Rex Brown sat down with Bass Player to discuss his days with Pantera. During the conversation, the bassist shared a Dimebag Darrell story, which back then was an impressive thing to do, which is now, as the bassist says, can be quickly done by using Pro Tools. Brown explained:
“On some of the really tight songs that we did, Dime recorded guitar tracks on left and right and a double in the centre. So when we were rehearsing, we would turn the drums off. I’d play with him, just guitars and bass, which sounds weird – but that was how we got it so tight. Nowadays you could sit there and get it perfect with Pro Tools, but I’d rather get it right beforehand.”
Zakk Wylde’s Philosophy Is ‘A Lot Like Dimebag Darrell’
Despite initial skepticism, the decision to appoint Zakk Wylde as Dimebag Darrell’s replacement in Pantera received widespread approval from fans. The guitarist also gained approval from Dimebag’s guitar tech and the estates of the late Abbott brothers. Grady Champion, Dimebag Darrell’s longtime guitar tech, shared his thoughts on collaborating with Zakk Wylde in the revamped Pantera and reminisced about his initial connection with the late guitar icon. As the guitar tech says, Wylde’s philosophy resembles Dimebag’s:
“I just remember that just Zakk telling me, ‘Come on, man, that song goes by 100 miles an hour. Nobody’s gonna notice anyway.’ And I’m like, ‘Alright, let’s just go.’ That’s his philosophy. Just go, bro, you know? So, it’s a lot like Darrell. ‘Let’s just go, and have fun.'”
Other Guitarists Think Dimebag Is ‘Awesome’
The late guitarist’s bandmate is not the only person who admires the way he plays. Alice In Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell is among those who think Dimebag is an ‘amazing guitarist.’ The guitarist shared how and where he met the Pantera guitarist in an earlier interview, which later led to a friendship:
“One of the clubs we went to was a place called Cardi’s in Houston. They had rock bands all the time — I saw Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising Force, Talas, all sorts of cool fucking bands. Pantera was one of the bands I saw there. I remember talking to Dime after the show, just about gear and about how much I enjoyed how he played. I thought he was an amazing guitarist and he turned out to be an even better person. That started a long, long friendship.”
