Pantera

Far Beyond Driven

Far Beyond a Wake Up Call

Review Score:

(10/10)
On their first album, 1990's Cowboys From Hell, Pantera, it seemed where trying to find themselves. They were thrashy sounding. Phil Anselmo whailed on some songs the way an 80's hair metal vocalist would. And guitarist Diamond Darrell, as he was called at the time, wrote riffs nearly as complex as early Metallica and Megadeth. I still can't play the main riff to Cowboys From Hell without messing up! Then, with their next release, 1992's Vulgar Display Of Power, they took the formula of their first album and gave it a much needed kick. The singles, "Walk", and "This Love" made it the band's classic ablum, and a very overrated one at that.
But with this, there third release in 1994, they decied to do nothing more than give the most brutal performances they could. And that's just what they did. The then newly-christened Dimebag Darrell has the heaviest tone in all of metal. A life time of cigarettes and booze had taken it's toll on Phil's voice by this point, as heard throughout the entire album. But it was for the better. Bassist Rex Brown just growls like a monster here, and Dime's brother, drummer Vinnie Paul strikes like thunder. He is the king of metal drums. This album is all intensity from beginning to end. One listen will demonstrate why this album debut at #1 on the Billboard charts. Enjoy!

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