Damageplan
Encyclopedia
Damageplan was an American heavy metal
supergroup
from Dallas, Texas
that formed in 2003. Following the demise of their previous group Pantera
, brothers Dimebag Darrell
and Vinnie Paul Abbott
wanted to start a new band. The pair recruited former Halford
guitarist Pat Lachman
on vocals, and later Bob Zilla
on bass. Damageplan released its debut album New Found Power
in the United States on February 10, 2004, which debuted at number 38 on the Billboard 200
, selling 44,676 copies in its first week.
While Damageplan was promoting the album at a concert on December 8, 2004, a man named Nathan Gale
climbed on stage and murdered Darrell, the lead guitarist for Damageplan. Although no motive was found, some witnesses claimed Gale blamed the brothers for Pantera's breakup and believed that they had stolen his lyrics. Gale was killed by police officer James Niggemeyer, who was found to have acted properly by the Franklin County
prosecutor
's office. The band's manager confirmed there are unreleased Damageplan recordings, although they have not surfaced, and the band has not performed since the incident. Abbott and Zilla have joined the band Hellyeah
, and Lachman joined The Mercy Clinic.
and drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott were not pleased with the difficulties heavy metal band Pantera
was experiencing. Abbott described the performance of Pantera's vocalist, Phil Anselmo
, as either "hit and miss, depending on what type of chemicals he was on." Anselmo and bassist Rex Brown
preferred contributing to their side projects and did not discuss or record Pantera material, while Darrell and Vinnie wanted to continue to write and play music. They thought it was time to move on and began writing new material.
A demo
of the song "Crawl" was sent to former Halford
guitarist Pat Lachman who auditioned as vocalist. Lachman was hired, and Damageplan was formed in early 2003 with ex-Jerry Cantrell guitarist Shawn Matthews on bass initially, who was replaced after the album recording with the brothers' tattoo artist, Bob Zilla. When writing music, Vinnie claimed; "we put no boundaries on it...we wanted it to be very diverse", and Darrell said "We wanted to stretch out and expand our capabilities to their fullest." The band changed its name to Damageplan and decided to name the first album New Found Power.
, was released in the United States on February 10, 2004. The album was recorded at the brothers' backyard studio, Chasin' Jason in Arlington, Texas
, where previous Pantera albums were recorded. Abbott found that during recording everyone was willing to contribute and "put 100% effort into it", while with Pantera he found it difficult to get Anselmo in the recording studio. Corey Taylor
of Slipknot
, Zakk Wylde
of Black Label Society
and Jerry Cantrell
of Alice In Chains
made guest appearances on the tracks "Fuck You", "Soul Bleed", and the bonus track "Ashes To Ashes" respectively, and Sterling Winfield handled co-production duties.
New Found Power sold 44,676 copies in its first week to debut at number 38 on the Billboard 200
. The album received mixed reviews from music critics; Christine Klunk of PopMatters
commented "I'm not in the least bit interested in where this band goes or what new and exciting ways they'll think of to abuse the listeners," while Johnny Loftus of Allmusic felt it was a "blazing new beginning".
Alice in Chains
' vocalist/guitarist Jerry Cantrell
attended a Thanksgiving
party hosted by the brothers. Darrell and Vinnie had a demo of the first song they wrote titled "Ashes to Ashes". Lachman insisted it was on the "backburner" until Cantrell showed interest. The band entered the brothers' backyard studio with Cantrell to record "Ashes to Ashes". Although the song was not completed in time to be featured on New Found Power, it was included on the Japanese version and the soundtrack The Punisher: The Album. To promote New Found Power, the band toured with Hatebreed
, Drowning Pool
, and Unearth
on the second installment of the Headbanger's Ball.
On December 8, 2004, Damageplan was on tour at the Alrosa Villa, a Columbus, Ohio
nightclub
. Moments into the concert, Nathan Gale
, a former U.S. Marine, climbed onto the stage and shot Darrell in the head multiple times. Head of Security for the band Jeffery "Mayhem" Thompson engaged in hand-to-hand combat with Gale, which allowed Vinnie Paul Abbott and other members to escape. Thompson, however, was killed. A fan named Nathan Bray attempted to give CPR to Thompson and Darrell, but was shot and killed by the gunman. Erin Halk, a roadie and also a former U.S. Marine, was killed when he charged at Gale while the shooter was reloading. Once police arrived, officer James Niggemeyer approached the stage from the side and could see Gale holding a gun to a hostage. Niggemeyer killed Gale with a single shotgun blast to the head. 15 shots were fired by Gale, and an additional 36 rounds were found on his person.
A police investigation did not find a motive behind the shooting, although some fans claimed Gale blamed Darrell and Vinnie for the demise of Pantera, and that Gale said the brothers stole his lyrics while trying to steal his identity. Gale used a Beretta 92F that was given to him by his mother, who was proud of his military service following his discharge
. Major Jason Johnston, a Marine Corps spokesman at The Pentagon
, was unable to comment on Gale's discharge. Gale's mother said that the shooter suffered from paranoid schizophrenia. He was given medication for the condition, but she does not know if he took it.
A foundation called The Dimebag Darrell Memorial Fund was created after the incident, which donated its profits to cover medical expenses of drum technician John Brooks and tour manager Chris Paluska, who were injured on December 8. A public memorial service for Darrell took place on December 14, 2004 at Arlington Convention Center in Arlington, Texas
. Many musicians paid tribute to Darrell on message boards and at live performances.
In May 2005, Niggemeyer was called before a grand jury
, which was assembled by the Franklin County
prosecutor
's office to examine the actions taken that night, a standard practice when lethal force is used. The jury found there was no wrongdoing on Niggemeyer's part. Franklin County prosecutor Ron O'Brien commented, "There was little doubt [the shooting] was lawful, given the 200 eyewitnesses and the circumstances that surrounded the shooting. Nevertheless, we still have an independent body review the facts". Niggemeyer was nominated for a bravery award on the TV show America's Most Wanted
.
Following the events of December 8, 2004 Abbott was unsure if he wanted to continue playing music. He was invited to join the supergroup
Hellyeah
, which included members of Mudvayne
and Nothingface
, but declined the offer. However, bassist Jerry repeatedly called Abbott and he accepted to join the project as he thought "Everybody had their head in the right place." Hellyeah released its debut album on April 10, 2007. One week later, Zilla joined the band as its new bassist, after left due to "personal reasons". The album was recorded at Abbott's backyard studio, Chasin' Jason, where New Found Power was recorded.
Vocalist Lachman joined The Mercy Clinic, which aided the grieving process. He commented, "you have to get back on the horse. You could easily let a decade go by and not do anything. I'm happy to have walked away with my life after the situation I was thrown into. But, I mean, what do you do? I'm a musician. I'm going to make music. What Dime would have told me was, 'You make music, motherfucker. Get back on it. Do what you do.' So, that's what I did." Before the shooting, Phil Anselmo made the statement "Dimebag deserves to be severely beaten" in the December 2004 edition of Metal Hammer
. He denied making the comments and apologized, although Abbott requested Metal Hammer to provide the audio tapes to prove the authenticity of what Anselmo said. Abbott found the quote authentic and referred to him as the "master of lies".
A book titled A Vulgar Display of Power: Courage and Carnage at the Alrosa Villa
was penned by author Chris Arnold. For 14 months, Arnold interviewed people and researched the events leading up to December 8, stating "It's not a book about rock stars, but heroes, regular guys who made the ultimate sacrifice." In his research, Arnold found no evidence that the comments Anselmo made before Darrell's death had influenced Gale's actions. The book was released in 2007.
When writing music, Abbott and Darrell suggested guitar riffs and "grooves", while Lachman added his input to modify the song's structure. The band's sound has been described by music critics to be similar to Pantera. Christine Klunk of PopMatters
disliked the similarities and commented, "aside from a constant, driving rhythm, repetitive riffs, and unintelligible lyrics about (I'm assuming) kicking ass—there's nothing of interest to pay attention to". The song "Breathing New Life" features 180 beats-per-minute bass drum
pedaling, what Vik Bansal of MusicOMH
described as "exploding into a blaze of riffage and a cool chorus". Bansal was impressed with certain elements of the song such as the switch from downbeat singing to "a big chorus lodged in power chord heaven", and the incorporated groove rhythms. However, he felt Darrell "borrows" Anthrax
's guitar solo from the song "Only".
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
supergroup
Supergroup (music)
In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
from Dallas, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
that formed in 2003. Following the demise of their previous group Pantera
Pantera
Pantera was an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas. Formed by the Abbott brothers, Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell in 1981, bassist Rex Brown would join in late 1981 with vocalist Terry Glaze. Looking for a new and heavier sound, Pantera had Terry replaced in 1987 with Phil Anselmo as...
, brothers Dimebag Darrell
Dimebag Darrell
Darrell Lance Abbott , also known as Diamond Darrell and Dimebag Darrell, was an American guitarist. He was best known as a founding member of the heavy metal bands Pantera and Damageplan. Abbott also contributed to the album Rebel Meets Rebel, a collaboration between Pantera and David Allan Coe...
and Vinnie Paul Abbott
Vinnie Paul
Vincent Paul Abbott, also known as "Vinnie Paul" is a heavy metal drummer and producer who is currently a member of supergroup Hellyeah, but is best known for being a member, and co-founder, of the heavy metal band Pantera...
wanted to start a new band. The pair recruited former Halford
Halford (band)
Halford is a heavy metal band formed in 1999 by Rob Halford, the lead vocalist for Judas Priest. Halford formed the band to return to his heavy metal roots...
guitarist Pat Lachman
Patrick Lachman
-Biography:Patrick Lachman is an American heavy metal guitarist and vocalist. The Portland, Oregon native was a short-lived member of Dr. Mastermind, featuring former Wild Dogs vocalist Matt McCourt, before joining his brother, vocalist Tim Lachman, in another local band, Gargoyle, in 1988...
on vocals, and later Bob Zilla
Bob Kakaha
Robert 'Bob' Kakaha, also known as Bobzilla is an American bassist best known as the bassist for heavy metal band Damageplan and is currently a member of heavy metal supergroup Hellyeah.-Life and career:...
on bass. Damageplan released its debut album New Found Power
New Found Power
- Personnel :Damageplan* Patrick Lachman − vocals* Dimebag Darrell − guitars, bass * Vinnie Paul − drumsGuest musicians* Corey Taylor - 2nd verse, breakdown, and last chorus on "Fuck You"...
in the United States on February 10, 2004, which debuted at number 38 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, selling 44,676 copies in its first week.
While Damageplan was promoting the album at a concert on December 8, 2004, a man named Nathan Gale
Nathan Gale
Nathan M. Gale was a former American Marine who is known for having murdered former Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell and three others during a Damageplan concert at the Alrosa Villa club in Columbus, Ohio, on December 8, 2004.-Life:Nathan M. Gale was born in Calumet City, Illinois, and raised...
climbed on stage and murdered Darrell, the lead guitarist for Damageplan. Although no motive was found, some witnesses claimed Gale blamed the brothers for Pantera's breakup and believed that they had stolen his lyrics. Gale was killed by police officer James Niggemeyer, who was found to have acted properly by the Franklin County
Franklin County, Ohio
Franklin County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. In 2010 the population was 1,163,414, making it the second largest county in Ohio and the 34th largest county in population in the United States. Franklin County is also the largest in the eight-county Columbus, Ohio...
prosecutor
Prosecutor
The prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution in countries with either the common law adversarial system, or the civil law inquisitorial system...
's office. The band's manager confirmed there are unreleased Damageplan recordings, although they have not surfaced, and the band has not performed since the incident. Abbott and Zilla have joined the band Hellyeah
Hellyeah
Hellyeah is an American heavy metal supergroup, consisting of Mudvayne vocalist Chad Gray and guitarist Greg Tribbett, Nothingface guitarist Tom Maxwell, Damageplan bassist Bob Zilla, and former Pantera and Damageplan drummer Vinnie Paul. The idea to form a supergroup originated in 2001 on the...
, and Lachman joined The Mercy Clinic.
Formation
Guitarist Dimebag DarrellDimebag Darrell
Darrell Lance Abbott , also known as Diamond Darrell and Dimebag Darrell, was an American guitarist. He was best known as a founding member of the heavy metal bands Pantera and Damageplan. Abbott also contributed to the album Rebel Meets Rebel, a collaboration between Pantera and David Allan Coe...
and drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott were not pleased with the difficulties heavy metal band Pantera
Pantera
Pantera was an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas. Formed by the Abbott brothers, Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell in 1981, bassist Rex Brown would join in late 1981 with vocalist Terry Glaze. Looking for a new and heavier sound, Pantera had Terry replaced in 1987 with Phil Anselmo as...
was experiencing. Abbott described the performance of Pantera's vocalist, Phil Anselmo
Phil Anselmo
Philip Hansen "Phil" Anselmo is an American musician who is best known as the lead singer for the heavy metal band Pantera. He is currently the frontman for the Louisiana-based metal act Down. He is also the owner of Housecore Records....
, as either "hit and miss, depending on what type of chemicals he was on." Anselmo and bassist Rex Brown
Rex Brown
Rex Robert Brown is an American heavy metal bassist. A former member of Down, he is most famous as the longtime bassist for the Grammy-nominated, platinum-selling band Pantera.-Pantera:...
preferred contributing to their side projects and did not discuss or record Pantera material, while Darrell and Vinnie wanted to continue to write and play music. They thought it was time to move on and began writing new material.
A demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
of the song "Crawl" was sent to former Halford
Halford (band)
Halford is a heavy metal band formed in 1999 by Rob Halford, the lead vocalist for Judas Priest. Halford formed the band to return to his heavy metal roots...
guitarist Pat Lachman who auditioned as vocalist. Lachman was hired, and Damageplan was formed in early 2003 with ex-Jerry Cantrell guitarist Shawn Matthews on bass initially, who was replaced after the album recording with the brothers' tattoo artist, Bob Zilla. When writing music, Vinnie claimed; "we put no boundaries on it...we wanted it to be very diverse", and Darrell said "We wanted to stretch out and expand our capabilities to their fullest." The band changed its name to Damageplan and decided to name the first album New Found Power.
New Found Power
The single "Save Me" debuted on American radio on January 26, 2004 and the band's debut album, New Found PowerNew Found Power
- Personnel :Damageplan* Patrick Lachman − vocals* Dimebag Darrell − guitars, bass * Vinnie Paul − drumsGuest musicians* Corey Taylor - 2nd verse, breakdown, and last chorus on "Fuck You"...
, was released in the United States on February 10, 2004. The album was recorded at the brothers' backyard studio, Chasin' Jason in Arlington, Texas
Arlington, Texas
Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. According to the 2010 census results, the city had a population of 365,438, making it the third largest municipality in the Metroplex...
, where previous Pantera albums were recorded. Abbott found that during recording everyone was willing to contribute and "put 100% effort into it", while with Pantera he found it difficult to get Anselmo in the recording studio. Corey Taylor
Corey Taylor
Corey Todd Taylor sometimes known by the number 8, is an American musician best known as the lead vocalist and lyricist of Slipknot and Stone Sour. Taylor was raised by his single mother. He developed a fond feeling toward classic rock after his grandmother introduced him to it...
of Slipknot
Slipknot (band)
Slipknot is an American heavy metal band from Des Moines, Iowa. Formed in 1995, the group was founded by percussionist Shawn Crahan and bassist Paul Gray...
, Zakk Wylde
Zakk Wylde
Zachary Phillip Wylde , best known by the stage name Zakk Wylde, is an American musician, songwriter, and occasional actor who is best known as the former guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne and founder of the heavy metal band Black Label Society. He was the lead guitarist and vocalist in Pride & Glory,...
of Black Label Society
Black Label Society
Black Label Society is a heavy metal band formed by Zakk Wylde, with nine studio albums, one live album, two compilation albums, one EP, and three video albums released since formation of the band.-Formation and Sonic Brew :...
and Jerry Cantrell
Jerry Cantrell
Jerry Fulton Cantrell Jr. is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter best known for his work with the grunge/metal band Alice in Chains, as lead guitarist, backing and co-lead vocalist, and co-lyricist. He performs lead vocals on his solo projects, and is part of Alice in Chains' harmonizing...
of Alice In Chains
Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley. The initial lineup was rounded out by drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Starr...
made guest appearances on the tracks "Fuck You", "Soul Bleed", and the bonus track "Ashes To Ashes" respectively, and Sterling Winfield handled co-production duties.
New Found Power sold 44,676 copies in its first week to debut at number 38 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. The album received mixed reviews from music critics; Christine Klunk of PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
commented "I'm not in the least bit interested in where this band goes or what new and exciting ways they'll think of to abuse the listeners," while Johnny Loftus of Allmusic felt it was a "blazing new beginning".
Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley. The initial lineup was rounded out by drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Starr...
' vocalist/guitarist Jerry Cantrell
Jerry Cantrell
Jerry Fulton Cantrell Jr. is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter best known for his work with the grunge/metal band Alice in Chains, as lead guitarist, backing and co-lead vocalist, and co-lyricist. He performs lead vocals on his solo projects, and is part of Alice in Chains' harmonizing...
attended a Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
party hosted by the brothers. Darrell and Vinnie had a demo of the first song they wrote titled "Ashes to Ashes". Lachman insisted it was on the "backburner" until Cantrell showed interest. The band entered the brothers' backyard studio with Cantrell to record "Ashes to Ashes". Although the song was not completed in time to be featured on New Found Power, it was included on the Japanese version and the soundtrack The Punisher: The Album. To promote New Found Power, the band toured with Hatebreed
Hatebreed
- History :Hatebreed was formed in 1994 in Bridgeport, Waterbury and New Haven. They began by recording a three song demo and selling it to locals. Those three songs would eventually be released on a split seven inch with New York's Neglect in 1995...
, Drowning Pool
Drowning Pool
Drowning Pool is a four-piece alternative metal band from Dallas, Texas.-Early days :Drowning Pool rose to fame while playing along with Ozzy Osbourne during an Ozzfest tour. Their 2001 debut album, Sinner was certified platinum within six weeks...
, and Unearth
Unearth
Unearth is an American metalcore band from Winthrop, Massachusetts. Formed in 1998, the group has released five studio albums. Their fourth record, The March was released on October 14, 2008 meeting with high positive reception by many...
on the second installment of the Headbanger's Ball.
Murder of Dimebag Darrell
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
. Moments into the concert, Nathan Gale
Nathan Gale
Nathan M. Gale was a former American Marine who is known for having murdered former Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell and three others during a Damageplan concert at the Alrosa Villa club in Columbus, Ohio, on December 8, 2004.-Life:Nathan M. Gale was born in Calumet City, Illinois, and raised...
, a former U.S. Marine, climbed onto the stage and shot Darrell in the head multiple times. Head of Security for the band Jeffery "Mayhem" Thompson engaged in hand-to-hand combat with Gale, which allowed Vinnie Paul Abbott and other members to escape. Thompson, however, was killed. A fan named Nathan Bray attempted to give CPR to Thompson and Darrell, but was shot and killed by the gunman. Erin Halk, a roadie and also a former U.S. Marine, was killed when he charged at Gale while the shooter was reloading. Once police arrived, officer James Niggemeyer approached the stage from the side and could see Gale holding a gun to a hostage. Niggemeyer killed Gale with a single shotgun blast to the head. 15 shots were fired by Gale, and an additional 36 rounds were found on his person.
A police investigation did not find a motive behind the shooting, although some fans claimed Gale blamed Darrell and Vinnie for the demise of Pantera, and that Gale said the brothers stole his lyrics while trying to steal his identity. Gale used a Beretta 92F that was given to him by his mother, who was proud of his military service following his discharge
Military discharge
A military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from their obligation to serve.-United States:Discharge or separation should not be confused with retirement; career U.S...
. Major Jason Johnston, a Marine Corps spokesman at The Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
, was unable to comment on Gale's discharge. Gale's mother said that the shooter suffered from paranoid schizophrenia. He was given medication for the condition, but she does not know if he took it.
A foundation called The Dimebag Darrell Memorial Fund was created after the incident, which donated its profits to cover medical expenses of drum technician John Brooks and tour manager Chris Paluska, who were injured on December 8. A public memorial service for Darrell took place on December 14, 2004 at Arlington Convention Center in Arlington, Texas
Arlington, Texas
Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. According to the 2010 census results, the city had a population of 365,438, making it the third largest municipality in the Metroplex...
. Many musicians paid tribute to Darrell on message boards and at live performances.
In May 2005, Niggemeyer was called before a grand jury
Grand jury
A grand jury is a type of jury that determines whether a criminal indictment will issue. Currently, only the United States retains grand juries, although some other common law jurisdictions formerly employed them, and most other jurisdictions employ some other type of preliminary hearing...
, which was assembled by the Franklin County
Franklin County, Ohio
Franklin County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. In 2010 the population was 1,163,414, making it the second largest county in Ohio and the 34th largest county in population in the United States. Franklin County is also the largest in the eight-county Columbus, Ohio...
prosecutor
Prosecutor
The prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution in countries with either the common law adversarial system, or the civil law inquisitorial system...
's office to examine the actions taken that night, a standard practice when lethal force is used. The jury found there was no wrongdoing on Niggemeyer's part. Franklin County prosecutor Ron O'Brien commented, "There was little doubt [the shooting] was lawful, given the 200 eyewitnesses and the circumstances that surrounded the shooting. Nevertheless, we still have an independent body review the facts". Niggemeyer was nominated for a bravery award on the TV show America's Most Wanted
America's Most Wanted
America's Most Wanted is an American television program produced by 20th Television, and was the longest-running program of any kind in the history of the Fox Television Network until it was announced on May 16, 2011 that the series was canceled after twenty-three years, with the final episode...
.
Post-murder events
In a 2005 interview, Damageplan manager Paul Bassman said unreleased recordings before Darrell's death were near completion. He commented, "Vinnie Abbott has said there will be a follow-up album down the road, as Dime would have wanted his music to be heard." Rumors circulated of another album, although nothing has been released.Supergroup (music)
In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
Hellyeah
Hellyeah
Hellyeah is an American heavy metal supergroup, consisting of Mudvayne vocalist Chad Gray and guitarist Greg Tribbett, Nothingface guitarist Tom Maxwell, Damageplan bassist Bob Zilla, and former Pantera and Damageplan drummer Vinnie Paul. The idea to form a supergroup originated in 2001 on the...
, which included members of Mudvayne
Mudvayne
Mudvayne is an American heavy metal band. Their work is marked by the use of sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate visual appearance, which has included face and body paint, masks and uniforms...
and Nothingface
Nothingface
Nothingface was a four-piece metal band from Washington, D.C. noted for having graphic lyrics and occasionally using political themes in their later works, as well as polyrhythmic songs.-First Run:...
, but declined the offer. However, bassist Jerry repeatedly called Abbott and he accepted to join the project as he thought "Everybody had their head in the right place." Hellyeah released its debut album on April 10, 2007. One week later, Zilla joined the band as its new bassist, after left due to "personal reasons". The album was recorded at Abbott's backyard studio, Chasin' Jason, where New Found Power was recorded.
Vocalist Lachman joined The Mercy Clinic, which aided the grieving process. He commented, "you have to get back on the horse. You could easily let a decade go by and not do anything. I'm happy to have walked away with my life after the situation I was thrown into. But, I mean, what do you do? I'm a musician. I'm going to make music. What Dime would have told me was, 'You make music, motherfucker. Get back on it. Do what you do.' So, that's what I did." Before the shooting, Phil Anselmo made the statement "Dimebag deserves to be severely beaten" in the December 2004 edition of Metal Hammer
Metal Hammer
Metal Hammer is a monthly heavy metal music magazine published in the United Kingdom by Future Publishing, and in several other countries by different publishers. Metal Hammer articles feature both mainstream bands and more unusual acts from the whole spectrum of heavy metal music...
. He denied making the comments and apologized, although Abbott requested Metal Hammer to provide the audio tapes to prove the authenticity of what Anselmo said. Abbott found the quote authentic and referred to him as the "master of lies".
A book titled A Vulgar Display of Power: Courage and Carnage at the Alrosa Villa
A Vulgar Display Of Power
A Vulgar Display of Power: Courage and Carnage at the Alrosa Villa is a book written by rock writer and photographer Chris Armold and released by MJS Music Publications in 2007.-Overview:...
was penned by author Chris Arnold. For 14 months, Arnold interviewed people and researched the events leading up to December 8, stating "It's not a book about rock stars, but heroes, regular guys who made the ultimate sacrifice." In his research, Arnold found no evidence that the comments Anselmo made before Darrell's death had influenced Gale's actions. The book was released in 2007.
Lyrical themes and style
The lyrical process was a collaborative effort consisting of Vinnie, Darrell, and Lachman. Themes explored on the album included the brothers' experiences, Darrell commented, "the crumbling of one empire and then starting over ... So there are a lot of lyrics about being reborn in a sense, about it being a new day, moving forward, letting go of the past and becoming something new." This is exemplified in the songs "Reborn", "Wake up", and "Breathing New Life". "Blunt Force Trauma" is about when someone or something comes up behind you when you least expect it, "it could be a situation in your life, it could be a person you know with a beer bottle".When writing music, Abbott and Darrell suggested guitar riffs and "grooves", while Lachman added his input to modify the song's structure. The band's sound has been described by music critics to be similar to Pantera. Christine Klunk of PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
disliked the similarities and commented, "aside from a constant, driving rhythm, repetitive riffs, and unintelligible lyrics about (I'm assuming) kicking ass—there's nothing of interest to pay attention to". The song "Breathing New Life" features 180 beats-per-minute bass drum
Bass drum
Bass drums are percussion instruments that can vary in size and are used in several musical genres. Three major types of bass drums can be distinguished. The type usually seen or heard in orchestral, ensemble or concert band music is the orchestral, or concert bass drum . It is the largest drum of...
pedaling, what Vik Bansal of MusicOMH
MusicOMH
musicOMH is a United Kingdom-based website which publishes independent reviews, featues and interviews from across all musical genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B.-History:...
described as "exploding into a blaze of riffage and a cool chorus". Bansal was impressed with certain elements of the song such as the switch from downbeat singing to "a big chorus lodged in power chord heaven", and the incorporated groove rhythms. However, he felt Darrell "borrows" Anthrax
Anthrax (band)
Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981. Founded by guitarists Scott Ian and Danny Lilker, the band has since released ten studio albums and 20 singles, and an EP featuring Public Enemy. The band was one of the most popular of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
's guitar solo from the song "Only".
Band members
- Pat LachmanPatrick Lachman-Biography:Patrick Lachman is an American heavy metal guitarist and vocalist. The Portland, Oregon native was a short-lived member of Dr. Mastermind, featuring former Wild Dogs vocalist Matt McCourt, before joining his brother, vocalist Tim Lachman, in another local band, Gargoyle, in 1988...
– vocals (2003-2004) - Dimebag DarrellDimebag DarrellDarrell Lance Abbott , also known as Diamond Darrell and Dimebag Darrell, was an American guitarist. He was best known as a founding member of the heavy metal bands Pantera and Damageplan. Abbott also contributed to the album Rebel Meets Rebel, a collaboration between Pantera and David Allan Coe...
– guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
(2003-2004) - Bob ZillaBob KakahaRobert 'Bob' Kakaha, also known as Bobzilla is an American bassist best known as the bassist for heavy metal band Damageplan and is currently a member of heavy metal supergroup Hellyeah.-Life and career:...
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(2003-2004) - Vinnie PaulVinnie PaulVincent Paul Abbott, also known as "Vinnie Paul" is a heavy metal drummer and producer who is currently a member of supergroup Hellyeah, but is best known for being a member, and co-founder, of the heavy metal band Pantera...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
(2003-2004)
Albums
| Year | Album details |
|---|---|
| 2004 | New Found Power New Found Power - Personnel :Damageplan* Patrick Lachman − vocals* Dimebag Darrell − guitars, bass * Vinnie Paul − drumsGuest musicians* Corey Taylor - 2nd verse, breakdown, and last chorus on "Fuck You"...
|
Singles
| Year | Title | US Main Mainstream Rock Tracks Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue... |
Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | "Save Me" | 16 | New Found Power |
| "Breathing New Life" | — | ||
| "Explode" | — | ||
| "Pride" | 30 | ||
| "—" denotes singles that were released but did not chart. | |||
Music videos
| Year | Title | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | "Save Me" | Salzy |
| "Breathing New Life" | Red Ezra | |
| "Explode" | ||