this is such a tragedy.
I know everyone has had their say in this, and weve pretty much heard the same thing coming from fans and other metal musicians in the metal community the last few days. And I really dont want to repeat what has already been said because I feel the same as every single metal fan and musician out there. It breaks my heart each time I read how much Darrell touched so many lives, he did what every musician strives for, and thats to make music that hits you in the chest like a 10 ton Mack truck.
In trying to find the right words since the event, which I found out about while on the phone with a friend in the Bay Area as it all unfolded; it finally hit me yesterday morning, and I finally broke down. It took awhile for me to except the fact that he is gone, and today, I have come to accept it. I had never met the man, but I didnt have to, I listened to his music, and that was enough for me (as well as many fans) to know him. I have always been a fan of Darrells brilliant and innovative technique and songwriting, along with Vinny, Rex and Phil.
When I broke this news to the other members of Katagory V, they also were in shock, and sorrow. Everyone in the band are fans of Dimes work, and many of us have in the band have followed him through his career, even as early as the Pantera albums Power Metal and Projects in the Jungle. So I thought Id share my non-personal experiences of Darrell, from a fans point of view.
I remember the first time I heard Pantera, and heard Darrells playing. It was back in 1990, during the early winter. I was in 8th grade, I had just broke it off with my long-time girlfriend, and was looking for something to take my mind off of all the usual teenage angst I was feeling at the time. My mom took me to the mall by her house, and while browsing through the cassettes (yes, I said Cassettes!) I stumbled onto Cowboys from Hell. I looked at the cover, the songs, and though to myself, This looks heavy as shit! Ill give it a shot! I had no idea what I was in for, and when I got home, and plugged it into my boom-box, I was blasted with the most intense, thrashing, melodic riffing I had ever heard! The drums, bass everything kicked my ass! But that guitar playing it was mind blowing, it was fresh, and I knew that this band, and this guitarist, was destined to be bigger than Metallica themselves.
I also remember in 1992, when the album Vulgar display was released, me, as well as a few other friends, skipped a few classes in high school, and drove to the mall on the other side of town that day it came out, and each bought a copy. I also remember everyone doing high-fives and breaking open their copies of the album before we even left the store, I also recall that we cleaned them out of all their copies they had! The big question on all our minds was whats Diamond Darrell (his nickname at that time) going to fuckin do on this one? I cant wait to hear it! Ill bet he shreds like mad!
As we jumped into our buddys car, he popped in his copy, and cranked it, and we were cruising through town jamming "Mouth of War and doing the Waynes world, thrashing and head banging in the back seat. By the time it got to fucking Hostile everyone was glossy-eyed, with grins from ear to ear . We were all floored. It was the album of the year for all of us in high school, and anthem to our teenaged lives.
Shortly after graduating, me and anther friend from high school that I remember to this day, Chris turtle Clark, whom I havent seen for over 8 years (miss that guy!, where is he!), were going to go cruise Washington Boulevard in Ogden and scope out all the young girls and see if we could get some action. We rarely ever did, but hey, it how we killed time on the weekends. I meet him at his house in the Terrace, and when I got there, he came running out with a copy of Far beyond Driven on CD, shaking it at me, saying youve got to hear this dude!!! I was a bit envious, being that the album had been out for a few days, and I hadnt the money to afford my own yet, because I had moved out from my parents house, and was working and going to school, on top of paying rent, a car payment and insurance. So with Chris flaunting his copy in front of me, I was frothing at the mouth I had to hear it; I didnt want to wait another day! He had recorded his CD onto a cassette, since his Turtle van didnt have a CD player in it, and we climbed in and headed for the boulevard. When we hit the main drag, I remember vividly hearing the opening riff of Becoming and nearly shitting myself. We looked at each other, and kept rewinding the beginning and listening in suspense and surprise. This riff was another slamming guitar ride from Darrell that again, blew us all away. To this very day, this is still my favorite riff he has ever written, over top of Vinny playing snare-paradiddles on his kicks. It doesnt get any heavier that this! I went out and bough it the next day and went hungry for the next two days after, so I could keep gas in my car to get to work & school, but dammit, it was worth it!
Through the years, I bought each album as they came out and even though the magic seemed to be wearing off, I never once bought the albums just to have them, I bought them because I was a fan, and I wanted to hear what crazy shit Darrell was going to pull off. I was never disappointed with what I heard, only the fact that now they were a household name, and everyone knew who they were they were no longer the band that I discovered and would show off to other metal head for them to discover as well, my pile of gold had been discovered and seized by every metal head across the globe; I was out of a job now. After the recent event, looking back, I guess this is a very good thing, because Dime had become a legend, and looking through all my music mags. Guitar zines, and so forth, I came to realize that his genius will live on forever, and that his music will still go on to influence many, many fans and musicians like myself. I never had a chance to see him perform live, and this is probably my one and only regret, being that I Was either to young to get in where they played, or was unable to attend because they played while I had to work. All Ive had are live DVDs and such, but if I could go back and change anything, it would be to see him live, on stage, shredding away.
There is one thing that I can be grateful for, and that is that even with his passing, he will live on through his music. And this is a gift that will keep on giving for generations to come, and I think we should all be thankful that we all had the chance to experience his personality through his music, and his insane guitar playing.
For those of you who actaully sat through this entire spill, thanks for reading, I had to let it out, and just had to get it off my chest.
Well miss you Darrell, and even though youre gone physically, you will live on forever in your music. One day well all meet in the afterlife with black toothed grins. This JD shot is for you man! (Takes a shot).
\m/
Dustin
I know everyone has had their say in this, and weve pretty much heard the same thing coming from fans and other metal musicians in the metal community the last few days. And I really dont want to repeat what has already been said because I feel the same as every single metal fan and musician out there. It breaks my heart each time I read how much Darrell touched so many lives, he did what every musician strives for, and thats to make music that hits you in the chest like a 10 ton Mack truck.
In trying to find the right words since the event, which I found out about while on the phone with a friend in the Bay Area as it all unfolded; it finally hit me yesterday morning, and I finally broke down. It took awhile for me to except the fact that he is gone, and today, I have come to accept it. I had never met the man, but I didnt have to, I listened to his music, and that was enough for me (as well as many fans) to know him. I have always been a fan of Darrells brilliant and innovative technique and songwriting, along with Vinny, Rex and Phil.
When I broke this news to the other members of Katagory V, they also were in shock, and sorrow. Everyone in the band are fans of Dimes work, and many of us have in the band have followed him through his career, even as early as the Pantera albums Power Metal and Projects in the Jungle. So I thought Id share my non-personal experiences of Darrell, from a fans point of view.
I remember the first time I heard Pantera, and heard Darrells playing. It was back in 1990, during the early winter. I was in 8th grade, I had just broke it off with my long-time girlfriend, and was looking for something to take my mind off of all the usual teenage angst I was feeling at the time. My mom took me to the mall by her house, and while browsing through the cassettes (yes, I said Cassettes!) I stumbled onto Cowboys from Hell. I looked at the cover, the songs, and though to myself, This looks heavy as shit! Ill give it a shot! I had no idea what I was in for, and when I got home, and plugged it into my boom-box, I was blasted with the most intense, thrashing, melodic riffing I had ever heard! The drums, bass everything kicked my ass! But that guitar playing it was mind blowing, it was fresh, and I knew that this band, and this guitarist, was destined to be bigger than Metallica themselves.
I also remember in 1992, when the album Vulgar display was released, me, as well as a few other friends, skipped a few classes in high school, and drove to the mall on the other side of town that day it came out, and each bought a copy. I also remember everyone doing high-fives and breaking open their copies of the album before we even left the store, I also recall that we cleaned them out of all their copies they had! The big question on all our minds was whats Diamond Darrell (his nickname at that time) going to fuckin do on this one? I cant wait to hear it! Ill bet he shreds like mad!
As we jumped into our buddys car, he popped in his copy, and cranked it, and we were cruising through town jamming "Mouth of War and doing the Waynes world, thrashing and head banging in the back seat. By the time it got to fucking Hostile everyone was glossy-eyed, with grins from ear to ear . We were all floored. It was the album of the year for all of us in high school, and anthem to our teenaged lives.
Shortly after graduating, me and anther friend from high school that I remember to this day, Chris turtle Clark, whom I havent seen for over 8 years (miss that guy!, where is he!), were going to go cruise Washington Boulevard in Ogden and scope out all the young girls and see if we could get some action. We rarely ever did, but hey, it how we killed time on the weekends. I meet him at his house in the Terrace, and when I got there, he came running out with a copy of Far beyond Driven on CD, shaking it at me, saying youve got to hear this dude!!! I was a bit envious, being that the album had been out for a few days, and I hadnt the money to afford my own yet, because I had moved out from my parents house, and was working and going to school, on top of paying rent, a car payment and insurance. So with Chris flaunting his copy in front of me, I was frothing at the mouth I had to hear it; I didnt want to wait another day! He had recorded his CD onto a cassette, since his Turtle van didnt have a CD player in it, and we climbed in and headed for the boulevard. When we hit the main drag, I remember vividly hearing the opening riff of Becoming and nearly shitting myself. We looked at each other, and kept rewinding the beginning and listening in suspense and surprise. This riff was another slamming guitar ride from Darrell that again, blew us all away. To this very day, this is still my favorite riff he has ever written, over top of Vinny playing snare-paradiddles on his kicks. It doesnt get any heavier that this! I went out and bough it the next day and went hungry for the next two days after, so I could keep gas in my car to get to work & school, but dammit, it was worth it!
Through the years, I bought each album as they came out and even though the magic seemed to be wearing off, I never once bought the albums just to have them, I bought them because I was a fan, and I wanted to hear what crazy shit Darrell was going to pull off. I was never disappointed with what I heard, only the fact that now they were a household name, and everyone knew who they were they were no longer the band that I discovered and would show off to other metal head for them to discover as well, my pile of gold had been discovered and seized by every metal head across the globe; I was out of a job now. After the recent event, looking back, I guess this is a very good thing, because Dime had become a legend, and looking through all my music mags. Guitar zines, and so forth, I came to realize that his genius will live on forever, and that his music will still go on to influence many, many fans and musicians like myself. I never had a chance to see him perform live, and this is probably my one and only regret, being that I Was either to young to get in where they played, or was unable to attend because they played while I had to work. All Ive had are live DVDs and such, but if I could go back and change anything, it would be to see him live, on stage, shredding away.
There is one thing that I can be grateful for, and that is that even with his passing, he will live on through his music. And this is a gift that will keep on giving for generations to come, and I think we should all be thankful that we all had the chance to experience his personality through his music, and his insane guitar playing.
For those of you who actaully sat through this entire spill, thanks for reading, I had to let it out, and just had to get it off my chest.
Well miss you Darrell, and even though youre gone physically, you will live on forever in your music. One day well all meet in the afterlife with black toothed grins. This JD shot is for you man! (Takes a shot).
\m/
Dustin
