Launching his own record label and releasing an album's worth of material that had been in the can going on three years was imperative for former Pantera/ Damageplan drummer Vinnie Paul.
Big Vin Records and the upcoming self-titled debut from
Rebel Meets Rebel restored meaning to his life. The album is a dozen tracks of countrified metal featuring controversial country singer David Allan Coe and the guitar prowess of Paul's late brother, "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott.
It has eased some of the pain Paul's been grappling with since his brother's onstage slaying at an Ohio nightclub in December 2004.
"It's something that me and Dime really wanted to do a long time ago, but we were so busy with everything, we never could," Paul explained. "When Atlantic [Damageplan's label] passed on the Rebel Meets Rebel record because they didn't know what to do with it, I was like, 'I'm not gonna go shop this. This just fell right in my lap, and it's time for me to start this record label that I've been thinking about and, you know, put it all together.'
"It is a lot of work, trust me," he continued. "Getting on a tour bus and riding around the United States and playing for an hour and a half a night is a lot easier than this stuff. But it's fun to be able to learn both sides of the business."
There was also Dimebag's legacy to consider. His work on Rebel Meets Rebel isn't merely a footnote it's yet another chapter in the life of one of the guitar's greatest advocates, Paul said.
"His guitar playing on this record is incredible," Paul said. "The cool thing about this record is, a lot of times when you're making metal, everything operates kind of like a machine. It's like chung, chung, chung it's just power. And with this kind of record, it has a Rolling Stones vibe. Everybody can kind of cut loose, play what they want, and all the people really interact instead of it all kind of being one big gigantic tank moving in one direction.
"So [there was] a lot of freedom involved in making this record," Paul said. "And it gave me something to look forward to and to live for because I've never done anything without Dime. ... It's been a long road for me to get to this point where I feel I can move on in my life. And that's what I'm doing, man."
Rebel Meets Rebel, which also includes Paul behind the kit and erstwhile Pantera member Rex Brown on bass, will hit stores May 2, as will "Dimevision, Volume 1," a DVD culled from footage Dimebag had shot with a camcorder over several years on the road and at home. Paul said there will be other "Dimevision" releases down the road it's just a matter of sifting through the tapes and organizing the material.
"It's in the total spirit of the Pantera videos," Paul said. "I mean, he's the dude that pretty much in my opinion, a lot of people's opinions created 'Jackass.' He never got any credit for it, but it's him, his stellar guitar playing and just being the clown that he is."
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