Music Radar has published a new article on what they feel are the five songs in Pantera guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott's catalogue that guitarists need to hear. Following is an excerpt from the rundown.

Music Radar: "Not since Eddie Van Halen has there been a hard rock or metal guitarist with a profile like Dimebag, a player whose instincts for rhythm and lead alike were all id – ferocious, ripping, exhilarating. Even his bourbon-and-Coke diplomacy somehow presented him as a quasi-presidential master of ceremonies, the Pope of contemporary metal guitar high jinks and misadventure. We could do with a little of that colour today."

"Walk" – A Vulgar Display Of Power (1992)

Music Radar: "Pantera’s magnum opus doubles down on the gravel-scrape chug of Cowboys From Hell, with Dimebag’s inhuman buzzsaw rhythm tone sounding like it was on 10 no matter how low you turn the stereo down. Cowboys From Hell might be the one they played when metaphorically handing out business cards at the end of the show – like Zorro marking his victims with a 'Z' – but 'Walk' is the quintessential Pantera anthem, an almost monotone riff tuned just below D, performed in a 12/8 shuffle, super aggro, with a show-stopping solo that’s engineered to groove along with the song.

If the riff is easy to play, it’s hard to perfect. You need an index finger like Hulk Hogan’s thigh to get the bend just right and in time. The solo is hard to play, nigh-on impossible to perfect. To hear a cover version of it is to hear distance, the acreage that exists between Dimebag’s ability and lived-in relationship with his style and the pretenders riding on his coat-tails.

After A Vulgar Display Of Power, dozens of bands tried to go 'power groove', to dial up the intensity and soundtrack the mosh-pit. None got close. It’s like trying to beat the Stones at their own game; just as you’re not going to write a better rock ’n’ roll song than Jumpin’ Jack Flash, you’re not going to get close to the double-jointed mechanics of 'Walk'."

"Becoming" – Far Beyond Driven (1994)

Music Radar: "Far Beyond Driven was a sound unto itself. It was everything that had gone before, only louder, harsher. The aggression that informed A Vulgar Display Of Power was here in spades, occasionally spoiling for a sour, confrontational atmosphere. Gear-wise, much of the game was the same. He was using a Randall Century 200 head by now but it was still solid-state, still dimed when it came to the gain, and the weapon of choice was his Dean ML Series guitars.

Again, he used his 1981 'Dean from Hell' blue lightning graphic model whenever in standard tuning and a Tobacco Sunburst model when down in D. The Bill Lawrence L-500L blade humbucker offered the right blend of piss and vinegar at the bridge position. What makes Becoming essential listening, however, is the use of the DigiTech Whammy. A pitchshifting effect on a treadle? Perfect. What could be better for a guitarist weaned on harmonic squeals and double-locking Floyd Rose vibrato?

Now, many players have used the DigiTech Whammy, and few use it for subtlety, yet none have found the sweet spot of pure animalism as Dimebag does here. Becoming sees a down-tuned chug riff erupt in a squawk that is either feline or avian, depending on which veterinarian you ask. 

The verse riff could be seen as the The Fly II to Walk’s The Fly, mutated beyond recognition but with the same DNA, and when it gives way to the chorus and then the solo, that’s when it’s time to step back on the new toy… After performing the magic trick of making an ear-worm of inhospitable ingredients, Dimebag earns the right to take the guitar solo into the pig pen with the yowling skronk of the solo."

Check out the complete article here.

Dean Guitars relaunches a true original with the Dime Razorback Rust electric guitar, which pays tribute to the late legend, “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott. Originally introduced as a limited US custom run, the Dime Razorback Rust joins other signature Dimebag guitars in Dean’s Artist Series. Offering several custom appointments, including the unique rust graphic design and Seymour Duncan Dimebucker™ pickup, the Dime Razorback Rust is ready to take on any playing task at hand with style and tonal ferocity.

Dimebag Darrell Abbott was a true Dean artist with a ferocious passion for Dean Guitars. Through that passion, he became not only one of the most revered metal guitarists, but one of the most celebrated guitarists of all-time. His unique, powerful playing style is reflected in the Dime Razorback Rust, which boasts a one-of-a-kind look and feel that could only come from the minds of Dean and Dime.

The Dime Razorback Rust offers a 24 3/4-inch scale length, with an all-mahogany body and set-neck construction with dual-action truss rod. The flat top offers a beveled edge, creating a unique visual effect against the classic black sides and back. Performance follows design as the edgy aesthetic continues to the V-shaped, 3-piece mahogany neck with single-ply black binding. The rosewood fingerboard (14-inch radius) offers clarity and warmth, with 22 jumbo frets, and varying width measurements from the nut to the last fret. Starting with a traditional 1 11/16-inch neck width at the Floyd Rose R3 nut, the fretboard then broadens to 2.28 inches at the last fret, providing players more room for blistering solos in the high register. A pearl razor inlay at the 12th fret evokes Dime’s famous necklace and maximizes the signature appeal.

The Dime Razorback Rust is specially voiced for hard rock and metal. At the bridge, the custom Seymour Duncan Dimebucker™ SH13 uses a powerful ceramic magnet coupled with stainless steel blades to generate take-no-prisoners tonality. This humbucker leverages the secret to Dime’s crunch, with a small metal mass in the core that produces aggressive, high-output with treble bite and clarity, and punchy bass response for excellent dynamics. Meanwhile, the Seymour ’59 Model™ neck humbucker provides a slightly boosted high-end for improved pick-attack clarity and scooped mids that are great for preserving the clarity of notes in chords. Players can enjoy all the sonic versatility with simple controls, including a 3-way toggle switch; Dimebag Traction knobs for the neck and bridge volume as well as for tone; and a 500k audio taper pot.

Dean’s black hardware provides the finishing touch for both aesthetics and stability on the Dime Razorback Rust. The Floyd Rose 1000 bridge essentially locks the strings into place at both the bridge and the nut, preventing strings from sliding over the nut and providing tuning stability, even through unbridled use of the whammy bar. Grover tuners with 18:1 ratio provide finer tuning and string stability. Accessories include Dimebag Darrell’s signature HI-VOLTAGE™ Electric Guitar Strings from DR Strings and Dean’s hardshell case.

Dimebag Darrell’s legacy lives on with Dean’s Dime Razorback Rust, offering an unparalleled design, a vicious tone, and a MAP price of $1349 that’s sure to put a smile on any Dimebag fan’s face.

Learn more and get a closer look here.