Anthrax bassist Frank Bello has been speaking with Revolver Magazine on the seventh anniversary of Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell's death.
Dime, who was shot dead on stage in 2004 whilst performing with Damageplan, features on three Anthrax albums and Bello hails the fallen thrash metal legend as the 'sixth member' of the band.
Bello tells Revolver (via RockNewsDesk):
"We were so close to him – he was one of us. Dimebag was the sixth member of Anthrax. I thought paying tribute to him in song was a great idea.
"I lost a brother 13 years ago. Then to have Dimebag go in such a bad, traumatic way… He was like a brother to me."
Bello goes on to remember Anthrax’s world-tour with Pantera in 1997, describing the trek as 'scary' – although he can laugh about it now.
He says:
"I brought a parasite home with me from Mexico in my stomach. I couldn’t hold anything in my stomach including liquor – imagine being on a Pantera tour without drinking liquor.
"Everything I put in my body, it was like a funnel. It came right out. I would have to run and hide, because Dime’s chasing me with this drink. He’d be yelling, ‘Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!’
"So I’m shooting this thing with a beer right after it. I swear to God: as soon as it went in my system it was right in the bowl.
"I laugh at that now, because I remember Dime laughing at me. Of course it was a painful thing for me, but it was a great thing for Dimebag. Those are the things you remember.
"I love them and miss them. Only the good die young."