John Petrucci competing for Loudwire's Greatest Metal Guitarist.

[BlobVanDam]

With only 45 minutes to go, I'm not optimistic.  48.24%, and I've been voting on 3 devices for the past 2 hours.

Didn't realize it was only 45 minutes left. I don't think Petrucci can catch up in that time. I've voted as often as I've remembered to today, at least 3 or 4 times. I don't have any other devices that aren't on the same network/IP unfortunately.

[Syzzle]

Doesn't matter at this point Pantera keeps posting on their Facebook anytime Petrucci starts coming back. I'll definitely be voting for Adam Jones in the final round.

[adastra]

With only 45 minutes to go, I'm not optimistic.  48.24%, and I've been voting on 3 devices for the past 2 hours.

Don't you have anything better to do? 

[BlobVanDam]

Doesn't matter at this point Pantera keeps posting on their Facebook anytime Petrucci starts coming back. I'll definitely be voting for Adam Jones in the final round.

By my count, both bands have posted this round on their FB page 3 times. Nothing wrong with that. It's an internet poll, after all!

Whoever wins this round has my vote in the final. Both deserve to win.

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

I'll probably vote for Jones in the final. Nothing against Dimebag, I just really enjoy Jones' playing.

[Mindflux]

I'll probably vote for Jones in the final. Nothing against Dimebag, I just really enjoy Jones' playing.

While I used to LOVE tool 10 years ago I think it's a freaking TRAVESTY that he won over Randy.

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

....I probably voted for him in that round.

[Kotowboy]

How is Adam Jones a shredder and Petrucci isn't ?

Adam can barely even solo....

[Chino]

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

Well, that was fun. Shame he didn't win, but oh well. Congrats to Dimebag.

[BlobVanDam]

It's a bit of a shame Petrucci lost when it was so damn close, but as I think Dimebag is equally deserving, I'm not upset about it. He'll be getting my vote in the final.

[aprilethereal]

I don't think Dime deserves this at all

[Thematt202]

JP  really should have won that.

[Dellers]

A dead guy and more than twice the number of people who'll see the Facebook posts, no surprise that Petrucci lost this one. Dead people always get a lot of sympathy, and when considering the cause of death in this case the sympathy will be significant.

[BlobVanDam]

A dead guy and more than twice the number of people who'll see the Facebook posts, no surprise that Petrucci lost this one. Dead people always get a lot of sympathy, and when considering the cause of death in this case the sympathy will be significant.

Can we please cut these kinds of dismissive and downright disrespectful comments? Dimebag was always considered a great player long before he died, and was in one of the best straight up metal bands of the '90s. He's not just some "dead guy" getting sympathy votes.

[Bolsters]

A dead guy and more than twice the number of people who'll see the Facebook posts, no surprise that Petrucci lost this one. Dead people always get a lot of sympathy, and when considering the cause of death in this case the sympathy will be significant.

I didn't even notice that. This result makes a lot more sense to me now.

Edit: At least it wasn't someone horrible who beat out Petrucci. Dime wouldn't have been my first choice but he is definitely deserving. I would have been irritated if someone like Synyster Gates beat JP.

[Podaar]

A dead guy and more than twice the number of people who'll see the Facebook posts, no surprise that Petrucci lost this one. Dead people always get a lot of sympathy, and when considering the cause of death in this case the sympathy will be significant.

I have to call bullshit here. Pantera, and by extension Dimebag, have sold a ton of records and were a significant influential band on the metal scene for years. Dimebag not only was a fantastic player but he put a stranglehold on the most difficult thing a guitarist can do, establish a recognizably unique tone and style. Very few have ever done that.

Congratulations to the Pantera fans for a well fought metal slug fest. Well deserved. 
Just in case any of them are reading this.

[Syzzle]

A dead guy and more than twice the number of people who'll see the Facebook posts, no surprise that Petrucci lost this one. Dead people always get a lot of sympathy, and when considering the cause of death in this case the sympathy will be significant.

Yeah that was the main reason Jeff Hanneman made it as far as he did.

[Dellers]

Can we please cut these kinds of dismissive and downright disrespectful comments? Dimebag was always considered a great player long before he died, and was in one of the best straight up metal bands of the '90s. He's not just some "dead guy" getting sympathy votes.

I think you read something completely different that what I intended to say. I know very well who he was, but dead people usually get a lot of sympathy. A lot of people I know who didn't like Michael Jackson suddenly did when he died for instance. Dimebag could very well win the poll even if he was alive, especially when considering that JP isn't known to most music fans. Humans as a group do however have more sympathy for people after they're gone.

[Thematt202]

Don't worry, I hear ya.

[BlobVanDam]

Can we please cut these kinds of dismissive and downright disrespectful comments? Dimebag was always considered a great player long before he died, and was in one of the best straight up metal bands of the '90s. He's not just some "dead guy" getting sympathy votes.

I think you read something completely different that what I intended to say. I know very well who he was, but dead people will get a lot of sympathy. A lot of people I know who didn't like Michael Jackson suddenly did when he died for instance. Dimebag could very well win the poll even if he was alive, especially when considering that JP isn't known to most music fans. Humans as a group do however have more sympathy for people after they're gone.

Of course, it's happened a lot, so I totally get that being a factor. But your post to me implied that the only (or at least main) reason he won was simply because he is dead, when that's not true, and it also came across as disrespectful simply referring to him as a dead guy.
If that's not what you were meaning to say, then I did read your comment differently than what you intended, in which case I'm sorry if I overreacted.

[Podaar]

Yeah that was the main reason Jeff Hanneman made it as far as he did.

Or 3,636,846 Facebook fans of Slayer were asked to vote daily. Hmmmm?

[Dellers]

Of course, it's happened a lot, so I totally get that being a factor. But your post to me implied that the only (or at least main) reason he won was simply because he is dead, when that's not true, and it also came across as disrespectful simply referring to him as a dead guy.
If that's not what you were meaning to say, then I did read your comment differently than what you intended, in which case I'm sorry if I overreacted.

I guess I could have made my first post longer and more precise. I probably have to be a lot more precise on international forums than on the national ones. I should have known that it could be interpreted in such a way, but I came straight from a Norwegian forum and didn't think about it. My bad entirely.

[Lucien]

Well, it's a little sad, but we know which is the popular band. 

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

Guys, these polls don't matter. It's just fun. And Dimebag is a great guitarist, even if he's not entirely my cup of tea, so to speak.

[aprilethereal]

Can we please cut these kinds of dismissive and downright disrespectful comments? Dimebag was always considered a great player long before he died, and was in one of the best straight up metal bands of the '90s. He's not just some "dead guy" getting sympathy votes.

I think you read something completely different that what I intended to say. I know very well who he was, but dead people usually get a lot of sympathy. A lot of people I know who didn't like Michael Jackson suddenly did when he died for instance. Dimebag could very well win the poll even if he was alive, especially when considering that JP isn't known to most music fans. Humans as a group do however have more sympathy for people after they're gone.

I agree with you, but as a response to the bolded part, I think that people who vote in a poll like this ("greatest metal guitarist") know JP. He's one of the most highly regarded guitarists out there today.

[Elite]

Having listened to Pantera in the past, I now completely detest Darrell's tone, but he has written some great riffs and he was undeniably a good metal guitarist. Him being dead is obviously a factor, but in a sea of metal guitarists that do the same thing over and over, Dimebag did have a unique sound, however much I may dislike it. That said, I do firmly believe Petrucci is the better guitarist here, but as far as straight up metal goes.. well, Dimebag takes the cake and the results prove that, even though it's an internet poll.

Well, the finals are going to be interesting. For some reason Adam Jones is in there, which is pretty weird. I mean, he's a fantastic guitarist who did great stuff with Tool and I love his playing, but here again, Dimebag Darrell is (or 'was' for that matter) the better *metal* guitarist.

[Jaq]

Okay, two things bother me here:

1. "Dime only got votes because he's dead." I shouldn't have to explain this one.

2. "Dime, Jeff Hannemann, etc etc-only did well because their fanbases voted often and their FB pages posted the link constantly."

I really shouldn't have to explain this one.

Simple fact is, a poll where you aren't locked to a single vote-about ANYTHING-is next to useless in determining anything other than who has the fanbase willing to spam the vote button. But if it's acceptable to you to spam it for JP, don't bitch because other people did it for the guy they liked.

[thosava]

What i found weird were the descriptions by loudwire. In every round they seemed to bitch about how DT fans were swarming their polls, therefore gaining JP a win he didnt deserve.

[Lucien]

What i found weird were the descriptions by loudwire. In every round they seemed to bitch about how DT fans were swarming their polls, therefore gaining JP a win he didnt deserve.

Which gives more evidence that something might have been rigged...

I doubt it, though.

[BlobVanDam]

Okay, two things bother me here:

1. "Dime only got votes because he's dead." I shouldn't have to explain this one.

2. "Dime, Jeff Hannemann, etc etc-only did well because their fanbases voted often and their FB pages posted the link constantly."

I really shouldn't have to explain this one.

Simple fact is, a poll where you aren't locked to a single vote-about ANYTHING-is next to useless in determining anything other than who has the fanbase willing to spam the vote button. But if it's acceptable to you to spam it for JP, don't bitch because other people did it for the guy they liked.

This guy. This guy gets it.

[Dark Castle]

What i found weird were the descriptions by loudwire. In every round they seemed to bitch about how DT fans were swarming their polls, therefore gaining JP a win he didnt deserve.

Which gives more evidence that something might have been rigged...

I doubt it, though.

Why can't it just be that Darrell was an amazing guitarist? Look I get it guys, John Petrucci is amazing, and as a whole, I enjoy Dream Theater more than Pantera's collective output. But there's no possible way to say that Darrell was anything less than amazing. Like someone said earlier, he found his own tone and sound that was completely his that not many other guitar players manage to do, his riffage was extremely memorable and behemoth, and his soloing was out of this world.
Can we please for the love of god put to rest these conspiracies of a rigged internet poll which will probably be forgotten about next week?

[TheGreatPretender]

I am disappointed.

[Podaar]

2. "Dime, Jeff Hannemann, etc etc-only did well because their fanbases voted often and their FB pages posted the link constantly."

I really shouldn't have to explain this one.

I don't think this was necessarily directed at my post but for what it's worth: I wasn't trying to imply Hannemann did well only because of Facebook. I was trying to point out the larger issue that this is an internet poll where voters are encouraged to vote once per hour and Slayer has a nearly identical following as Dream Theater on FB.

Also, their fans are notoriously as enthusiastic as DT fans.

[Full Speed]

I voted for Dimebag anyway. I like JP more in general, but as a straight up metal guitarist I prefer Dimebag.