Some of you may have heard by now about the shooting in Columbus, Ohio last night. The shooting, at a Damageplan (x-Pantera) show, left 4 dead and more injured. Among the dead was the influential and highly underrated guitarist, Dimebag Darrell. This is a sad occurrence and my heart goes out to all that were affected by this complete disregard for human life.

Those of you who know me well know that I love metal music, although I’ve evolved into writing and listening to a different genre. Early on in my musical journey I cut my teeth on the likes of Metallica, Megadeath and Pantera. When I was in the seventh grade, my first band ever covered the Pantera song “This Love” off of their 2nd album A Vulgar Display of Power. I remember that song being the highlight of the set at our first show, inciting a degree of moshing only exceeded by Pantera playing the song themselves. I was fortunate to have been able to see Pantera play twice. Each time the energy, emotion and technical skill were outstanding. Their ability to energize an audience goes unmatched.

Dimebag Darrell’s guitar style was aggressive, methodical and unrelenting, teaching me the importance of using intensity as a tool to convey emotion through music. This is a lesson that I’ve always remembered and taken with me into any project I’ve been involved with, regardless of genre. While I’ve been out of the metal loop for quite some time, I feel sad about the events of last night. My only hope is that this incident will not tarnish metal’s image of being a relatively non-violent method of expression. Rest in Peace, Dimebag. We miss you already.