Eh...

Nation: United States

Album Genre: Traditional Metal/Hard Rock

Pros: Ahhhhhh, this is where it all started. Pre-Phil Anselmo, pre-groovy licks, pre-shaved heads, pre-weed exploitation. This is back in the glory days of GLAM ROCK, and Pantera was in it full force with this release combining the old school happenings of KISS with the then popular sounds of glam rock, and some old school American metal (ala Motley Crue). Yeah I know, not much of a "PRO", this simply ain't that good folks! The only good songs on this album arethe self titled "Metal Magic" and "Widowmaker" which aren't even that impressive because the vox suck so bad on it.

Cons: Considering I am not a fan of the majority of KISS or glam, this album definitely does not do it for me. This album personified everything that was bad about 80's hard rock/heavy metal.

Eh...

Nation: United States

Album Genre: Traditional Metal/Glam Rock

Pros: This is Pantera's second REAL album. For those who think that Cowboys From Hell was the first album from these guys, you are sorely mistaken, for they had quite a few albums during the 80's, and this is the second helping they put out. Some highlights of this album include the opening track "All Over Tonight" and "Out For Blood"

Cons: Incredibly generic rock for the time. Pantera were all out posers when they put out this album, and they remained posers until the 90's. They did manage to squeeze out a few decent songs during the 80's and this album has a few, but overall this album is a collector's piece only for completists. Oh and did I mention this album has terrible vocals? If not....THIS ALBUM HAS TERRIBLE VOCALS! This is the vocalist before the known vocalist Phil Anselmo. Thank god they changed to Phil.

Vewy Good

Nation: United States

Album Genre: Traditional Metal/Glam Rock

Pros: I have heard it said time and time again by metal elitists that Pantera are sell outs because they stole their sound from Exhorder and went from glam to groove. Anyone who says that...well....I'll gladly laugh in their faces. Pantera almost single handedly kept metal alive in the mainstream during the early 90's, and only...ONLY because they were mainstream are they shit on nowadays. Far Beyond Driven, as well as Pantera's two previous ventures--Cowboys From Hell and Vulgar Display of Power are great pieces of metal. Dimebag (RIP) had a southern guitar sound that no one in metal has ever reproduced. Pantera were never followers, they were innovators. Sure they were retards who drank to much and made asses of themselves, but their music spoke for themselves. Tried and true heavy metal that lived up to their own standards time and time again. Not that technical with their average riff? Well neither was Accept. Phil blastng out unintelligible vocals? Listen to some Living Death or Satan's Host and get back to me. Phil has proven during his career with Pantera and Down that he can belt out some amazing soulful southern style vocals. I'm not saying this album or any other Pantera album is flawless, but they are still rockin albums!

Cons: "Good Friends and a Bottle of Pills" is a pointless waste of time, skip this track. "Slaughtered" is definitely a filler tune, but still decent.