REBEL MEETS REBEL - Rebel Meets Rebel
May 23, 2006, 18 years ago
(Big Vin)
A few years back when I heard this thing was getting off the ground, I thought it would be way more country and not nearly as southern fried metal as it fortunately turned out to be. First spin of this was loud o’er headphones while working out and that, coupled with the Dime mood I’ve been in (still can’t believe it), along with the jackhammer sound of the production… man, I had a blast with it. Never knew much about David Allan Coe, but I’ve heard the booze ‘n’ dope legends, and to be sure, he’s evolved into a very weird looking old cat. Sure his vocals jar, especially given that the first track is his weakest performance, but eventually, you just get into the heavy Skynyrd/Blackfoot/Aerosmith-ness of it all. And that’s the joy here, getting to check out Dime in rock ‘n’ rollsy redneck mode, hearing him boogie and hearing him funky. Actually, one is reminded that Pantera had some Slash-styled funk here and there as well, and damn it if that wasn’t always a high point of a Pantera album – for example, something like ‘Get Outta My Life’ and parts of ‘No Compromise’ coulda fit on Vulgar. Then again, ‘Cherokee Cry’ and ‘Time’ and ‘Nothin’ To Lose’ are like hard Skid Row hair metal. And it’s all in good fun, toothless drunk country lyrics everywhere, while three-quarters of Pantera go all Jackyl on us… as far as they can, anyway, with that hard-earned distinct sound of theirs. My promise to you: I’ll be playing this much more than any ol’ 8.5. In fact, two trips to the gym in the row with it speaks volume knobs.
