Band:	Pantera
Album:	Far Beyond Driven
Style:	Groove metal
Release date:	March 07, 1994
Guest review by:	SuicidalCyco

Disc I
01. Strength Beyond Strength
02. Becoming
03. 5 Minutes Alone
04. I'm Broken
05. Good Friends And A Bottle Of Pills
06. Hard Lines, Sunken Cheeks
07. Slaughtered
08. 25 Years
09. Shedding Skin
10. Use My Third Arm
11. Throes Of Rejection
12. Planet Caravan [Black Sabbath cover]
13. The Badge [Poison Idea cover] [Japanese bonus]

Disc II [Far Beyond Bootleg - Live From Donington '94]
01. Use My Third Arm
02. Walk
03. Strength Beyond Strength
04. Domination/Hollow
05. Slaughtered
06. Fucking Hostile
07. This Love
08. Mouth For War
09. Cowboys From Hell

Pantera. A band that self put out four albums in the 1980's. Most people who listen to them probably do not know that about them. With the 1990 release of Cowboys From Hell Pantera moved from their glam/speed metal to a heavier groove thrash. And after the release of their powerful Vulgar Display Of Power they seemed to be on top of the metal community and many fans thought they could never top that album.

Far Beyond Driven was released in 1994, in a time when grunge bands ruled the airwaves. Pantera not having any time on the radio and little to no airplay on TV seemed to still be on top in metal. Far Beyond Driven debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 100. This sent a message to the music community that heavy metal had broken into the mainstream without using the tools of the mainstream.

Pantera pushed their heaviness and groove even further. The opening song and title track "Far Beyond Driven sets the tone for the rest of the album. Dimebag's chugging guitars along his Vinnie's drums and Phil's shrieking vocals come alive every song and stays strong throughout the entire album with the exception of "Good Friends and a Bottle of Pills". While I don't think it's as weak as most fans claim it is, it is the only filler track on the album. And the story behind "Five Minutes Alone" makes the song so much better. A fan was causing some discrepancies at a show and had his ass handed to him by the crowd. His father then took Pantera to court and said if he could get five minutes alone with that Phil guy he'd show him who's daddy around here. The song "Five Minutes Alone" was then born and is another perfect song that displays the band's take-no-shit attitude. Every solo on the album shines and Dimebag rips on his trademark Dean guitar, and Rex's bass can be heard chugging along in the back. The album closes with a cover of Black Sabbath's "Planet Caravan". A song totally different from anything Pantera has done. Not being to put it on a Black Sabbath tribute album they decided to end Far Beyond Driven with it and its a gnarly way to end a righteous album.

Far Beyond Driven is by far one of the heaviest albums to date and one of Pantera's finest. They just got heavier and heavier. In my opinion this is their best album next to Vulgar.

While every song on the album is definitely killer my personal favorites are: "Five Minutes Alone" "I'm Broken" and "Use My Third Arm".