Dimebag Darrell — Darrell Lance Abbott, born in Arlington, Texas, on 20 August 1966, killed on 8 December 2004 — was Pantera's founding guitarist and one of the most influential instrumentalists in heavy metal since the 1980s. His importance lies in the creation of a language. With Cowboys from Hell (1990) and Vulgar Display of Power (1992) he abandoned thrash's constant speed in favour of syncopated riffs at mid tempo with a brutally precise attack — what came to be called groove metal. Every note is short, dry and placed off the expected beat, creating a heavy swing rather than a continuous flow. Practically all American metal of the following two decades started from that model. His technical vocabulary is equally recognisable: shrill artificial harmonics used as punctuation, exaggerated bends, solos combining aggression and melody — as on "Cemetery Gates", where he answers Phil Anselmo's voice with almost vocal phrasing. As a teenager he won so many guitar competitions in Texas that he was barred from continuing to enter. He was the brother of Vinnie Paul, Pantera's drummer, and the two formed the band's foundation from the start. He was shot dead onstage on 8 December 2004 in Columbus, Ohio, during a show by Damageplan, the band he had formed with his brother after Pantera ended. He was thirty-eight.
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