New Book Examines the Lives and Murders of Three Heavy Metal Fan

After the shooting death of guitar icon and former Pantera member "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott on December 8^th, 2004 at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, OH, scores of memorabilia, both sincere and otherwise, hit the marketplace. However the untimely deaths of three fans that same night became more of a footnote in Dime's history. On April 14^th, that will change with the release of "A Vulgar Display of Power: Courage and Carnage at the Alrosa Villa".

The author, credited only as Chris A., chronicles the lives of Jeffery "Mayhem" Thompson, Nathan Bray, and Erin Halk who were all in attendance that fateful night for a performance by Dimebag's new project, Damageplan.

Events of the night unfolded only thirty seconds into the bands set when psycho-fan Nathan Gale entered the venue via the backdoor, walked onto the stage and fired three shots into the famed guitarist. As fans and roadcrew attempted to save Abbott, Gale fired additional shots, killing Thompson- a longtime friend of the band, Bray and Halk. Fortunately, off-duty police officer James D. Niggemeyer heard the shots and ended the rampage by taking out Gale with a single shotgun blast from 20 feet away.

Distributed by MJS Music Publications, proceeds from the book will go towards the Anthony Bray Scholarship Fund which was set up for Nathan Bray's son- the only child left behind. This is being done with the full support of the Thompson and Halk families.

In additional to book sales, several fundraisers have been established to benefit the scholarship fund as well as other charitable causes. One such charity deals with paranoid schizophrenia, the same disease that plagued Gale.

Other events include an April 13^th concert a the Alrosa Villa, a May 4^th concert in Las Vegas featuring Great White and a May 12^th concert in Clifton, NJ featuring Smoke.

The book will be available at Borders and Waldenbooks as well as through mailorder by Musician's Friend.

Pre-orders can be placed for limited edition, autographed copies at the publisher web site, www.MJSPublications.com.