Matthew Salacuse’s cover photo for Guitar World March 2003 is one for the ages. Not only does it capture two of metal guitar’s leading lights, Zakk Wylde and Dimebag Darrell, comrades in arms with their camo signature guitars, it speaks to a more innocent era when such photo shoots could be enlivened by a little mischief – and, yes, some alcohol.
Recollections? Wylde says he can’t remember a thing. But he does remember the whole thing got him in big trouble with wife…
I’m gonna start off with a really dumb question. Why did you choose to use your Camouflage finish, bullseye Gibson Les Paul Custom for this one?
“Come on now, Father Nick! [Laughs] Surely the cover photo answers that one! Dime had this military theme idea mapped out, so I just rolled with it and brought my camo-bullseye Les Paul for beyond-obvious reasons.”
I believe you nicknamed that guitar “Stormin’ Norman” after the Gulf War Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, yes?
“You are correct, sir!”
And, as per your usual pickup MO, it was loaded with your Signature EMG active pickups – an 81 in the bridge and an 85 in the neck position.
“Once again, you are correct, sir!”
You ended up using that guitar to record the outro solo on Reborn from Damageplan’s 2004 album, New Found Power, while you were there. Did you have any idea about that beforehand?
“No. In typical Dime fashion, it was totally off the cuff. He asked me if I’d like to throw down a solo, so we knocked it out.”
A lot of people, including me, were more than a little surprised that you let Darrell dye your beard green, but you went along with it without even a second of hesitation.
“Totally. That was pure Saint Dime comedy, bro. He was such a sweet guy; how could I possibly say no? I just went, ‘Sure, why not? Go for it!’ We had a blast doing that photo session with the painted beards and the camo stuff.”
What other recollections do you have of that day?
Recollections? I don’t remember any of it!
“Recollections? I don’t remember any of it! [Laughs] First off, as you know, we were slamming back the Sarsaparillas and adult beverages the whole time we were there, so I had to have a spare liver and pancreas on ice, available at all times. Then I missed my flight, and that’s when the comedy really began; it totally turned into the Keystone Cops at that point!
“I was supposed to fly to New Jersey the next day for the [Christmas] holidays with my wife and kids, but that obviously didn’t happen. I finally made it to Jersey a couple of days later, but I definitely wasn’t getting any foot massages or shoulder rubs for quite some time after that debacle.
“I was in the doghouse, but luckily Dime was able to smooth things over because Barb [Zakk’s wife] could never get mad at him. So yeah, I played the Dime sympathy card on that one. [Laughs]”
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