“With the last couple of Pantera records, we kept getting more and more narrow-minded because of Phil. He didn't want to experiment or take any chances, and it was like being in a tube that was getting to be so small you couldn't even breathe. Personally, I think the dude was afraid of success.”

American musician

Vinnie Paul was an American musician, 1964 to 2018, best known as the drummer of the heavy metal band Pantera. He co-founded the band with his younger brother, Dimebag Darrell Abbott, and later helped form Damageplan and joined Hellyeah. Pantera became one of the most influential metal bands in history, and Abbott's playing helped define its sound. He is also widely ranked among the greatest metal drummers, with a career that moved from Pantera to Damageplan in 2003 and then to Hellyeah from 2006 until his death.