The Bookseller, 3/2/09 andldquo;This long-awaited account of a hard rocking life cut short has real cult sleeper potential.andrdquo;
Booklist, 6/1/09
andldquo;Crain describes the career of an accomplished and influential guitaristandhellip;Crainandrsquo;s iteration of the man and his careerandhellip;is a fitting memorial.andrdquo;
Texas Monthly, June 2009
andldquo;[Crain] captures the essence of the band's virtuoso guitarist, who was revered by musicians and fans alike for his outrageous skills and everyman persona.andrdquo;
Dallas Morning News Texas Pages blog, 5/30/09
andldquo;Chronicle[s] Abbotandrsquo;s life and career with careful detail and just the right amount of appreciation.andrdquo;
Blogcritics.org, 5/25/09
andldquo;A fast and thoroughly entertaining readandmdash;a definite page turnerandhellip;For fans of Dimebag Darrell, Pantera, and heavy metal in general it's a must. But even if you never banged your head in the moshpit to andlsquo;I'm Broken,andrsquo; Dimebag's story, like a good, stiff drink, is one you wont want to put down.andrdquo;
AlgoRhythms
andldquo;[An] excellent biographyandhellip;Crain pulls off a difficult task. While Black Tooth Grin is essential reading for any fan of andlsquo;Dimebagandrsquo; Darrell Abbott or his band, itandrsquo;s not a andlsquo;meatheads onlyandrsquo; book. It will reach anyone whoandrsquo;s ever heard a killer riff and thought, andlsquo;God, I want to play like that.andrdquo;
Revolver Magazine, August 2009
andldquo;This poetic biography uses vivid prose to illustrate late Pantera shredder Dimebag Darrellandrsquo;s lifeandhellip;A heartwarming homage to the guitaristandrsquo;s memory.andrdquo;
Curledup.com
andldquo;Tells about the life [Dimebag] led and what might have been.andrdquo;
RoyChristopher.com, 6/14/09
andldquo;Tells Dimebagandrsquo;s story, from his birth in Arlington, Texas to his death on stage in Columbus, Ohio, from Panteraandrsquo;s glittery late-80s beginnings to their chart-destroying reign as one of Metalandrsquo;s most unrelenting actsandhellip;Sheds new light on that harrowing night in Columbus in 2004andhellip;A damn good story.andrdquo;
Quick, 7/2/09
andldquo;A thoroughly researched biography and a fun read.andrdquo;
Crawdaddy!
andldquo;Crain explores with vivid detail the 1981 birth, rise to fame, and ultimate demise of Pantera, as well as the rebirth of the Abbott brothers and rock's bloodiest onstage tragedyandhellip;Black Tooth Grin is the long-awaited story of Dimebag Darrell, and a tour de force of American music journalism.andrdquo;
Quick, 7/2/09
andldquo;Crain successfully paints a raw but often reverential picture of Dimebag.andrdquo;
Infodad.com, 7/2/09
andldquo;Clearly aimed at the remaining fans of heavy metal in general and of Abbott in particular.andrdquo;
Dallas News, 7/5/09
andldquo;Black Tooth Grin is longtime area writer Zac Crain's attempt at telling Abbott's story, and for the most part he succeedsandhellip;One thing Crain absolutely nailsandhellip;andmdash;and what is really the heart of Abbott's storyandmdash;is his open, unpretentious nature.andrdquo;
Q, July 2009
andldquo;A hugely sympathetic portrait, with Abbottandrsquo;s basic humanity shining through even as his bandandrsquo;s US success brought them into contact with the seedier side of the music industry.andrdquo;
Trademark of Quality, 6/24/09
andldquo;Does a fine job of presenting the genesis of Abbott's lifelong infatuation with the guitarandhellip;Crain describes the many bumps in the road and the obstacles overcome by Pantera in becoming, perhaps, the best-known metal outfit during the alt-rock yearsandhellip;Crain is an engaging writer, and Black Tooth Grin is a quick, entertaining read that captures the essence of Dimebag Darrell Abbot.andrdquo;
Brave Words and Bloody Knuckles
andldquo;Not only chronicles, but also celebrates the remarkable achievements and unique experiences that filled Dimeandrsquo;s lifeandhellip;The one-of-a-kind story is lovingly told and accurately recountedandhellip;Black Tooth Grin provides a true sense of who Dime was and what it was like to be around himandhellip;Unlike the majority of unauthorized biographies that essentially amount to nothing more than a quick cash-grab, this book has been well researchedandhellip;Itandrsquo;s definitely worth reading.andrdquo;
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7/16/09
andldquo;Admirable for its ambitionandhellip;The depth of sourcingandhellip;allows for different insight than the family might provide.andrdquo;
January, 7/22/09
andldquo;Crain seems to hit all the right notes, skillfully blending fact with educated fancy, filling in the blanks and also imagining the what-might have beens and the nearly-weres. Metal fans will, of course, find Black Tooth Grin to be a must-read but even those who had only barely heard of Abbott will find Crainandrsquo;s book compelling. Itandrsquo;s a portrait of the music industry exactly as you always suspected it wasandhellip; and yet entirely different. Fascinating.andrdquo;
Blurt, Fall 2009
andldquo;A vivid portrait of Dimebag, written in a style that suits his rep as a big-hearted hell-raiserandhellip;The upshot is we get to know and like Dimebag all over again, intimately as a close friend.andrdquo;
Salt Lake Under Ground, August 2009
andldquo;It may be a clichandeacute;, but the introduction alone will leave any reader, regardless of musical orientation, breathless. The rest of the biography only improves from thereandhellip;This book is required reading for metal heads and highly recommended for anybody interested in music.andrdquo;
MNS Musicandrsquo;s Headbang blog, 8/10/09
andldquo;A terrific first bookandhellip;A complete biography, detailing not only Abbott's childhood as one of two sons of a Texas recording engineer, and Pantera's early years, but every step of the group's rise to prominence in the early 1990s and ultimate, bitter dissolutionandhellip;A quick, easy readandhellip;A very welcome addition to any metalhead's library. By all means check it out.andrdquo;
GuitarNoize,com, 11/23/09
andldquo;An unauthorized biography of the Arlington, Texas shredderandhellip;This is a fascinating insight into the life and death of Darrell Abbott and one that I highly recommend.andrdquo;
DC Metal Music Examiner.com, 12/8/09
andldquo;The book gives a different angle on Abbott and the band that brought him to fameandhellip;What is most interesting about this book are the moments when the focus is put on those who helped the band early onandhellip;The tone is conversational and filled with humorous anecdotes and metaphors making it enjoyableandhellip;Black Tooth Grin does provide an excellent way to remember a star in the metal world that left an eternal audience to soon.andrdquo;
Premier Guitar, 12/8/09
andldquo;Provides a well-rounded, introspective look into Abbottandrsquo;s world as music fan, guitarist, party ambassador and mamaandrsquo;s boy.andrdquo;
"Black Tooth Grin" is the first biography of Dimebag Darrell Abbott, the revered and influential guitarist for Pantera, who was tragically murdered at the age of 38 by a deranged fan. 16-page b&w photo insert.
The first unauthorized biography of and#147;Dimebagand#8221; Darrell Abbott, the revered guitarist of Pantera, who was murdered onstage at the age of thirty-eight