Remembering Dimebag Darrell Ten Years Later: Darkest Hour’s Mike Schleibaum and Mike “Lonestar” Carrigan
On December 8, 2004, Dimebag Darrell Abbott was brutally murdered while playing live with Damageplan. The already-legendary Pantera guitarist was just thirty-eight years old. Today, the tenth anniversary of his death, heavy hitters from throughout the metal world will honor this fallen icon on MetalSucks by sharing their favorite Dime riffs, solos, and, in some cases, personal remembrances. Below, Mike Schleibaum and Mike “Lonestar” Carrigan, guitarists for Darkest Hour, discusses their favorite Dime solos:
Mike Schleibaum
My favorite Dime solo is from the song “Rise,” on Vulgar Display of Power. I love this one in paticular because it really shows off a lot of Dime’s techniques in one solo. Bluesy, harmonic minor, whammy bar tricks and all. I’ve been trying to conquor this solo for years. Especially the big left hand stretch in the first fast run you hear. When this album first came out, there was no net, so no way to see what he was doing. I remember finally seeing video (and, of course, seeing him play live), and when he would stretch that pinky out, he would look like a metal magician!
And it’s not just the lightening legato that gets me on this solo. You also have to listen to his bends — they are just so soulful and tasty.
Lastly, his tone, drenched in a little delay and ‘verb, with a healthy dose of gain and compression (and what sounds like a wah filter all the way up) — Dime just makes every note scream.
Hearing Dime was like hearing Eddie Van Halen, only super-sized, and this solo, along with many of Dime’s riffs and songs, have changed my life forever.
Mike “Lonestar” Carrigan
One of my all time favorite Dimebag solos is “Goddamn Electric” off of Reinventing the Steel. The first time I heard it, I was absolutely stoned out of my mind, playing Pro Skater at friend’s house. The solo just blew me away. It had everything I loved from dime’s playing: amazing vibrato, fresh and inspired blues licks, and, of course, a frenzied crescendo of a run that still gives me goosebumps every time I hear it. Dimebag’s playing really had that attitude, sincerity ,and authenticity that makes music fun and inspiring.
