Far Beyond Driven
Pantera push their harshest instincts further on Far Beyond Driven. The guitar tone is abrasive, the drums strike with very little softness and Phil Anselmo frequently sounds close to losing control. At its best, the album turns that intensity into sharply defined songs. At its weakest, it allows attitude to take their place.
The opening stretch is formidable. Strength Beyond Strength attacks immediately, then makes room for a heavier, more deliberate section. Becoming gives Dimebag Darrell's squealing guitar figure a compact arrangement that makes the strange sound memorable. Vinnie Paul's drumming adds a precise, hard movement beneath it.
5 Minutes Alone and I'm Broken show the value of a strong central riff. Both establish an individual shape quickly, with the guitar, bass and drums working as a connected unit. Anselmo's delivery is forceful, but the best musical details often happen around him. Darrell's lead work can introduce a moment of feeling without reducing the weight.
The record becomes more difficult after that run. Good Friends and a Bottle of Pills combines a promising bass figure with feedback and an ugly spoken narrative. The intention is clearly to disturb, but the performance feels more self-indulgent than revealing. It breaks the album's momentum without replacing it with an equally strong idea.
There are worthwhile developments elsewhere. Hard Lines, Sunken Cheeks moves through slower, darker passages, and Slaughtered delivers a particularly severe guitar attack. Some arrangements leave the hooks buried beneath the density, which makes their individual strengths harder to retain. The constant vocal aggression also reduces the difference between emotional extremes.
The closing version of Black Sabbath's Planet Caravan is a welcome change. Its restrained performance offers a convincing comedown and shows the band's capacity for gentler expression. Far Beyond Driven is uneven, but its best riffs and performances have considerable character. The album works most powerfully when the desire to be heavier produces a clearer song, with the opening four tracks making that argument especially well.
