{"id":63486,"date":"2017-11-01T00:00:05","date_gmt":"2017-11-01T00:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/?p=63486"},"modified":"2017-11-03T22:57:12","modified_gmt":"2017-11-03T22:57:12","slug":"feature-rita-haney-11-17","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/feature-rita-haney-11-17\/","title":{"rendered":"RITA HANEY – Rolling With It (November 2017) | Features \/ Interviews @ Metal Forces Magazine"},"content":{"rendered":"

RITA HANEY – Rolling With It<\/strong><\/span>
\nAnthony Morgan<\/span>
\nNovember 2017<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u2018Dimebag\u2019 Darrell Abbott onstage with Damageplan in 2004<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
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\nMay 2006 DVD Dimevision, Vol. 1: That\u2019s The Way I Have Fun<\/em> paid homage to the memory of late Pantera and Damageplan guitarist \u2018Dimebag\u2019 Darrell Abbott, the DVD culled from footage Dimebag had shot with a camcorder over a number of years on the road and at home. The label of Pantera drummer and brother Vincent \u2018Vinnie\u2019 Paul Abbott, Big Vin Records, oversaw its release. Successive DVD Dimevision, Vol. 2: Roll With It Or Get Rolled Over<\/em> will be issued in November 2017 via Metal Blade Records. <\/p>\n

\u201cI would say with the Dimevision<\/em> volumes we are doing, our first intentions on it \u2013 and as far as with this volume, as well \u2013 were to let people see Darrell outside of being onstage or on the road,\u201d shares Rita Haney, long-time girlfriend of Dimebag. \u201cSee how he was at home, the way he lived. The one thing about Darrell was he was a character. It wasn\u2019t just a stage presence, or just a rock \u2019n\u2019 roll side to him; he was that way 24\/7, and he just was always comical, always creative. There\u2019s just so much footage of him at home entertaining himself that I really wanted to share that with people, so that they knew that what you saw was what you got. <\/p>\n

\u201cHopefully that lets people even more into the behind-the-scenes of living at home, and living with Dime. Plus with the Dimevision<\/em> releases, it gives us a chance to release music that he recorded on his own, even if it was parodies and just for fun \u2013 just as four-tracks. He had so much fun with the music, even when he was off, and with music that had nothing to do with Pantera. It gives us a place to get to share that as well. It\u2019s coming together.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dimebag happened to be a character personality ever since the day the long-time couple first met. \u201cHe had kind of big ears and braces…,\u201d Rita remembers. \u201cWell, no… He didn\u2019t have his braces yet \u2013 just big teeth. We were eight-years-old (laughs), and little bratty kids \u2013 the both of us. I pushed him off of his bicycle. I don\u2019t remember what he said to me, but we used to play in the neighbourhood together. When I first met him, that\u2019s how he was (laughs). Even back then, he was still that comedian, even if he didn\u2019t know it yet. He was just somebody you wanted to be around.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Pantera\u2019s profile skyrocketed, Dimebag arguably maintained that same personality. \u201cWith me, I wouldn\u2019t say that he changed,\u201d Rita submits. \u201cHe evolved of course, because with that comes larger responsibilities as far as finances and behaviour. Just things that you\u2019re supposed to take care of, and growing up. As a person though, no, he never really changed. He was still that prankster, still that kid that made you laugh. He didn\u2019t change; he just had more things at his disposal which he could create debauchery with, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n

Albeit a prankster, Dimebag nevertheless still took his respective craft quite seriously. \u201cAbsolutely,\u201d Rita seconds. \u201cHe was one of those people that when it came to playing, I wouldn\u2019t come out and say it came naturally, but it almost did in a sense. When he was a kid, he practised; he practised all the time. He wasn\u2019t somebody who went and took a lot of lessons. He had a lot of help from his father (Jerry Abbott) who showed him some things, like when he wanted to play a song or this or that. <\/p>\n

\u201cYeah though, he wasn\u2019t big on reading music or theory, or anything like that. It just kind of came from within. In his heart and soul, he had a lot of… Like Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top) was one of his favourite guitar players, because Billy could take one note and hold it for eight bars. He didn\u2019t need to noodle, or to pack in so many notes or riffs into one thing. He could just make it sing with one note, and he respected that so much. That was a lot of his style as well, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

As a musical child of the vinyl age, Dimebag would slow down long-players during his formative years and play alongside his favourite artists at the time. \u201cAnd like I said, if he didn\u2019t quite get something…,\u201d Rita begins. \u201cBecause his dad owned a studio. Still does, I believe in Nashville. He grew up around musicians, down there recording and things like that. He got to experience that. His dad was really good about that; when he would grab a record and go \u2018Hey, dad. I wanna learn this song,\u2019 he would show him the notes, and Darrell would just take it from there. He started really playing his music I guess by ear, learning that way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Learning the craft of guitar and evolving both musically and mentally through the years, Dimebag learnt to roll with it or get rolled over, hence the title of Dimevision Vol. 2<\/em>. \u201cDarrell had a lot of little sayings that he would latch onto that he heard somewhere, that he would make his own,\u201d Rita shares. \u201cLike the term \u2018getcha\u2019 pull\u2019; that\u2019s an old moonshine term. You\u2019d pass the jug around and getcha\u2019 pull. That means to take a swig off of it, to get your drink, but he took that and just ran with it. It became to getcha\u2019 pull out of life; get your slice, get you some of it \u2013 as much as you can. That was his whole meaning. <\/p>\n

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\u201cOne of his terms that he was saying a lot I would in say 2003, 2004 was \u2018Roll with it or get rolled over.\u2019 He was pretty much not happy with the things that had gone wrong with Pantera. He had always been Pantera; even if he called himself another band, in his heart he was still Pantera, and that\u2019s pretty much how he meant it. That you roll with it, or get rolled over. It\u2019s like \u2018Take the punches.\u2019 <\/p>\n

\u201cHe had left a voicemail… On the first part of the DVD, you\u2019ll hear a part where it\u2019s him. It\u2019s a really horrible voicemail recording, but we tried to clean it up as best as we could. It was left on my answering machine, and it\u2019s him saying \u2018Roll with it or get rolled over.\u2019 He was laying in his bunk, and it had been a hell of a day. He was like \u2018Man, I\u2019m so beat up,\u2019 but that was the highs and lows of rock \u2019n\u2019 roll. You\u2019ve got to roll with it or get rolled over, and I just thought it would be appropriate for this volume since there\u2019s a lot of rolling over and getting rolled over in it (laughs).\u201d<\/p>\n

Footage included on Dimevision, Vol. 2<\/em> was selected by Rita with the assistance of videographer Daryl \u2018Bobby Tongs\u2019 Amberger, Rob Fenn subsequently editing said footage. \u201cIt was really, really great,\u201d she enthuses. \u201cBobby Tongs is a brother to me. We\u2019ve known each other a long time; even when he was just a kid in the neighbourhood, he would come by Darrell\u2019s house and watch him practice in the garage, or jam, or come by and get picks, or a couple of autographs. He\u2019s a few years younger than us, but he\u2019s been around a really long time. He was Darrell\u2019s best friend out there on the road; they shared that whole thing with the camera. Bobby captured tons of stuff, and it was really a lot of fun. He got taught by the best. He knows his Dimevision<\/em>; he sees it that way. It was smooth, it was funny. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe laughed so much that we were both just crying over different things that we came across, whether it be just a photo of Vinnie and Darrell being small and holding this doll called Big Josh. We Googled it online to see what it was, because I\u2019m going \u2018I\u2019ve never even heard of this.\u2019 I\u2019ve heard of all of your other little action figures, but never Big Josh. We laughed so hard about it. We came across this audio CD when we were looking for music tracks that had Darrell doing this whole thing in a Gene Simmons voice (Kiss bassist). It\u2019s just an outtake where he\u2019s laughing at himself, going \u2018Hey, this is Gene Simmons.\u2019 He just kept repeating it, and he just started laughing. Of course, we used it throughout the video. Anything with dollar signs or money, \u2018Hey, this is Gene Simmons\u2019 (laughs). It was different things like that, but yeah, we had a really good time. <\/p>\n

\u201cAs far as us three coming together and getting in the groove, we all can\u2019t wait to get started on Pantera Vol. 4<\/em> and Dimevision, Vol. 3<\/em>. We\u2019re ready to go; there\u2019s footage that has been catalogued and put aside. I know that there\u2019s so much that there\u2019s no way that only Pantera Vol. 4<\/em> can come out, because it just won\u2019t all fit in there. We\u2019ll have to work some magic on that thing and maybe put out a few volumes of that, because they toured… Gosh, after home video Vol. 3<\/em> came out, it was just \u2018Welcome to Pantera home video, Vol. 4\u2019 from all of the kids with the double devil horns. That went on for three to four records, I think, and the live one. So, there\u2019s a lot of footage. A lot of tours that will make it into Vol. 4, but there\u2019s no way that all of it can fit (laughs). Hopefully that just means more for everybody. The way the digital age is, trying to get all of the clearances and stuff for all of this is pretty crazy. Hopefully the old school format people will come out and support. If it does well, then we\u2019ll be able to put another one out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dimevision, Vol. 3<\/em> might be shortly imminent, but a time period of 11 years separates the releases of volumes one and two. \u201cWe all had plans to make it a yearly thing, but gosh, I think a lot of it was grieving and just time getting away,\u201d Rita ponders. \u201cI know for me, it was just like \u2018Boom, boom, boom.\u2019 The next thing you know, three years had gone by. We started working on it, because I\u2019ve got stuff that dates back all the way to 2007 and 2008 that we edited. Like I said though, time just got away. I know with Vinnie, he had started a band, and was trying to move on with the musical side of things. He\u2019s gotten busy, and then Bobby was touring a lot between Manson and Slipknot. When my schedule permitted, his didn\u2019t. He was on the road, and then we would be out on the road in the summertime with Dimebag Hardware and so on. And just yeah, the next thing you know, time just got away. <\/p>\n

\u201cFinally, things have slowed down. Everybody\u2019s just gotten into that groove and agreed \u2018Hey, let\u2019s get this thing done,\u2019 and it\u2019s time. I think a lot of us have had time to, like I said, grieve. That\u2019s a process that I don\u2019t think ever stops. I know that it doesn\u2019t for me, but you learn to work it into your daily routine I guess you would say.\u201d<\/p>\n

A difference in tone separates the respective pair of volumes. \u201cWith the first one, like I said, with what had just happened and what we were going through, it was more of a memorial piece,\u201d Rita reasons. \u201cI don\u2019t think that was really our intention when it was coming together, but that\u2019s just how it came together. I know that there are solos and things in there that were longer and things were more drawn out and at a slower pace, but at that time, I know it was the way we were feeling and the fans were feeling about that whole thing. What we did this time was to get back to that groove of moving it along and keeping it at a fast pace, like the Pantera home videos do. It\u2019s got a lot of that kind of feel, to where we don\u2019t want you to get bored. We want you to watch it a bunch of times to catch everything \u2013 stuff gets lost in there. And yeah, it tries to keep you uplifted. Really, where we were going was to get back to the basics of what a great Pantera home video should be. Even though it\u2019s not Pantera, it\u2019s Dimevision<\/em>, he was still the creator of those videos. We have to follow that recipe, I guess you would say.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u2018Diamond\u2019 Darrell Abbott in 1986<\/em><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
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As well as being the creator of the video footage featured on Dimevision, Vol. 2<\/em>, the late axeman was the creator of the five demo tracks which accompany its release. \u201cI would say it was tough to pick through all of the tracks and decide which ones we wanted to get out there, because there\u2019s a lot,\u201d Rita divulges. \u201cThe five we narrowed it down to just for this first release though, I think people will dig. There\u2019s a track on there, like I said earlier, called \u2018True\u2019. He did that track back in 1986. We included some descriptions and things. I think the regular DVD package comes with a 16-page booklet; it\u2019s got a cool photo collage that doesn\u2019t come in the deluxe package, which is a photobook and stuff. <\/p>\n

\u201cFifty pages with unreleased photos and things like that are in there, but it gives you little descriptions and things that come from me, and from Sterling (Winfield) who was also on the road with them, who also engineered in the studio with them, and did several records. Sterling\u2019s family was part of the crew. We took everybody\u2019s memories and thoughts when it was all going down and being recorded, and this and that. Hopefully when people read it, they understand when they hear the music. Maybe it will settle them into that right vibe of what they\u2019re about to get and that feeling of where he was at that time, so they can have fun with it. <\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s pretty much what the music is, is for you to have fun with it, and to see a side of him that\u2019s not that heavy. He does all of the singing, had a good old time with it, and wrote the lyrics. A lot of it is about things that he was going through at the time, and what was happening. The \u2018True\u2019 song has some terrible keyboards on it \u2013 it\u2019s from 1986. It was influenced by George Michael. <\/p>\n

\u201cI used to work at this dance club and bartend, and he would come up. I remember coming home from work one night about 3am, and getting in. He had been working on it out in the garage, and just started talking about what the words meant and stuff. Yeah, it\u2019s just such a wide range. There\u2019s a lot of different things in there. I think people can… I don\u2019t want to say learn life lessons or learn anything from, but there\u2019s some pretty good lyrical content in some of these that makes good sense. Some of it I live by, and hopefully everybody else can get something out of it like I know I have.\u201d<\/p>\n

The vault, as it were, contains a multitude of material that was left behind. \u201cDarrell\u2019s first four-track I got for him for Christmas,\u201d Rita tells. \u201cI got him a Tascam; that was back in \u201984, \u201985, and he had made music since then. He even had a 16-track. As time progressed, he even had his own little road mini-studio that Bobby would haul up to his room for him and set up, so he had been making four tracks for a long time. You\u2019re talking… Shit… There\u2019d be almost 25 years of stuff there, so there is a ton of it. Like I said, some of it is just parodies of him writing different lyrics to other people\u2019s songs, and it\u2019s usually something about that person. It\u2019s pretty funny, so hopefully we get to share some of that stuff too as far as working on getting clearances for it and so forth. Yeah though, it\u2019s really hard to tell you a number. Honestly, I just know what it looks like, and there\u2019s a lot of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Should the inclination exist, one has to wonder if a fresh Pantera full-length could be fashioned out of pre-existing guitar parts Dimebag left behind. \u201cI think we\u2019re reaching there,\u201d Rita feels. \u201cAnything\u2019s possible, but sticking all of that stuff together and ProTooling the hell out of it, it would just lose its authenticity. Its vibe. There was a piece that Darrell did on the piano that I actually sent to Philip (Anselmo, ex-Pantera vocalist), because I think he could write some really cool lyrics over it. There was another instrumental thing that I thought was pretty cool, and there\u2019s still a few tracks that they had laid down that were going to be the next Damageplan record. That\u2019s if it was going to be Damageplan, past all of the nonsense. Those tracks are still there. <\/p>\n

\u201cMe personally, I would love to see Philip and Rex (Brown, bass) play on those and have those come out as Pantera, just because I think they\u2019d be so powerful. They\u2019ll pop on, because I\u2019ll forget that they\u2019re in my library, in my iTunes. They\u2019ll come on on shuffle out of nowhere, and I\u2019m like \u2018Oh shit, what is this?\u2019 Then I remember, and go \u2018Oh, damn. So powerful.\u2019 There\u2019s some music there, but who knows? It would be really cool, though. Like I said, I know Darrell will always be and always was Pantera in his heart. I would just love for that to be some of his final music, for that to be Pantera.\u201d<\/p>\n

Should a fresh Pantera full-length fashioned out of pre-existing guitar parts Dimebag left behind be a realistic possibility, one would assume the man\u2019s brother Vinnie Paul would be against such a project. \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Rita muses. \u201cVinnie\u2019s come a long way compared to when everything happened back in 2004. I don\u2019t want to say you fall out a little bit I guess, but you have time to think about things. I\u2019m not really sure, because I don\u2019t live in his head. I know for me though, when you carry around something so hard and hurtful, it just tears you up inside. At a point, you do have to let go of things so you can breathe. Now, that doesn\u2019t mean that you\u2019ve gotta talk to anybody ever again, but I think as time goes by, things change. I would like to hope that that\u2019s a possibility. Never say never (laughs).\u201d<\/p>\n

Had the fatal shooting not occurred on December 8th, 2004 at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, the four members of Pantera might have resolved their differences perhaps, and ventured on to create further records and tour yet again. \u201cI think absolutely, the reason being Darrell was the most forgiving person that I knew,\u201d Rita argues. \u201cI know that myself included had all been in the hot seat with him one time or another over something. His father, me, Vinnie \u2013 like I said, anyone close to him. He was not one to just walk away or forget about something, even if he got angry. It ate at him until he got it figured out, confronted it, solved it. He was just that kind of guy, especially if you mattered to him. No matter how sideways shit got, which was lack of communication and people in the middle just not… <\/p>\n

\u201cGosh, it\u2019s easy to… What\u2019s the saying?… Divide and conquer. And there were people that were dividing and conquering, and it should never have gotten like that. Like I said, it was lack of communication personally with them, and drugs. I can\u2019t leave that part out, because drugs made them into different people. Yeah though, all of those factors, I think most definitely. I\u2019ve seen Darrell forgive for some pretty horrendous things, and I know that he loved Philip and definitely loved… <\/p>\n

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Pantera 1997 (l-r): Phil Anselmo (standing), Dimebag Darrell, Rex Brown
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\u201cLike I said, he had spoken to Rex on his birthday. Rex was pretty tanked, and wanted to go out for steak dinner. We already had plans. Darrell was like \u2018No, dude. I\u2019m not going out with you today, tonight or tomorrow for steak dinner, but we have history. You used to live on my couch. My mom was your mom so we will talk, but just not today,\u2019 and he meant that. I know he did. He wasn\u2019t happy with his situation; with Patrick\u2019s attitude (Patrick Lachman, Damageplan vocalist), and things that were going on with Damageplan. I have several voice messages from him saying \u2018Dude, you\u2019re not gonna believe what this dude is doing now. I just wanna fire him, but I don\u2019t want people to think we\u2019re difficult to work with.\u2019 He was that bad to him already, and yeah, I think definitely they would\u2019ve worked things out. They would\u2019ve figured a way out, and they\u2019d be jamming.\u201d<\/p>\n

The four members of the 1986-2003 incarnation of Pantera can never reunite of course, though Ozzy Osbourne and Black Label Society guitarist Zakk Wylde has been suggested multiple times to occupy the vacant position in the event of a potential Pantera reformation. Rita is aware of such suggestions. \u201cI find it pretty comical (laughs), the only reason being is you could never call Pantera Pantera without any four of those members,\u201d she stresses. \u201cThe magic just wouldn\u2019t be there. They were brothers; they knew each other for a long time, and it just wouldn\u2019t be right. <\/p>\n

\u201cI would love to see those guys jam onstage together and play some of the old tunes, and jam with the likes of Zakk, but you couldn\u2019t just put that burden on one person. You\u2019d have to bring in quite a few of his friends, like have Kerry King (Slayer) play a few songs, have Zakk Wylde play a few songs. You\u2019d have to bring in some buddies, and make it healthier with a jam. You would be paying tribute and homage to a fallen brother, but those guys would never call that Pantera. They wouldn\u2019t. I just know how they feel and thought about each other when it comes to that, which was a mutual respect.\u201d<\/p>\n

A farewell concert in the vein of what Rita outlined would be apt. \u201cBut you still wouldn\u2019t call it Pantera,\u201d she underlines. \u201cYou\u2019d have Pantera in there, but you\u2019d have to have a better way of wording because it just wouldn\u2019t be right. I just don\u2019t think any of them would feel right inside. If it was Pantera paying homage to a fallen brother, then maybe something like that. It wouldn\u2019t be some touring band or whatever, though. Like I said, I\u2019d love to see them jam together. Yeah, though. I just don\u2019t know how hard that would be \u2013 to stand onstage without him \u2013 especially for Vinnie.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rita has individual relationships with each of Pantera\u2019s former members, Vinnie Paul included. \u201cPhil and I email,\u201d she cites. \u201cRex and I get on the phone and talk; when you get on with Rex, it\u2019s hard to get off (laughs). He\u2019s as long-winded as me (laughs). Vinnie and I email. There for a while, he and I were estranged, and not really talking to each other or keeping up communication. People get in there, and divide and conquer. We\u2019ve managed to overcome that, though. He\u2019s trying to live his life and have his person, and I totally respect that. I understand that. I\u2019m sure that when he looks at me, he thinks of his brother, and he doesn\u2019t have him. I totally get it. Actually, I would say that this year has been a good year with all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although Rita and Vinnie no longer remain estranged, him and vocalist Phil Anselmo still remain estranged. Rita hopes the former bandmates resolve their differences. \u201cGosh, I hope so,\u201d she discloses. \u201cI know what it is to carry something that hurtful inside of you, and just let it tear you down and not let you live. Hopefully somewhere, sometime, there can be some forgiveness some place. I know that there are still some things that I resent, some things that happened that were hurtful to Darrell that I couldn\u2019t prevent. It\u2019s like when you love somebody; you want to protect them, and you want to go to battle for them. When you see someone that hurt though, and it\u2019s just out of your hands, you feel helpless. I know that there are things that made him feel that way, things that I will never see eye to eye with Philip or Rex on. I don\u2019t know, though. You know those things about each other, and you figure out where you can continue to be family at.\u201d<\/p>\n

A book documenting the life and times of Dimebag and Pantera through Rita\u2019s perspective seems like a viable proposition. \u201cI\u2019ve had a lot of people ask me that,\u201d she chuckles. \u201cI don\u2019t know. I think it could be kind of fun. I know that there are a lot of things that I have; from postcards to letters to notes, to just little things that Darrell would mail me when he was on the road in Europe, and little packages. It\u2019s stuff that I think would be fun to share with people, because they were always comical \u2013 little drawings, stick figures, and stuff. I think it would be fun for people to see that side of him, of how he was personally and in his heart too, that you might not see through the videos. I don\u2019t know, though. You never know. Maybe I\u2019ll find myself with nothing to do one day, and get on it (laughs).\u201d<\/p>\n

Bassist Rex Brown penned a book, the tome being titled Official Truth, 101 Proof<\/em>. The book arrived in April 2013 via Da Capo Press. \u201cGood lord…,\u201d Rita says. \u201cIt\u2019s not good to write a book when you don\u2019t remember things, and you have other people telling you in your ear \u2018This is how it went down\u2019 when it didn\u2019t. I got to chapter three, and I felt like I needed to get a highlighter out for things I knew were incorrect (laughs). I know where Rex is today, and where his head is. I know he regrets a lot of the things that are in that book. It\u2019s kind of a… I don\u2019t know. How can you write a book when there\u2019s shit you don\u2019t remember?\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u2018Dimebag\u2019 Darrell onstage with Damageplan in 2004<\/em><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
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Official Truth, 101 Proof<\/em> arguably seemed to paint Vinnie Paul in an unfavourable light, in particular. \u201cIt seemed potshot, like \u2018Let\u2019s try to take some potshots and stab at you,\u2019\u201d Rita critiques. \u201cAnd yeah, it was pretty hateful. It\u2019s the pot calling the kettle black. How can you throw stuff out there when you\u2019re just as guilty or guilty of worse things? Some of the stuff is not yours to tell, or yours to judge. And yeah, it was pretty shitty, I would say. I know he has regrets about that. If he doesn\u2019t, he needs to.\u201d<\/p>\n

Positive, negative, or otherwise, Official Truth, 101 Proof<\/em> remains the only book to be penned by an individual belonging to Pantera\u2019s inner circle. \u201cYeah…,\u201d Rita agrees. \u201cAnd, yeah. People think things that I know are fantasy about the guys, so I get you asking about a book. A book is a touchy thing. I would have no problem writing about mine and Darrell\u2019s relationship, and we weren\u2019t perfect. We had some pretty rough times a few times, but I also know in the end, the last few years of his life we were the happiest we ever were. <\/p>\n

\u201cI would not trade going through those mistakes because of where we wound up, and it took the horrible mistakes to get where we were. To tell someone else\u2019s business is just not yours to tell though, unless it directly affects you, and they didn\u2019t tell the truth or something. Yeah, then I can understand defending yourself. A book about this is a touchy thing to write, especially with all of the history all of us have together, without hurting somebody.\u201d<\/p>\n

For now, Pantera fanatics can placate themselves with the likes of Dimevision, Vol. 2<\/em>, and the impending Dimevision, Vol. 3<\/em> and Pantera Vol. 4<\/em>. \u201cWe were told that there\u2019s no demand for DVDs any more, that even your biggest, hugest sellers can barely sell 5,000 copies,\u201d Rita explains. \u201cNobody wanted to do this \u2013 even our own label passed (laughs). Luckily, a really good friend of ours \u2013 Brian Slagel (Metal Blade Records owner and CEO) \u2013 knows the potential and I would say the cult following that the Pantera home videos and Darrell has as far as in our home community of metal music. He knows absolutely what we\u2019ve got to do, and he was there for us. <\/p>\n

\u201cPretty much, this one is kind of laying the groundwork. If we prove the industry wrong, there\u2019ll be more of them. If we don\u2019t, and the kids don\u2019t just go out and support the old school packaging, then yeah: most likely it\u2019ll probably be something that goes away (laughs), which I hope doesn\u2019t. Hopefully everyone gets out there, and shows how much they want it, and we can bring more. I would love to have more. Like I said, we\u2019ve already started on Pantera 4<\/em>, so it could easily be put out next year if we have the support of the fans and they want it. That\u2019s what it boils down to, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dimevision, Vol. 2: Roll With It Or Get Rolled Over<\/em> will be released on November 24th, 2017 via Metal Blade Records.<\/p>\n

Interview published in November 2017.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

RITA HANEY – Rolling With It Anthony Morgan November 2017 \u2018Dimebag\u2019 Darrell Abbott onstage with Damageplan in 2004 May 2006 DVD Dimevision, Vol. 1: That\u2019s The Way I Have Fun paid homage to the memory of late Pantera and Damageplan guitarist \u2018Dimebag\u2019 Darrell Abbott, the DVD culled from footage Dimebag had shot with a camcorder […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,49,3765],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-63486","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-features","category-pantera","category-rita-haney"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63486","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=63486"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63486\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":71665,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63486\/revisions\/71665"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=63486"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=63486"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=63486"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}