Official Truth, 101 Proof: The Inside Story of Pantera

by Rex Brown

Overview

Few heavy metal acts survived the turmoil of the early 1990s music scene. Pantera was different. Instead of humoring the market, the band instead demanded that the audience come to them by releasing a series of fiercely uncompromising, platinum albums, including Vulgar Display of Power and Far Beyond Driven — two #1 albums that, like Metallica's And Justice for All, sold millions of copies despite minimal airplay.

Rex Brown's memoir is the definitive account of life inside one of rock's biggest bands, which succeeded against all odds but ultimately ended in tragedy when iconic lead guitarist Darrell "Dimebag" Abbott was murdered mid-performance by a deranged fan.

This is a lucid account of the previously untold story behind one of the most influential bands in heavy metal history, written by the man best qualified to tell the truth about those incredible and often difficult years of fame and excess.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780306822889
Publisher:	Hachette Books
Publication date:	03/25/2014
Edition description:	First Trade Paper Edition
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	171,853
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Rex Brown was born in 1964 in Graham, Texas. He joined Pantera in 1982 and has also played with Down. His band, Kill Devil Hill, is climbing the charts.
Facebook.com/RexBrown

Mark Eglinton is the author of James Hetfield: The Wolf At Metallica's Door. He divides his time between Scotland and the Pacific Northwest.
mark-eglinton.com

Table of Contents

Prologue xi

1 Heads up 1

2 Paddy Bill 9

3 On Down the Line 19

4 Rex, Drugs, and Rock ?N' Roll 29

5 12 O'clock High 39

6 The Kid from the Big Easy 55

7 We're Taking Over this Town 63

8 Early Tours and Anecdotes 75

9 Dangerously Vulgar 85

10 Controlled Chaos 101

11 You Fat Bastard! 109

12 Going Deep, Head First 131

13 Trendkill out on the Tiles 139

14 The 'Tude 159

15 Sabbath and Down with the Gambler 167

16 Swan Song 177

17 The Downfall!! 187

18 Lost Love and Thirty Days in the Hole 203

19 The Worst Day of my Life 215

20 the Aftermath 223

21 The Hollywood Experiment 229

22 Seven 'Til Seven No one Knows What will Happen 241

A Word from the Author 247

A Note from the Co-Author 249

Acknowledgments 251

Rex Brown Complete Discography 257

Editorial Reviews

"A warts and all look at Brown's journey from small town Texas music geek to platinum-selling, arena-filling rock star. Besides the insightful, and always colorful, Pantera stories included throughout Official Truth, Brown also comes clean about his own personal battles with drugs and alcohol. Not to mention his marital issues."—AOL Music's Noisecreep.com

"Rex is completely honest and forthcoming in this book, and it's a major insight to one of the most influential bands of all time...A must read!"—SkullsNBones.com

"Rex's story is both honest and brutally real...Rock stars are often put on a pedestal and made to seem larger than life. Rex Brown gives us the other side of the story. His heartfelt account tells us the good, the bad, and the ugly, making Official Truth, 101 Proof much more than just a book about a rock band. It is a tale of friendships made and friendships lost and the triumphs and tragedies along the way. Dust off your bookshelf and clear some space. You're going to want to add this one to your collection."—BackstageAxxess.com

"Will appeal not just to fans of Pantera and heavy metal, but anyone interested in a look at that time in music."—NYMusicExaminer.com

"Offers a perspective from the eyes of the silent member of Pantera. Often humorous, tragic, brutally honest, and always entertaining...A must read for any fan of rock, metal, and Pantera...Official Truth is similar to the music of Pantera, no compromise with no room for bullshit."—SonicExcess.com

"[A] very honest piece of literature...Not only is it a great read, but it will open your eyes about how the music industry works."—Horns Up Rocks

"Offers the shocking insight into one of the most influential and extremely popular metal bands to ever reach the annals of heavy metal history!...Fans of Pantera and Rex Brown will love this book!"—The Aquarian

"The journey of the rise and fall of one of the biggest bands in heavy metal history...An honest account of what transpired during [Brown's] years in Pantera."—TheGauntlet.com

"A gritty in-your-face tale from the man who lived it...Here is your chance to get whole truth and nothing but...Candid, brutally honest, and at times shocking, Rex Brown touches on everything and pulls no punches while doing so...From start to finish, a great read."—MediaMikes.com

"Wildly entertaining."—MTVHive.com

undefined—Boston Phoenix

"Rex takes readers into the familiar world of the Rock Star, where rivers of whiskey flow like cash pouring into the band members' bank accounts...Rex's memoir delivers to fans what the bassist intended: a behind the scenes look at the events that led to the downfall of one of America's greatest rock bands. It's full of conflict, raw emotion and backstage antics."—Dallas Observer

"An unflinchingly honest look at the group, from their earliest beginnings to the ending moments and the things which have happened since then...The first official statement on Pantera and the legacy of the group from a band member."—Loudwire.com

"Describing the book as 'starkly honest' almost seems like an understatement as Brown details his ride with anecdotes on events and the characters involved in the band's story."—NoTreble.com

"This is the real deal inside story, from the man himself, who was there and lived it...A no holds barred account of the rise and fall of Pantera...It is all covered here straight up...A must read for any fan of Pantera or Rock and Metal."—FullMetalRock.com

"A tell-all history of the band...The most comprehensive insider account of Pantera's rise and fall."—Houston Press

"In terms of Metal history, this is quite an important book...Recommended for all metal fans and essential for Pantera fans."—Metal Rules

"Hands down the most brutally frank rock memoir you will ever read in your life...This is a cautionary tale (beware of the 'hangers on') that will make you laugh out loud and wipe away a few tears at the same time."—The Metal Den

"Brown pulls no punches in the book...The behind the scenes story of Pantera is fascinating...There have been a lot of books written about Pantera, but Brown provides insight an outside author simply can't...It's a very well-written and compelling book."—About.com Heavy Metal

"Brown recounts his life in parallel to Pantera's story, exploring his addiction to alcohol in courageous detail and pulling no punches when it comes to explaining the band's split and its tragic aftermath. He ascribes the various fallings-out to each of the personalities involved, without leaving anyone (including himself) blameless. Kudos to the guy for digging deep into a set of obviously painful memories to get this book done, and to his co-writer Mark Eglinton for focusing Brown's recollections into an eminently readable memoir."—Record Collector

"Pantera's fans will enjoy this up close and personal look at the band, especially those interested in hearing how the band's classic records came together."—PowerlineMag.com

"If you are looking for dirt or something shocking, it's all there as Rex didn't pull any punches and told it how it was including the bad times as well. If you are a fan of Pantera or if you just like a good biography, I recommend this book because it will not disappoint."—Examiner.com

"Rock star autobiographies are everywhere these days, some of them great, some less so. Official Truth, 101 Proof...falls easily into the former category. Brown...waited years to tell his tale, but the wait has been worth it...Official Truth recounts the formation and rise to prominence of Pantera, as well as the stories of Brown's later bands Down and Kill Devil Hill, with unflinching courage, offering a new perspective on the chaos within those bands."—Bass Guitar

undefined—SLUG (Salt Lake Under Ground) Magazine

"Revealing...Brown deftly explains why Pantera's music works...This book won't interest the casual Pantera fan. But are there any casual Pantera fans?"—Decibel

"Official Truth, 101 Proof sugarcoats nothing."—Metal Forces

"No one was closer to the heart of the band than Brown. He was there from the beginning and relates the ups and downs with an unabashed honesty...A book about one of the most original metal bands ever."—Curled Up with a Good Book

"A no-holds-barred insight into the mind of someone who became known as 'the drunk guy in Pantera,' which is some feat."—Metal Hammer (UK)

From the Publisher

‘No holds barred’ and ‘warts and all’ are typical qualifiers when it comes to rock-and-roll memoirs, but rarely do they fulfill the promise. Which makes it all the more refreshing when something like Official Truth, 101 Proof comes along. Pleasantries are dispensed sparingly in this unflinching, and often biting, but also affectionate portrait.”

Boston Phoenix

Brown gives us the inside story in his new book…It’s a great read.”

BackstageAxxess.com

This is the real deal inside story, from the man himself, who was there and lived it…A no holds barred account of the rise and fall of Pantera…It is all covered here straight up…A must read for any fan of Pantera or Rock and Metal.”

FullMetalRock.com

Will appeal not just to fans of Pantera and heavy metal, but anyone interested in a look at that time in music.”

Examiner.com

Wildly entertaining.”

MTVHive.com