Vinnie Paul died this past June 22: Who was this rocker? Why was he so important for metal?

On June 23, the famous drummer of the band Pantera, Vincent Paul Abbott, known as Vinnie Paul, died in Las Vegas, Nevada, at 54 years of age. The details of his death remain unknown.

Originally from Dallas, Texas, born on March 11, 64, Vinnie became famous in the music world as a founding member of three post-trash bands: Pantera in the eighties, Damageplan in 2003 and the group Hellyeah a band that he reunited Paul with Chad Gray and Greg Tribbett, vocalist and guitarist of Mudvayne, Bob Zilla the bassist of Damageplan and Tom Maxwell guitarist of Nothingface.

Leer en español: Vinnie Paul: el baterista que revolucionó el metal

His father, a country musician, was the one who introduced him to the world of music, since he owned a recording studio. His first instrument was a tuba that was assigned to him in the band of his school; his father, however, would direct him to the battery because he thought that with the tuba there would not be a single penny; as Paul himself put it in an interview in August 1994 for Modern Drummer Magazine. His influences, according to the specialized portal DrumLessons by drumeo, were John Bonham, drummer of Led Zeppelin, Mikkey Dee, former drummer of Motorhead, Alex Van Halen, Neil Peart of Rush, Peter Criss of Kiss and Tommy Aldridge ex drummer of Black Sabbath

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In the foundation of Pantera, perhaps the best known band of the Texan, was also involved his brother "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, with whom he always had an excellent relationship, so the press came to compare them with the Van Halen brothers. The great success of the group earned her four nominations to the Grammy and one album number one in the USA during 1994.

Pantera would end up dissolving at the beginning of the 2000s, after clashes between Paul and his former vocalist Phillip Anselmo. You have to remember that, as the Guardian website puts it, the Vulgar Display of Power, a platinum album by the band formed by Paul, is considered one of the most influential of the nineties; era in which he sold more than two million copies. In order to promote it the band appeared in the festival Monsters of Rock, that took place in Moscow, and had in mind to realize a tour by Latin America that never got to take place due to the rubbing between Anselmo and the brothers Paul.

After the separation of Panther, Vinnie would found Damageplan along with "Dimebag". However, as the DrumLessons by drumeo website states, the death of his brother on stage at the hands of an extremist fanatic who shot him three times and the previous and problematic distancing with Phil Anselmo, the former Pantera vocalist, were extreme situations that made Paul take an eighteen-month break from the world of music. After his break and in honor of his brother's memory, he founded Big Vin Records, a label he opened in 2006. Paul's next project would be the mega band Hellyeah, with which he would record three albums: Hellyeah in 2007, Stampede in 2009 and Band of Brothers in 2012.

As published by The Guardian, many musicians have paid posthumous homage to Vinnie Paul on the Internet. Slash, famed Guns & Roses guitarist, Duff McKagan, bassist of the same band, Paul Stanley, guitarist of Kiss, Megadeath singer, Dave Mustaine, Chad Gray, vocalist of Hellyeah, and Phil Anselmo himself are just some of those who have expressed their condolences through their social networks. His legacy and his particular way of playing drums will live forever in the world of metal.

Latin American Post | Isabel Pradilla S

Translated from "Vinnie Paul: el baterista que revolucionó el metal"