December 8th marks the anniversary of the death of Dimebag Darrell Lance Abbott of Pantera and Damageplan. Today is the 21st anniversary of his murder of while on stage at the former Alrosa Villa club in Columbus, Ohio. That venue has now been demolished. As we do every year on this date, we prefer to cherish Darrell’s memory and honor how he lived. Twenty-years on, no one can deny his impact as a player, songwriter, and major personality in metal. The five modern classic albums he made with Pantera starting with 1990s Cowboys From Hell, 1992s Vulgar Display of Power, 1994’s Far Beyond Driven, 1997s The Great Southern Trendkill, and 2000’s Reinventing the Steel will last forever as some of the heaviest, inventive, and soulful metal music ever made. Darrell also had three of the top 100 guitar solos of all-time as ranked by Guitar World – “Walk,” “Cemetary Gates,” and “Floods.” While controversial, the current world tour from the reformed version of Pantera is a tribute to Darrell and his late brother Vinnie Paul, despite some resistance from fans. The current version of Pantera, featuring Phil Anselmo, Rex Brown, along with Zakk Wylde (Ozzy, Black Label Society), and Charlie Benante (Anthrax, S.O.D., G.B.I.) has more dates lined up for 2026 on their own as a headliner and opening for Metallica. So Getcha pull! Jam out to some classic Dimebag and Pantera tracks and raise a glass or smoke (or both) to the legend of legends on guitar!
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