Far Beyond Driven

In the April/May 2014 issue of Revolver magazine, the surviving members of PANTERA — vocalist Philip Anselmo, drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott and bassist Rex Brown — speak about the making of the band's classic 1994 album, "Far Beyond Driven", which is being re-released next week as a 20th-anniversary, two-disc edition. The new version will include a newly remastered version of the original recordings along with a new live performance from the 1994 Monsters Of Rock festival. Speaking about PANTERA's touring activities that followed the release of "Far Beyond Driven", Vinnie Paul said: "When we went on the road, that's when the wheels started coming off and people didn't know what other people were doing. Phil had his own bus. Things started turning into what they turned into in the end. "Phil started isolating himself from the rest of us. It got to the point where we wouldn't see each other until about 20 or 30 minutes before showtime. You never knew if he was going to be in a shitty mood or a good mood. You just hoped it was good enough to get through the show. That's truly where some of the shows started lacking. They weren't as good as they used to be, and he would start his rants and go on for 20 minutes while we stood around and looked at him, like, 'What the fuck are you saying to these people, dude? They want to hear us play some songs. Let's play some music.'" Said Anselmo: "The touring was really a mixed bag for me. The [chronic back] pain was intense, but the thrill was still there much of the time, and when I was onstage, that part of it I enjoyed very much. But during this time, I was drinking an entire bottle of Wild Turkey every night before a show to numb the pain I was experiencing. "I felt trapped, man. I felt lost even trying to explain to the guys in my band, who were so used to seeing Superman up onstage, that I was not Superman anymore. I felt like a trapped animal, honestly. I felt cornered and very confused. "The words that would come out of my mouth [while we were on stage] were abrasive. I was lashing out at other bands when I really had no business mentioning other bands during a PANTERA show. I was going slowly insane throughout the touring of this record, whether it be from pills, alcohol, or the mental stress from carrying around the chronic pain along with the addiction." When PANTERA broke up in 2003, Vinnie Paul and his brother, PANTERA guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott formed DAMAGEPLAN. On December 8, 2004, while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, Dimebag was shot and killed onstage by Nathan Gale. He was 38 years old.

On January 24, Sheila Esmaili-Doki of the Sherman Music Examiner conducted an interview with former PANTERA and current DOWN frontman Philip Anselmo. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below. Sherman Music Examiner: How was the "Metal Masters 5" show? I watched some footage from that and it looked pretty amazing. Philip Anselmo: It was fun, you know, always fun meeting up with those guys... ANTHRAX and SLAYER, specifically. Meeting up with those guys, who really took me and PANTERA under their wings. We were such kids, you know. It means the world. They're great friends. And the MEGADETH guys... shit, man, Chuck Billy [TESTAMENT] being there and Billy Sheehan and all the rest of them. I don't want to leave anybody out -- there were a lot of musicians out there. It's always fun. It can be a bit of a clusterfuck here and there, but it's always a blast. Sherman Music Examiner: I noticed that "Strength Beyond Strength" was in the setlist, which was really cool. It reminded me about the 20th anniversary of [1994 PANTERA album] "Far Beyond Driven" coming up. Does it seem like that has been 20 years? That album being #1 on Billboard back then was a pretty outstanding thing. Does it seem like the time has passed quickly since then or does it seem like a long time ago? Philip Anselmo: You know, I guess I could say a little bit of both. Sometimes, it's, like, "Oh my God, time flies." And then other times, it's, like — you know, it's been a long haul and a lot has changed... you can see the distance and feel the distance, but 20 years — you think about when you're 20 years old and you think you've been on the earth a very long time, and it's not true at all. It's a long time, but I've got great memories and I still love that album. Sherman Music Examiner: I know you have mentioned before that you always have low expectations for any music release you put out and that you are kind of a pessimist. Have the reactions to [your solo debut] "Walk Through Exits Only" surprised you in any way? It has gotten a lot of positive feedback, and it is an incredible release. Philip Anselmo: Once again — you really said it, you know — I am a pessimist. And I don't put any expectations out there because I guess they set you up to let you down if you're that type of person, and I'm not that type of person. I realize that people are going to love music or hate music or be indifferent to it. For me, you know, especially on this leg on the tour, where I was very adamant about playing small clubs — for me, the vibe is awesome so far. Because I think we're really just that type of band. So I feel like we are where we belong, it's a new thing, and where it goes from here is anybody's guess, and also, where it goes from here is, I guess — how much work you put into it. So we'll see. I'm as in the dark as anybody else, but as far as the shows go, I'm having a blast. Read the entire interview at Sherman Music Examiner.