Post by Henny Macc on Oct 31, 2020 19:29:18 GMT
"Dimebag" Darrell Lance Abbott (August 20, 1966 – December 8, 2004)
Years active: 1981-2004
Country of origin: United States of America
Recorded vocal range: B1-A5 -3⅚ octaves
Band history:
- 1981-1986 - Pantera (lead guitar, backing vocals)
- 1986-2003 - Pantera (guitar, occasional vocals)
- 1996-2004 - Dimebag Darrell (lead vocals, guitar)
- 1997-2004 - Gasoline (lead guitar, vocals)
- 1998 - Tres Diablos (lead vocals, guitar)
- 1999-2004 - Rebel Meets Rebel (lead guitar, backing vocals)
- 2003-2004 - Damageplan (guitar, backing vocals)
A5: "Cold Gin" live at Savvy's Nightclub 1986, "Seek & Destroy" live at Savvy's Nightclub 1986
G♯5/A♭5: "Cold Gin" live at Savvy's Nightclub 1986, "Seek & Destroy" live at Savvy's Nightclub 1986
G5: "Cold Gin" live at Savvy's Nightclub 1986, "P*S*T*88", "Seek & Destroy" live at Savvy's Nightclub 1986
F♯5/G♭5: "Back to the City" live at Savvy's Nightclub 1986, "Seek & Destroy" live Lawton 1984, "Whiplash" live San Jose 1994
F5: "Cold Gin" live Arlington 2003
E5: "Country Western Transvestite Whore"
C5: "True"
B4: "Heard It on the X", "Let's Go", "Twisted"
A♯4/B♭4: "Caged in a Rage", "Heard It on the X"
A4: "Ain't No Struggle", "Cold Gin" live at Savvy's Nightclub 1986, "Gasoline" live 2001, "Heard It on the X", "Snow Blind", "This Love" live at Donington 1994, "Wang Dang Sweet Pootang" live 2001, "Whiplash" live Houston 1990
G♯4/A♭4: "Cat Scratch Fever" live Arlington 2003, "Cold Gin" live Arlington 2003, "Country Western Transvestite Whore", "Dime's Blackout Society", "Out for Blood" live 1984 "True", "Whiplash" live San Jose 1994
G4: "Ain't No Struggle", "Heavy Metal Rules" live 1984, "Let's Go", "P*S*T*88", "Seek & Destroy" live Lawton 1984, "True", "Whiplash" live San Jose 1994, "Whiskey Road"
F♯4/G♭4: "Ain't No Struggle", "Gasoline" live 2001, "Goin' with the Gut" live 2001, "Hot and Heavy" live Dallas 1988, "Light My Fire" live Houston 1990, "Heard It on the X", "Jailbreak" live 2001, "Snow Blind", "Whiplash" live San Jose 1994
Recorded low notes:
D3: "Light My Fire" live Houston 1990
C3: "True"
B2: "Ain't No Struggle", "Country Western Transvestite Whore", "Dime's Blackout Society", "P*S*T*88", "Whiskey Road"
A2: "Country Western Transvestite Whore", "Whiskey Road"
G♯2/A♭2: "Twisted"
F♯2/G♭2: "Country Western Transvestite Whore"
E2: "Country Western Transvestite Whore"
B1: "Heard It on the X"
.......................................................
*Blue marks soft/clear falsetto notes.
*Underlines marks notes in backing vocals or otherwise muffled/obscured in the mix.
{Detailed bio}
Dimebag Darrell was best known as the guitarist for Pantera and Damageplan, who became one of the most influential guitarists in the world of heavy metal over the course of the '90s, and is credited as one of the driving forces behind the development of groove metal as a genre. In addition to his renowned guitar work however, he also did a sporadic bit of singing here and there throughout his career, in which he displayed a surprisingly wide range. On heavier tracks, his vocal style actually sounded quite reminiscent of his own Pantera bandmate Phil Anselmo, with a comparable amount of grit and power in his shouty approach to the mid to upper fourth octave. Based on the strength of the backing B1s in his cover of "Heard It on the X", it sounds like he also may have had a comparable low range to Anselmo, though as far as I've heard he never demonstrated any lead vocal singing below E2 with it. However, his low range was still quite decent overall, and was something that he could be heard using to sing with a more Southern rock-infused delivery on some songs.
Darrell started his career in 1981 when he was still a teenager in high school, when his brother Vinnie Abbott (better known as Vinnie Paul) was invited to be part of the formation of glam metal band Pantera. Vinnie only agreed to join if Darrell was allowed in the band too, which they reluctantly agreed to, as he was allegedly not very good at guitar at the time, and didn't seem like the best fit. However, he quickly improved at guitar and began to impress his bandmates with his developing abilities. Though he originally shared guitar duties with Terry Glaze, Darrell soon got good enough at his instrument that he took over the role as sole guitarist in 1982, while Glaze shifted into the role of vocalist after founding vocalist Donny Hart left the band. With the addition of bassist Rex Brown that same year, this created Pantera's first lineup of significant note, which soon recorded their debut album Metal Magic in 1983. They recorded two more albums together - Projects in the Jungle in 1984 and I Am the Night in 1985, all of which featured music performed in a glam metal style, highly contrasting to the groove metal style that the band would later become known for in the '90s (to the point that fans have nicknamed this era of the band "Glamtera"). Throughout this period, Darrell was credited as "Diamond Darrell", before changing the first part of his moniker to "Dimebag" in the '90s.
In the mid '80s, Darrell and Vinnie began listening to heavier music such as Metallica, which influenced them to change their own musical style and adapt to this more. Glaze was opposed to this change and wished to continue in their previous glam metal style, which resulted in his departure from the band. In his stead, Pantera hired Phil Anselmo as their new vocalist and recorded their fourth album, 1988's Power Metal. This album featured a blend between their former glam metal sound and the heavier sound that they were beginning to develop, and featured Darrell on vocals on the song "P*S*T*88". Following this, they released their breakthrough album Cowboys from Hell in 1990, which fully stepped away from any hints of glam metal and featured the first sounds of their signature groove metal style. The album was highly praised by fans and critics, and contained what would go on to become some of Pantera's best known songs, such as the title track and "Cemetery Gates". Pantera's next two albums after this, 1992's Vulgar Display of Power and 1994's Far Beyond Driven, only further continued the band's evolution in a heavier, more aggressive direction, and featured a number of other songs that went on to become major hits for them, such as "Walk", "This Love", "Mouth for War", "5 Minutes Alone", and "I'm Broken".
After Far Beyond Driven, internal tensions began to grow within Pantera, largely stemmed from Anselmo's growing substance addictions. This resulted in the recording sessions for their next album, 1996's The Great Southern Trendkill, being held separately between band members - with Anselmo recording vocals in a different studio than where Darrell, Vinnie, and Rex recorded instruments. After the release of this album, Darrell and Vinnie also began to dabble in a few other projects - including the band Gasoline, which they routinely performed New Year's shows with from 1997-2001, playing a mix of classic rock covers and new originals. Some of these can be heard in a rare 2001 fan recording of the band, which also features guests such as Jerry Cantrell and members of Drowning Pool. Dimebag also began recording a few solo songs during this time, which he sang vocals on in addition to playing guitar. Included among these was the song "Caged in a Rage", which was featured on the soundtrack for Supercop in 1996. Many of the rest of these recordings would remain shelved for a number of years, but have since seen various posthumous releases and features, such as the 2017 solo compilation EP The Hitz.
In the years after the release of The Great Southern Trendkill, tensions with Anselmo increased to the point that the other members of Pantera grew suspicious that he may not return to the band. As a result, they temporarily formed a separate band as a trio, called Tres Diablos, in which Darrell provided vocals in addition to guitar. The only recording that manifested from this band's existence was a 1998 cover of ZZ Top's "Heard It on the X", but they also began working on a separate project as a collaboration with country musician David Allan Coe during this time, with Coe on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Darrell on lead guitar and backing vocals, Rex on bass, and Vinnie on drums. This project was christened Rebel Meets Rebel, and began working on music written in a "country metal" style (as an combination of Coe's traditional country style and the metal style of the Pantera members) between 1999 and 2003, eventually culminating in a self-titled album that was released in 2006, after Darrell's death. In the meantime, however, Anselmo did return to Pantera later in 1999 despite ongoing tensions, and continued to work with the band on what would become their final album - 2001's Reinventing the Steel. Though the band was successfully able to complete this album and engage in some limited touring together to promote it, relations between the members finally broke down for good in the years after this, which resulted in their official dissolution in 2003.
Following the breakup of Pantera, Darrell and Vinnie formed the band Damageplan in 2003, which released their sole album New Found Glory in 2004. Unfortunately, the band's tenure lasted for less than two years in total, as Darrell was shot and killed onstage on December 8, 2004 by a deranged fan during a Damageplan concert. The band immediately split up after his death, which was heavily mourned as a great loss to the metal community across the world. However, he is still widely recognized and celebrated to this day for the contributions he made to the world of metal, and there have been numerous tributes done to him by other musicians in memorial of him. Additionally, various musicians that he collaborated with prior to his death have been continually releasing material that had previously been shelved over the years, including a handful of tracks that he performed vocals on as well. Though far more people know him for his guitar skills than his singing abilities, he was also a good enough singer that I see no reason not to acknowledge him for his vocal range as well!
Dimebag Darrell was best known as the guitarist for Pantera and Damageplan, who became one of the most influential guitarists in the world of heavy metal over the course of the '90s, and is credited as one of the driving forces behind the development of groove metal as a genre. In addition to his renowned guitar work however, he also did a sporadic bit of singing here and there throughout his career, in which he displayed a surprisingly wide range. On heavier tracks, his vocal style actually sounded quite reminiscent of his own Pantera bandmate Phil Anselmo, with a comparable amount of grit and power in his shouty approach to the mid to upper fourth octave. Based on the strength of the backing B1s in his cover of "Heard It on the X", it sounds like he also may have had a comparable low range to Anselmo, though as far as I've heard he never demonstrated any lead vocal singing below E2 with it. However, his low range was still quite decent overall, and was something that he could be heard using to sing with a more Southern rock-infused delivery on some songs.
Darrell started his career in 1981 when he was still a teenager in high school, when his brother Vinnie Abbott (better known as Vinnie Paul) was invited to be part of the formation of glam metal band Pantera. Vinnie only agreed to join if Darrell was allowed in the band too, which they reluctantly agreed to, as he was allegedly not very good at guitar at the time, and didn't seem like the best fit. However, he quickly improved at guitar and began to impress his bandmates with his developing abilities. Though he originally shared guitar duties with Terry Glaze, Darrell soon got good enough at his instrument that he took over the role as sole guitarist in 1982, while Glaze shifted into the role of vocalist after founding vocalist Donny Hart left the band. With the addition of bassist Rex Brown that same year, this created Pantera's first lineup of significant note, which soon recorded their debut album Metal Magic in 1983. They recorded two more albums together - Projects in the Jungle in 1984 and I Am the Night in 1985, all of which featured music performed in a glam metal style, highly contrasting to the groove metal style that the band would later become known for in the '90s (to the point that fans have nicknamed this era of the band "Glamtera"). Throughout this period, Darrell was credited as "Diamond Darrell", before changing the first part of his moniker to "Dimebag" in the '90s.
In the mid '80s, Darrell and Vinnie began listening to heavier music such as Metallica, which influenced them to change their own musical style and adapt to this more. Glaze was opposed to this change and wished to continue in their previous glam metal style, which resulted in his departure from the band. In his stead, Pantera hired Phil Anselmo as their new vocalist and recorded their fourth album, 1988's Power Metal. This album featured a blend between their former glam metal sound and the heavier sound that they were beginning to develop, and featured Darrell on vocals on the song "P*S*T*88". Following this, they released their breakthrough album Cowboys from Hell in 1990, which fully stepped away from any hints of glam metal and featured the first sounds of their signature groove metal style. The album was highly praised by fans and critics, and contained what would go on to become some of Pantera's best known songs, such as the title track and "Cemetery Gates". Pantera's next two albums after this, 1992's Vulgar Display of Power and 1994's Far Beyond Driven, only further continued the band's evolution in a heavier, more aggressive direction, and featured a number of other songs that went on to become major hits for them, such as "Walk", "This Love", "Mouth for War", "5 Minutes Alone", and "I'm Broken".
After Far Beyond Driven, internal tensions began to grow within Pantera, largely stemmed from Anselmo's growing substance addictions. This resulted in the recording sessions for their next album, 1996's The Great Southern Trendkill, being held separately between band members - with Anselmo recording vocals in a different studio than where Darrell, Vinnie, and Rex recorded instruments. After the release of this album, Darrell and Vinnie also began to dabble in a few other projects - including the band Gasoline, which they routinely performed New Year's shows with from 1997-2001, playing a mix of classic rock covers and new originals. Some of these can be heard in a rare 2001 fan recording of the band, which also features guests such as Jerry Cantrell and members of Drowning Pool. Dimebag also began recording a few solo songs during this time, which he sang vocals on in addition to playing guitar. Included among these was the song "Caged in a Rage", which was featured on the soundtrack for Supercop in 1996. Many of the rest of these recordings would remain shelved for a number of years, but have since seen various posthumous releases and features, such as the 2017 solo compilation EP The Hitz.
In the years after the release of The Great Southern Trendkill, tensions with Anselmo increased to the point that the other members of Pantera grew suspicious that he may not return to the band. As a result, they temporarily formed a separate band as a trio, called Tres Diablos, in which Darrell provided vocals in addition to guitar. The only recording that manifested from this band's existence was a 1998 cover of ZZ Top's "Heard It on the X", but they also began working on a separate project as a collaboration with country musician David Allan Coe during this time, with Coe on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Darrell on lead guitar and backing vocals, Rex on bass, and Vinnie on drums. This project was christened Rebel Meets Rebel, and began working on music written in a "country metal" style (as an combination of Coe's traditional country style and the metal style of the Pantera members) between 1999 and 2003, eventually culminating in a self-titled album that was released in 2006, after Darrell's death. In the meantime, however, Anselmo did return to Pantera later in 1999 despite ongoing tensions, and continued to work with the band on what would become their final album - 2001's Reinventing the Steel. Though the band was successfully able to complete this album and engage in some limited touring together to promote it, relations between the members finally broke down for good in the years after this, which resulted in their official dissolution in 2003.
Following the breakup of Pantera, Darrell and Vinnie formed the band Damageplan in 2003, which released their sole album New Found Glory in 2004. Unfortunately, the band's tenure lasted for less than two years in total, as Darrell was shot and killed onstage on December 8, 2004 by a deranged fan during a Damageplan concert. The band immediately split up after his death, which was heavily mourned as a great loss to the metal community across the world. However, he is still widely recognized and celebrated to this day for the contributions he made to the world of metal, and there have been numerous tributes done to him by other musicians in memorial of him. Additionally, various musicians that he collaborated with prior to his death have been continually releasing material that had previously been shelved over the years, including a handful of tracks that he performed vocals on as well. Though far more people know him for his guitar skills than his singing abilities, he was also a good enough singer that I see no reason not to acknowledge him for his vocal range as well!
{Album ranges}
Pantera:
Dimebag Darrell:
Pantera:
- Power Metal (1988) - B2-G5
Dimebag Darrell:
- The Hitz (released posthumously in 2017) - G♯2-A2-B4-C5
