Goodbye, Vinnie Paul

Never gonna be another groove like Vinnie Paul's. His playing style + Terry Date's production = a crucial element of a new metal paradigm for the '90s. These Pantera records just slice right through you and Vinnie's kicks are the razor's edge. So long to a legend.

I contributed a bit to the in-progress Rolling Stone obit. Dan Epstein's piece on the band's influence and legacy is well worth you time.

Postscript: I listened to Far Beyond Driven the day after the news broke and honestly was in disbelief over how vibrant it still sounds, particularly the first four tracks, which in my opinion are flawless. I'm not sure that we've seen that level of talent, passion, recklessness, arrogance (the kind that can make for great metal) and songwriting smarts bundled into one band since.