Vinnie Paul

Vincent Paul Abbott, also known as "Vinnie Paul" (born on March 11, 1964 in Dallas, Texas, USA) is a heavy metal drummer and producer who is currently a member of supergroup Hellyeah, but is best known for being a member, and co-founder, of the heavy metal band Pantera. He also co-founded the heavy metal band Damageplan in 2003 with his late younger brother, Dimebag Darrell.

Life and career

Personal life

Vinnie Paul is the son of Carolyn and Jerry Abbott, a country music songwriter and producer. He recorded and performed in the groups Pantera, Damageplan, and Rebel Meets Rebel alongside his brother, late guitarist Dimebag Darrell. Their successful and complimentary musical relationship earned them favorable comparisons to Eddie and Alex Van Halen.

Vinnie Paul is known for his spirited and authoritative drumming, which melds the intensity of heavy metal with the swagger and feel of Texas blues. Among his notable contributions to heavy metal drumming include: his inventive application of drags and triplet patterns to double bass; thundering flammed tom fills, and syncopated accents played on the ride cymbal bell.

In December 2008, he handpicked several of his most memorable drum parts to demonstrate in a promotional video for ddrum : Primal Concrete Sledge (song), 13 Steps to Nowhere (song), Domination (song), and Becoming (song).

Pantera

Vinnie Paul formed the heavy metal band Pantera in 1981 with his brother Dimebag Darrell and Terry Glaze on guitars, bassist Tommy D. Bradford, and vocalist Donnie Hart. Upon Hart's departure, Glaze assumed vocal duties. In the summer of 1982, Bradford left the band and was replaced by Rex Brown and the band released three albums with that lineup.

Pantera recruited vocalist Phil Anselmo to replace Glaze in 1988. By 1990 the band had been signed to Atco Records and released Cowboys from Hell which proved to be the band's turning point. Over the course of four more studio records, a live album and a greatest hits compilation, Anselmo and Pantera were nominated for four best metal performance Grammys, in 1995 for "I'm Broken", 1997 for "Suicide Note Pt. I", 1998 for "Cemetery Gates" and 2001 for "Revolution Is My Name."

Feud with Phil Anselmo and Pantera break up

In 2001, Anselmo decided to put Pantera on hold because of back pain while he toured and recorded with his side projects. Pantera's official disbandment happened in 2003 due to a few reasons, but mainly because of the ongoing dispute between Phil and the rest of the band, although Rex seemed to stay pretty neutral about everything. In the years to follow bad blood would stir up between Vinnie and Anselmo. To this day, Vinnie and Phil do not talk. Phil has announced publicly he wishes Vinnie to forgive him, and reform a friendship, however Vinnie Paul maintains that he will never talk to Anselmo again.

Rebel Meets Rebel

While in between bands, the Abbott brothers and Pantera bassist Rex Brown teamed up with country artist David Allan Coe in a project called Rebel Meets Rebel in 1999.

Damageplan

The Abbott brothers formed heavy metal band Damageplan with, then-tattoo artist, Bob Zilla on bass, and former Halford guitarist, Patrick Lachman on vocals. Damageplan recorded one album, New Found Power, which was released in February 2004. On December 8, 2004, while on tour to support Damageplan's album, Dimebag Darrell was shot dead onstage by former US marine Nathan Gale at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio. Damageplan disbanded shortly thereafter.

Latest projects

Following Damageplan's demise, Vinnie Paul formed Big Vin Records in February 2006 and released Rebel Meets Rebel and a DVD, Dimevision, Volume 1. Paul writes a monthly question-and-answer column in Revolver. Paul maintains endorsement deals with ddrum, Sabian cymbals, and Vic Firth drumsticks. He previously endorsed Tama, Pearl drums, and Remo drumheads and hardware. Paul has also recently been on tour playing drums for Dethklok, recently playing a show in Philadelphia with Metalocalypse creator Brendon Small.

Hellyeah

After the death of his brother, Vinnie Paul was unsure if he would return to music, but eventually joined the supergroup Hellyeah. Hellyeah features vocalist Chad Gray and guitarist Greg Tribbett from Mudvayne, guitarist Tom Maxwell from Nothingface, and bassist Bob Zilla from Damageplan, who replacing original bassist Jerry Montano.