Damageplan
Template:Short description Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox musical artist Damageplan was an American heavy metal band from Dallas, Texas, formed in 2003. Following the demise of their previous group Pantera, brothers Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul Abbott wanted to start a new band. The pair recruited former Halford guitarist Patrick Lachman on vocals, and later Bob Zilla on bass. Damageplan released New Found Power, their only album, in February 2004. New Found Power debuted at number 38 on the Billboard 200, selling 44,676 copies in its first week.
While Damageplan was promoting the album at a concert on December 8, 2004 at the Alrosa Villa nightclub in Columbus, Ohio, deranged fan Nathan Gale climbed on stage and killed guitarist Dimebag Darrell and three others before being fatally shot by a police officer. Although no motive was found, some of Gale's friends reported that he believed that Pantera had stolen his lyrics and that its former members were attempting to steal his identity. Damageplan's manager confirmed there are unreleased Damageplan recordings, although they have not surfaced, and the band has been inactive since the incident. Vinnie and Zilla joined the band Hellyeah, and Lachman joined the Mercy Clinic. Vinnie Paul died in 2018.
HistoryEdit
FormationEdit
By 2003, drummer Vinnie Paul and guitarist Dimebag Darrell were plagued with difficulties that their previous metal band, Pantera, was experiencing. Both described the performance level of Pantera's vocalist, Phil Anselmo, as "hit and miss, depending on what type of chemicals he was on".<ref name="Damageplan - This One's For You, Dimebag"/> Following the release of Pantera's 2000 album Reinventing the Steel and the subsequent tour, Anselmo and bassist Rex Brown started to focus on their side projects, and remained out of contact with the brothers, affecting their ability to write or record any future Pantera material. Both Abbott brothers eventually chose to move on from Pantera, as they began writing new material on their own.<ref name="Damageplan - This One's For You, Dimebag">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
A demo of the song "Crawl" was sent to former Halford guitarist Pat Lachman who auditioned as vocalist. Lachman was hired, and New Found Power was formed in early 2003 with former Jerry Cantrell guitarist Shawn Matthews on bass initially, who was replaced after the album recording with the brothers' tattoo artist, Bob Zilla.<ref name="Updated: PANTERA, Ex-HALFORD Members Join Forces In NEW FOUND POWER">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Heart of Steel: Interviews">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> When writing music, Paul claimed; "we put no boundaries on it ... we wanted it to be very diverse", and Darrell said "We wanted to stretch out and expand our capabilities to their fullest."<ref name="Damageplan Put Pantera Behind Them With New Found Power">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The band changed its name to Damageplan and decided to name the first album New Found Power.<ref name="Updated: PANTERA, Ex-HALFORD Members Join Forces In NEW FOUND POWER"/>
New Found PowerEdit
The single "Save Me" debuted on American radio on January 26, 2004, and the band's debut album, New Found Power, was released in the United States on February 10. The album was recorded at the brothers' backyard studio, Chasin' Jason, in Arlington, Texas, where previous Pantera albums were also recorded. The Abbott brothers found out that during recording, everyone was willing to contribute and "put 100% effort into it" while with Pantera, but they found it too difficult to have Anselmo in the recording studio.<ref name="Interview With Damageplan Drummer Vinnie Abbott">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Corey Taylor of Slipknot and Stone Sour, Zakk Wylde of Black Label Society, and Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains made guest appearances on the tracks "Fuck You", "Soul Bleed", and the bonus track "Ashes to Ashes" respectively, and Sterling Winfield handled co-production duties.
New Found Power sold 44,676 copies in its first week to debut at number 38 on the Billboard 200.<ref name="Damageplan: Webcast Video Posted Online">Template:Cite news</ref> The album received mixed reviews from music critics; Christine Klunk of PopMatters commented "I'm not in the least bit interested in where this band goes or what new and exciting ways they'll think of to abuse the listeners,"<ref name="Popmatters - New Found Power">Template:Cite magazine</ref> while Johnny Loftus of AllMusic felt it was a "blazing new beginning".<ref name="Allmusic - New Found Power">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Alice in Chains' vocalist/guitarist Jerry Cantrell attended a Thanksgiving party hosted by the Abbott brothers. Darrell and Paul had a demo of the first song they wrote, titled "Ashes to Ashes". Lachman insisted that it was on the "backburner" until Cantrell showed interest. The band entered the Abbott brothers' backyard studio with Cantrell to record "Ashes to Ashes". Although the song was not completed in time to be featured on New Found Power, it was included on the Japanese version, and for the soundtrack The Punisher: The Album.<ref name="Pat Lachman interview">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> To promote New Found Power, the band toured with Hatebreed, Drowning Pool, and Unearth on the second installment of the Headbangers Ball.<ref name="Damageplan: Webcast Video Posted Online"/>
Death of Dimebag DarrellEdit
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On December 8, 2004, the band was on a tour at the Alrosa Villa nightclub in Columbus, Ohio. Moments into the concert, Nathan Gale, a deranged 25-year-old fan, climbed onto the stage, drew a 9 mm Beretta 92FS, and shot Dimebag Darrell five times in the head, killing him. The band's head of security Jeffery "Mayhem" Thompson then engaged in hand-to-hand combat with Gale, which allowed Paul and other members to escape. However, Thompson was shot and killed in the ensuing struggle. A fan named Nathan Bray, who attempted to give CPR to Thompson and Darrell, and Erin Halk, a U.S. Marine-turned-roadie who tried to disarm Gale while he was reloading, were both shot and killed as well. Once the police arrived, Columbus Police officer James Niggemeyer approached the stage from behind, and saw Gale holding his weapon to a hostage. Niggemeyer shot Gale once in the head with a 12-gauge Remington Model 870, killing him instantly. Fifteen shots were fired by Gale, and an additional 36 rounds were found in his possession.<ref name="Three Years After Dimebag's Murder: Missed Opportunities Abound"/><ref name="Mom Of Concert Killer: He Was Sick"/>
A police investigation did not find any motive behind the shooting, although Gale's mother stated that he was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, and that he believed the Abbott brothers had stolen his lyrics while trying to steal his identity.<ref name="Mom Of Concert Killer: He Was Sick"/> She was unaware if her son took the medication he was given for his condition, but was proud of his military service following his discharge, and had given him the weapon that was used in the shooting. Major Jason Johnston, a Marine Corps spokesman at The Pentagon, was unable to comment on Gale's discharge.<ref name="Three Years After Dimebag's Murder: Missed Opportunities Abound">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Mom Of Concert Killer: He Was Sick">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Midwest: Ohio: Shooter At Club May Have Reloaded">Template:Cite news</ref>
A foundation called The Dimebag Darrell Memorial Fund was founded after the incident, which donated its profits to cover medical expenses of drum technician John Brooks and tour manager Chris Paluska, who were among those injured during the shooting.<ref name="New Damageplan Recordings May Surface">Template:Cite magazine</ref> A public memorial service for Darrell took place on December 14, 2004 at Arlington Convention Center in Arlington, Texas. Many musicians paid tribute to Darrell on message boards and at live performances.<ref name="RIP Dimebag">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In May 2005, Niggemeyer was called before a grand jury, which was convened by the Franklin County prosecutor's office to examine the actions taken on the night of Dimebag Darrell's demise, a standard practice when deadly force is used. The jury found that there was no wrongdoing on Niggemeyer's part. Franklin County prosecutor Ron O'Brien commented, "There was little doubt [the shooting] was lawful, given the 200 eyewitnesses and the circumstances that surrounded the shooting. Nevertheless, we still have an independent body review the facts". Niggemeyer was nominated for a bravery award on the TV show America's Most Wanted.<ref name="Officer Cleared In Shooting Of 'Dimebag' Darrell Abbott's Killer">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
AftermathEdit
In a 2005 interview, Damageplan manager Paul Bassman said that unreleased recordings before Darrell's death were near completion. He commented, "Vinnie Paul has said there will be a follow-up album down the road, as Dime would have wanted his music to be heard."<ref name="New Damageplan Recordings May Surface"/> Rumors circulated of another album, although nothing has been released.<ref name="New Damageplan Recordings May Surface"/>
Following the events since Dimebag Darrell's death, Paul was unsure if he wanted to continue playing music. He was invited to join the band called Hellyeah, which included members of Mudvayne and Nothingface, but declined the offer. However, bassist Jerry {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} repeatedly called Paul, and he accepted the offer to join the project as he thought "Everybody had their head in the right place."<ref name="HELLYEAH - interview with Vinnie Abbott - May 2007">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Hellyeah released its debut album on April 10, 2007. One week later, Zilla joined the band as its new bassist, after {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} left due to "personal reasons". The album was recorded at Abbott's backyard studio, Chasin' Jason, where New Found Power was also recorded.<ref name="Hellyeah Helps Pantera's Abbott Face The Music">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Vocalist Lachman joined The Mercy Clinic, which aided the grieving process. He commented, "you have to get back on the horse. You could easily let a decade go by and not do anything. I'm happy to have walked away with my life after the situation I was thrown into. But, I mean, what do you do? I'm a musician. I'm going to make music. What Dime would have told me was, 'You make music, motherfucker. Get back on it. Do what you do.' So, that's what I did."<ref name="Ex-Damageplan Singer Starts Healing Process With The Mercy Clinic">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Before the shooting, Phil Anselmo stated in the December 2004 edition of Metal Hammer that Dimebag "deserves to be severely beaten".<ref name="A new, revealing book about the Murder of Dimebag Darrell"/> He apologized and said the "severely beaten" comment was a joke, although Paul requested Metal Hammer to provide the audio tapes to discern the nature of the comments. Paul concluded that the quote was not a joke and referred to Anselmo as the "master of lies".<ref name="MH">Template:Cite journal</ref>
A book titled A Vulgar Display of Power: Courage and Carnage at the Alrosa Villa was penned by author Chris Armold. For 14 months, Armold interviewed people and researched the events leading up to December 8, stating "It's not a book about rock stars, but heroes, regular guys who made the ultimate sacrifice." In his research, Armold found no evidence that the comments Anselmo made before Darrell's death had influenced Gale's actions. The book was released in 2007.<ref name="A new, revealing book about the Murder of Dimebag Darrell">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In a 2017 interview with Loudwire, Paul had stated that he had planned to release all unreleased Damageplan recordings at some point in the future, many of which have no vocals. He even stated having some of Dimebag Darrell's favorite musicians, such as Rob Halford of Judas Priest to record vocals for the songs.Template:Citation needed
Vinnie Paul died on June 22, 2018, at the age of 54.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Lyrical themes and styleEdit
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According to Johnny Loftus of AllMusic, Damageplan incorporated elements of traditional heavy metal, post-grunge, metalcore, and death metal.<ref name="loftus"/> Damageplan's sound has been described as groove metal,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> nu metal<ref name="loftus">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="brave">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="CT">Template:Cite news</ref> and thrash metal.<ref name="CT" /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The lyrical process was a collaborative effort consisting of Paul, Darrell, and Lachman.<ref name="Interview with Pat Lachman">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Themes explored on the album included the brothers' experiences, Darrell commented, "the crumbling of one empire and then starting over ... So there are a lot of lyrics about being reborn in a sense, about it being a new day, moving forward, letting go of the past and becoming something new."<ref name="Damageplan - This One's For You, Dimebag"/> This is exemplified in the songs "Reborn", "Wake Up", and "Breathing New Life". "Blunt Force Trauma" is about when someone or something comes up behind you when you least expect it, "it could be a situation in your life, it could be a person you know with a beer bottle".<ref name="Damageplan - This One's For You, Dimebag"/>
When writing music, the Abbott brothers suggested guitar riffs and "grooves", while Lachman added his input to modify the song's structure. The band's sound has been described by music critics to be similar to Pantera. Christine Klunk of PopMatters disliked the similarities and commented, "aside from a constant, driving rhythm, repetitive riffs, and unintelligible lyrics about (I'm assuming) kicking ass—there's nothing of interest to pay attention to".<ref name="Popmatters - New Found Power"/> The song "Breathing New Life" features 180 beats-per-minute bass drum pedaling, what Vik Bansal of MusicOMH described as "exploding into a blaze of riffage and a cool chorus". Bansal was impressed with certain elements of the song such as the switch from downbeat singing to "a big chorus lodged in power chord heaven", and the incorporated groove rhythms. However, he felt Dimebag "borrow[ed]" Anthrax's guitar solo from the song "Only".<ref name="Damageplan - New Found Power">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Band membersEdit
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- Final lineup
- Vinnie Paul – drums (2003–2004, died 2018)
- Dimebag Darrell – guitars, backing vocals (2003–2004, his death)
- Patrick Lachman – lead vocals (2003–2004)
- Bob Zilla – bass, backing vocals (2003–2004)
- Previous members
- Shawn Matthews – bass, backing vocals (2003)
DiscographyEdit
AlbumsEdit
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Sales | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US <ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> |
AUS <ref name="ARIA">Template:Cite Ryan</ref> |
UK <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |
CitationClass=web
}}</ref> | |||
| New Found Power | 38 | 94 | 133 | citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> | |
SinglesEdit
| Year | Title | US Main. <ref name="Artist Chart History">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |
CitationClass=web
}}</ref> |
Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | "Save Me" | 16 | New Found Power | |
| "Breathing New Life" | — | |||
| "Explode" | — | |||
| "Pride" | 30 | |||
| "—" denotes singles that were released but did not chart. | ||||
Other appearancesEdit
| Year | Title | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | "Ashes to Ashes" Template:Small<ref name="Pat Lachman interview" /> | New Found Power and The Punisher: The Album |
Music videosEdit
| Year | Title | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | "Save Me" | Salzy |
| "Breathing New Life" | Red Ezra | |
| "Explode" |
ReferencesEdit
External linksEdit
- Template:Official website (archived)
- Template:Allmusic
Template:Damageplan Template:Authority control Template:Featured article