''Rebel Meets Rebel'' is a
country metal album by
David Allan Coe
David Allan Coe (born September 6, 1939) is an American singer and songwriter. Coe took up music after spending much of his early life in reform schools and prisons, and first became notable for busking in Nashville. He initially played mostly i ...
and
Pantera
Pantera () is an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas formed in 1981, and currently comprised of vocalist Phil Anselmo, bassist Rex Brown, and touring musicians Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante. The group's best-known lineup cons ...
members
Dimebag Darrell
Darrell Lance Abbott (August 20, 1966 – December 8, 2004), best known by his stage name Dimebag Darrell, was an American musician. He was the guitarist of the heavy metal bands Pantera and Damageplan, both of which he co-founded alongside hi ...
,
Rex Brown, and
Vinnie Paul.
The music was written and recorded by the band when the musicians had time aside from their other projects, including Pantera's world tour supporting ''
Reinventing the Steel''.
The album was released on May 2, 2006, under Vinnie Paul's own label
Big Vin Records, posthumously after
Darrell's murder in December 2004.
Background
At the close of the decade, Coe met Pantera guitarist
Dimebag Darrell
Darrell Lance Abbott (August 20, 1966 – December 8, 2004), best known by his stage name Dimebag Darrell, was an American musician. He was the guitarist of the heavy metal bands Pantera and Damageplan, both of which he co-founded alongside hi ...
in
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the List of cities in Texas by population, fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the List of United States cities by population, 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, Texas, T ...
. The two musicians, struck by the similarity of the approaches between
country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, whi ...
and
heavy metal, agreed to work together. Darrell was the son of
Jerry Abbott, a country songwriter and producer. Together with Darrell's brother
Vinnie Paul and bassist
Rex Brown, they began production of the album which was recorded sporadically between 1999 and 2003. It was released in 2006, two years after Darrell's murder.
Originally, the song "Rebel Meets Rebel" was supposed to be released as a duet with Coe and Pantera's vocalist
Phil Anselmo
Philip Hansen Anselmo (born June 30, 1968) is an American heavy metal vocalist best known as the lead singer for Pantera, Down, and Superjoint, amongst other musical projects. He is the owner of Housecore Records.
Anselmo is regarded as o ...
.
Music and lyrics
The album's lyrical content ranges from boisterous songs regarding drinking and getting stoned to more serious subject matter, such as the song "Cherokee Cry", which criticizes the United States government's treatment of
Native Americans.
[
''Rebel Meets Rebel'' features what has been described as a "groundbreaking" mix of ]country music
Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...
and heavy metal.[ ]AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...
writer Megan Frye wrote, "On first listen, Nothin' to Lose"sounds awkward—as if someone had spliced a Pantera song together with a David Allan Coe one on their home computer. It doesn't mesh well, and the bass seems too sharp and tinny. But after listening to the album a few times, it starts to make more sense."[ ]Dimebag Darrell
Darrell Lance Abbott (August 20, 1966 – December 8, 2004), best known by his stage name Dimebag Darrell, was an American musician. He was the guitarist of the heavy metal bands Pantera and Damageplan, both of which he co-founded alongside hi ...
was praised for his guitar playing, which incorporated elements from thrash metal
Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and often fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, 2007, . ...
, as well as dark melodic playing.[ "Rebel Meets Rebel" features fiddle playing by Joey Floyd.][
]
Track listing
Personnel
* David Allan Coe
David Allan Coe (born September 6, 1939) is an American singer and songwriter. Coe took up music after spending much of his early life in reform schools and prisons, and first became notable for busking in Nashville. He initially played mostly i ...
– lead vocals, rhythm guitar
* Dimebag Darrell
Darrell Lance Abbott (August 20, 1966 – December 8, 2004), best known by his stage name Dimebag Darrell, was an American musician. He was the guitarist of the heavy metal bands Pantera and Damageplan, both of which he co-founded alongside hi ...
– lead guitar, backing vocals
* Rex Brown – bass guitar
* Vinnie Paul – drums
* Joey Floyd – fiddle
A fiddle is a bowed string musical instrument, most often a violin. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including classical music. Although in many cases violins and fiddles are essentially synonymous, the ...
on "Rebel Meets Rebel"
* Hank Williams III
Shelton Hank Williams (born December 12, 1972), known as Hank Williams III, is an American musician, singer and multi-instrumentalist, known for his unique fusion of traditional country music, rockabilly, heavy metal and punk rock. He was the ...
– vocals on "Get Outta My Life"
* Rex Mauney – keyboards
Chart positions
Album
References
External links
Official website
(archived)
{{Authority control
2006 albums
Country metal albums
David Allan Coe albums
Albums published posthumously