Remembering Dimebag Darrell Ten Years Later: Revocation’s Dave Davidson

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, Dave Davidson, guitarist/vocalist for Revocation, discusses his favorite Dime lead:

Dimebag Darrell was profoundly influential to me when I started getting into metal, and was one of my biggest influences on guitar. I first got into Pantera after I saw their video for “Walk.” I was completely intrigued by Dime’s solo on that song. But rather than talk about one of his most famous solos, I wanted to discuss his lead on a very underrated track off their Far Beyond Driven album, “Throes of Rejection.”

In my opinion, his solo on “Throes”  is one of his very best, and contains a lot of elements that make up his signature style. Right out of the gate, Dime tears into the solo section with some ascending bends that slice through the mix with ferocity. This is followed by a bluesy inverted pedal point lick that explodes into a flurry of notes played with an attitude that few but Dimebag are capable of delivering. At around the halfway point, the groove in the rhythm sections switches to a 6/8 over 4/4 feel for a bar and a half. During this section, Dime plays a repeating pattern across five strings involving the same shape played in 16th note triplets. This lick is a total Dimebag trademark, and can be heard in a similar application on the solo from “Cowboys From Hell,” albeit with a different three note pattern.

The second half of the solo section follows a similar contour, where he starts out more lyrically, using bends and some slippery licks thrown in here and there. Eventually, this climaxes to another flurry of 16th note triplets. The intensity in the final section continuously builds, ultimately culminating with a tortured bend leading right up to the final chorus. Dime’s lead work is truly awe-inspiring on this track, and showcases his technical prowess as well as his unique style of phrasing.

R.I.P. Dime, thank you for the continued inspiration.