Broken Frontier

REVOLVER Magazine has teamed with renowned and award-winning graphic illustrator Tim Bradstreet (The Punisher, Hellblazer, “Vampire: The Masquerade”) for a Pantera Vulgar Display Of Power commemorative issue, celebrating guitarist Dimebag Darrell on the fifth anniversary of his death.  The issue--available only on newsstands from December 22 through February 22--captures the defining moment in Pantera’s career and features Bradstreet’s stark and powerful cover illustration of the classic 1992 album cover photo.
 
The REVOLVER Vulgar Display Of Power issue includes an additional Pantera illustration by Bradstreet, rare photos, as well as exclusive interviews with all surviving Pantera band members (Phil Anselmo, Vinnie Paul, Rex Brown); Dime’s longtime girlfriend Rita Haney; album producer Terry Date; musicians Rob Halford, Rob Zombie, Sean Yseult, Scott Ian, Zakk Wylde, Nick Bowcott; and other key friends and associates.  In fact, this marks the first piece to include interviews with both Phil Anselmo and Vinnie Paul since the 2006 VH1 “Behind The Music” on Pantera. 
 
In this issue, REVOLVER Magazine and writer Jon Wiederhorn debunk the myth behind the Vulgar Display Of Power album cover photo shoot and reveal the stories behind how “Diamond Darrell” became “Dimebag Darrell” and the origins of Dime’s signature “Black Tooth Grin” drink.
 
Each newsstand copy of REVOLVER’s Vulgar Display Of Power issue will include a special memorabilia pack with an authentic replica of a Vulgar Display Of Power tour backstage laminate and concert ticket, a Pantera show flyer, and sticker.  In addition, REVOLVER will give away Tim Bradstreet’s original hand-drawn cover art for the issue, an Affliction Pantera Signature Series T-shirt, Dean Dimebag Dimebonics ML Electric Guitar with Case, Dunlop MXR DD11 Dime Distortion Pedal and DB01 Dimebag Signature Wah Pedal, Seymour Duncan Dimebucker Pickup, and ddrum Vinnie Paul Signature Snare.  Look for contest details in this issue and enter online at www.REVOLVERmag.com.
 
Fans can also purchase a highly limited-edition (only 250 printed) Vulgar Display of Power Commemorative T-shirt featuring Bradstreet’s cover illustration at www. REVOLVERmag.com/store.
 
Here are some exclusive interview excerpts from REVOLVER’s Vulgar Display Of Power commemorative issue:
 
Vinnie Paul on Dime finishing Vulgar Display Of Power:
“We went to master the record in New York at Masterdisk. Back then, you had to master the songs one at a time, and then you’d get a tape of all the songs so you could listen to the sequence. We messed around with a couple ideas and then we found what we thought was the perfect sequence and had them put it together. And I remember Dime was sitting there on the couch and he was crying all the way through it. I went, ‘Dude, are you all right?’ And he said, ‘It’s perfect. It’s perfect. It’s exactly what I always wanted and always dreamed of. It’s fuckin’ perfect.’”
 

Phil Anselmo on touring for Vulgar Display Of Power:
“Everyone knows there was a lot of drinking. Everyone knows there was a lot of sex. Everyone knows there was a lot of drunken sex. Yeah, I was pretty single then, and there were some incredible times where I caught myself in the middle of a situation and I look around me and put my arms in the air and said, ‘I’m the fuckin’ king of the world.’ But when everyone else was playing the lay around with the ladies, Dimebag would be all fuckin’ building a robot suit out of cardboard boxes or hiding in closets and scaring people.”
 
 
Illustrator Tim Bradstreet is excited to be a part of the Vulgar Display Of Power issue of REVOLVER.  He explains his inspiration behind creating the cover artwork below.  Also look for an essay from Tim, beginning December 22 at www.REVOLVERMag.com.
 
“It's pretty special to get a chance to work on or with something that has inspired you, and Pantera's Vulgar Display Of Power certainly had a major impact on me back in 1992. Musically it was where I was at as a 25-year-old. It was raw, visceral, powerful, and it was speaking to me lyrically as well. One phrase that still sticks out for me is from Mouth For War: ‘When I channel my hate to productive I don't find it hard to impress.’ That really resonated with me as I was full of anger and angst, and I used to channel that into my work.
 
The music I listened to as I worked was additional and essential fuel. A lot of my early Vampire illustrations, the work that helped put me on the map as an illustrator, were powered by heavy doses of Pantera. It was smart, and it was telling young people we all have problems, you can sit around and be defeated by the shit life throws your way or you can stand up and fight back on your own terms.  That was a lesson I was ready to embrace.

I was a really big guy back in '92, well over 300 pounds, very self conscious, that's where a lot of my anger or self loathing came into play. I decided finally that I was going to do something about it and in the spring/summer of 1992 I made losing weight my religion. Vulgar Display Of Power was my soundtrack. I ended up losing over 100 pounds in about 4 months. I transformed myself and that was a powerful thing.

When I found out I’d be illustrating this cover for REVOLVER, it turned into an opportunity for me to say thank you to those four metal madmen. This gig has joined the ranks of a growing list of dreams that were able to come true for me. Sometimes you gotta pinch yourself.”  --Tim Bradstreet
 
 
REVOLVER Editor In Chief Brandon Geist describes the motivation for creating the Vulgar Display Of Power issue:
 
“To celebrate Dimebag Darrell five years after his death, we wanted to look past all the tragedy and the negativity that eventually overtook Pantera. Instead, we captured him and his band at their greatest moment, as they were coming into their own, making their masterpiece--and an undeniable metal classic--and taking it around the world. As a big-time Pantera fan myself, the resulting story is everything I had hoped it would be: inspiring, insightful, poignant, and most definitely hilarious--the anecdotes about Dimebag pranking groupies are priceless! I’m honored to have Phil, Vinnie, and Rex, as well as the likes of Rob Halford, Rob Zombie, Zakk Wylde, and others, come together with us to pay tribute to Pantera and to Dime.”  --Brandon Geist
 
 
The January/February issue of REVOLVER also features:
 
An exclusive excerpt from Ozzy Osbourne’s autobiography I Am Ozzy, out January 25.  Ozzy talks about groupies and Satanists on the first U.S. Black Sabbath tour.
REVOLVER’s “Top 20 Albums Of The Year”

The second installation of UFC mixed martial artist Forrest Griffin’s hilarious “F**king Hostile” column.  In this issue, Forrest talks about the legality of getting into a street fight.