Vinnie Paul Abbott recently said that DAMAGEPLAN would have been in it for the long haul had the band's guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott not been murdered exactly twelve years ago today.

 

Dimebag was co-founder and lead guitarist for PANTERA. When PANTERA broke up in 2003, Dimebag and his brother Vinnie Paul formed DAMAGEPLAN. On December 8, 2004, while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, Dimebag was shot and killed onstage by Nathan Gale. He was 38 years old.

 

DAMAGEPLAN - whose lineup was completed by singer Patrick Lachman and bassist Bob Zilla - released its debut album, 'New Found Power', in February of 2004. The group was touring in support of the record at the time of the shootings.