Becoming (song)

"Becoming" is a song by American heavy metal band Pantera from their seventh album Far Beyond Driven. It was released as a 2-track promotional-only vinyl 12", with "5 Minutes Alone" as its B-side.

"Becoming"
Single by Pantera
from the album Far Beyond Driven
B-side"5 Minutes Alone"
Released1994
Recorded1993
GenreGroove metal
Length3:05
LabelEastwest Records
Songwriter(s)Dimebag Darrell, Vinnie Paul, Phil Anselmo, Rex Brown
Producer(s)Terry Date
Pantera singles chronology
"5 Minutes Alone"
(1994)		 "Becoming"
(1994)		 "Drag the Waters"
(1996)

Overview

The song was conceived as an extensive series of high-speed double bass drum exercises by Vinnie Paul, and then guitarist Dimebag Darrell added riffs and a solo based on his first whammy pedal, the Digitech Whammy.[1][2] It also uses an unusual guitar tuning, as it sits between C# and D-tuning.

Vocalist and lyricist Phil Anselmo described the song as "gloating ... puffing the chest out ... very tongue in cheek, very much me playing around with words, and throwing a bit of a curveball at the listener".[1] He elaborated, "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."[3]

Track listing
12" single
  1. "Becoming"
  2. "5 Minutes Alone"

Reception

Although its release was limited, the song peaked at #18 on the U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart.

Rolling Stone called the "badass"[2] song one of Pantera's most powerful and bluesy, a "rhythmic steam roller",[1] with "next-level guitar pyrotechnics".[2]

References
  1. Grow, Kory. "Pantera Look Back at 20 Years of 'Far Beyond Driven'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  2. Epstein, Dan. "How Vinnie Paul and Pantera Revolutionized the Art of Metal". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  3. Graham 'Gruhamed' Hartmann (March 24, 2014). "Philip Anselmo Explains the Meaning Behind Pantera's 'Becoming' – Exclusive Video". Loudwire.
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