The Death of "Dimebag" Darrell
Remembering a metal legendby Rob Todd | 12.20.2004
The television fades in…It’s ten minutes to twelve on December 8, 2004. “Metal guitarist shot and killed, details at eleven.” Considering all the war, famine, and worldwide disgrace going on, murder is a common occurrence on the news. Nonetheless, further information said the incident involved a Columbus, Ohio setting. Inexplicably, we should all be immediately reminded of the unfortunate incident in Rhode Island involving Great White nearly two years ago.
Days later the shock seems to deepen as the rest of the information begins to leak out. Darrell Abbott, affectionately known to the rest of the world as “Dimebag Darrell” was shot and killed.
Since their separation from Pantera, Abbott, 38, and his brother and long time drummer, Vinnie Paul, had been re-visiting the depths of ground level metal, touring with their new formation Damageplan. "It just kind of got narrow-minded, and we just wanted to bust it open a little bit more and just broaden it up, go for the Baskin-Robbins 31 flavors instead of the one, you know what I mean?" Darrell Abbott told CNN news in April 2004 of the finally confirmed Pantera break-up.
Not long into Damageplan’s live set at Alrosa Villa nightclub, 25 year-old Nathan Gale from nearby Marysville, OH was said to have charged the stage and shot Darrell in the side of the head from close range. After shooting the legendary lead finger picker, the heavy set man dressed in his said-to-be usual attire (Columbus Blue Jackets hockey jersey and a hoodie), moved his attention sporadically toward the rest of the stage and eventually onto his peers in the crowd. By the time local police officer James Niggemeyer had shot and killed Gale, four others were dead, including the head of Damageplan security, Jeffrey ‘Mayhem’ Thompson. Acting tour manager Chris Paluska (critical but stable condition) and drum tech John ‘Kat’ Brooks were also injured during the shooting. Although, early reports had said Vinnie Paul was also shot and possibly killed, these reports were later nullified.
As for a motive it’s still unclear to police as to what, if any motive Gale had for his senseless rampage. Some witnesses at the show said he was yelling accusations as he attacked. Perhaps suggesting Dimebag had been the reasoning behind the Pantera break up, but police had not verified those reports. In an interview conducted by Fox News with one of his hometown friends, Gale was said to have accused Pantera of allegedly stealing his lyrics, and even his identity. Even further investigation led to many other stories of exemplified reasoning as to how this random individual could’ve been guilty of this heinous crime.
Born and raised in the Dallas/Fort Worth area by his father, Jerry Abbott, Darrell was known for his electrifying and mind-boggling guitar solos. Though some of his influences included fellow metal guitarists such as Black Sabbath’s late guitarist Tony Iommi, or even contemporary performers such as James Hetfield (Metallica), and Kerry King (Slayer). It may have also been his father's upbringing that molded this genius. Jerry Abbott, a country songwriter, owned a recording studio. Often times Darrell would watch on as blues guitar legends came through the studio with their quick gun style.
And some will remember Dimebag for his amazing characteristics and antics. Such as the Godzilla-like claws that climbed over the top of his roof at his home in Arlington ,TX.
Not always Dimebag, but “Diamond” Darrell and his brother formed Pantera in 1982, they were as glam as they came. From the high pitched stereotypical 80’s vocals, to dredges, and belief of deep southern metal. Cowboys From Hell helped sit them atop the metal industry in 1990, when it rose up the Billboard 200 charts, reaching its peak at 27. Their 1992 sophomore release, Vulgar Display of Power, only peaked at 44. With its unforgettable fist to the face album cover art, is said to have embedded the act forever into the historical lesson plan of influential heavy metal for years to come.
As Derek Youngsma, drummer of Bleeding Through, pointed out in a recent Crush Music Magazine interview. “Throughout the 90’s, metal was pretty much dead and Pantera was the band. They were the one band still playing heavy music, and didn’t care about what was selling at the time and what people liked at the time, and they kept [metal] going.”
Although songs like “Respect (Walk),” “Fucking Hostile” and “Rise” were over-aggressive moments of lyrical bigotry, the music itself became the life raft that saved those who were lost at sea during the dying days of grunge. That bottomed out feel of Rex Rocker’s strings, or the double bass feel of Vinnie Paul pounding away at the pedals combining with the music’s heartbeat, the 6 strings of Dimebag’s trailblazing charting on the neck of his signature guitar. Later, by releasing a slew of videos and albums such as Far Beyond Driven, The Great Southern Trendkill, and Reinventing the Steel, Pantera only secured their place in the impending creation of a Metal Hall of Fame. Songs like “Hollow” played out epic-like rhythms blaring loud, surely defining the tiny musical hairs on the ears of an entire generation of girls and boys. Never will we forget the first time we saw his live presence on stage. Focused, confident, and never intent on anything but the perfect trails of scrunching classic rock and heavy metal together, enamored in a blend of distorted equalizers. Vinnie Paul tried his best to sum up his younger brother the next day. “With all his greatness and accomplishments on the guitar, Dime will be missed more for his giving personality, charisma, caring for others, love and most of all his heart! Twice as big as the state of Texas.”
Other stories may very well be that of lame gun control laws or even event security, the criminal litigation should spotlight this as yet another isolated incident of what happens when idolization of the entertainment industry (music, sport, television, etc.) simply gets out of hand. Drummer Paul Allender of Cradle Of Filth talked about concert security in an interview with us in the days following the Alrosa Villa shooting, “I mean, we had a possible fucking shooting in Minnesota on this tour.” Allender further described his band’s recent run-in with concert security (or there lack of). “Our merch guy got held up with a gun pointed at his head, nothing, nobody was frisked. I mean, this guy, just as we were finishing our set he walks in and no one got frisked, there wasn’t very tight security.”
For whatever reason the press may eventually drudge up as to why this particular selection of flesh and bone decided to take it upon himself to end another human's life, we’re left to pick up the pieces. I suppose we should be alright. Just dig through that CD collection, and next time you see you’re Vulgar Display of Power CD, throw it on for old times sake. But make sure you say a prayer every so often for the newest member of the guitar gods club.
