Lead guitarists have shaped almost every major evolution in metal. Where would the headbanger nation be without pioneers and paradigm-shifters like Tony Iommi, Kerry King, or Dimebag Darrell? Well, we’ll have to find out where we go without Darrell – he was shot on Wednesday night, one song into a set with his new band, Damageplan.
A 38-year-old Texan, Darrell formed Pantera in the late 1980s with his drummer brother Vinnie Paul and bassist Rex Brown. The group recorded four studio albums of 80s-style power metal before unearthing vocalist Phil Anselmo and signing with Atlantic. The five albums they released on the label (Cowboys From Hell, Vulgar Display Of Power, Far Beyond Driven, The Great Southern Trendkill and Reinventing The Steel) changed metal in their image.
Pantera seemed almost absurdly intense at times. Anselmo started out as a typical thrash screamer, but on the band’s two best albums, Vulgar Display Of Power and Far Beyond Driven, he developed a more explicitly metallic take on Henry Rollins’ man-on-fire bellow and blossomed as a performer (as he sang in “Becoming,” he was “born again/with snake’s eyes/becoming god-sized”). But behind him, it was Darrell and Paul who were driving the machine, and refashioning metal, and they were much more down-to-earth. Dimebag owned a topless bar in Texas, and frequently championed younger, up-and-coming metal bands. He also never missed a chance to talk about the acts he admired, the groups (and guitarists) who'd inspired him as a child.
Pantera’s music was heavy, to be sure, but it grooved instead of grinding. They were slower than peers like Megadeth and Slayer, and Darrell’s guitar solos pushed shredding dissonance through a blues framework. He and his brother expressed admiration for fellow Texans ZZ Top as often as they praised Judas Priest and Black Sabbath, and the influence could be heard in their music. All five of their Atlantic albums are worth hearing, but again, Vulgar Display Of Power and Far Beyond Driven (which debuted at #1 on the charts in 1994, to everyone's shock, including the band's) are their best. To hear Dimebag Darrell at his best, check out “Walk,” “Mouth For War,” “Becoming,” “I’m Broken,” and their cover version of Ted Nugent’s “Cat Scratch Fever,” all available on Far Beyond The Great Southern Cowboys’ Vulgar Hits, a best-of from Rhino.
I don’t know Dimebag from Dweezil Zappa, but read about this story yesterday over at JC (Steve Smith and J-Biv were among the folks sounding off). I remember Pantera from my college years (big hit at off-campus frat parties), but never owned an album or followed their work. Sad news regardless. The ZZ Top name-drop definitely piqued my eye, so that Rhino comp looks like a nice place to start on catching up with what I missed.
Can I just say too I’m pleasantly surprised by the slight ‘rock’ slant the site’s been taking lately- Joe’s upcoming ROW continues the trend.
Headbangers' Ball went dark last night - the first hour was guest-hosted by Dave Mustaine, sitting against a black backdrop talking about his own memories of tours and parties with Darrell, bolstered by phone-ins from Jamey Jasta of Hatebreed (the show's regular host, out on tour) and Scott Ian from Anthrax (Darrell guested on the last three Anthrax studio albums), and interspersed with Pantera and Damageplan videos. They also showed a fairly in-depth MTV News story from Columbus - Gideon Yago has been able to get better reporting done on this than any of the cable-news channels or the networks, including eyewitness reports from people right in front of the stage. There were also printed testimonials on-screen from Ozzy, Zakk Wylde, Darrell's brother, and some other metal folks. Nothing from Phil Anselmo, though, which seems a rather glaring omission. I wonder what the story really is there.
Posted by: phil at December 12, 2004 7:14 AMAbbott was a Dallas native, and though I never really met him, it was obvious from his public statements that he had a lot of local pride -- even if he sometimes carried it like a chip on his shoulder, in true blue-collar fashion.
I have, really, only two Dimebag stories. One has to do with seeing him in the audience at a King's X show at the Underworld club (Lowest Greenville) on a miserably hot June night last year. As King's X moved into their very first tune, the Underworld's electrical system konked out and ended up frying guitarist Ty Tabor's effects rack. After conferring, the band scrapped their set list, rigged up an acoustic guitar for Tabor to play, and did an all-request show. Only the faithful stayed, and Abbott was one of them.
Second: the most memorable tribute I've yet seen to Abbott around town had to be the van I passed on my way back from lunch errands on Thursday afternoon. Someone had written "R.i.P. [sic] Darrell" in the road schmutz of a back window with their fingertip. Seemed more approrpiate to me than flowers or banners.
Posted by: Joe Milazzo at December 12, 2004 9:40 AMI just remember paying $35 to see Sepultura in Memphis circa 1995; but Max had broken his leg the night before so I was stuck with a Prong/Pantera rock and hard place. Pantera started their set with laser-light marijuana leaves flying around the stadium. For one song the lead singer announced, 'This one goes out to all the people who laughed at me in high school, cause after this show I'm gonna get more pussy than they've ever had!' Cue grinding riff. Cue shirtless Navy guys with pummeling arm-dance.
I also remember a kid at my high school had 5 bumper stickers on his rear window: Christian Life, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, his church, our school, and Pantera. Huh?
R.i.P. to the others who also died that night.
Michael
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