That's a deep statement, Eric. The media does indeed distort reality. Thanks for this update.

The pic below the message on the messageboard is very touching too.

Eric, a tribute video to Dimebag Darrell has been also posted to the forums - the video (Flash) URL is
http://www.westernwingshooter.com/DimebagDarrell.swf

You might want to add this to your article here and delete this comment

thanks Aaman, added it and deleted the first trackback as you suggested

Ok, I just have to add this. I am a PANTERA fanatic, I'm a junior in high school and have been listening to PANTERA since I heard I'M BROKEN in 3rd grade. I never saw them, and am kicking my own ass for missing them. I've seen Phil twice with DOWN and SUPERJOINT RITUAL. With SJR he said some things about PANTERA that I knew he would regret, and I'm sure that even though he never meant it, he knows what he said and probably regrets it now. And as far as DIME, the man is going to be missed terribly. He was an innovator and a metal legend. Everyone that I'm friends with shed tears when we heard what happened. It absolutely tore us up. The press shouldn't try to deface Phil, because true PANTERA fans know that it was all bull shit. And you know, Nathan Gale is rotting in hell right now probably getting his ass kicked by all the PANTERA fans there. He wouldn't have made it a week in prison because some convict who happens to be a fan would've killed him.

this whole situation is just a huge tragedy for the music world, fans, and family of dime. i really feel for phil also. he is taking way too much heat for this incident which he had no control over. there is only one person to blame for this and we all know who that is. the fans blameing phil need to ask themselves if they have ever got into a fight with any of their friends and talked some shit about them. ive met phil on a couple of occasions, i was in the same circle of friends as his younger sister in new orleans, and he was a genuinely good dude from what i saw.this is a shitty situation for him and people need to stop pointing the finger his way

i'll miss u brother

Sorry mate Kyle there is a big difference between you and yer mates getting into an argument and saying things and someone of Anselmo's stature saying & doing some of thing he does. Its pathetic there are idiots who would go out there and try to put what they think he suggested into action. But Anselmo or his minders should realise there are people out that like that and act accordingly.

No one is saying its Anselmo's fault that DD was killed. People are just debating whether Anselmo's words might have influenced the nutter who pulled the trigger.

Darrell will be missed. He was one of the greatest fast playing guitar players. It so amazing how a person you think that nothing like this would happen to. I have darrells picture by my work desk and look at him every day and know he's not suffering anymore. God Bless Vinnie, stay strong and keep on rocking dude!

I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU DARRELL, R.I.P.

I been a fan of Pantera all my life thats because my dad listen to them so then I started liking them I hope Philip has Dimebag as a good memory and that is not true about you saying you dont care if dimebag died that would be cold because like you said:"Darrel Brother, The best for the best"
Rest in Peace Darrell

well fuck me, this brings tears to my eyes. Phil my heart goes out to you, and to the others but i was really broken when i went to his site and there was nothing.............
searching til i found this.
Indeed Dimebags death has shattered us all.
PanterA rocked and for me always will i have always loved phil for who he is and for the music PanterA produced.
As far as i see it the past is the past and when i heard Phil was not welcome at DD's funeral my heart sank, he still deserves to respctfully say goodbye to his "brother", weather he is welcome or not phil should have still been there. Imagine now what phil has to live with........ He never got to say goodbye
And that breaks my heart.

R.I.P Dimebag. lets cherish the music he gave us because he was The best of the Best.

I still cant for the life of me begin to comprehend the fact the some senseless afn killed the truly best of the best guitarist that ever walked in a pair of shoes . Dime was in fact THE TOP of his heat when it comes to guitarit's . Having toured on and off with PanterA on the CFH,Vulgar,& Far Beyond Drunk. I can say first hand that they knew they were gonna stay the course.every band that ever broke up always remembers where they come/came from. The same was for PanterA A few side projects and a few records later can do alot for people (Dime Vin Phil Rex) so for all those who lost faith that PanterA was never going to record again....I am ashamed of you all. Dime said every night touring with Damageplan "We never turned our backs on you" and it ment just that .PanterA was going to come back just to fu** you up. you cant always belive what you read . I does get twisted in the media and we all know that but we still all buy into it.
I lost a freind and an insparation to my life. Dime was a very motivating, heartfelt, soulfilled, caring, nicest amd most accommodating person that you would ever had the luck to meet in your entire life . It is very saddening to know that he is dead. The bodys gone but the soul is not and he will live in our hearts & memories & in his recordings forever. Dime will never be forgotten. Thank you for every thing you ever did for me and my life. R.I.P. Brother Dime. I never lost faith and I never will forget that sparkley light that was always in your skwinty eyes.

Man I've been fucking grieving since I heard the news about Dime. All the times I've seen Pantera play, I would of never figured this shit would of happened. Pantera definitely needed Phil! Phil definitely needed Pantera. And here we all sit with our fingers up our ass now because of all of this SHIT! No Pantera, No Damageplan, no nothing, But our memories in our heads of the concerts we saw. Its a fucking shame that at 38 yrs old we would be done seeing Dimebag play-Motherfucker man you can still see Ozzy play Ozzfest, and Dime is gone. Nathan Gale you fucking piece of SHIT....YOU BETTER BE GLAD YOUR GONE MOTHERFUCKER...You loved Pantera? fuck you, you didnt even have love for yourself you fat piece of shit. Words cant describe the fucking hate I feel for you. Knowing that your mom bought you that gun you could probably imagine what we all think of her too.I hope she joins you in the fucking deepest pit of hell to burn forever you FUCK. You know your a fucked up piece of shit, when you dont have nothing better to do, than to go fuck with people. Oh Ya, Alrosa nightclub with their mickey mouse security.......Thanx for nothing...............

i have a terrible connection and could not view this video of Phil anselmo talking about his brother's death....and i could only listen to the audio in fragments.

does anyone have this video saved and would be able to email it to me? i would appreciate it SO much! my email is Hammett27@aol.com. thanks!

all of us has said things to people we care about that we later regreted at some time you know phil loved darrell hindsite is 20/20 enough said

man i lived in East Texas back in 1985-87. attended Longview High school then. we would, my friend and his sister and i would go to Shreveprt, La to catch Pantera at the Circle in the Square. the Circle was a club that Pantera made their rounds in and paid their dues in. back then they still had Terrance Lee singing with them, but nevertheless they put on one hell of a show!! fucking Dimebag was "
Diamond Darrell" back then still and they were fun guys to hang with - they would roam around the floor in between their 3 sets a night! fucking cool guys! Darrell especially! he just wanted to make sure everone was having fun! he made playing the guitar look so easy! their cover of 'Metal Gods' was my favorite song they covered then! the song that sticks out the most anyway. as for Phil - God bless you brother! it's a fucked up industry you are caught up in anymore - i'm a musician and i'm glad things didn't work out for me to "make it big" - don't know if i could hang with such fake fuck limp dicks that run that industry anymore! love ya Phil! Keep the Faith!

ya hadda go dig this up..

today at work, after everyone else had left...was the first time i played Vulgar Display of Power since Dime's passing

i finally was able to listen without wanting to rip the lungs out of the thimble brained bastard that committed the Atrocity...

now, i wanna drag the miserable pigfucker to the nearest vivisectionist

gee...thanx...

Excelsior!

Look i know that dime recorded all of his sessions. So phil you and vinnie need to get through whatever gay shit you two have holding us back from another album of nothing but gold heavy metal tunes. Both of you fuckers know that you have a gift that anybody wants. All I am saying is put the past to bed and do what only you guys can do with metal. Vinnie I put the ball in your court now, It's time to let your prodigal brothers help you through this. They need you as much, if not more than you need them. Come on stars of the real metal help my ears get some of your talents once more.And if nothing more let it fucking go. Make some decent metal like ya'll know how to do. Take it from me what you fuckers have is special. PERIOD!!!!

I'm gald to see that as late as 5 4 2005 no one has forgotten...

DIMEBAG DARRELL FOREVER

Damn its been a long year. I have to keep asking myself what is there to life, other than the usual stuff?
Dime you were and will be an inspiration. I cant still say enough about the level of sadness I feel knowing well never again get to see his awesomeness. To this very second my anger has not subsided. Ive spent some time since the shootings looking and reading things and its like damn, these guys live the dream make tons of money but are still vulnerable just like the rest of us. To all that know and care keep shredding and "Getcha Pull"
R.I.P Dime

After all this months, reading about Dime increase the hole his death left in my soul. Trying to ¿alleviate? what I feel I made a wallpaper as a tribute for him and I want to share it with all who loved and love him:
http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/21311368/
I hope you like it. Blessed be.

i have no words of wisdom for the Abbott family. It doesnt get easier.It wont go away. All i can say is im sorry for your loss.Even though i didnt know Darrell, i still feel like i lost a brother. As for Phil, we still love ya. Dont disappear. All i keep thinkin is you are somewhere in the New Orleans chaos and i cant bear the thought of losing another member of the greatest band in the fuckin world.

Jamais nos esqueceremos de você, Dime O som da sua guitarra me tirou da "fossa" vàrias vezes>>>>>WALLISSON-BRASIL-SAO PAULO

R.I.P. dime.we love you dude.

It's so damn sad to think Dime's dead...it really is. Pantera were the ONLY heavy fukin metal that there was. NOBODY could hold a candle to em. Slayer? NO! Metallica? HELL NO! Hell Metallica would wet their pants at a Pantera show. Pantera's 6 albums will remain the most brute, blistering, pant wetting, bone crushing, fucking heavy fuckin metal of all time. They were a gift from god. They were the heaviest, the most no-bullshit band there was EVER! Dime was the greatest fucking guitarist to walk the planet and always will be. It's a god fukin damn shame he fukin had to die. He was the GOD of heavy metal guitar PERIOD! In the bible of Heavy Metal he is the god. And for Phil...man dissing that guy is like dissing satan. He OWNS any vocalist. He was fucking possesed on doubt about it. R.I.P Dime. We will never for get you!!!!!

Its coming up to a year and I still can not believe it. Dime is still in my heart and will be forever.

You think you have all the time in the world to do something, to see the world, or to see one of the greatest bands in the world who have influenced me in many ways unspoken. Suddenly time jumps up on you and makes you realise how precious every moment is. May whichever God you belive in go with you Darrell and I await the time to experience your passion again in the next life. J

R.I.P Dime... We will remember you and your legacy shall lived on.

R.I.P DIMEBAG,
I am a pantera fan til death , and recently lost my good friend who was murdered and i actually had a few words that shouldn't have been said to him and i live w/ that regret every waking fucking moment so i feel for phil ...i also seen SJR about 3 months b4 we lost dimebag and phil said nothing bad about pantera or dimebag or vinnie for that matter just that he wasn't gonna play Pantera Songs when the crowd chanted "PANTERA" Fuck ALL, RIP DIMEBAG, PHIL i hope you can carry on brother i don't know you but grew up listening to you and hard to know there will not be a tour i can see you on...Good Luck

I can't believe im sitting here, nearly a year after Dimebags death still sad about it. I really dont know why it means so much to me, but it does. RIP Dime.

I still can't believe it. I still get choked up when I think about it. Even my seven year old son still tells me, " I can't believe someone killed Dime, dad" everytime we listen to Pantera or Damageplan. I guess one positive thing has come out of this horrible act of f'n stupidity, my son has been inspired to learn to play guitar. Maybe one day he'll be able to crank out some of those awesome Dimebag riffs.

pantera has changed my life and many songs i can relate to some of the best times of my life.it fuckin sucks the greatest metal band ever(seen pantera 7 times and metallica 3 times and people were shouting for pantera at the metallica shows!)is gone.the band will be forever young and will be music icons such as nirvana and led zeppelin.dime was the best guitarist of our era,hands down!forever pantera

I'll say it again. Phil, I just thank God that you are still here and that you are going to press on. I respect you now more than ever and I have been a fan for roughly 14 years. Every thing you ever been a part of musically has been golden. I hope someday to meet you and shake your hand and say " thanks."

i wanna talk to phil.
it appears impossible but i need.
i need.
phillllllllll
i dont know what to do anymore.

RIP DIMEBAG DARRELL youll always be in our hearts

We'll Miss U DIMEBAG DARRELL..Rest In Peace!

I hope Nathan Gale is getting lightening bolts shot up his as by satan right now,and shot over and over and over agian while he rots a slow painful death in hell cause i lost my hero, my idol, and most of all a brother from another mother on december 8th 2004.

Missing you every day brother dime......R.I.P. brother.......GETCHA PULL

nothing can be said to emphasise the loss we still all feel.......

PanterA..PanterA...almost 2 years after dime's death and i still can't belive it...as for Phil, God bless this man, he has a good soul and i am sure about his honestly....i can't imagine what he felt when he wasn't allowed to go to the dime's funerals..god this brings tears in my eyes.pantera is the band i growed up with... and Dime, R.I.P. man!!!

I saw 'we will rock you' the musical, and i thought that kicked ass, I'm thinking, do a musical based on dimebags life, or a movie, kinda like how they made a movie based on Ray Charles or Johnnie Cash, give Dimebag Darrel a biographical movie for fucks sake, he deserves it, and where are the Dimebag RIP 2004 T-shirts, he was a lot more important to music than whatshisname from nirvana

I just want to say i'm in love with phil. he is the most awesome man i've ever listened to. i would do anything to meet him. as for dimebag he is the best damn guitar player in the world i don't care what anybody says. their music together gives me chills. but like i said i'm determined to meet phil and marry him one day

i like and still like PanterA for ever we miss u so much dimebag R.I.P

my nephew MAX is only 3 years old, and he fuckin loves pantera his favorite song is ...walk... and he even has some pantera t's. my brother used to play Vulgar Display of Power for him when he was in his mothers womb, and when he became of age to figure things out he would demand to listen to pantera ... that is some powerful stuff to think about...long live the cfh and god bless dimebag

I dont care if i ever hear a new pantara album.. Thats not what i want. I want my old band back, the one who picked me up after a brutal beating or helped me administer one!! That will never happen. I'm a balls to the wall fan whos never posted a blog on anything before but was inspired just recently. haha last night to be exact. I have a msg for vinnie and phil from me! boys I've experianced opiates frist hand and faught my way back, and i'm fukn he-man for it. They have ruined my life and my favorite band. I put my life back together, I think it is time to rebuild a friendship.

R.I.P Dime!! you truly were "The best of the best" mind,body and spirit, you are forever missed!

phil is a piece shit.i hope he dies from an overdose.

None of you wangsters can relate to giving the gift of music that Pantera, and each member of it have. If any of you lived away from your homes for more than a weekend you would be a crumpled mess. And a 'college dorm' does not equal. Pantera was a fun, fun band and will never be done better. For this garbage lovin' fool above to wish Phil some type of trash is uncalled for. Phil, I never got to meet you or Dimebag Diamond. I've got buddy Zakk & my e.thirteen for keeping on! Word up.

well that shit was fuck up
pantera should get back together though
there the best thats what dimbag would want

dimes in heaven thats all their is to it.

Pantera, we miss them, they never will be forgotten for many many years, maybe never!
But for now I would like to see Pantera back again, and on guitar 'scratches head', Satriani? Zakk? Vai? Kerry? Jeff? Yngwie? EVH? damn, no one can replace him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That dude who killed him Nathan Gale.
I blame his mom, his doctor, the Marines for not taking care of him after he was discharged. Too many of our vets go unchecked, and kill people after serving in the military. He happen too stop taking his meds. And what was his mom thinking of getting him a gun. Total lunacy!!

Hey Dime, I know you can forgive, but us fans, its so hard too forgive and move on. We miss you, and the pain never goes away, it just grows.
Never Forget Dime - Try too forgive the pain.

I just watched a VH1 program on the events leading up to the assassination of Dimebag Darrel. There was a history of the band 'Pantera', interviews with the various band members, etc. What struck me were the comments by singer Philip Anselmo, especially given his long history of trashing his former Pantera bandmates, sometime with statements that advocated violence against them, and particularly against Dime. Is it any surprise that one of his similarly whacked-out fans finally took him up on this? Now, all of a sudden Anselmo is putting out press releases (claiming that they're NOT press releases) saying that Dime was his beloved brother, and how he is grieving and 'trying to come to terms' with the murder.

I saw Anselmo's face when he was making these statements on the VH1 program; this is a person who has gone completely around the bend. I could see that in his eyes, and no mitigation deriving from the context of the interview or the way it was edited is possible. This guy will dissemble, obfuscate and try to spin these events for the rest of his life, but I saw the truth in his eyes and his body language...he is largely responsible for this death and he bloody well knows it.

Nothing equals Pantera. And everything have a end. Keep listening, keep remembering.

Youre music makes me feel stronger than all !!!

R.I.P. My friend

rest in peace dime ull never be forgotten screw u nathan gale ur a fuckin piece of shit burn in hell