VINNIE PAUL 'Isn't Very Flattered By' REX BROWN's Book, Says Former PANTERA Bassist

Former RIP magazine editor and veteran music journalist Lonn Friend returned with episode #3 of his latest podcast, "Energize With Lonn Friend", last night (Monday, April 22),featuring an interview with former PANTERA bassist Rex Brown. Brown talked with Friend on the phone from his home in Texas about his memoir, "Official Truth, 101 Proof: The Inside Story Of Pantera", and his current band, KILL DEVIL HILL. Brown also spoke about how the book came to be, about the effect the death of "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott had on him, his current relationship with the surviving members of PANTERA, his life as a father, and what it is like to work with legendary drummer Vinny Appice in KILL DEVIL HILL. You can now listen to the entire podcast below. (Note: The Rex Brown interview begins around the 29-minute mark.)

Asked about his current relationship with PANTERA singer Philip Anselmo and drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott, Rex told Friend: "I sent [my] book to both guys. And, apparently, Vinnie isn't very flattered by it. Vinnie, then, he can write his own fucking book, you know. With Philip, I haven't heard any rebuttals, but I didn't say anything in the book that wasn't already out there, you know what I'm saying?!"

He added: "I think the reason they haven't talked to me is 'cause it is the fucking truth. And sometimes you don't wanna tell the truth. And I didn't go out of my way to maliciously hurt any individual. But at the same time, if you're gonna tell the truth, by God, you'd better be on the skinny. And I think Mark Eglinton [Rex's co-author], that did this thing with me, he really just kind of…. He put me down… You know how you have your dreams that you had in high school when you're just… you're in your underwear. That's the way I felt with this book. If [you're] not [being completely truthful in your memoir], I think it's all a bunch of charade… And why would you wanna do that?"

On page 172 of "Official Truth, 101 Proof: The Inside Story Of Pantera", Brown had the following to say about Vinnie Paul: "You need to understand that Vinnie is just a strange person — that's all there is to it — and it's either his way or the highway. I think he got most of that asshole-ishness from his old man, because in many ways they are very much alike. Vinnie was always all about the 'party, party, party!' and 'eat that pussy!' type of shit — to the extent that he thought he was fucking David Lee Roth. And him a drummer, can you imagine? But the truth is that he only got laid maybe one out of ten times and that's if he was lucky. Being in a platinum-selling band is meant to be a head start when you're trying to score with chicks, but he negated that by having no idea whatsoever how to treat or approach a woman. He'd just walk up and immediately start groping them, so it was no surprise that his strike rate was so pitiful. He acted like meeting him was a sexual audition and that just turned them off straightaway."

He continued: "And as if that wasn't bad enough, when he didn't get laid (ninety percent of the time, I'd estimate) he was the most miserable fucking guy on the planet. I just couldn't live with him. He'd walk in the room in the morning and I'd just know. He'd be all snappy and pissed off with everyone and there was nothing anyone could do to change his mood. That became really boring."

Friend's show is produced by Mike Stark at the "LA Radio Studio" and airs live on Monday nights at 9 p.m. (Pacific Time) through the studio's stream. All of Friend's shows are available "on demand" at Aircheck.us.

"Energize With Lonn Friend" episode #3 (audio stream):