‘Dimebag’ Darrell: 7th Anniversary Of Pantera Guitarist’s Death
By Obi-Dan
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Thursday, December 8th, 2011 at 9:09 am
Former Pantera and Damageplan guitarist “˜Dimebag’ Darrell died 7 years ago today. His murder was a story which shocked the whole rock and metal music world.
Born Darrell Abbott on August 20, 1966 in Ennis, Texas, he formed the heavy metal band Pantera with his brother Vinnie Paul on drums in 1981. Finally settling on a line up encompassing lead singer Phil Anselmo and bass player Rex Brown, Pantera began as a glam metal band before changing their plan of attack with their seminal heavy metal album Cowboys From Hell in 1991.
Dimebag’s talent was obvious to fans and his contemporaries and he was offered the chance to join Megadeth in 1987. Dimebag was certainly talented enough to join the thrash legends possessing the skill and speed to match Dave Mustaine. But the offer was turned down because Dime didn’t want to be separated from his brother.
When Pantera did split up Dimebag continued to work with Vinnie Paul. They released an album, Rebel Meets Rebel, with country music artist David Allan Coe. Their latest project was the heavy metal band Damageplan, which had plans to record a second album.
On December 8, 2004, Dimebag was performing with Damageplan in Columbus, Ohio, when 25-year-old Nathan Gale approached the stage. Gale began firing at the band and audience, killing 5 people. One of the victims was Dime who died onstage. He was 38 years old. Dime was buried in a Kiss Kasket with Eddie Van Halen’s own famous yellow and black “˜bumblebee’ guitar.
The five “˜proper’ Pantera albums (Cowboys From Hell, Vulgar Display Of Power, Far Beyond Driven, The Great Southern Trendkill, and Reinventing The Steel) are still perfect examples of what heavy metal is. For over 20 years Dimebag’s guitar playing illuminated and astounded the metal world. Dimebag’s was a talent that drove Pantera’s sound and influenced the next generation of heavy metal guitarists.
Dimebag was taken from us all too soon but his off-stage
antics and face-melting guitar shredding will ring out through generations to
come. The world lost a true prodigy of
metal from this insane murder. I’m a
huge fan myself and this year for the anniversary of his passing, drew a new
portrait of Darrell on my artist’s blog and made a head-banging tribute video
for this dearly departed God of Rock which you can watch at http://dregstudiosart.blogspot.com/2011/12/dimebag-darrell-tribute-video.html
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Students of the Unusual™ comic cover used with permission of 3BoysProductions
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RIP, Dime! Always my favorite guitarist!
Comment by Heath McKnight — December 8, 2011 @ 11:26 am
He came to rock the world and left to soon
Comment by Warbstar — December 8, 2011 @ 12:50 pm
Dimebag was taken from us all too soon but his off-stage
antics and face-melting guitar shredding will ring out through generations to
come. The world lost a true prodigy of
metal from this insane murder. I’m a
huge fan myself and this year for the anniversary of his passing, drew a new
portrait of Darrell on my artist’s blog and made a head-banging tribute video
for this dearly departed God of Rock which you can watch at http://dregstudiosart.blogspot.com/2011/12/dimebag-darrell-tribute-video.html
Comment by Brandt Hardin — December 8, 2011 @ 2:49 pm
Rip dime, FUCK YOU NATHAN GALE, YOU PEICE OF SHIT
Comment by Jcoleman26491 — December 8, 2011 @ 2:59 pm