I was really happy when I finally put my paws on the long awaited Rex Brown autobiography regarded as an inside story of Pantera. We all know Pantera. They were and still are one of the milestones and legends of American metal scene and worldwide extreme music scene.
After the years of success and extensive hard working tours and partying, the band broke apart and imploded in itself in 2001., with the final ending being brought with the tragic murder of Dimebag Darrell on stage in Ohio by a madman in 2004. Since the band was and still is a big part of me, because it was Pantera who brought me with a couple of other bands in my formative years on the extreme music scene, I was eager to read how bassist Rex Brown saw all of the turmoil, music, heartbreak and tragedy.
Now that I have read the book, I am kinda disappointed. I was expecting to read the more in depth story about the whole thing and the whole story behind Rex book is very thin like some paper ready to float in the mist of memory. There are no juicy party stories included in the book, and I was expecting some knowing that Pantera was a party juggernaut in full sense of the word. Also, the whole breakup thing is kinda vague, like Rex really could not guess or knew not why did it happen. The one part of the book that brought tear to my eye is the part where Rex describes the funeral and in memoriam for Dimebag, the man whose loss still impacts the scene and me as a person a lot. Although the book is kinda let down, it is by no means something to avoid, so get it and read it. The fans of Pantera will be satisfied but for us who expected something like Nofx Hepatitis Bathtub book, we will be disappointed with this one.
The other Pantera book is written by Zac Crain and it is in fact concentrated on the life and times of Dimebag Darrell through his formative years as a guitar player and then with Pantera until his untimely death at the hands of a madman during the opening of Damageplan show in Ohio in 2004. This book has many more stories and fun but also emotions and was really nice to read it. It is not better then the book by Rex, but offers interesing side view to all of the road Pantera went together. What bothered me in this book was that it was way too much idealised and too subjective to read. Rex Brown book was much more objective although the guy was a co founder of Pantera and brother with these guys for the most part of his life.
In the end, the only thing for you remains to read both books and form your own opinion about the story of one of the biggest metal bands of all times.
KRAYKULLA-WEBZINE 