Damageplan Biography
Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul started forming up Damageplan in early 2003, soon after the demise of their previous band, thrash metal heroes Pantera. The brothers began working on tracks at Dime's Dallas home studio, unsure of exactly what they'd do with the material, but determined to banish the bad taste of Pantera's awkward breakup. Ex-Halford and -Diesel Machine guitarist (and full-time Dime pal) Pat Lachman heard the demos and expressed interest in singing for the project. While he'd never served as a frontman, Lachman's performances over the raw material were strong enough to land him the vocalist position. The lineup was completed with the addition of local bassist Bob Kakaha, who was immediately dubbed Bob Zilla for his monstrous tone, and the quartet began hashing out the new material under the working title of New Found Power. By October 2003 they'd decided on Damageplan, with New Found Power becoming the name of their Elektra debut. The album dropped in February 2004 to considerable buzz, mostly from Pantera's existing fan base. Longtime fans weren't disappointed as New Found Power did echo Dime and Vinnie's previous work. But it moved in new directions too, exploring more melodic post-grunge avenues and tinging its sound with slight elements of nu-metal's electronic throb. New Found Power did well through the summer, buoyed by a solid round of dates from the band. But tragedy struck on December 8, 2004 at the Alrosa Village rock club in Columbus, Ohio, when Dimebag Darrell and three other men were murdered in a bizarre and unfortunate altercation with a disgruntled fan. A man appeared on stage with a gun just after the beginning of Damageplan's set and, after allegedly making comments laying blame for Pantera's breakup on Dimebag, shot and killed the guitarist at point blank range. The assailant, later identified as 25-year old Marysville, Ohio resident Nathan Gale, killed three other men before he was killed by local police, including a concertgoer, club employee, and Damageplan bodyguard Jeff "Mayhem" Thompson. Memorials after the shootings remembered the victims and wondered at Gale's motives, while the future of Damageplan was unclear as its surviving members grieved. ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide
Popular Biographies:
Orange 9mm Biography: Vocalist Chaka Malik and guitarist Chris Traynor met in the New York hardcore band Burn, and began playing together as early as 1992. With an early version of Orange 9mm, the duo released a live EP...
Camper van beethoven Biography: At the time of their 1985 debut, Camper Van Beethoven's merging of punk, folk, ska, and world musics was truly a revelation. Self-described as "surrealist absurdist folk," the band formed in Santa...
Finch Biography: California-based emo rockers Finch, originally called Numb, include vocalist Nate Barcalow, guitarists Randy Strohmeyer and Alex Linares, bassist Derek Doherty, and drummer Alex Pappas. Strohmeyer...
Pentagram Biography: One of the most enduring and influential underground bands in heavy metal history, Pentagram's career was almost 15 years old by the time they finally managed to record their first album. Though...
Fettes brot Biography: Dubbed "Hamburg's hip-hop dinosaur" by its own members, German trio Fettes Brot is perhaps best likened to the Beastie Boys, sharing with their American counterparts a similar longevity, a comparably...
New radicals Biography: A pop-rock group that was formed in the late '90s but was heavily influenced by the rock and soul of the 1970s, the New Radicals are the creation of singer/producer/songwriter Gregg Alexander--a...
Hanoi rocks Biography: Finland's major export to the world of heavy metal, Hanoi Rocks, drew much of their sound and inspiration from '70s glam-rock and were thought by some to have fused the two styles more successfully...
Quantic Biography: As a teenager, British DJ and producer Quantic had played guitar in various rock bands, but it was his switch to house and broken beat that sent him successfully into his musical career, especially...