VINNIE PAUL

'Vinnie Paul' ('Vincent Paul Abbott') (born on March 11, 1964), in Dallas, Texas, United States is a heavy metal drummer and producer most known for his work in Pantera and Damageplan.
Paul also incorporates elements of progressive rock and swing into his drumming.
Paul is the son of Carolina Abbot and Jerry Abbott, a country music songwriter and producer. He played in Pantera, Tres Diablos, Damageplan, and Rebel Meets Rebel with his brother, late guitarist Dimebag Darrell. His professional musical relationship with his brother often earned them comparisons to hard rock musicians Eddie and Alex Van Halen. Currently, Paul, along with members from Mudvayne and Nothingface, have formed the supergroup - Hellyeah. His biggest influence is Peter Criss of KISS

Contents

Pantera

Damageplan

Latest projects

Hellyeah

Line up

Drum set configurations

Cymbals

Vic Firth Sticks

External links

Pantera

Main articles: Pantera

Paul formed the heavy metal band Pantera in 1981 with guitarist Dimebag Darrell, bassist Rex Brown, guitarist Terry Glaze, and vocalist Donnie Hart. Upon Hart's departure, Glaze assumed vocal duties and the band released three albums with that lineup.
Pantera recruited vocalist Phil Anselmo to replace Glaze in 1988. By 1990 the band had been signed to Atco Records and released ''Cowboys from Hell'' which proved to be the band's turning point. Over the course of four more studio records, a live album and a , Anselmo and Pantera were twice nominated for a best metal performance Grammy, in 1995 for "I'm Broken" and 2001 for ''Revolution Is My Name''.
In 2001, Anselmo decided to put Pantera on hold because of back pain while he toured and recorded with his side projects. Official disbandment happened in 2003 after Anselmo failed to return to the group. In the years to follow bad blood would stir up between the Abbott brothers and Anselmo. To this day, Vincent and Phil do not talk. Phil has announced publicly he wishes Vinnie to forgive him, and reform a friendship, however Vinnie claims he will never talk to Anselmo again.
While in between bands, the Abbott brothers and Pantera bassist, Rex Brown, teamed up with country artist David Allan Coe in a project called ''Rebel Meets Rebel''.

Damageplan

Main articles: Damageplan

The Abbott brothers formed heavy metal band Damageplan with then-tattoo artist Bob Zilla on bass and former Halford guitarist Patrick Lachman on vocals. Damageplan recorded one album, ''New Found Power'', which was released in February 2004. On December 8, 2004, while on tour to support Damageplan's album, Dimebag Darrell was gunned down onstage by Nathan Gale at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio. Nathan also murdered fan Nathan Bray, 23; club employee Erin Halk, 29; and Pantera security official Jeff Thompson, 40.

Latest projects

Following Damageplan's demise, Vinnie Paul formed Big Vin Records in February 2006 and released ''Rebel Meets Rebel'' and a DVD, ''Dimevision, Volume 1''. Paul writes a monthly question-and-answer column in ''Revolver''. Paul maintains endorsement deals with Pearl drums, Sabian cymbals, and Vic Firth drumsticks. He used to endorse Tama and Remo drumheads and hardware. Vinnie Paul is said to be one of the greatest rock drummers of all time

Hellyeah

Post-Damageplan, Paul joined the band Hellyeah.

Line up

★ Chad Gray (Mudvayne) - Vocals

★ Greg Tribbett (Mudvayne) - Guitar

★ Tom Maxwell (Nothingface) - Guitar

★ Vinnie Paul Abbott (Pantera, Damageplan, Rebel Meets Rebel) - Drums

★ Bob Zilla (Damageplan),-Bass
The band's initial bassist was Jerry Montano (Danzig, Nothingface).
On the evening of April 10th, 2007, the band was throwing a release party for their debut album when Montano became drunk. He became violent and punched Maxwell in the face, and was escorted out of the club by security, and outside threatened to come back with a gun and shoot everybody. He was later dismissed from the band.[2].

Drum set configurations

He plays on a Pearl MRX Masters Series:In snake skin finish (Vinnie Paul Custom Wrap)
24x20 bass drum x 2
14x14 tom
15x15 tom
18x16 floor tom
14x8 Vinnie Paul Signature snare drum
He plays Sabian Cymbals:
14" AA Rock Hi-Hats
18" AA Rock Crash
18" AA Chinese
18" Hand Hammered Rock Crash
12" Ice Bell
22" Hand Hammered Power Bell Ride
20" AA Chinese
Vinnie also uses Pearl hardware, Evans heads, and Vic firth sticks.

Cymbals

14'' AA Rock Hi-Hats,
18'' AA Rock Crash,
20'' AA Chinese,
x2 18'' Hand Hammered Rock Crash,
22'' Hand Hammered Power Bell Ride,
20'' AA Chinese,
14'' AA Rock Hi-Hats,
18'' AA Rock Crash,

Vic Firth Sticks

American Classic Rock.
American Classic Metal
Is usually witnessed playing his sticks backwards.

External links

★ Big Vin Records Official website

★ Official Pantera website

★ Official Damageplan website

★ Official Rebel Meets Rebel Site

★ Big Vin Records' Official MySpace page

★ Official HELLYEAH Myspace Page

★ Official HELLYEAH website

★ Vinnie Paul podcast interview from Synthesis (magazine)