DIMEBAG DARRELL - Reinventing The Steel Page 2
by Martin Popoff

But seriously, what Dime did for the guitar and for heavy metal... God bless 'im. I've always maintained that the four big renovations of metal ever came in 1970, with In Rock, Uriah Heep, Black Sabbath and Paranoid, in 1976 with Sad Wings Of Destiny, in 1984 with Ride The Lightning, and in 1990 with Cowboys From Hell. Dime, in conjunction with Vinnie's and Terry Date's actualization of his guitar sound, created a searing, scientific, cold, exacting steel-on-steel phenomenon that would become copied by countless bands through the next decade, none proving capable of unseating the kings.

Life had begun anew and enthusiastically with Damageplan. The band was working hard, touring the clubs, no airs put on by these veterans used to playing hockey barns for years and years. To have it all come to such a shocking close for this guitar great at 38 years of age is a huge loss for Dime's family and friends, not to mention the metal world, the world of rock 'n' roll at large, and most pointedly, those who were so inspired by the man's enthusiasm and technicality to take up music seriously and studiously, so that they may one day, kick ass like Dime.

12/9/04