Album of the Day

Among the greatest metal bands of the 1990s, Pantera reinvented the genre with a series of dark, intense albums for Atco Records. Guitarist Dimebag Darrell, vocalist Phil Anselmo, bassist Rex Brown and drummer Vinnie Paul were an unstoppable force on record and on tour, and their take-no-prisoners approach paid off on this day in 1994, when FAR BEYOND DRIVEN entered the U.S. album chart at No.1. The set's muscular but nuanced production brings out the best in its dozen tracks, which include “I'm Broken,” “Strength Beyond Strength,” “Becoming” and an assured version of Black Sabbath's “Planet Caravan.” Coursing with grinding riffs and bone-crunching rhythms, the Platinum-certified FAR BEYOND DRIVEN remains a heavy metal landmark.