Far Beyond Driven

Far Beyond Driven is a work on which PANTERA raised the weight and edge of groove metal to the limit, turning aggression into physical drive. Dimebag Darrell’s guitar moves between low-chugging riffs and eerily stretching leads, and Vinnie Paul’s drums fix the song’s center of gravity with each strike. It is a record that achieved the astonishing commercial success of debuting at number one on the US chart. On “Strength Beyond Strength,” “I'm Broken” and “5 Minutes Alone,” Phil Anselmo’s voice carries not only rage but the undulation of tension. A cover of Black Sabbath’s “Planet Caravan” is also included. Songs like “Becoming” and “Slaughtered” breathe the band’s full playing too. A design that overwhelms with space, repetition and sonic pressure — not speed — is thorough. As a reference point of 1990s heavy metal, it is a record that still radiates strong presence.