The publicity firm representing the family of the late PANTERA/DAMAGEPLAN guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott has issued the following statement:

"The family of the late Dimebag Darrell Abbott has not authorized nor co-operated with Zac Crain on his upcoming book on Dimebag, scheduled for release on Perseus Books in November of 2007. In addition, Mr. Crain did not know Dimebag personally.

"Mr. Crain's request to the family was denied. Among other reasons, during his tenure as music editor of the Dallas Observer, Mr. Crain wrote nothing but negative reviews about PANTERA's music."

In his review of PANTERA's 1996 album "The Great Southern Trendkill", Crain wrote, "the Cowboys from Hell should stick to running low-class strip joints instead of trying to record albums that would be played in them. Fortunately, it looks like they've decided to do just that. Oh, except for that horrendous Dallas Stars theme song. But, hey, whatever keeps them from working on new material in the studio. And, yes, I'm fully aware that Vinnie Paul could kick the shit out of me."

Zac Crain's "Black Tooth Grin: The High Life, Good Times, and Tragic End of 'Dimebag' Darrell Abbott" is scheduled for release on November 5, 2007, according to Amazon.com.

According to the book's official description, "'Black Tooth Grin' is the first biography of 'Dimebag' Darrell, the Texas-bred guitarist of the heavy metal band PANTERA, who, along with three audience members, was murdered on stage by a deranged fan in 2004 — twenty-four years to the day after John Lennon met a similar fate. Darrell Abbott began as a teenage guitar prodigy, inspired by KISS and winning local talent contests. With his brother, drummer Vinnie Abbott, PANTERA was formed, and it became one of the most popular and influential metal bands of the '90s, selling tens of millions of albums such as 'Cowboys from Hell' and 'Vulgar Display of Power' to an intensely devoted fan base. In contrast to the band's aggressive music, 'Dime' was outgoing and gregarious, devoted to his craft, and adored by just about everyone who knew him. From PANTERA's heyday to their implosion following singer Phil Anselmo's heroin addiction, from the band DAMAGEPLAN to Darrell Abbott's tragic end, 'Black Tooth Grin' is a must for anyone who misses this guitar legend."