AOL Musicand#8217;s Noisecreep.com,
3/6/13 and#147;A warts and all look at Brownand#8217;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.and#8221;
SkullsNBones.com, 3/6/13
and#147;Rex is completely honest and forthcoming in this book, and itand#8217;s a major insight to one of the most influential bands of all timeand#133;A must read!and#8221;
The Aquarian, 3/13
and#147;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!and#8221;
BackstageAxxess.com, 3/10:
and#147;Rex's story is both honest and brutally realand#133;Rockstars 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.and#8221;
RidgewoodPatch.com 3/11
and#160;and#147;A compelling read.and#8221;
SonicExcess.com, 3/12:
and#147;Offers a perspective from the eyes of the silent member of Pantera. Often humorous, tragic, brutally honest, and always entertainingand#133;A must read for any fan of Rock, Metal, and Panteraand#133;Official Truth is similar to the music of Pantera, no compromise with no room for bullshit.and#8221;
SkullsNBones.com, 3/12
and#147;Rex holds nothing back and really invites you into his Pantera world like never beforeand#133;Now with this new book, we understand a little more about one of the most historic bands to ever walk this planetand#133;A very blunt and honest read that will definitely get people talking in the metal sceneand#133;A must read for all metal fans.and#8221;
Examiner.com, 3/12
and#147;Will appeal not just to fans of Pantera and heavy metal, but anyone interested in a look at that time in music.and#8221;
Horns Up Rocks, 3/12:
and#147;[A] very honest piece of literatureand#133;Not only is it a great read, but it will open your eyes about how the music industry works.and#8221;
TheGauntlet.com, 3/13
and#147;The journey of the rise and fall of one of the biggest bands in heavy metal historyand#133;An honest account of what transpired during [Brownand#8217;s] years in Pantera.and#8221;
Rich Stambolian, 3/15
and#147;Gives you insight to the real world of Pantera and makes no qualms about itand#133;An extremely honest look at the behind the scenes of one of the biggest bands of all time. [Brown] pokes a few holes into the fabric of our perception of band life and what being a rock star is all aboutand#133;If you are a fan of Pantera and road stories then you should definitely pick this book up. It will make you laugh, choke you up, and blow your mind with the reality of what some of your favorite personalities are really like.and#8221;
MTVHive.com, 3/18/13
and#147;Wildly entertaining.and#8221;
Boston Phoenix, 3/20/13
and#147;'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.and#8221;
Dallas Observer, 3/18/13
and#147;Rex takes readers into the familiar world of the Rock Star, where rivers of whiskey flow like cash pouring into the band members' bank accountsand#133;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.and#8221;
Loudwire.com, 3/21/13
and#147;An unflinchingly honest look at the group, from their earliest beginnings to the ending moments and the things which have happened since thenand#133;The first official statement on Pantera and the legacy of the group from a band member.and#8221;
NoTreble.com, 3/21/13
and#147;Describing the book as and#145;starkly honestand#8217; almost seems like an understatement as Brown details his ride with anecdotes on events and the characters involved in the bandand#8217;s story.and#8221;
MediaMikes.com, 3/18/13
and#147;A gritty in your face tale from the man who lived itand#133;Here is your chance to get whole truth and nothing butand#133;Candid, brutally honest, and at times shocking Rex Brown touches on everything and pulls no punches while doing soand#133;From start to finish a great read.and#8221;
North Coast Voice, 3/20/13-4/3/13 issue and The Cleveland Sound, 3/21/13
and#147;A candid, unpretentious autobiography from one of rockand#8217;s modern day survivorsand#151;a southern-fried, fist-pumpingly fun read.and#8221;
Alternative Control blog, 3/22/13
and#147;A great read about one of the best metal bands of all time.and#8221;
Houston Press, 3/29/13
and#147;A tell-all history of the bandand#133;The most comprehensive insider account of Pantera's rise and fall.and#8221;
BackstageAxxess.com, 3/24/13
and#147;Brown gives us the inside story in his new bookand#133;Itand#8217;s a great read.and#8221;
FullMetalRock.com, 3/24/13
and#147;This is the real deal inside story, from the man himself, who was there and lived itand#133;A no holds barred account of the rise and fall of Panteraand#133;It is all covered here straight upand#133;A must read for any fan of Pantera or Rock and Metal.and#8221;
Every Day is a New Day blog, 3/28/13
and#147;The story of one of the craziest party bands of all timeand#133;This book was an eye openerand#133;If youand#8217;ve ever been into Metal music, Iand#8217;d say this is required reading.and#8221;
The Metal Den, 4/8/13
and#147;Hands down the most brutally frank rock memoir you will ever read in your lifeand#133;This is a cautionary tale (beware of the and#145;hangers onand#8217;) that will make you laugh out loud and wipe away a few tears at the same time.and#8221;
About.com Heavy Metal
and#147;Brown pulls no punches in the bookand#133;The behind the scenes story of Pantera is fascinatingand#133;There have been a lot of books written about Pantera, but Brown provides insight an outside author simply canand#8217;tand#133;Itand#8217;s a very well-written and compelling book.and#8221;
Music As Therapy blog, 4/14/13
and#147;Offers a very inside look at the band that we were never afforded the opportunity to voyeur into back in the dayand#133;Straight up, if youand#8217;re a Pantera fan then read the book, youand#8217;ll enjoy itand#133;A satisfying read. As a fan of Pantera I couldnand#8217;t put the flippinand#8217; thing down.and#8221;
Bass Guitar magazine, May 2013
and#147;Rock star autobiographies are everywhere these days, some of them great, some less so. Official Truth, 101 Proofand#133;falls easily into the former category. Brownand#133;waited years to tell his tale, but the wait has been worth itand#133;Official Truth recounts the formation and rise to prominence of Pantera, as well as the stories of Brownand#8217;s later bands Down and Kill Devil Hill, with unflinching courage, offering a new perspective on the chaos within those bands.and#8221;
SLUG (Salt Lake Under Ground) magazine, May 2013
and#147;Rex Brown has long since taken the and#145;voice of reasonand#8217; mantle in the ever-fracturing post-Pantera camp. Though heand#8217;s the groupand#8217;s least public member, heand#8217;s the most fit to write a memoir on the experience. Brown pulls no punches in his yarn, nonchalantly discussing the spandex-clad inception, multiplatinum explosion and untimely demise of the and#145;90sand#8217; most definitive metal band. Most compelling are his unflinching looks into the band membersand#8217; individual demons, which never come off as antagonistic or gossipy, but genuine attempts at and#145;telling it like it isand#8217;and#133;As the murder of one Dimebag Darrell becomes more and more distant, no other publication has come this close to truly exploring the impact and meaning of what this band meant to the heavy metal landscape, and for that, Brownand#8217;s work shouldnand#8217;t go unnoticed, and is highly recommended.and#8221;
PowerlineMag.com, 4/27/13
and#147;Panteraand#8217;s fans will enjoy this up close and personal look at the band, especially those interested in hearing how the bandand#8217;s classic records came together.and#8221;
Examiner.com, 4/30/13
and#147;If you are looking for dirt or something shocking, its all there as Rex didnand#8217;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.and#8221;
Record Collector (UK), Issue 414
and#147;Brown recounts his life in parallel to Panteraand#8217;s story, exploring his addiction to alcohol in courageous detail and pulling no punches when it comes to explaining the bandand#8217;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 Brownand#8217;s recollections into an eminently readable memoir.and#8221;
Decibel, June 2013
and#147;Revealingand#133;Brown deftly explains why Panteraand#8217;s music worksand#133;This book wonand#8217;t interest the casual Pantera fan. But are there any casual Pantera fans?and#8221;
Metal Forces, March 2013
and#147;Official Truth, 101 Proof sugarcoats nothing.and#8221;
John Shelton Ivany Top 21
and#147;Definitiveand#133;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.and#8221;
WomanAroundTown.com, 5/28/13
and#147;A book detailing the highs and lows of super-stardom.and#8221;
Curled Up With A Good Book
and#147;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 honestyand#133;A book about one of the most original metal bands ever.and#8221;
Illinois Entertainer, 7/1/13
and#147;[A] tell-all.and#8221;
Soho Tribune, 6/22/13
and#147;A poignant and heartfelt account of life in a monstrous heavy metal bandand#133;Read the book. Itand#8217;s like finally getting the quiet kid in class to open up.and#8221;
GhostCultMag.com, 7/12/13
and#147;The book has an easy-going style, and doesnand#8217;t seem to be ghost-written like so many other tomes of this sort...If you are a fan of Pantera or and#145;90s metal in general, this book is essential reading.and#8221;
Metal Hammer
and#147;A no-holds-barred insight into the mind of someone who became known as and#145;the drunk guy in Pantera,and#8217; which is some feat.and#8221;
Hard Rockinand#8217; Homemaker, 7/29/2013
and#147;A notable and refreshing change from the vast majority of other memoirs Iand#8217;ve read.and#8221;
MetalKaoz.com, 9/7/13
and#147;I enjoyed every page of Official Truth, 101 Proof and learned a ton of stuff about this band.and#8221;
HeavyMetalICU.com, 9/9/13
and#147;The pages of this book will flip fast and when you get to the end you just wish there was moreand#133;As you read this book, I DARE you not to think youand#8217;re sitting right across from the guy sharing each momentand#133;Rex tells the story from his side of the stage and his seat in the bus with dignity and no machismo or chest beating on how great they wereand#133;This is the first autobiography Iand#8217;ve read truly deserving of 6 out of 5 stars! Yeah it goes one higher than all other ratings.and#8221;
January Magazine, and#147;Best Books of 2013,and#8221; 1/3/14
and#147;Official Truth is a proper rock biography, but itand#8217;s not for the faint of heartand#133;If you ever thought the world of a rock god was sexy and golden, read Official Truth and think again.and#8221;
Bass Player, May 2014
and#147;[An] action-packed memoirand#133;chock full of tales about Panteraand#8217;s struggle to the top and its off-the-charts debauchery.and#8221;
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 Driventwo #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.
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