Rebel Meets Rebel

(Big Vin)
by Martin Popoff

A few years back when I heard this thing was getting off the ground, I thought it’d be way more country and not nearly as Southern fried metal as it fortunately turned out to be. First spin of this was loud o’er headphones while working out and that, coupled with the Dime mood I’ve been in (still can’t believe it), along with the jackhammer sound of the production… man, I had a blast with it. Never knew much about David Allan Coe, but I’ve heard the booze ‘n’ dope legends, and to be sure, he’s evolved into a very weird-looking old cat. Sure, his vocals jar, especially given that the first track is his weakest performance. But eventually, you get into the heavy Skynyrd/Blackfoot/Aerosmithness of it all. And that’s the joy here, getting to check out Dime in rock ‘n’ rollsy redneck mode, hearing him boogie and hearing him funky. Actually, one is reminded that Pantera had some Slash-styled funk here and there as well, and damn it if that wasn’t always a high point of a Pantera album. For example, something like “Get Outta My Life” and parts of “No Compromise” coulda fit on Vulgar Display. Then again, “Cherokee Cry” and “Time” and “Nothin’ To Lose” are like hard Skid Row hair metal. It’s all in good fun, toothless, drunk country lyrics everywhere, while 3/4th of Pantera go all Jackyl on us.
(www.bigvinrecords.com)