound the band has been working on (as opposed to the fast thrash of VDOP) is perfected to a T with an incredible solo from Dimebag to boot. Anselmo speaks about being broken, how hard it is to live this life when you've been shattered but also seems to speak of an uplifting hope, which hammers in this trying to live for now theme I seem to pick up on. (Forgive your mother, embrace the loss). Good Friends and A Bottle of Pills is where the album starts to falter, apparently the intro is a result of Dimebag holding his guitar next to a speaker to produce a feedback sound and it's kind of awful. But the lyrics are the worst, Phil recounts a debauched night of pill abuse and ***ing his buddies girl (I smacked her ass and ate her alive til daylight). The chorus is awful, just noise. Hard Lines, Sunken Cheeks is a kind of slow, brooding affair at the beginning, then pulls into a slick melodic riff. The drumming in this song is really cool, the chorus section (my soul for a goat) kind of strange. Slaughtered has a cool stereo panning effect at the start, but kind of falters into the same metal of Hard Lines, Sunken Cheeks, something about the cymbals and percussion give it a unique sound. This brings us to 25 years, possibly the worst modern Pantera song, the horrible chugging riff after the great intro kills it as Anselmo brings up past tragedies with his father. Ouch. Shedding Skin, Use My Third Arm and Throes of Rejection might at well be the same song if it wasn't for some slight variation, Use My Third arm a wake up call against rapists which is pretty heated. Shedding Skin has a decent flanged up riff, I like. The album ends with a Black Sabbath cover, Planet Caravan, which very well might be the best version of it recorded despite the greatness of the original.
Far Beyond Driven is nowhere near as good as CFH or VDOP, but on some tracks (only some!) they seem to perfect a sound that was only hinted at before (think the sluggish This Love off VDOP, which never seemed to click right with me). This has nothing on their thrashier, more uplifting songs, it seems after the proud, brash attitude of VDOP Pantera would descend into a much more self loathing place (The Great Southern Trendkill is just that). It's an okay album otherwise, but it is dragged down severely by patchy songs.
