Tensions within Pantera reduced its output after the release of The Great Southern Trendkill in 1996, and Reinventing the Steel (2000) was the band's final studio album before its acrimonious separation in 2003.

Vinnie was asked to join a band alongside his high school classmates Terry Glaze (guitar), Tommy Bradford (bass) and Donny Hart (vocals).

Glaze later recalled that they were unsure about this request, as Darrell "wasn't very good" and, two years their junior, "was a little skinny, scrawny dude",[19] but they ultimately agreed.

[26] Inspired by Kiss, Van Halen and Judas Priest, Pantera originally had a glam metal style and was image-conscious: the members wore spandex, makeup and hairspray when on stage.

Both albums followed on in the glam metal style, and were comparable to Shout at the Devil-era Mötley Crüe, although I Am the Night had a slightly heavier sound than previous releases.

[40][44] Southern rock elements were incorporated into the sound;[40] Pantera's "groove" is commonly attributed to the Abbott brothers' fondness for ZZ Top.

[45][48] The band had sought to create a heavier album than Cowboys from Hell, as Anselmo fully embraced a hardcore-inspired shouted vocal delivery.

He sported a dyed goatee, a razorblade pendant (in homage to Judas Priest's British Steel), cargo shorts and sleeveless shirts.

[53] It was in reference to Abbott's refusal to accept more than a dime bag (slang for $10 worth)[54] of cannabis[55] at one time—even if offered for free—as he did not want to be caught with the drug on-hand.

[57] After Vulgar Display of Power was released, Jerry closed Pantego Sound and opened a new studio, Abtrax, in Nashville, Tennessee, as he hoped to fulfill his dream of becoming a country songwriter.

This led to the members spending most of their downtime in each other's hotel rooms consuming drugs, rather than following their normal routines as they did when recording at Pantego Sound.

Anselmo recalled in a 2014 interview that he would drink "an entire bottle of Wild Turkey every night before a show to numb the pain", and he often interrupted the performances by ranting on stage.

The other Pantera members were originally unperturbed by Anselmo's side projects; Abbott explained at the time: "Phil's a musical guy and he likes to stay busy.

[93] In 1992, Abbott and the other Pantera members collaborated with Rob Halford on a track titled "Light Comes Out of Black", which was released on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer soundtrack.

[96] Abbott provided guest guitar solos for Anthrax on several occasions: "King Size" and "Riding Shotgun" from Stomp 442 (1995), "Inside Out" and "Born Again Idiot" from Volume 8: The Threat Is Real (1998), and "Strap It On" and "Cadillac Rock Box" from We've Come for You All (2003).

Gasoline predominantly played covers of artists such as Ted Nugent and Pat Travers, but also composed original songs such as "Get Drunk Now" and "This Ain't a Beer Belly, It's a Gas Tank for My Love Machine".

[100] In 2006, "Country Western Transvestite Whore", a song that Abbott recorded with local Dallas musician Throbbin' Donnie Rodd, was released.

Nathan Gale, a deranged fan,[103] rushed onto the stage as the band played the first song of its setlist and shot Abbott multiple times with a Beretta 92FS, a 9mm semi-automatic pistol.

A fan, Nathan Bray, was also killed as he attempted to aid Abbott and Thompson, as was Erin Halk, an employee of the venue who tried to disarm Gale while he was reloading.

Three others were wounded before Columbus police officer James Niggemeyer entered the club and shot Gale once in the head with a 12-gauge Remington Model 870, killing him.

Thousands of fans attended his public memorial, and the guest list included artists such as Eddie Van Halen, Zakk Wylde, Corey Taylor, Jerry Cantrell and Dino Cazares.

[108][109] In late 2020, a protective fence was installed around the Abbott burial ground in an effort to stop vandalism, as Darrell's grave had previously been scratched and defaced by people over the years.

"[115] Abbott was also influenced by contemporary metal guitarists such as Kerry King of Slayer, James Hetfield of Metallica, and Zakk Wylde of Ozzy Osbourne and Black Label Society.

"[113] Unlike many other heavy metal guitarists, Abbott made extensive use of the major third in his riffs and leads, which added dissonance to minor key tonalities.

His love of legato gave his playing a fluid quality, and his powerful left-hand technique enabled the implementation of the symmetrical patterns in his lead licks.

[117] Regardless of the note or chord, Abbott played with a "Texas style", meaning a variety of techniques such as sliding, bending, palm muting, and use of the whammy bar and effects pedal to produce an idiosyncratic sound.

Nearing driving age and seeking to purchase a Pontiac Firebird, Abbott attempted to sell the maroon ML to his friend Buddy Blaze, a luthier and musician.

[155][156] Performers at Dimebash events have included artists such as Dave Grohl,[157] Kerry King, Robb Flynn,[155] Tom Morello, and Serj Tankian.

[160] Jamie Humphries of Premier Guitar remarked in 2014: "If there were ever a band and guitarist to credit for reinventing post-Metallica metal, it would have to be Pantera and the late Dimebag Darrell.

Doc Coyle of God Forbid stated: "[Abbott's] sparse, low-end, bluesy chug was the blueprint for post-thrash, nu-metal, and metalcore in the subsequent years.