Don't Fuck With This

Pantera "Death Rattle"

Saturday night I watched VH1's 'Behind The Music' on Pantera. First of all i'm excited that VH1 is doing this show again. Second of all, I was even more excited that they were doing an episode on Pantera. I actually stayed in that night just to watch it. I had a date with three wicked fine ladies and I cancelled it JUST TO WATCH THIS SHOW. Okay fine, I wasn't doing anything else, except for maybe listening to NECROPHAGIST.

You couldn't pick a better rock n roll story to tell than Pantera. I just wish the story hadn't ended with such a tragedy. I will admit that I welled up in the final moments of the Pantera "Behind The Music". I have such strong memories of that band and their music that it was hard not to. Having watched all of the Pantera home videos and seeing what a funny, loveable guy Dimebag Darrell seemed to be, I can't understand why anyone would want to do him in.

Pantera "Mouth For War"

I remember being in eighth grade and singing "Mouth For War" in its entirety to the girl who sat across from me. Although I think she was mildly entertained, she may have been a little bit scared of me at the same time. I mean, who tries to impress girls like that? It still doesn't work.

Pantera "Regular People (Conceit)"

Me and my cousin were huge Pantera fans. Every time we were in the same room and someone played "Regular People (Conceit)", we would just start beating the shit out of each other. And not pretend fighting either, we were out to hurt each other. Once he punched me in the stomach right after the song ended, and I thought that wasn't fair. Only WHILE it's playing, dude! We were just depressed teenagers and we got out our angst by beating on each other. That song just brought it out of us. Better each other than picking fights with strangers was my rationale.

Pantera "The Badge"

A couple of years ago I was given the opportunity to edit Superjoint Ritual's live concert DVD. I couldn't have been more excited. No it's not Pantera, but it was as close as I was gonna get. I even got to see them perform here in L.A. and go backstage after the show. During the show Phil Anselmo told the security guards to take a break, because he wanted to see the crowd "bloody and unmanageable". Mr. Anselmo was not backstage while I was there, but even being with the band who has sort of a third degree of separation from Pantera was enough to thrill me. Plus they thanked me in their liner notes! That alone is enough to make my 14 year old self shit himself with glee (ew). Superjoint is bad ass as well by the way. You'll definitely be hearing about that band in future posts of mine.

So this is my Pantera tribute post. Dimebag Darrell's body is long in the ground now in his KISS casket, but somewhere in the world right now there's some kid with a fucked up life rocking out to "Domination" instead of killing himself. So i'd say Dimebag did his job.