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.

The latest issue of Revolver magazine is a “Fallen Heroes Of Hard Rock and Metal” tribute to several late musicians, like Ronnie James Dio and Peter Steele, both of whom passed away in 2010. The issue has special cover artwork by legendary comics artist J.G. Jones.

Gracing the cover along with Dio and Steele are Paul Gray (Slipnot), The Rev (Avenged Sevenfold), Dimebag Darrell (Pantera), Cliff Burton (Metallica), Kurt Cobain (Nirvana), Randy Rhoads (Ozzy Osbourne), Freddy Mercury (Queen), and Layne Staley (Alice In Chains).

The cover painting also appears inside the magazine as a free poster. Check out the cover image here at right (click for larger, full view).

The issue is on newsstands now, but you can also purchase it online for $19.95, which includes a commemorative limited-edition 1 3/4″–diameter Dimebag Darrell “dime” along with an antiqued metal coin holder. (This is the only way to get the coin and holder, aside from at Barnes & Noble stores.) A portion of the proceeds will go to the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout cancer fund.

The MP3 deal of the day over at Amazon today is Pantera‘s Vulgar Display Of Power for only $2.99.

Here’s where I explain to you why you should part with three bucks: This album is fucking amazing. That’s right, I cursed for emphasis, and I’d do it again… fucking amazing. There’s not one bad song on the whole album, but here’s three songs that are worth the $2.99 alone: “Mouth For War,” “Walk,” and “This Love.” There, done.

Like metal? [And you don’t already own this album? :::gasp:::] Vulgar Display of Power is a must-have in your collection.

Pantera was a four-piece metal band from Texas whose 1990 crossover album Cowboys From Hell was their breakout effort, solidifying their place in the metal pantheon. Vulgar was their even heavier follow-up in 1992 and is, in my opinion, their best album. Some of you might remember Pantera from their iconic guitarist, the shred master Dimebag Darrell Abbott, who was gunned down by a deranged fan in December 2004 while performing with Damageplan (the post-Pantera band he formed with his brother, Pantera drummer Vinnie Paul). On vocals is Phil Anselmo, who performed in numerous side projects like Superjoint Ritual and is currently fronting Down.