15 Years In the past: Vinnie Paul Triumphs Over Grief With ‘Hellyeah’

Vinnie Paul thought he would by no means play music once more after the loss of life of his brother and bandmate, “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott, on Dec. 8, 2004.

The Abbott brothers fashioned Damageplan following the dissolution of Pantera, which they based in 1981 and led to international metallic stardom within the ’90s. Damageplan acquired off to a formidable begin with their 2004 debut New Discovered Energy, however their tenure was minimize tragically brief when a mentally unwell fan shot Dimebag lifeless onstage on the Alrosa Villa nightclub in Columbus, Ohio.

Following Dimebag’s loss of life, Paul began his personal label, Huge Vin Data, and retreated from performing for roughly a 12 months and a half. However in mid-2006, the drummer accepted an invite to jam with a burgeoning alt-metal supergroup consisting of Mudvayne singer Chad Grey and guitarist Greg Tribbett, and Nothingface bassist Jerry Montano and guitarist Tom Maxwell.

Montano had been label mates with Paul within the ’90s when his former band, the Deadlights, and Pantera have been each on Elektra Data. The bassist tried a number of instances to hook the drummer, who was initially reluctant to get again behind the package. “Lastly, after seven or eight calls, he caught me one night time once I’d been ingesting and listening to some previous Kiss,” Paul informed the Dallas Morning Information in 2007. “I simply beloved everyone’s perspective. All people was so gung-ho, everyone’s head was in the fitting place.”

With Paul onboard, the newly minted Hellyeah wrote and recorded their self-titled debut album in Dimebag’s Chasin’ Jason house studio in Arlington, Tex. “It was very powerful at first,” Paul informed Billboard in 2007. “However as soon as we acquired in there it felt just like the darkish cloud that was there went away, and it actually felt like Dime was watching over us and guiding us. All people simply actually had nothing however constructive vitality from the get-go. That’s what made it work.”

Watch Hellyeah’s ‘Alcohaulin’ Ass’ Video

The ensuing 12-song album delivered a smorgasbord of whiskey-soaked occasion metallic anthems, bursting with down-tuned riffs, scorched-earth screams and Paul’s characteristically pulverizing breakdowns. Unsubtle barnburners like “GodDamn,” “Alcohaulin’ Ass” and album opener “Hellyeah” exemplified the band’s groove-metal wallop and bad-boys-havin’-a-good-time ethos.

“It is rebellious,” Grey informed the Dallas Morning Information of Hellyeah’s sound. “It means late teenagers, keggers and chicks and AC/DC and Metallica. That is what I feel once I hear these songs. It is a very youthful, making-bad-decisions-and-learning-from-them file. To me, it is summertime once I was 19 years previous.”

Paul was equally enthusiastic in regards to the venture, which he credited with restoring his drive to play music. “After the occasions of Dec. 8, 2004, I did not actually know if I used to be ever going to play once more,” he informed Most Ink in 2007 (through Blabbermouth). “I simply informed myself if I used to be, it was going to have been the last word scenario and fall into my lap. That is what occurred [with Hellyeah]. All people had their head in the fitting place and that allow’s-tear-the-world-a-new-ass perspective. It was only a nice file to make. We really feel like it’s actually going to set some requirements this 12 months.”

Hellyeah launched their self-titled album on April 10, 2007. It debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 and offered 45,000 copies in its first week. The band toured rigorously and launched 4 extra High 20 albums — 2010’s Stampede, 2012’s Band of Brothers, 2014’s Blood for Blood and 2016’s Unden!ready — earlier than Paul’s loss of life on June 22, 2018. Hellyeah launched yet one more album, 2019’s Welcome Dwelling, earlier than asserting their hiatus in 2021.

Grey paid tribute to his fallen bandmate in an emotional Fb publish after his loss of life. “I simply need to say thanks, Vinnie Paul!” the singer wrote. “For saving my life, in your music, in your infinite generosity, for accepting me into your life, for creating our music that touched individuals, for being proud to be in Hellyeah and for at all times treating me like a brother and extra importantly for treating me like a pal. … And for all of these issues you’ll reside eternally in my coronary heart. And I’ll by no means allow you to go!!! I’ll at all times love you and go to the top of the earth to hold the torch for you and Dime’s legacy.”