Dimebag Darrell’s 10 favourite songs of all time
Dimebag Darrell is one of the most revered heavy metal guitarists of all time. Best known for his work with Pantera and Damageplan, his fame bought made him the object of obsessive fan worship, to the extent that he was eventually shot and killed by a deranged fan while on stage with Damageplan in 2004. He was only 38 years old.
The story of Dimebag Darrell’s tragic demise has cast a significant shadow over his accomplishments in life. He was, after all, far more than a rock guitarist. With his penchant for wild parties and enduring passion for the likes of AC/DC and KISS, he was the living embodiment of the heavy metal lifestyle. Here, we’d like to dedicate a little time to remembering some of his favourite artists.
Darrell Abbot took up the guitar when he was 12 years old. At the time, he was an avid fan of Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Kiss and, of course, Van Haen. After being given A Les Paul copy and a Pignose amplifier, he quickly started to mimic his heroes – posing in front of the mirror with the guitar in hand, experimenting with eye makeup and learning as many songs as he could. As his brother, Vinnie Abbott told Metal Hammer, Darrell could play Van Halen’s ‘Eruption’ “note for note”.
Luckily for Darrell, his brother Vinnie had been playing the drum for a little while, so the pair joined forces and started jamming incessantly. The first six-hour session saw them perform classic tracks from the likes of Deep Purple and Black Sabbath, the latter of which introduced Darell to the great Ozzy Osbourne, whose track ‘Diary of a Madman’ was another favourite. “Randy Rhoads would always have to come first for him,” Vinne recalled. “Especially the intro on this.”
By the 1980s, Darrell was performing with iconic hair metallers Pantera, who, clad in spandex and caked in makeup, consciously drew from the glam-rock style of Kiss and Judas Preist. Discussing the latter’s ‘Electric Eye’, Vinnie recalled:” Oh, man. KK Downing and Glenn Tipton were huge heroes and influences for Dime.”
As the 1980s gave way to the 1990s, Darrel continued to innovate, releasing Cowboys from Hell in 1990, an album widely regarded as establishing the blueprint for the groove-metal subgenre. According to Vinnie, Darell’s rhythmic textures on that pioneering record are reflective of his passion for AC/DC. ” [This] might be a little bit surprising but Dime loved Angus Young, man. Talk about groove rock.” Make sure you check out the full list of Dimebag Darrell’s ten favourite songs below.
Dimebag Darrell’s ten favourite songs:
- ‘Eruption’ – Van Halen
- ‘Diary Of A Madman’ – Ozzy Osbourne
- ‘Summerland’ – King’s X
- Boom Boom (Out Go The Lights) – Pat Travers Band
- ‘Number of The Beast’ – Iron Maiden
- La Grange’ – ZZ Top
- ‘Electric Eye’ – Judas Priest
- ‘Highway To Hell’ – AC/DC
- ‘Master of Puppets’ – Metallica
- ‘Rocket Ride’ – Kiss
