VINNIE PAUL Calls DIMEBAG's Murder 'The Ultimate Low I've Ever Been Through'

Norway's Metal Express Radio (web site) has posted a 10-minute audio interview with Vinnie Paul (ex-PANTERA, DAMAGEPLAN) where he talks about his new project REBEL MEETS REBEL (also featuring Vinnie's brother — slain PANTERA and DAMAGEPLAN guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott — along with contributions from PANTERA bassist Rex Brown and country singer David Allan Coe) and his new label Big Vin Records. Check it out at this location (Windows Media).

REBEL MEETS REBEL's self-titled album is on track to sell about 30,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release, which will likely result in a Top 50 debut on The Billboard 200 chart. Photos from the release party for "Rebel Meets Rebel" and the "DimeVision Vol. 1: That's the Fun I Have" DVD — which took place on Tuesday, May 2 at the Clubhouse in Dallas, Texas — have been posted online at this location.

In a recent interview with Revolver magazine (web site),Vinnie Paul was asked about Dimebag's murder and how he has dealt with the loss of his brother and bandmate. An excerpt from the chat follows:

Revolver: Were things at all weird before you went onstage that night in Columbus?

Vinnie: "Not at all. We had played the club back in the early PANTERA days. So Dime found the club owner and said, 'Thanks for having us back.' Then, before our set, there was a band dressed up like G.I. Joes doing PARLIAMENT songs heavy-metal style, and we were catching such a nut on them. We were doing shots and cracking up. So we were all in a good mood, and we had a full house that night. Right before we went on, Dime was warming up his hand and putting his lip gloss on. And the last thing I ever said to him was 'VAN HALEN?' And he gives me five and says, 'VAN-fuckin'-HALEN.' That was our code word for letting it all hang out and having a good time. A minute 45 seconds later, he was dead and gone. It's insane. [Pause] Insane."

Revolver: Do you blame anyone for what happened?

Vinnie: "There's no doubt the guy who did this was out of his fuckin' mind. He should have been incarcerated. And when you've got somebody with obvious mental problems, it's not a great idea for his mother to go get him a gun that's used for killing people in the military. And obviously, he knew how to use it. He wasn't just some ragtime dude who grabbed a gun. I saw what happened, and I knew exactly that the dude was on a mission, man, for whatever reason. I'll just leave it at that."

Revolver: Are you taking medication or underegoing therapy to deal with the pain?

Vinnie: "I've had a lot of vodka. I've not leaned on any kind of pills. I don't want that, and I know Dime wouldn't want it. And I certainly don't want to tell some psychiatrist I don't know everything about my life and expect him to be able to help. Dime always said, 'Those are the highs and lows of rock and roll, man,' and that's the ultimate fuckin' low I've ever been through. And I still go through it, but the main thing I wanted to do is make it through on my own without any crutches. The path is real, man. Let's all deal with it."

Revolver: Do you think you've changed since the shooting?

Vinnie: "I think it just… It made me step back and look at things a little bit different. For the first time, I was going, 'Wow, what do I do?' Any time I try to get inspired to play some music or write some songs, it's no fun because I don't have my right-hand man there. So it came to me: Hey, instead of trying to start something new, why don't I finish things that are already done and are great and are continue to build his legacy and his stature? And that's what 'Rebel Meets Rebel' was all about."

For more of Revolver magazine's interview with Vinnie Paul, click here.