This upcoming Monday marks the 10th anniversary of one of the most shocking tragedies in music history, the onstage assassination of Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell in 2004. But rather than dwell on the horror of that night a decade ago, when the musician was performing live with Damageplan, Vanya Radio will be celebrating the career of the larger than life Darrell Lance Abbott.
Vanyaland’s resident hard rock and metal enthusiast Michael Christopher will take the show to a new level tonight during a very special edition of the Voltage Factory from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. EST, with an encore broadcast Monday night at 10 p.m. EST.
“In their prime, Pantera were the only true contenders to Metallica’s kings of metal crown,” says Christopher. “Dime was obviously a huge part of that with his crushing riffs, fluid style and enthusiasm not just for the genre but for music in general. Tonight’s Voltage Factory is going to show exactly what I’m talking about.”
Tonight’s Voltage Factory will be split up into two segments. The first hour will showcase some of the bands that Pantera toured with over the years, from heavyweights like Judas Priest and Black Sabbath to then up and comers like Clutch and Deftones. The second hour is when things really get turned out, with the entire focus shifting to Pantera. Christopher promises a ridiculous mix of singles, remixes, covers and long forgotten gems from the band that some fans may not even be aware existed.
“I’ve completely ransacked the vaults,” he says. “Any DJ can go ahead and spin ‘Walk.’ But how many are going to dig out the ‘Cervical Edit’ of the song remixed by Australian producer J.G. Thirlwell?”
Listeners can also expect to hear one of the many Anthrax songs that Dimebag guested on, a rare soundtrack appearance and a one-time offshoot of Pantera that involved everyone from the band except singer Phil Anselmo, leaving Darrell to take on the vocals. And between some of the tracks there will be choice quotes from Dime over the years that cemented him as one of the most genuine — and hilarious — guys in the industry.
The Voltage Factory airs from 8pm – 10pm every Wednesday with a rebroadcast Mondays 10pm – 12am. The show can be streamed via Vanyaland or through the TuneIn app.
