PHILIP ANSELMO's PANTERA 'Far Beyond Driven' Retrospective: First Two Parts Posted Online

March 24, 2014

The first two pieces of of Philip Anselmo's 10-part retrospective on PANTERA's seventh album, "Far Beyond Driven", can be seen below (courtesy of Loudwire).

On the song "Strength Beyond Strength":

Anselmo: "I was a rambunctious child. None of it is regrettable, lyrically. You can look back at your lyrics and snicker. And I always do, whether I'm embarrassed over it, or whether I'm embarrassed over it, or whether I'm embarrassed over it. You can tell growing spurts and pains and where you were in life, so I don’t know. 'Strength f—ing Beyond Strength' is the old puffin' the chest up, look at us now,' we’re as cute as [we're] fucking extreme."

On the song "Becoming":

Anselmo: "The most popular heavy metal bands in the world at that time were, in my estimate and definitely all of our estimates, playing the game. They had reached this pinnacle; now they were kind of tapering off and writing more commercial stuff, whereas we realized our strong point, once again, was sticking to heavy metal and making it as heavy as our style would allow. Therefore, with 'Becoming', it is what it says. We were becoming. Honestly, we had arrived."

PANTERA reached a major milestone in 1994 when the legendary metal band's seventh studio album, "Far Beyond Driven", debuted at No. 1 on The Billboard 200, becoming the fastest-selling album of the group's career and its second consecutive platinum release. Not only a commercial success, the album also earned positive reviews around the world for the beautiful brutality of its all-out sonic assault.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of that landmark album and Rhino is celebrating with a special two-disc version that includes a newly remastered version of the album, along with a live performance from the 1994 Monsters Of Rock festival. "Far Beyond Driven: 20th Anniversary Edition" will be available on March 25 for a suggested list price of $18.98. A digital version will also be available.

Following the breakthrough success of 1992's "Vulgar Display Of Power" — which has since been certified double platinum — singer Philip Anselmo, guitarist Darrell "Dimebag" Abbott, bassist Rex Brown and drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott returned in March 1994 with "Far Beyond Driven". Following its No. 1 debut, "Far Beyond Driven" remained on the Billboard album chart for seven more months and many still regard it as the heaviest album to ever top the chart. Its 12 tracks represented a continuation of the previous album's relentless musical onslaught with hard-hitting tracks like the first single "I'm Broken" as well as the mosh-pit classics "5 Minutes Alone" and "Slaughtered". Another standout track was the group's swirling acoustic cover of BLACK SABBATH's "Planet Caravan", which became a live favorite when PANTERA hit the road to support the album later that year.

Fans already familiar with "Far Beyond Driven" are in for a treat with the second disc of the "20th Anniversary Edition". Dubbed "Far Beyond Bootleg - Live From Donington '94", the disc contains PANTERA full live set recorded at the Monsters Of Rock festival in Donington, England on June 4, 1994. The 40-minute show comprises nine tracks taken from the band's three most recent albums including: "Use My Third Arm" and "Strength Beyond Strength" from "Far Beyond Driven"; "Walk", "Mouth For War" and "This Love" off "Vulgar Display Of Power"; plus the title track from "Cowboys From Hell" as well as the live staple melding "Domination" and "Hollow".

"Far Beyond Driven: 20th Anniversary Edition" track listing:

Disc One - Original Album Remastered

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

Disc Two - "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

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