For many guitarists, their instrument serves as an extension of themselves. Much like the knights of the Middle Ages, watching a musician on stage shredding impressive licks and captivating audiences resembles witnessing a warrior engage in fierce battle with their instrument as their sword. While every artist eventually must lay down their weapons, Eddie Van Halen ensured that one of his guitars would accompany Dimebag Darrell in death.
By the time Van Halen was crafting music with Sammy Hagar, Darrell had already immersed himself in Eddie’s work. Long before he co-founded the legendary band Pantera, Darrell frequently triumphed in guitar competitions throughout Texas, often showcasing his skills with Eddie’s iconic solo piece “Eruption.”
After discovering heavier metal influences like Slayer and Metallica, Pantera evolved into a formidable force. With Phil Anselmo as their frontman, albums like Vulgar Display of Power and Cowboys From Hell blended Texas swing music with heavy metal, featuring some of the most infectious grooves that ignited headbanging across the globe.
Despite the controversies that have emerged around former Pantera members over the years, Darrell remained the beloved figure everyone wanted to hang out with. Known for his golden heart, he was always down to jam with fellow musicians between shows or enjoy a drink at the bar.
Tragically, Darrell’s life was cut short during a Damageplan gig with his brother Vinnie Paul in Ohio. Just as the band began their first song, a deranged fan took his life on stage, leaving a profound void in the hearts of metal fans worldwide.
If Darrell was truly gone, he would receive a heavy metal tribute akin to a Viking funeral, and Eddie knew just how to honor him. Former Pantera vocalist Terry Glaze recalled, “There’s Eddie Van Halen speaking at the funeral service. He places his guitar in the casket with Darrell. It’s the guitar from Van Halen II. I mean, it’s the guitar. If someone had told Darrell, ‘When you die, Van Halen will put that guitar in your casket,’ he would have said, ‘Kill me now.’”
Moreover, the comparisons between Eddie’s and Darrell’s playing styles were not without merit. Although Darrell had his own unique flair, his use of feedback and the whammy bar on tracks like “Cemetery Gates” bore a resemblance to the otherworldly sounds Eddie coaxed from his instrument.
In essence, Eddie’s gesture of placing the guitar in the ground with Darrell was a tribute to the Pantera guitarist’s significant contributions to metal. Eddie remained the master, while Darrell, the wise pupil, took everything he learned from Eddie and pushed it even further.
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