Book Review: A Vulgar Display of Power by Chris Armold

A Vulgar Display of Power: Courage and Carnage At The Alrosa Villa tells the unforgettable story of the grisly murders of heavy metal rock star, “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott, and each of three courageous men (Jeffrey Thompson, Nathan Bray, and Erin Halk) whose lives were snuffed out in mere seconds by a deranged, psychotic killer. Indeed, it is a story of their courage. They were shot down at point blank range trying to protect others during the satanic rampage.

The author weaves together the threads of the lives of these four men, which brought them to the Alrosa Villa on the doomed night of December 8, 2004. As Dimebag and his band, Damageplan, cranked out their first barrage of heavy metal, “Breathing New Life,” little did Dimebag know this would be his last number. “The Beast,” Nathan Gale, was lurking his way toward the stage area carrying a Beretta 92F.

Dimebag’s original thrash and heavy-metal band, Pantera, had dissolved after its lead man “simply walked away from the band.” A Vulgar Display of Power tells how “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott and his brother Vinnie Paul Abbot joined with Bob “Bobzilla” Kakaha and Pat Lachman to form Damageplan, and would perform at Alrosa Villa on the night of December 8.

A Vulgar Display of Power tells of Jeff Thompson, a convincing actor and a spirited man who loved to entertain. Jeff spent his time performing in a renaissance festival in Texas. Fate introduced him to the Abbot brothers, who hired him as their personal security guard. It was Jeff Thompson’s voice that introduced Damageplan at Alrosa Villa on the night of December 8.

Nathan Bray, a Sports junkie, dropped out of college to meet his responsibilities as a new father. Fortunately for Nathan, his once part-time employer, Inside Outfitters, offered him a full-time job. The family moved back to Columbus, Ohio. Nathan had always been a heavy metal fan. In November of 2004, when he learned that Damageplan would be performing in Columbus, Ohio, he bought tickets for himself and a friend. The two headed for Alrosa Villa on the night of December 8.

The book tells of Erin Halk, an ex-Marine. Through a friend of his, Halk landed a job as a roadie for Godsmack, loading and unloading equipment. He received a fateful phone call from a fellow roadie asking him to cover a gig. By now, Erin was thoroughly familiar with the work and obliged to help unload and setup Damageplan. This took him to Alrosa Villa on the night of December 8.

Article Author: Regis Schilken

Regis Schilken's stories reflect his search for meaning in a very human but frightening way. Two of his books have been published: The Oculi Incident and The Island Off Stony Point. A third, You Know When will be published this year. …

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