The Story Behind Rebel Meets Rebel
The Legendary Collaboration
"When I met Dime, he told me he had a little ole band from Texas – and he gave me some videos to watch, and said to call him after I did. It was like looking at the Beatles and Elvis, it was so hardcore and original... I couldn’t believe it. I called, and we got together, and figured we’d make some music." — David Allen Coe
Sometimes the most unlikely meetings present the most intense possibilities. And sometimes nothing is more engaging than extreme opposites, with only their excellence and commitment to what they do as individuals, creating a whole new realm of reason.
Pummeling. Undulating. Propulsive. There is something about forces of nature merging that is as relentless as it is powerful. And so it was that Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul, along with Pantera bassist Rex Brown, calling themselves the "Cowboys From Hell" joined forces with hardcore country iconoclast David Allen Coe for what would come to be known as Rebel Meets Rebel.
Captured at odd and off periods in each entity's recording and touring schedule, this wild child hybrid is a labor of love, passion and shared good times. With thrashing down strokes, intricate solos and Coe's far-flung vocal attack, this is a seamless musical synthesis that exists beyond the realm of any genre, format or label.
The Making of the Album
Behind the Scenes
"We've got a lot of rock and Southern rock in it," Paul says. "ZZ Top to Lynyrd Skynyrd, Black Sabbath, Zeppelin to Hank Jr. and David's stuff, of course. It was just a wide, open playing field. It's still hard – and it still makes you wanna get a beer and have a good time."
"Dime always had a couple ways he'd solo. There's the balls out, go for it, just shredders... there's the theme leads, which were almost songs within the song... and then there's the pure melodic leads." — Vinnie Paul
Hard to believe something that could hit with the force of Rebel Meets Rebel came about in such an off-handed way. Certainly Pantera fans were more than familiar with Coe's hard-drinking anthem "Jack Daniels If You Please" from the no-nonsense band's warm-up music — but it wasn't until Dimebag decided to take in a Coe show at Fort Worth's legendary honky tonk, Billy Bob's, that the seeds were sown.
"Music is made for people to hear. Music moves people, makes 'em happy, makes 'em do things, motivates them. So many people take music waaaaay too seriously these days. That's what I like about this record. It's a fun record! This stuff makes you wanna grab a beer, start drinkin' and have a good time." — Vinnie Paul
A Legacy Beyond Genre
The Impact
"I think Vinnie was surprised at me as a writer, that I could just sit there and focus like that. But when you're working with music this intense, you wanna go as far as you can, but you also want to maintain your standard," says Coe.
For Coe, whose full-tilt kind of country was always a challenge to the Nashville establishment, Rebel Meets Rebel allowed him to be against the grain as he wanted. For Dime, Paul and Brown, it gave them the freedom to explore rather than expand the music they'd already defined.
"When music's real, people will find it. It's just music – unfiltered, raw music. It doesn't come out of heavy metal. It doesn't come out of country. To me, it's good or bad... and this is obvious; it's intense; it's hardcore and it's good." — David Allen Coe
