It's been just over 20 years since PANTERA released Far Beyond Driven on March 22nd, 1994. It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, making it the first extreme metal album to top the chart. Given the album's gravity and importance, ARTISTdirect.com editor in chief Rick Florino recently spoke to vocalist Philip Anselmo; an excerpt follows:

Far Beyond Driven feels like Pantera at its purest or most unbridled. In some ways, this is the rawest spirit of the band.

"That's an interesting way to put it. It's hard for me not to endorse the way you put it, but it's also hard for me to endorse it. I think, at that time, we were all very much on the same page, so to speak. Let me side step really quickly and just remind you. Pantera had a lot of success before I was in the band. When I first joined the band, I was singing fucking tracks on Power Metal after two weeks of being with them. Then, we wrote Cowboys from Hell all throughout the rest of 1987 and 1988. We had been playing those songs live. We had been through a lot up to the point as far as personalities go and getting to know each other. Becoming a trusted member and true singer for this band was a process to where I didn't have the rest of the band peaking over my shoulder like, 'What are you writing about?' By the time I got to Far Beyond Driven, it was, 'I'm going to write what the fuck I'm going to write.' So, I was very comfortable at the time. I guess the rest of the guys were like, 'Leave Phil alone. Let him do his job' [laughs]. It felt so fucking natural."

What song represents the record's spirit the most for you?

"There are two songs for me. One of them really sums up what Pantera was about. That would be 'Becoming'. Darrell had found this new noisy ass fucking pedal, and he came up with this heaving monstrous fucking riff using this pedal. I loved it because it was screechy, fucked up, and original-sounding—and ugly at the same time. Also the drum beat and the kick drum patterns to that song are fucking outrageous. The riff is heavy and very Pantera to the max, and it also has the huge chorus. That song embodies the spirit of Pantera very well. Actually, a very interesting song is the first one we wrote for it. Strangely enough, that would be '25 Years'. That began with my infatuation with THE MELVINS and their interpretation of The Melvins—playing things drone-y, slower, and unpredictably. That song itself is so different for us in a way because of its elongated intro and almost a perfect Pantera piece. The verses are so signature fucking Pantera it's ridiculous. I'm proud of both of those songs as far as sticking out. You can't take anything from 'Strength Beyond Strength' or 'I'm Broken' either because they have their points of magic as well."

To read the interview in its entirety, visit this location.

The 20th anniversary addition of Far Beyond Driven is out now, and it includes Far Beyond Bootleg - Live From Donington '94 - a recording of Pantera's legendary Donington performance. To read the BraveWords.com review, click here.