101 Proof: The Inside Story Of Pantera”

Source: Blabbermouth.net

Metal Mark of SkullsNBones.com recently conducted an interview with former PANTERA and DOWN and current KILL DEVIL HILL bassist Rex Brown about Rex‘s memoir, “Official Truth, 101 Proof: The Inside Story Of Pantera”. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

SkullsNBones.com: For starters, you were always considered the “quiet” member of PANTERA, and you really hold nothing back in the new book. Was it challenging or weird for you to let people in more than you ever have before?

Rex: It was more cathartic for me than anything else. It was a lot harder than I expected, but I think it turned out great. Writing a book ain’t easy, man. [laughs] Trying to get all those words in, all the stories in, and everything else in 320 pages was really difficult. It could have been over 900 pages, but we made sure it wasn’t, ya know. As for it being weird, I would never say it was weird, because I had a story to tell, and it’s finally coming out for everyone next week.

SkullsNBones.com: For me as a PANTERA fan, reading about where you were the moment you heard about [the death of PANTERA guitarist “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott] and the days after, it was tough to get through. How hard was it for you to go back to those memories and sort of relive them for this book?

Rex: Bro, the word cathartic just keeps coming up for me. Having to rewrite this thing so many times, it was good, but at times it was really sad. I really wanted to put my experience out there, because I’ve heard so many others, so now people know my experience with hearing the news as well. It’s still devastating to think about, but I think we all feel that way. It was definitely tough, though, man; I won’t lie.

SkullsNBones.com: As you mention Dime, the parts in the book about all of you growing up together is really an awesome read. From the classrooms to the jam sessions, it’s really cool to learn. Of course, no one could have imagined how huge PANTERA would become, but it seemed right from the beginning that you knew that this was going to be something good.

Rex: Yes and no. We were four completely different individuals, even in the beginning, but we had that drive to be the best we possibly could. We just went through a crazy ride that took us to the top and it was unreal at times. It wasn’t always good and fun, but in the end, you mention PANTERA and the amount of respect that name brings is something I’m sure we are all super proud of still to this day.

SkullsNBones.com: As you know, with every musician’s book, there will be those people who say it’s only your side of things and it may not be completely accurate. How do you respond to those who say that?

Rex: It’s all true, man. I didn’t fabricate anything. I threw in entertaining stories, to keep the reader involved, but it’s all true. Everyone that has read it can clearly feel the honesty, and that was important to me. The bottom line was if I was happy with it, and I am, so people can respond how they choose. I’m very proud of this book. This is just my story, man. I didn’t write it for money or to piss people off; it’s just me telling the story from my eyes, because I lived it. There were only four of us who knew what went on, and this is my story. I can’t stress that enough.

SkullsNBones.com: Throughout all the bad things that may have happened during those years, it does not take away that you four guys lived a dream that only a few people can say they have. Do you have any regrets looking back on those years?

Rex: I totally agree, man. We were very fucking lucky, we were very fucking determined, and I have absolutely no regrets. The only regret is what happened to Dime, but I had no control over that. It’s a shame that some fucking deranged idiot decided to do that to someone so special in this world. It’s a bigger shame that we will never know what might have happened. As I said in the book, if Dime was alive, I believe we would still be jamming together. To put it plain and simple, I have no fucking regrets. You can always look back and say we could have done things differently, but that’s life in general. You live and you learn, ya know.

Read the entire interview from SkullsNBones.com.

Source: Blabbermouth.net

Former PANTERA and current KILL DEVIL HILL bassist Rex Brown will sign copies of his memoir, “Official Truth, 101 Proof: The Inside Story Of Pantera”, on Thursday, March 14 at 6 p.m. at Bookends in Ridgewood, New Jersey.

“Official Truth, 101 Proof: The Inside Story Of Pantera” will be released on March 12 via Da Capo Press. The 320-page book is described as a “starkly honest and revealing” book about Rex‘s time in one of the most influential and enduringly popular bands in heavy metal history, offering Brown‘s shocking personal insight into a band that had swapped the grimy clubs of Texas for arenas around the world but whose story would ultimately be touched by tragedy.

A one-and-a-half-minute video trailer for “Official Truth, 101 Proof: The Inside Story Of Pantera” can be seen below.

In a 2012 interview with SkullsNBones.com, Brown stated about his upcoming memoir: “It’s basically my tale of the PANTERA years from my point of view. I was always the silent guy in the band. I never did interviews, so I was approached with this idea and I was down for it. I didn’t realize how much work would be involved. [laughs] But it’s going to be cool, man. It’s just my inside story of what was going on. It leads up to the breakup, Dime‘s [former PANTERA guitarist ‘Dimebag’ Darrell Abbott] death, and to now. There is only four people in that band that knew what was going on, so this will just be my interpretation oo those years. I’ll say this, it probably won’t be my last book either. It’s a lot of work, though. We went through a thousand photos, stories, memories — everything, dude — so it’s an insightful view that most fans would never know of if it weren’t for the book. I think it’s got a lot of things that people don’t know and should know, and I hope the people enjoy it. It’s a good read, for sure.”

World rights for “Official Truth, 101 Proof: The Inside Story Of Pantera” were acquired by executive editor Ben Schafer at Da Capo Press from Matthew Elblonk at DeFiore & Company with Matthew Hamilton at Aitken Alexander.

“Official Truth, 101 Proof: The Inside Story Of Pantera” co-author Mark Eglinton is an author, journalist and film-producer currently based in Edinburgh, Scotland. His first book entitled “James Hetfield: The Wolf At Metallica’s Door” was published in April 2010 to considerable critical acclaim, fueled by regular radio appearances across the U.S and Europe to promote it. He also writes regularly for Outburn magazine and various music web sites and has co-produced a series of rock interview documentaries entitled “The Greatest Music Ever Created, And How It Ruined Our Lives”, which is co-hosted in conjunction with Metal Hammer magazine. Eglinton‘s role in Brown‘s life has become one of friend and confidant, mostly during time spent on the road with DOWN in Europe.

Da Capo is the publisher of BLACK SABBATH guitarist Tony Iommi‘s book “Iron Man: My Journey Through Heaven And Hell With Black Sabbath” and SLIPKNOT/STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor‘s New York Times best seller “Seven Deadly Sins – Settling The Argument Between Born Bad And Damaged Good”.

Former PANTERA frontman Philip Anselmo in early 2010 announced plans to write his own autobiography, to be co-authored by BloodyDisgusting.com writer Corey Mitchell.