Vinnie Paul, Pantera Drummer and Co-Founder, Dead at 54 The band announced the death of the iconic heavy metal drummer on Facebook. Vincent Paul Abbott aka Vinnie Paul has passed away. Paul is best known for his work as the drummer in the bands Pantera and Hellyeah. No further details are available at this time. The family requests you please respect their privacy during this time. Paul formed Pantera with his brother Dimebag Darrell in 1981. Pantera earned four Grammy nominations and charted nine albums on the Billboard 200, including their 1994 album Far Beyond Driven, which debuted at No. 1 on the chart. Tributes poured in from the heavy metal world.