PHILIP ANSELMO: Why DIMEBAG Was 'Greatest Metal Guitarist' (Video)

Legendary PANTERA/DOWN vocalist Philip Anselmo recently spoke to Loudwire about why late PANTERA axeman "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott was the "Greatest Metal Guitarist." You can check out the clip below.

Recalling his former bandmate, Anselmo said: "He lived it, he breathed it, he meant every fucking second of it, and he could do it all. He had taste, he had heart, he had this thing called soul. And I'm from New Orleans, Jack. If you make a note wiggle with beautiful vibrato… He had all that. Then he had that whammy bar, which at the time might have been considered hackneyed, and somehow he brought it to life and made it do different things. He could make his guitar talk. He brought this thing called… a different type of heavy tone as well. He was very responsible for tone. [He was] very particular, fought for it for a long time, not happy for the longest time. Each record, [he would] strive for more, more, more and more… better, better, better, better. But that could be said of the whole band, man. As a whole, I've never to this day played with tighter musicians in my fucking life."

Dimebag was co-founder and lead guitarist for PANTERA. When PANTERA broke up in 2003, Dimebag and drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott formed DAMAGEPLAN. On December 8, 2004, while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, Dimebag was shot and killed onstage by Nathan Gale. He was 38 years old.

February 2012 marked the 20-year anniversary for PANTERA's "Vulgar Display Of Power", a landmark album widely acknowledged as one of metal's most enduring and influential masterworks. Recorded by Anselmo, Dimebag, bassist Rex Brown and Vinnie Paul, the album has been certified double platinum by the RIAA and features several of the group's most iconic songs including "Walk", "Mouth For War", "This Love" and "Fucking Hostile".

To celebrate, Rhino released a two-disc Deluxe Edition of "Vulgar Display Of Power". The CD includes the original album remastered and "Piss", a recently discovered unreleased track from the recording sessions. The DVD contains an unreleased live performance filmed in Italy in September of 1992 plus the three official music videos from the album.