via BostonHerald.com If the darkest corners of the New Orleans underground has an official sound, it is the gloriously bleak, punishing chug of Down. Fronted by rejuvenated ex-Pantera vocalist Phil Anselmo, the Southern sludge metal supergroup crash-landed at House of Blues last night for a mesmerizing, headbanging celebration of vintage heavy metal. Openers haarp and Warbeast – both of which are on Anselmo’s Housecore label – laid the foundation for the gargantuan slab of metal Down served up. Warbeast was monstrous, slashing and burning through a thrashy set that nodded to classic ’80s metal with precision and power. Anselmo himself sat by the speakers and took in the band’s set like a proud dad watching his kid win his first fist fight. The muscular, tattooed frontman has certainly been to some dark places in his 20-plus metal career but he’s clearly in a good place these days. He’s fit, his deep, scarred voice is as, well, deep and scarred, as ever, and his band – which also includes Crowbar’s Kirk Windstein, Corrosion of Conformity’s Pepper Keenan, Eyehategod drummer Jimmy Bower and ex-Goatwhore bassist Pat Bruders – is in top form. All but Bruders have been with Anselmo since the band’s 1995 debut, “NOLA,” and it shows. It’s always risky putting together a so-called “supergroup,” but in this case, Anselmo found just the right mix of guys eager not only to jam with other like-minded dudes, but also dedicated to creating something wholly new and completely awesome. “Witchtripper” and “Misfortune Teller” from the band’s new disc, “The Purple EP,” fit into the carnage seamlessly. Anselmo belted and barked out the dark lyrics to each like it was the NOLA tour. He and his cohorts grounded and pounded their way through a string of classics from their three full-lengths, including “Ghosts Along the Mississippi,” “Lysergic Funeral Procession,” and the pummeling “Pillars of Eternity.” As he’s done for years, Anselmo dedicated the riff-fest “Lifer” to his slain ex-Pantera bandmate Dimebag Darrell. Keenan and Windstein laid into the song’s deep grooves like they were summoning demons in a fitting tribute to the fallen guitar deity. The Sabbath-esque ceremony ended with a flawless run through “Stone the Crow” and a massive rendition of the dark anthem, “Bury Me in Smoke,” that included a jam with the guys from haarp and Warbeast. Anselmo whirled and thrashed in the midst of it all, surrounded by what he’s been surrounded by for the past two decades: heavy metal at its finest.

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EXCLUSIVE: Phil Anselmo on New Orleans After Hurricane Isaac, Down and His Upcoming Solo Album via Noisecreep "There's this lingering anxiety, an actual true sickness," says Phil Anselmo about life in post-Katrina New Orleans. Just two weeks back Hurricane Isaac came and went, leaving entire neighborhoods water-logged and without lights, air-conditioning or clean water. While the damage wasn't even a fraction of what Katrina left in its wake, the malaise still hangs over the area. "There are people even younger than myself who still have not gotten over the fact that their future after Katrina was just altered. I can think of one couple that had had big plans and then Katrina hit. I don't think she has recovered." Phil Anselmo has never been one to trivialize anything. [caption id="attachment_1490" align="alignnone" width="456"] Phil Anselmo[/caption] It's Monday morning and it couldn't be busier at Phil's house. In less than 24 hours, he and significant (not to mention responsible) other Kate Richardson will be on the road for a month and a half with the mighty Down. To further shatter their serenity, Phil is doing last minute interviews surrounding the release of Down IV: Part 1 – The Purple EP, which the world finally gets a hold of tomorrow [It hit stores on Sept. 18]. There's dogs' barking and people coming to the door. No rest, solace or relative peace and quiet for the wicked. Plus, the Saints lost hard yesterday. "I approached this sucker the same way I always have," says Phil launching into a discussion about The Purple EP. "When we demoed Down in '92, I didn't show up with a lot of material. I didn't show up with anything but an idea. I think that's how everybody did. I'm not sure if anybody was sold on any riffs they had in mind. It was really organic. We had three days to do that demo and came out of it with three songs that we still play today." Down IV is hardly an EP. It's six songs that stand up to and often exceed anything in the Down repertoire. Think: "A NOLA vibe," says Phil, likening the record to Down's classic 1995 debut album. "The songs are organic, not overthought and very true to the nature of Down." From steamroller of riffs that open the disc with "Levitation," The Purple EP is a travelogue along muddy riverbeds of hulking hooks and lyrical demons. "Open Coffins" or "The Curse Is A Lie," this is further proof that while Down is hardly a prolific as any of us (them included) would like to be, every tune they craft is very fucking vital. "We have never lived up to the bargain we have made with our cult following of fans," the frontman laughs. "We'll get asked 'When is the new record coming out?' and a couple years turns into three or four years. It's miserable." Plans are made to be broken. In the case of Down's recorded output, Anselmo & Co. (including, of course, guitarists Pepper Keenan and Kirk Windstein, bassist Pat Brudders and drummer Jimmy Bower) have eschewed the normal album format for Down IV for projected four EP's, three more of which are supposedly slated for 2013. The initial idea was for each of the EP's to reflect a certain aspect of the band's multi-faceted musical grip. Until it's laid to tape, don't be so sure, if that's going to be the case. "I'm a terrible predictor," says Phil. "We do have this diversity about us. We can write pure heavy metal songs and then we can write songs like 'Stone the Crow' and then we can write songs based around acoustic work. We have these options. It depends on moods – it depends on what moods I'm in or the band is in. I can't see the commitment to a smooth rock record or an all-acoustic record. "Would it be even be right to do a thrash record?" Phil points out. "We're not a thrash band. That might seem as almost as out of character as us doing a death metal record or an all violin section record!" It ain't like Phil hasn't been far beyond busy in the past few months. What's in the caustic gumbo of music he's been recording at the mecca of Southern fried sound: Nodferatu's Lair? Let's start at the solo record due out in early 2013 titled Walk Through Exits Only. A solo record? How does it differ from anything Phil Anselmo has already put his good name to? To read the full article, visit Noisecreep.com

via Examiner.com   In recent years the return of fall mean New Orleans based metal/rock band Down hits the road for their annual tour. For those of you unfamiliar with the band, it consists of Phil Anselmo of Pantera, Pepper Keenan of Corrosion of Conformity (the 90's alt-rock version of the band), Kirk from Crowbar/Kingdom of Sorrow and Jimmy Bower of Eyehategod. This band of superstars has been around since 1991 though they only have three studio albums and now an EP released. Every time the band comes to town they pack the house with a lot of rowdy fans who love to drink and party and knock each other around and this time was no different. The place was packed early and it was difficult to move around the House of Blues because it was so packed full of fans. New Orleans natives, Haarp was the first band to take the stage. They had down-tuned guitars and bass that rumbled so low and was so heavy that it was bowel rumbling and shook the foundations of the House of Blues. Their songs were about 15 minutes long and they were slow, plodding, thick, and ultra-heavy. The singer shrieked and growled and in the middle of their set decided he would rather sing out in the crowd than on stage and spent a good ten minutes out there with them before finishing the song inside the front barricade. They put the "heavy" in heavy metal and knocked a lot of people on their asses with their powerful aural barrage. Warbeast (signed to Philip Anselmo's Housecore Records) was the second band of the evening. The singer of this band was wearing a Rigor Mortis t-shirt so that was a sign of good taste. Warbringer played some really tight and fast thrash metal that hearkened back to the heyday of thrash without sounding too retro or derivative. Their guitar player did have a classic heavy metal look with spiked arm gauntlets and was very flashy in his guitar playing. The signer had a cool looking chain link half mic stand that fit with that look. They really worked up the crowd to a frenzy with their top-notch thrash and there was a pretty sizable mosh pit going the entire time. And one point Phil Anselmo of Down came out on stage and put them over saying it was their time now and they were the future. He may in fact be correct. The packed to capacity crowd surged forward as everyone tried to get as close as they could to the stage to see Down. They opened this show with "Eyes of the South" from their first album, NOLA, and the crowd wasted no time getting crazy. There was a huge "mosh pit" (more accurately a giant game of human bumper cars) and tons of pumping fists and banging heads. The entire main floor of the club was a big sea of moving bodies. The band sounded very powerful and Phil Anselmo stomped around the stage, posed, threw up the horns, pumped his fist and flailed around in his usual trademark style. His raspy, powerful and sometimes melodic delivery was strong. They played a new song, Witchtripper from their brand new EP next. It had trademark heavy riffs and a classic Down feel to it. The crowd seemed to like it as they didn't let up on their rowdy antics at all. It was nice that they had some new material to play as it had been five years since their last record so now they had some fresh songs to throw in with the usual favorites. They played another older song before once again debuting another new song, "Open Coffins". They were batting 1000 with these new songs as they sounded easily as good as the band's long-time staples and the crowd never stood still during them. In between songs, Phil Anselmo spent a considerable amount of time talking to the audience, sharing stories, anecdotes, and announcing what the next song would be. The song announcement was usually complimented with Phil instructing the crowd to go wild but these instructions were unnecessary as historically the audience at a Down show is chock full of extremely rowdy and intoxicated fans and this was no exception. In fact the crowds get crazier with every subsequent tour the band goes on. The band played a few songs from their first two albums and some from the new EP but they strangely played nothing from the third album. Songs from that album were featured on their last few tours so maybe the just scrapped them in favor of the new songs while keeping most of the fan-favorites of their repertoire. Truthfully the crowd probably didn't really mind what songs the band was playing so long as they kept playing. The floor was shaking during some favorite like "Stone the Crow" and the extended "Bury Me in Smoke" which featured members of the opening bands taking over the instruments for the finale gave Down fans a soundtrack for going crazy and left them covered in beer, sweat, and even blood. The band was on stage for close to 90 minutes (a good 15 of which was taken up with Phil talking) and tore the roof off the House of Blues as the audience did their best to destroy the insides of the place at was an amazingly good metal show. By: Michael Vinikour

‘Down IV, Part 1’ – Review via Loudwire   Six songs from Down are better than a full album of tunes from many other bands. The title of the band’s new EP, ‘Down IV, Part 1,’ is incredibly long for an extended play, but it’s what’s on the inside that counts.The quintet makes efficient use of the space they’re working with and not a second is wasted.   The EP is like a high quality, low-calorie meal. It fills you up, sustains you, gives you energy and makes you feel good, but with none of these excess pounds or throwaway fillers.   Of course, it leaves you wanting more, because Down are that good, but you’re not starved. You’re satisfied.   Singer Philip Anselmo is in as good of shape vocally as he has been in years. His low rumble hasn’t sounded this healthy or this commanding since the Pantera days. ‘Levitation’ roars with a moshable groove and guitar-tistry. It’s eerie and by the time Anselmo shows up to partner up with the equally dominant riffery, you’re consciousness will be elevated to a higher state.   ‘Witchtripper’ positions itself as a modern anthem, opening with a short squall of feedback before pounding your skull into a fine dust with its rhythmic roar. Close your eyes for a minute and you’ll swear parts of Anselmo’s delivery sound like a young, robust Ozzy Osbourne. Even with its heft and its girth, the song’s melodic bluster makes it catchier than germs on a packed subway car.   Anselmo provides the rumble of thunder over the bottom-feeding riffs on ‘Open Coffins,’ as well.   ‘The Curse Is a Lie’ is a doomy, sonic sign of the apocalypse, and it boasts equally swamp-dwelling guitar sludge that was reared deep in the NoLA bayou. The ominous, lower-than-low tones are heavier than the atomic weight of lead.   ‘This Work Is Timeless’ is a little faster and a little chunkier than the songs that come before it, but it’s just as thick and heady. ‘Misfortune Teller’ closes the EP and it packs the most potent groove of the bunch, and on an EP laden with potent grooves, that’s really saying something.   Overall, Down make no effort to hide their Black Sabbath worship on these six meaty, muscular songs. But this EP is by no mans paying homage. Down soak their riffage in a metallic gumbo found only in NoLA, and it’s uniquely their own.   But Down aren’t all bones and braun. This EP is the work of true metal artisans who aren’t afraid to be unpolished and dirty. What’s more metal than that?   Loudwire Rating: 5/5 Stars  

DOWN IV Part I - The Purple EP Review via Metal Hammer The only way is Down. Each new Down release since their classic 1995 debut NOLA is by its very definition long-anticipated, but the band’s decision to issue a quartet of EPs in lieu of a fourth full-length album adds an interesting new wrinkle to their now-familiar album-tour-hiatus cycle. As the first fresh studio material since 2007’s DOWN III: Over The Under, The Purple EP’s six songs have a lot to prove, and prove it they do. The band – now featuring former Goatwhore/current Crowbar bassist Pat Bruders alongside frontman Phil Anselmo, drummer Jimmy Bower and Guitarists Pepper Keenan and Kirk Windstein – sound fired-up and focused, still worshipping at the altar of Sabbath and doling out the baddest vibes this side of Saint Vitus. Powered by sledgehammer riffs and a swampy stink, Levitation is a brutal, blindside opener: short, sharp and to the point. Down are back in business and you just got a nosebleed; it’s all here and it’s all good. With its tale of lightening striking twice, the pummeling, pounding Witchtripper (the EP’s first single) reminds us that there’s only one kind of luck and that’s bad luck. ‘I’m fucking serious; we wear our hearts on our sleeve!’ Phil Anselmo bellows in the grungy Open Coffins, fuelling a dirgey downward spiral of desperation like blood trickling down a drain. ‘Your days are numbered, start counting backwards!’ he hollers during The Curse Is A Lie, a series of doom-laden drones which somehow drags itself out of the dirt and into a catatonic crawl. All knife-twisting guitar and bare-knuckle rhythms, This Work Is Timeless captures the general mood – if you wanna have a good time, forget it, the only way from here is down. The lush guitar orchestrations that appear suddenly and from nowhere are a mere band aid for the pain. The final track Misfortune Teller finds Anselmo I full Southern swagger on the EP’s most blatantly metal moment, the air of impending doom leaving just enough room for the grim realization that if all you’ve got left is hope, you’ve got nothing. Self-produced by the band and Anselmo’s Nodferatu’s Lair studio, the sound is brash, bruising and bottom-heavy, snare drums snapping like broken limbs while the guitars grunt and grind their way to the bone. Were this merely a stopgap between albums, it’d feel frustratingly incomplete, the band’s wings clipped and the bigger picture partially obscured. As it is, we’re being invited to collect the set and witness what could be the band’s magnum opus unfolding one chapter at a time. For all the convulsions and contortions of black metal, nothing does desolation and dread quite like doom, and Down are channeling the mother-lode here: a lifetime of hopes and dreams, love and loss, birth and death set to a primal soundtrack with the scent of truth about it. It’s music for jazz funerals, ashen-faced anthems for the angry and some small solace for anyone who’s ever made a big mistake. Bleak, black, lead-heavy, this is metal for people with hangovers made by people who understand. by Greg Moffitt

‘Down IV Part 1 – The Purple EP’ Review via Terrorizer It’s been a long time coming (five years!), but ‘The Purple EP’ quickly lulls us back into a familiar, smoke-screened mood with opener ‘Levitation,’ and as with every Down release there’s a comfortable sense of slack-jawed abrasiveness permeating throughout every riff. Shifting through whiskey-soaked sections effortlessly, it jumps artfully from southern-style flourishes to Trouble-esque doom grooves, and gently ascends a notch into blues-fuelled grandiosity. ‘Witchtripper’ lands with a slightly warmer tone and packs a gnostic vibe – a religious ode to the Sabbathian riff – the bloodline running through the majority of this sextet of hotbox anthems. Delving into the latter half (‘The Curse Is A Lie’ and ‘This Work Is Timeless’), ‘The Purple EP’ descends into a shroud of potent mellowness – like traveling down the proverbial rabbit hole – Phil’s smoky sermons a scene of hopefulness. The sativa spell is broken with closing track ‘Misfortune Teller’, reminding us of the varied fiddlings of the opener, and bringing the EP full-circle in typical mid-paced fashion. At its best, this first of four forthcoming EPs provides a panoramic aural view of Down’s honesty and confident songwriting, and at its worst, it’s simply not long enough. ‘The Purple EP’ is as commanding as it is heartfelt, and beyond all, it’s an epitaph to a labour of love with good friends, a bottle of Jack and a big fatty. by Lee MacBride

DOWN IV part I cd review via MusicFrenzy.net DOWN kicks off Fall 2012 with a new EP titled "Down IV Part I", 6 new songs from New Orleans' heavy metal kings. July 26th marked the release of the album's first single "Witchtripper" and here it is almost two months later and the song is still on Sirius XM Liquid Metal's "Devil's Dozen" countdown at #2. "Witchtripper" is a great representation of what "DOWN IV Part I" is all about; dark, powerful rhythm guitar behind killer riffs and one of the strongest venomous voices in metal. The album kicks off with "Levitation", a heavy monster of a song that blasts you in the face with it's angry guitars and Phil's menacing vocals cutting out lyrics like "throttle their bones, wrangle its beasts". After "Witchtripper" is a track titled "Open Coffin" which continues the guitar onslaught by Pepper and Kirk tempered with Patrick's ominous bass and drums played big by Jimmy. "The Curse Is A Lie" takes the EP to a slower more deliberate pace and features those unexpected bridge changes that ofter come across in DOWN tracks. Once again though Phil is vicious and makes me want to put my fist through a wall. If Phil Anselmo sang "Old MacDonald Had A Farm" you would still want to go out and crush your skull against a brick wall. Power, pure power in his vocals. Track 5 is "The Work is Timeless" and I love the bass work by Patrick in this tune. It stands out but doesn't take over the song. The guitars still are the focal point as is true with DOWN music, but the bass holds it's own for sure and adds an element of strength to the song. The EP finishes off with "Misfortune Teller" which has a tone that takes us back to the first DOWN album. Dark, steady, strong, and just like the rest of "DOWN IV - Part I".....DOWN.

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"Down IV Part I" Album Review — 5 out of 5 stars via Artist Direct You can't force great music. It just happens. Do you think Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, or The Beatles sat around having conferences about what made a good song? There's no formula for a killer riff or hook. They appear out of the ether as if gifted by God, Satan, Zeus, Ra, or whatever the hell you believe in. Hard rock and heavy metal remain innate and instinctual practices. It's either in your or it isn't. When you've got it though, you've really got it. That brings us to Down's fourth offering, Down IV Part I. There's nobody out there in modern rock or metal that lives, breathes, and dies this quite like Philip H. Anselmo, Pepper Keenan, Kirk Windstein, Jimmy Bower, and Pat Bruders. In essence, the EP is everything that it should be—and more. The spirit of NOLA certainly courses throughout these six songs, but Down have refined their sound into an even more calculated and crushing beast. Keenan and Winstein's riffs summon the demon to life on "Levitation" as Anselmo's vocals hover to classic heights. The hulking bass from Bruders and thunderous pounding courtesy of Mr. Bower pummel punishingly, while seesawing with distinct undeniable groove. The leads practically blaze right through the speakers with a bluesy bravado that must have Jimi Hendrix smiling up in Heaven. "Witchtripper" teeters from lyrical shredding into a staggering refrain from Anselmo. The frontman's ever-impressive range stands showcased in all its glory on "Open Coffins". A guttural, dark verse digs down into an intoxicating and infectious refrain you won't forget anytime soon, if ever. On "The Curse is a Lie", he hits some demonic highs vocally as he examines true darkness announcing, "Sculpting statues of yourself." "This Work Is Timeless" couldn't have a more a propos title as it will influence generations to pick up a guitar and shred. Everything culminates on the sprawling standout "Misfortune Teller". It's as poetic as it is powerful, and the track rises like the flood of the apocalypse before subsiding on a strangely beautiful refrain. Down exist in a space of their own. They're not worried about trends. They're not worried about expectations. They're not worried about anyone's opinion. All that matters is the music. That's why it's so great and Down IV Part I is a modern classic. This isn't only one of the best of 2012, it's one of the best this decade. by Rick Florino

Philip Anselmo Talks "Down IV Part 1", Poems, and Witch Movies and Looks Back on "The Great Southern Trendkill" via Artist Direct Once again, the underground rises within Down's music. On Down IV Part I, the group conjures six songs of spellbinding metallic mastery. "Levitation" and "Open Coffins" haunt with infectious choruses and dizzying leads, while "Witchtripper" takes flight on one of the year's most potent, powerful, and pummeling riffs. This is everything a Down record should be, and it's everything a rock record should be… In this exclusive interview with ARTISTdirect.com editor in chief Rick Florino, fronman Philip Anselmo talks Down IV Part I, writing, witch movies, and he even looks back on Pantera's The Great Southern Trendkill. Be sure to get the album on September 18, 2012. Here's an iTunes link! Watch an exclusive video tour of Down's lair by Anselmo here! How much did the initial poem for "Misfortune Teller" differ from the song? It's a lot different. I guess it was more of a kneejerk reaction to what was going on around the time of Hurricane Katrina. It's been a long time. It was always a title that stuck with me. I applied it when the proper time came. Do you have a stash of notebooks with ideas and poems? Yeah, I've got tons of notebooks. I make all kinds of notes. Honestly, I wish I was a little more diligent. Sometimes, I wish I carried around one of those tiny pocket recorders and documented all kinds of stuff that pops in the brain. There are a lot of sources of past creative material that I can hinge together with more modern ideas. I've got a lot of material. As a writer, do you get deeper into the language as you progress? Well, there are a lot of times where you're in song format, which is different from poetry format for me. The poetry I like does not normally rhyme, nor does it have to. For me, it's the way certain words sit next to each other that make a little bit of magic. I'm a wordsmith. I like words. I like the least expected word sometimes or an adjective that might describe something a little more seedy or ugly as opposed to something more traditional. I do like and concentrate on the flow of words. Sometimes, a word can pop into your head and you apply it in a sentence. At first glance, it might not make complete sense. If you step away from it and come back to it, there could be a whole different meaning than the first time you eyeballed it. To me, it always comes down to that very last glimpse or chance of finding that one word to complete a line or hook in a song—or even something within that imagery. Continue reading at ARTISTDirect.com

[caption id="attachment_1505" align="alignright" width="788"] DOWN[/caption] via GreatFallsTribune.com It might seem at first glance like it’s been a long time since the New Orleans band Down released new music. The last record was 2007’s “Down III: Over the Under,” and while five years between albums might be unusually long for most bands, it’s par for the course for Down, which usually takes between five and seven years to offer new tunes. “Down IV: Part I — The Purple EP” comes out Tuesday and is a groovy collection of six songs clocking in at 33 minutes and change. According to lead singer, Phil Anselmo, fans can rest assured that even if Down doesn’t follow a set schedule, it will always deliver a quality album. “We are the worst bold-faced liars on the planet when it comes to keeping promises on when the next record will be coming out,” Anselmo joked in an interview with the Tribune from his home in New Orleans. “Everybody is busy, busy, busy with a million different things. When you’re doing all that, time flies and the next thing you know, you’re a liar and you’re sitting there going ‘We haven’t put out a record in three years.’ “We can make plans to get together after three years, and the next thing you know, by the time all the plans are made and everybody aligns and the stars align, it’s another year later,” he added with a laugh. “It’s just chaos. The new album is out, and I’m very much ready for the public to consume it.” Down released its eponymous debut “NOLA” in 1995. Considering all of its members belonged to other, more successful bands, it was initially perceived as a supergroup or a side project for those involved. As time has passed and things have changed in those other bands, Down is becoming the grizzled group of veterans who now has projects on the side. “Down is something I do because I still enjoy doing it. More importantly, it’s for the fans of the band,” said Anselmo, the former frontman for Pantera. Anselmo said he keeps busy lending a helping hand to his other bands, producing albums for his label, Housecore Records (www.thehousecorerecords.com), and working on a book. Continue Reading...

Loudwire.com This is the beginning of a very productive time for the hard rock supergroup known as Down. The band is in the process of releasing four EPs, with the first one, dubbed ‘Down IV Part 1‘ arriving Sept. 18. The disc is definitely a solid opener to their overall project and Loudwire is proud to team with Down to offer you a prize pack centered on the first EP release. Just by entering your email address (CLICK HERE AND SCROLL DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THE ARTICLE TO ENTER TO WIN), you could end up with a prize pack that includes an autographed copy of ‘Down IV Part 1’ plus a Down poster, five Down EP guitar picks, and two Down EP Soda Koozies. The prize pack is just the latest fan-friendly thing from Down. Singer Phil Anselmo says the whole reason of offering four EPs rather than a full album is to get music to the fans faster. He recently stated, “It’s obviously easier to knock out six songs rather than 12 songs. Me personally, I hate doing full-length records ’cause it drains the f— out of you. And [an EP] leaves way less chance for songs that you’d consider filler songs to get through. I think it’s the healthiest way for Down to continue to get music out on a reasonable schedule.” Guitarist Pepper Keenan also stated that by breaking things down into EPs, it allows for more creative freedom as the band has a variety of song styles and the EP format allows them to spread it out. The disc is already off to a great start thanks to the single, ‘Witchtripper.’ In fact, the group recently entered the Loudwire Cage Match Hall of Fame after besting five straight competitors. Be sure to check out the ‘Down IV Part 1’ which is available to order here. And enter your info in the box on loudwire.com for the opportunity to win the Down Prize Pack.

PHILLIP H. ANSELMO AND CO. RETURN WITH KILLER EP via Kerrang! Magazine by Paul Travers Down releases are like super-heavy, ultra-slow buses. You wait half a decade for one, and then four come at once. It might not be as ambitious as Green Day’s upcoming trilogy but, for a band as notoriously unprolific as Down, a quartet of EPs to be released within the space of a year represents a veritable blur of activity. And of this first installment is any indication, the whole collection will have fans frothing at the mouth. Put simply: this EP is better than most albums you’ll hear this year. Like Down II, it’s not afraid to get bluesy and melodic in places. But where that full-length was sprawling and occasionally floundered under its own ambition, the six-track format keeps The Purple EP tight and compact. Guitarists Pepper Keenan and Kirk Windstein excel themselves here, working some tasteful, blues-based licks into their trademark rolling grooves and megalithic riffs. And frontman Phillip H. Anselmo (as he likes to be called now) is on top of his game too, switching between a pugnacious roar and a throaty croon while delivering lyrics that go beyond the personal tragedies of Down III to tackle some philosophical themes. The results leave Misfortune Teller and Witchtripper sounding like a southern-fried Sabbath, while Open Coffins comes straight from the bowels of Beelzebub. It’s a sound that confirms one thing: Down just keep getting better and better. (Kerrang! Magazine also added this blurb about Down bringing their tour to the UK later this year.)

Pre-Order the upcoming release, Down IV: Part I - The Purple EP by Down and receive a limited* autographed CD Booklet with purchase! Metal forerunners Down will release Down IV: Part I - The Purple EP, their first body of new material in five years, on September 18, 2012 via Down Records/Independent Label Group. Rolling Stone made the exclusive announcement this week with the world premiere of first single "Witchtripper," calling it a "typically aggressive Anselmo vocal against a twisting, grinding musical backdrop." The six song EP is the first in a series of four EP's planned for release over the next year. Down, which includes Philip Anselmo (Pantera) on vocals, Pepper Keenan (C.O.C.) on lead guitars, Kirk Windstein (Crowbar) on guitar, Jimmy Bowery (Eye Hate God) on drums, and Pat Brudners (Crowbar), the newest addition to the line-up, on bass, will kick off a string of tour dates on release day, beginning in Fort Worth, TX, and ending October 2nd in Charlotte, NC. Self-produced and recorded at Nodfertu's Lair, located at Anselmo's New Orleans home, Down IV: Part I - The Purple EP is undeniably the product of the iconic collective that is Down, whose members origins span from Pantera, Corrosion of Conformity, Crowbar, and Eyehategod. Staggering riffs, thunderous drums, and Anselmo's inimitable delivery crush and captivate over the course of the collection's six songs. It's dark. It's dangerous. It's decisive. It's Down at their best. "I do believe that we have delivered a record that will be accepted and hopefully enjoyed by the Down horde - if you will," says Anselmo. "If you're looking for a Down record, it's very pure and real." Lyrically, the EP goes beyond just personal experiences, and explores themes that include the faith of mankind, the imperfection of mankind and cultural belief systems. "Down gives me the platform to be poetic and paint imagery with lyrics," says Anselmo. "That's the approach I took. They complement the music and create an ominous feeling. Ultimately, when people consume the words, it's always their interpretation that matters. I could be image-conscious though when I wrote. It's not so gut level or street. The darker shit is some of my favorite." With an album sales history totaling over 725,000, these New Orleans natives are no strangers to success. Their legendary 1995 debut, Nola is certified platinum, while Down II: A Bustle In Your Hedgerow [2002] and Down III [2007] remain fan and critical successes. Count on The Purple EP to garner similar achievements! Down's U.S. Tour Dates: 09/18 Ridglea Theater Fort Worth, TX 09/19 Cain's Ballroom Tulsa, OK 09/21 Pops Nightclub Sauget, IL 09/22 House of Blues Chicago, IL 09/23 The Crofoot Pontiac, MI 09/25 House of Blues Boston, MA 09/26 The Electric Factory Philadelphia, PA 09/28 Best Buy Theater New York, NY 09/29 Starland Ballroom Sayreville, NJ 09/30 The Fillmore Silver Springs, MD 10/02 Tremont Music Hall Charlotte, NC *Offer valid only with purchase of Down IV: Part I - The Purple EP. This special offer is valid for both domestic and international orders. Pre-ordered CDs shipping with promotional materials are limited to (5) per customer. Autographed CD booklets will be available while supplies last, newburycomics.com will post information when autographed booklets are sold out.

Down, 'DOWN IV, Part I': Exclusive First Listen by Gary Graff, Detroit Hear an exclusive stream of the 6-song EP by Phil Anselmo's band Down here before it's release next week. The only downside of Down, the members of the all-star metal band led by Phil Anselmo, have long complained, is arranging time for the group amidst their other commitments. But they think they've found a way to solve that. "Down IV Part I," a sludgey, six-song set that drops on Sept. 18, is the first of four planned EPs the quintet hopes to release in relatively short order -- at least shorter than the five years since "Down III: Over the Under" came out. "It's about getting people more music quicker," frontman Phil Anselmo ( Pantera, Superjoint Ritual, Arson Anthem, etc.) tells Billboard. "It's obviously easier to knock out six songs rather than 12 songs. Me personally, I hate doing full-length records 'cause it drains the f*** out of you. And (an EP) leaves ways less chance for songs that you'd consider filler songs to get through. I think it's the healthiest way for Down to continue to get music out on a reasonable schedule." ... For the full article and to listen to the exclusive stream of their EP, visit Billboard

via ArtistDirect.com Down singer, Pantera vocalist and all-around metal legend Philip H. Anselmo takes fans behind-the-scenes and through the studio in this exclusive video clip, which ARTISTdirect.com is beyond thrilled to premiere. It's just two minutes, but we promise, it's two minutes well spent and clip you will watch it over and over again. The almighty Anselmo, easily one of the best, if not the best, frontmen in heavy metal music, offers extra tidbits of information and footage from the studio. He even suggests that the ladies will be tantalized by the handsomeness of the crew in the clip, which includes Stephen the engineer and one of the gentleman from Warbeast, the utterly brutal metal band that is touring with Down! So grab a cold frosty one and take a "Walk" through the studio with the one and only Philip Anselmo as your tour guide. This video earns two horns up! Are you going to grab Down's new EP, Down IV Part I - The Purple EP, on September 18? If you like metal that's heavier than granite and with balls the size of watermelons, you will. "Witchtripper" is easily one of our favorite songs of 2012. Watch the video below!

via PremierGuitar.com Rating: 4/5 Down was originally a bayou-based, side-project supergroup forged in the ’90s. After withstanding two hiatuses, cranking out three LPs and a live CD/DVD set, Down has become the collective members’ full-time gig. Vocalist Phil Anselmo (Pantera), guitarists Pepper Keenan (Corrosion of Conformity) and Kirk Windstein (Crowbar), drummer Jimmy Bower (Eyehategod), and new bassist Pat Bruders—replacing longtime bassist Rex Brown—offer their first chapter of a four-EP metal opus spanning their combined influences. This is firmly in the band’s comfort zone—Southern broasted, neck-snapping riffs, power-meets-sludge metal grooves, and Anselmo’s signature gravelly, dynamic vocals. Familiar highlights include “Witchtripper” with its bulldozing wall of sound and “Open Coffins,” which sounds like a B-side accidentally left off A Bustle in Your Hedgerow. Updates to Down’s patented, Cajun-sauced metal recipe include dark, mournful delay and phaser effects, while overall there’s a bit more Molly Hatchet-style guitar harmonizing between Keenan and Windstein. The six-song Purple EP avoids any monotonous agro-level riffs often found in sludge or doom metal, instead crafting a new batch of NOLA-Zeppelin stoner rock starting Down’s quartet of EPs on the right path. —Chris Kies Must-hear track: “Open Coffins”

In less than 2 short weeks, the southern metal machine known as DOWN will be returning to the tri-state area for a pair of face-melting shows. It’s been almost 20 years since Phil Anselmo, Pepper Keenan, Kirk Windstein, and Jimmy Bower first began jamming in New Orleans, LA, but their music has proven to be as timeless as it is powerful. With new EP Down IV part 1 on its way, I spoke with guitarist Pepper Keenan last week to ask about the new music, upcoming shows, and Down history: Examiner: Hi Pepper, thanks for talking to me today! How’ve you been? Pepper: We got this little hurricane down here, but we’re close to back to normal. Examiner: Up here in New York, watching CNN, it didn’t look like it was so bad compared to Katrina. How was it in person? Pepper: There were sustained winds of over 40 mph, so once it blew through it was nuts. There’s a bunch of debris in the street but they’re cleaning it up, got the power back up and running. School’s are still closed though. Examiner: Which did you watch last night, MTV’s Video Music Awards or Obama speaking at the Democratic National Convention? Pepper: Obama speaking at the DNC. Examiner: Did you like what you heard? Pepper: More than the Republicans, sure. Examiner: So Down is coming to New York City later this month, and this will be your second straight year playing the Best Buy Theater. Do you feel like the Down touring cycle is settling into a pattern? Pepper: I don’t know. I guess the Nokia Theater (now Best Buy Theater) is a great venue, so I can’t complain about that. I wish we could fall into a pattern, but we’re a little slow. This is our second year in New York I think? Examiner: Yes, last year’s show was great (read my review of it here). And you played there in 2009 also. Pepper: I think before then we were playing at Roseland. It’s all good, we’re just happy to be back on the road again. Examiner: Like last year, you’ll also be playing Starland Ballroom in New Jersey the day after New York. I think most New Yorkers have their opinion, but do you notice any differences in the Jersey crowd versus the Manhattan audience? Pepper: In Sayerville, you get to hang out with the crowd a bit more. Security isn’t as tight as it is in New York. You can’t hang on the street talking to kids. Examiner: What I like about Starland is that the floor is shallow but wide, so the pit is always spilling out lengthwise. Pepper: That’s true, true. Also the PA there is loud as sh*t. Examiner: You have the first of 4 EPs coming out too, and some tracks have already hit the internet. Can we expect to hear the new music live? Pepper: Oh for sure. That’s kinda the purpose of the EP idea, is that we don’t have to spend 2 years in the damn studio trying to write 20 songs to pick 14. And the EP idea will give us lateral movement to shift directions for each EP, and we can go a couple of places we’ve never been before. Continue Reading...

via DallasObserver.com Next Tuesday, Phil Anselmo comes back to Dallas with Down, to play a show that was originally planned for the Ridglea Theater, but has now moved to Trees. Anselmo talked about the first show he played, how he befriended fellow metallers Rigor Mortis, and his Philcore tattoo. What are some of your earliest memories of seeing shows? Man, I remember my first gig. I was in a tiny little garage band with a bunch of young friends. I think I had just turned 14, and we played this place called St. Christopher's CYO. It was our first gig. A buddy had a tiny PA system and it was a bunch of piecemeal equipment up on stage. I had a Van Halen shirt on, a pair of jeans, a bandanna wrapped around my knee and one around my neck. When it was time to go out on stage, I was kicked-shit plain scared to death. I stayed glued to the mic stand. The best thing about the show was, we had run a delay pedal through my vocals like a guitar effect pedal. It was for special sections of the set. We had opened up with a song called "Neon Knights" by Black Sabbath. I was about seven octaves out of key. To get to the point about the delay pedal, it was a specialty thing. We played the song "Black Sabbath" by Black Sabbath. When it would come down to the end of the verses, when Ozzy would say, "Satan's sitting there/he's smiling/watching those flames get higher and higher/No!! No!!! No!!!!!" Hit the delay pedal. "No!" It was horrible. It was really hilarious in hindsight. Rigor Mortis. Can you remember when you first saw them? And how did they affect you saw them play live? When I first joined Pantera, I lived with Rex [Brown, bassist] at the time and a bunch of other people. Rex was renting out a room there and they had a little extra room for me. I found a Rigor Mortis demo laying around the house and I thought, "Man, fuckin' A." I loved it. I was like, "What the fuck is this?" And what I got back was, "Ohh, it's Rigor Mortis. They play speed metal crap." So the Pantera camp and the Rigor Mortis camp obviously had this slight rift in between 'em. A couple of weeks later, I was hanging out with the singer from Rotting Corpse at the time, Jim Mulqueen. He and I went to Pipe Dream Records. At the time, John Perez, who was the guitar player in Rotting Corpse, was working behind the counter and we'd all go see him and buy underground records and whatnot. Sure enough, the dudes from Rigor Mortis were in there. Jim said to me, "Oh man, it's the guys from Rigor Mortis. You better watch out." I go, "What the fuck do I have to watch out about?" He said, "You know they hate Pantera and vice versa." So I walk up to Casey Orr and said, "Hey man. Nice to meet you. My name's Philip. I love the demo." We're talking and talking and talking and when I get towards the end of the conversation, I said, "Yes, I'm the singer for Pantera." He's like, "You're the new singer for Pantera? What the fuck are you doing singing for Pantera?" I'm like, "Singing for Pantera." Cards were dealt and I rolled a little. Shortly after that, I saw Rigor Mortis play either some small club in Deep Ellum or Joe's Garage. Either way, it was so intense. I was mesmerized by Mike Scaccia's right hand. I couldn't believe it. Matter of fact, to this day, 20-some odd years later, I still can't fuckin' believe it. He has the fastest right hand I've ever seen. Then the intensity of the whole band. Harden, a left-handed drummer, which is a spectacle to look at. Just solid as a rock. Casey was just a big intimidating force. And Bruce [Corbitt] looked like one of the cast members for fuckin' The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. When you saw Rigor Mortis in a full gaggle with all their roadies and shit, they looked like the whole family from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. They had an extreme image at the time. They were intimidating in full force. Intense as fuck live, but I hit it off with the guys immediately and they were always super, super sweet guys to me. Still very good friends of mine to this day. Since you have a lot of tattoos, do you remember getting the first tattoo? Yes, I do. It's a fist with a bunch of rings on it, on my right shoulder, and it says, "Philcore." How you like that? Much better than many of the other stories I hear from people, where it is always with embarrassment or that it was painful. Well, you know, there could be a slight embarrassment there. But still, it's like, everybody is going through this core, that core, hardcore, thrashcore. Hardcore and heavy metal were merging at the time as far as a genre goes, so it's like, fuckin' Philcore. It's kind of 50/50 on the embarrassment level. Matter of fact, I have some good friends that live in Dallas who still call me Philcore or Core. So it stuck. Do you remember where you were the first time you heard your voice on the radio? I don't, but if I had to guess, oh man. It's either in the very first car that got us from gig to gig, and that would be Pantera. A big old red Pontiac or whatever it was. Or it was in one of my little apartments that I lived in the Fort Worth area. Those are narrowed-down guesses, but not precise.

via SoundSpike.com

Photo: Lucas de Mello

Metal Hammer TV catches up with Kirk Windstein to talk about the DOWN October UK Tour and the new EP!

From Natalie Zed Heavymetal.about.com DOWN IV, Part I is Down's first new material in five years. This six-song EP is the first of four that the band plan to release over the next year, and features the work of new addition to the lineup Pat Brudners (Crowbar) on bass, who joins the all-star cast of vocalist Phil Anselmo (Pantera), lead guitarist Pepper Keenan (Corrosion of Confirmity), guitarist Kirk Windstein (Crowbar), and drummer Jimmy Bower (Eyehategod). This EP was entirely self-produced and recorded at Anselmo's home studio, Nosferatu's Lair. DOWN IV first and foremost, sounds like Down: sludgy and doomy, dripping sweat and tar, everything rendered on a grand scale, anchored by Anselmo's trademark impudent bark. Windstein and Keenan have a fantastic chemistry on guitars. These two excellent musicians don't sound like they are “duelling” or fighting for supremacy; it is much more like each has their grip on the opposite end of a massive saw blade, and together they muscle through each song, cutting it in half. In terms of production, really get the sense that this is a well-executed home-studio recording. DOWN IV is rawer than either of their last two releases, but also not sloppy or muddy for the sake of it. It has a throating, smeary quality that keeps the sound authentic, just enough fuzz and grit to make the riffs more toothsome and the drumming sharper. It comes across like they didn't want to risk losing any natural texture to the polish of overworked studio production, to celebrate the smoke and feedback. The structure of this record has a profound impact on the listening experience. Rather than a huge slab of a record that many fans are used to, DOWN IV (and the other forthcoming three albums) offer lighter fare, a tasting menu, each six-song unit offering a taste of a different aspect of Down's sound. The EP structure works extremely well for the heavy-but-muscular sound that they are working with here, and really lets the listener dig into the tactile, physical qualities of the songwriting. “Witchtripper” is the first single from the album, and is certainly one of the catchier numbers on DOWN IV, but it's the nine-minute monolith of “Misfortune Teller” that really steals the show with its urgent pace, inexorable slow burn and palpable weightiness. This is a song that the listener feels they are carrying, like a physical weight, the slow throb of the rhythm pressing them forward as the tempo ebbs and flows. While the sound of this record is classic Down, delivered without experimentation or flourish, the form of the album is where the band allow themselves freedom to explore, and very successfully. The EP is at once extremely satisfying, but also leaves the listener hungry and wanting more – a fine balance. (released September 18, 2012 on Down Records)

via Phoenix NewTimes Down's Down, IV Part I: The Purple EP The band's first batch of new tunes in five years since Down III: Over the Under is projected to be pretty intense, and the album artwork chosen is a testament to that. Literally. The disk will be the first EP in a four disc series, and if this supergroup is your style, you won't be disappointed. Think Anselmo's usual aggressive vocals against staggering riffs and a melodic grinding backdrop, exploring such themes as the faith of mankind, its imperfections, and cultural belief systems.

Full Metal Jackie Radio is set to debut a new song from Down IV Part I this weekend. Following the appearance of Phil Anselmo and airing of "Witchtripper" last weekend, Full Metal Jackie will play a brand new track off the upcoming Down EP. To find a rock station near you airing the show, go towww.fullmetaljackieradio.com.

Down's Down IV Part I - The Purple EP is featured on Noisecreep's list of 10 Metal Albums to Check Out This Fall. Read the full list at Noisecreep.

DOWN begins shooting the video for their new single, "Witchtripper" today. DOWN IV Part I - The Purple EP will release on September 18.  

Former Pantera and current DOWN vocalist Philip Anselmo was interviewed on the August 17-19 edition of Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show. [Listen to audio of the interview here] Full Metal Jackie: The first in a series of four DOWN EPs that are going to be released in the next few years is going to be coming out in September. Anselmo: And it still doesn't have a name, I'm leavin' it to ya'll man. Call it whatever you want. Full Metal Jackie: From my understanding, the way that you're releasing this first EP, it's called "Down IV Part I - The Purple EP"? Anselmo: Okay, fine, I'll buy that. Full Metal Jackie: Instead of an entire album, DOWN is releasing four EPs in the next year and a half, so Phil, not having to come up with 16 to 20 songs all at once, how did that change how the songs were written? Anselmo: Well, really it took a lot of pressure off of any and all of us. When this question comes up, I refer to the first demo we did in 1992 when we all flew into Texas with this idea in our heads and we had really no idea what was going come out of it. I had no lyrics, everything was just right on the spot and I think we came out with "Bury Me In Smoke", "Temptation's Wings" and "Losing All", which would be on the first record. We took this approach with this record and honestly I have never in my life taken so much pressure off of myself to do a record. We didn't know what we were thinking and the fact that it is six songs, I think that commanded all of our attention at the time and really to do a 10- or 12-song record — there's no room at this point in my career at all for what would be called filler. I don't want any filler, I want the songs to be direct, I want them to be unique and I think we did pretty well with this EP. To read the full interview, visit Blabbermouth.

range Goblin has been announced as direct support for DOWN's UK Tour Dates this Fall. Oct. 19 - Manchester, UK Oct. 20 - Birmingham, UK Oct. 21 - London, UK

DOWN VS. STONE SOUR – CAGE MATCH by: Liz Ramanand Down fans did some serious rallying for a win against Three Days Grace but can Phil Anselmo and the boys win their fifth straight battle and earn entrance into Loudwire’s Cage Match Hall of Fame? Stone Sour enter the Cage Match with their double single ‘Gone Sovereign’ / ‘Absolute Zero’ off of their upcoming record ‘The House of Gold & Bones Part I,’ which is due out Oct. 23, while ‘Part II’ is scheduled for a 2013 release. Stone Sour are also set to play some big music festivals coming up, including Desert Rising, Rock Vegas and the Loud Park Festival. So will Down enter Loudwire’s Cage Match Hall of Fame with a victory or will Stone Sour reign supreme with ‘Gone Soverign’ / ‘Absolute Zero’? Get in on the action and vote for your favorite track below! (This Cage Match ends Friday, Aug. 17, at 8AM ET. Fans can vote once per hour! So come back and vote often to make sure your favorite song wins!) To vote visit Loudwire.

Phil Anselmo will be a guest on Full Metal Jackie Radio this weekend! To find a rock station near you airing the show go to fullmetaljackieradio.com.

DOWN VS. THREE DAYS GRACE – CAGE MATCH by: Liz Ramanand Down continue on their path to victory as they dominate the competition, with their latest victim being Chevelle. Will they be able to do it again against today’s challengers? Three Days Grace heat things up with their brand new single ‘Chalk Outline’ off of their upcoming album ‘Transit of Venus’ due out Oct. 2. There is no word about a full tour yet, but the band does have a handful of North American dates coming up; go here to check them out. Will Down continue to rise up against their foes or will Three Days Grace leave a ‘Chalk Outline’ of their opponents? Get in on the action and vote for your favorite song! (This Cage Match ends Wednesday, Aug. 15, at 8AM ET. Fans can vote once per hour! So come back and vote often to make sure your favorite song wins!) To vote visit Loudwire.

DOWN VS. FIREWIND – CAGE MATCH by: Liz Ramanand Down tripped up their opponents Mastodon in the last Cage Match, but will they be able to do it again with their new single ‘Witchtripper.’ Greek metal band Firewind heat up the ring with their new single ‘Wall of Sound’ off of their seventh studio album ‘Few Against Many.’ The band’s new disc earned them their first top spot ever on the Greek music charts. Firewind are currently on a worldwide tour in promotion of their successful record. For a list of countries and dates, go here. So will Firewind fans help ignite the band with a serious win or will Down break their ‘Wall of Sound’ and continue on the path to victory? (This Cage Match ends Friday, Aug. 10, at 8AM ET. Fans can vote once per hour! So come back and vote often to make sure your favorite song wins!) To vote visit Loudwire.

Phil Anselmo pulls no punches on Pantera, American Idol, and the reputation of metal Cowboy from hell By MICHAEL CHRISTOPHER | August 2, 2012 Who better than Philip Hansen Anselmo to discuss the current state of metal? His time in Pantera pretty much resurrected the genre from extinction brought on by grunge and the short-term shelf life of all those late '80s Aqua Netal acts. And though the untimely on-stage shooting death in 2004 of former Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell may have cut short any hopes for those songs being played live again, Anselmo continues to wave the heavy flag both with his various musical endeavors, most notably Down, and the boutique label Housecore Records, which features, among others, the thrash of Warbeast and the sludge of Haarp. "I love it. I love everything from the camaraderie, the studio work, pulling songs together, helping out — I hate mixing, but I love the end result," Anselmo says, checking in by phone from his home in the swamps of Louisiana. "It is important to me, it really is. I'm very interested in what the thinking bands are doing out there. I love the underground; I'm always looking for anything that is a breath of fresh air because it makes me feel young again and gives me that 'Holy shit, I just picked up Slayer's Hell Awaits record again.' It gives me that feeling, and it's probably good for the circulation." Down, which also features Corrosion of Conformity frontman Pepper Keenan on guitar and Crowbar vets Kirk Windstein and Jimmy Bower on guitar and drums, respectively, are preparing to unleash the six-song Down IV — Part 1 (Down Records/Independent Label Group) on September 18, the first of four EPs scheduled to drop in the next year that will make up the band's fourth full-length studio release. Early listens to songs like "Witchtripper" and "Misfortune Teller" display a brutal, doom-laden intensity that made the first Down release, Nola, such an unexpected gem when it came out in 1995. "I put no pressure on myself for this Down record," Anselmo says. "I don't think any of us did. I did what we did when we recorded the first demo. I am never the guy that will sit back and say, 'Oh, we gotta break new ground!' and have all these gigantic expectations. I'm the biggest fucking pessimist in the entire world. Even when I was in Pantera, I didn't expect a fucking thing." Continue reading...  

Down hearken back to better days, while raising the bar for an entire generation to follow. That's been the group's impact since the release of Nola in 1995 and not a goddamn thing has changed since then—thankfully. Except for the fact that somehow and some way Down are even more focused, fierce, and fiery than ever on the first track from their forthcoming EP One, "Witchtripper". This is Down at their best, and it's also the first sliver of the best hard rock record of 2012. The group's brilliance lies in their ability to tap into a classical majesty, while remaining completely and utterly identifiable. There's only one Down, and "Witchtripper" proclaims that once again. Like two six-string sorcerers Pepper Keenan and Kirk Windstein light up an infectious riff, stomping between southern blues and sludged-out thrash. Jimmy Bower's drums sound like their signaling a raid on Olympus, while Pat Bruders weaves in and out of the maelstrom with deft bass mastery. At the forefront of the assault, Philip Anselmo delivers a massively memorable hook with the same fire and passion that made him a legend. These titans sound tight and tough, doling out a propulsive anthem in the process. Every Down record remains a special occasion and a landmark in its own right. Consider this the first sign post to rock 'n' roll Valhalla for a whole generation to marvel at. Make sure you get the record on September 18, 2012. There will be more to come. —Rick Florino, ArtistDirect.com

First Single "Witchtripper" Streaming Now at RollingStone.com U.S. Tour Dates Schedule for Fall NEW YORK, NY July 27, 2012—Metal forerunners DOWN will release Down IV Part I, their first body of new material in five years, on September 18, 2012 via Down Records/Independent Label Group. Rolling Stone made the exclusive announcement this week with the world premiere of first single “Witchtripper,” calling it a “typically aggressive Anselmo vocal against a twisting, grinding musical backdrop.” [READ THE FULL STORY HERE]. Adding further excitement to news of the upcoming release, Sirius XM Radio’s “Liquid Metal” also premiered the new single “Witchtripper” and “Misfortune Teller” to radio airwaves this week, while Revolver Magazine revealed the cover art today! [VIEW HERE] The six song EP is the first in a series of four EP’s planned for release over the next year. DOWN, which includes Philip Anselmo (Pantera) on vocals, Pepper Keenan (C.O.C.) on lead guitars, Kirk Windstein (Crowbar) on guitar, Jimmy Bowery (Eye Hate God) on drums, and Pat Brudners (Crowbar), the newest addition to the line-up, on bass, will kick off a string of tour dates on release day, beginning in Fort Worth, TX, and ending October 2 in Charlotte, NC. Self-produced and recorded at Nodfertu’s Lair, located at Anselmo’s New Orleans home, Down IV Part I is undeniably the product of the iconic collective that is DOWN, whose members origins span from Pantera, Corrosion of Conformity, Crowbar, and Eyehategod. Staggering riffs, thunderous drums, and Anselmo's inimitable delivery crush and captivate over the course of the collection's six songs. It's dark. It's dangerous. It's decisive. It's DOWN at their best. "I do believe that we have delivered a record that will be accepted and hopefully enjoyed by the DOWN horde—if you will,” says Anselmo. “If you're looking for a DOWN record, it's very pure and real." Lyrically, the EP goes beyond just personal experiences, and explores themes that include the faith of mankind, the imperfection of mankind and cultural belief systems. "DOWN gives me the platform to be poetic and paint imagery with lyrics,” says Anselmo. “That's the approach I took. They complement the music and create an ominous feeling. Ultimately, when people consume the words, it's always their interpretation that matters. I could be image-conscious though when I wrote. It's not so gut level or street. The darker shit is some of my favorite." With an album sales history totaling over 725k, these New Orleans natives are no strangers to success. Their legendary 1995 debut Nola is certified platinum, while Down II: A Bustle In Your Hedgerow [2002] and Down III [2007] remain fan and critical successes. Count on DOWN IV to garner similar achievements! EP 1 Track Listing:

1. Levitation
2. Witchtripper
3. Open Coffins
4. The Curse Is A Lie
5. This Work Is Timeless
6. Misfortune Teller

Down - the metal supergroup feturing Phil Anselmo of Pantera, Pepper Keenan of Corrosion of Conformity, Jimmy Bower of Eyehategod, and Kirk Windstein of Crowbar and Kingdom of Sorrow - will release their highly anticipated new offering, Down IV Part I, on September 18. It will be the first in a series of four EPs. You can stream the new song, "Witchtripper" by clicking here.

Sirius XM's Liquid Metal will debut two songs off "Down IV Part I - The Purple EP" at 8PM EDT and Phil Anselmo will call in to the show to talk about the new EP. Phil, Kirk, Pat & Jimmy on Down IV Part I: "Hope everyone likes the new Down! And hope you are friggin' happy all over!" - Phil "Can't wait for the release of 'Down IV Part I - The Purple EP" and the tour to start! You won't be disappointed!" - Kirk "Hope everyone enjoys the EP & please have a good but safe time @ the shows!" - Pat "As we await the demise of man, gather together for the re-birth of the RIFF in the form of an EP from a sonic wonder known as +DOWN+! The well known cure for depression from todays sorrw +The riff will heal all who seek it+" - Jimmy

Frontman Phil Anselmo and band plan to release four EPs of new music Stream "Witchtripper" at RollingStone.com Former Pantera frontman Phil Anselmo's band Down will release a six-song EP, appropriately titled EP ONE, on September 18th. The first single, "Witchtripper," premiered exclusively here, finds a typically aggressive Anselmo vocal against a twisting, grinding musical backdrop. Anselmo tells Rolling Stone that like the well-known Pantera songs "Fucking Hostile" and "Psycho Holiday," "Witchtripper" was a song title he had to be goaded into. "Somebody would suggest to me, 'Hey, man, that might make a killer song title.' And at the time I'm like, 'You're out of your fucking mind. There's no way I'm gonna call a song 'Witchtripper,'" he says. But after digging the riff created by Down guitarist Pepper Keenan and drummer Jimmy Bower, Anselmo decided to give them what they wanted. "I was like, 'OK, check this out, you dicks. 'Witchtripper' you want, 'Witchtripper' you will get,'" he says. "I laid it on them, and sure enough, they were right – it worked, as usual. So there goes the genius of Phil Anselmo. Always doubting, and I'm the last one to get it," he adds, laughing. EP ONE marks the first new music from the band since 2007's Down III: Over the Under. In the meantime Anselmo has kept himself plenty busy, touring, running his Housecore Records label and working on a solo album. As a result, he decided to let the Down music come organically. "I have not really put too much pressure on myself with Down, and I think that's the best approach," he says. "Right now I'm looking forward to the public's consumption and letting them hear it. I'm not sure if it's gonna break any ground. I never put any expectation on any friggin' record I do," he says. "We didn't overanalyze anything. We just let the songs kind of unfold, and once it felt right, there was no reason to go back." Going back to the title, EP ONE is apt because the group plans to release four EPs in total, with the second collection of songs due early next year, around the time of a planned U.S. tour. EPs three and four are scheduled for later in 2013. At least that's the plan, but don't hold Anselmo to that. "The worst thing anyone could do is to count on Down for holding a bargain on timelines," he says. "All I can say is expect it. I'm sure it'll happen, we haven't let you down before." Continue Reading...

Former Pantera and current Down vocalist Phil Anselmo will join members of Slayer and Anthrax at the Metal Masters clinic in NYC this September, and Frank Bello says Phil is part of the family. Check this out on YouTube.

It’s The Battle of the Southern Gentlemen! In one corner, we have New Orleans’ Kirk Windstein, of Crowbar/Down fame, and his long, distinguished grays; in the other corner, we have Atlanta’s Sean Z., vocalist for Dååth and keyboardist for Chimaira, whose beard has grown to such proportions that it is said to house its own hydroponic garden of delights. Who will emerge victorious? Check out the polls at metalsucks.net

Via vtmag Hailing from New Orleans, Louisiana, Down – the supergroup consisting of members of Pantera, Eyehategod, Crowbar and Corrosion of Conformity – recently hit the road for roughly two weeks of dates prior to releasing their much anticipated EP. Zero Tolerance magazine was fortunate enough to speak with drummer Jimmy Bower and new bassist Pat Bruders during their stop in Houston, Texas, in what turned out to be Bruders’ first European interview as a member of Down. “Your first European interview is taking place in Houston, TX of all places. Did that just blow your mind?” I ask, to which Bruders laughed and replied “Yeah it did!” It’s been nearly 5 years since Down’s last album, 2007’s “Down III: Over the Under.” What fans can expect from the band over the next couple of years is not just a new album, but a series of four new EPs, each one concentrating on different aspects of what Down can offer musically. So why the different approach to releasing new music? “We just wanted to do something different. They’re all going to have kind of a concept; even the artwork altogether makes kind of a concept,” says Bower. “This record is kinda old-school NOLA [Down’s first album – ed.], the third one is gonna be an acoustic record, and the fourth one, total doom ya know. We’ve been talking about an acoustic record forever, but never got around to it.” Given the passage of time since Down has put out any new material, Down fans are anxiously awaiting the arrival of this new EP. “I think people are really going to like it,” continues Bower. “It does have more of a jam room vibe. It’s been a long time since we’ve put a record out; since 2007. So it’s definitely time, and it sounds killer. We’re ready for it to come out; we worked hard on it.” Surely with all the time since the Down III, the band couldn’t have hit the studio cold to write the whole album from scratch. “We pretty much went in as a band with some songs written, then went through them and picked out stuff,” explains Bruders. “Then he [pointing at Bower] and Phil had some ideas and riffs. But we all, as a whole, went in as a band and ripped it out.” 2011 saw a lineup change for the band with the departure of bassist Rex Brown. Brown’s departure paved the way for Bruders, also of Crowbar and Outlaw Order fame, to join the band. “He plays his ass off on it!” exclaimed Bower of the new EP. “He brought a new life into the band, and a new style on bass, and it’s fuckin’ killer man. It made total sense to get Pat.”   Continue Reading...

On June 2, 2012, Down joined 26 other metal bands to perform at the annual Scion RockFest in Tampa Florida. Down's setlist included fan favorites like "Ghost of the Mississippi" and "Eyes of the South." After a rowdy audience applause, Down returned to the stage for a brief encore, rocking Tampa with "The Misfortune Teller," "Stone The Crow," and "Bury Me In Smoke." To see exclusive photos of Down's performance, click on the link below!   PHOTOS: Down at Scion RockFest!

Lately, the heavy-metal environment offers some pretty interesting terrain: There are popular death-core bands with eight-stringed guitars playing polyrhythms they've rehashed hundreds of times, a full-on early Megaforce Records-style thrash revival, and more blossoming subgenres than you can shake a stick at. And while it would appear that a lot of bands have grown preoccupied with trying to write faster, heavier, and more technically challenging music than the next, there really is no substitute for solid riffs, deeply pocketed drumming, and some soulfully anguished vocals. New Orleans-based supergroup Down has been satisfying the need for a classic take on what's great about heavy metal for the better part of 21 years now. It somehow defies the "one record wonder" supergroup cliché while indulging all of its musical whims -- which run the gamut from Sabbath-influenced doom metal to swampy, blues-influenced rock and just about everything in between. Although Down is not always the most prolific band, it does manage to deliver the goods when it comes to making music that's universally appealing to fans of all things rockin'. If you haven't heard of Down, the band is composed of former Pantera frontman Philip Anselmo, pseudo-former Corrosion of Conformity guitarist and singer Pepper Keenan, Crowbar guitarist Kirk Windstein, and Eyehategod/Superjoint Ritual drummer Jimmy "Power" Bower. Though Pantera's Rex Brown was the original bass player for the group, health problems have since sidelined him in favor of Crowbar bassist Pat Bruders. We caught up with the ever-affable Pepper Keenan before the band's first date of tour in Broussard, Louisiana.

MusicFrenzy.com Rock on the Range 2012 highlight number one for me came at 4:35pm Sunday when Down lit up the FYE stage. I've always been a huge Pantera fan so the weekend for me started on Saturday when I went to the Alrosa Villa and paid my respects to Dime. Then I finished my Pantera weekend by being in the photo pit for Phil Anselmo and the guys from Down. Watching Phil, Pepper, Kirk, Jimmy, and Pat brutalize the stage was a surreal moment for me. Kirk and Pepper are two incredible guitarists and damn did they sound amazing as the set kicked off with "Hail the Leaf". The crowd went ballistic and Phil worked the stage like it was the UFC octagon, stomping and pounding as he ruled the song. "Stone the Crow", "Rehab", "Bury Me in Smoke, and "Lysergik Funeral Procession" brought the beast out of each fan in the crowd but the icing on the cake was when Phil dedicated "Lifer" to Dime. The emotions on his face told the story of how much he missed his bandmate and then he unleashed hell on stage as he stomped around like a possessed demon. Bashing the microphone on his forehead and raging around the stage was a pure gutteral release for him it seemed. Down took over Columbus, Ohio for just a short period of time but I'm sure the band left a long lasting impression on every freakin' person there. View Photos

via Al.com Down guitarist Kirk Windstein estimates about 25 percent of fans he encounters at the metal supergroup’s meet-and-greets have Down-related tattoos. “Everything up to huge, huge back pieces,” Windstein, 47, says. “A lot of them want us to sign our names, and get that tattooed outside the logo. It’s crazy – and a good feeling – that someone would love your music enough to do that.” At an 8 p.m. Saturday Crossroads Cafe gig, Huntsville fans will get a chance to hear what some metal devotees have waited half a decade for: songs from Down’s next studio record. (The New Orleans-based band’s last was 2007’s “Down III: Over the Under.") Down plans to release a series of four EPs, titled “Down IV,” during the next few years, and Windstein says the first is already in the can and contains six tracks. He expects the EP to drop late summer. “We’ll probably play one or two new (songs) at the show actually,” Windstein says, calling from his friend’s Kenner, La., freight company. “They’re kind of a throwback to what we were doing at the very beginning, on the ‘NOLA’ record (Down’s 1995 platinum debut). I think the fans are going to love it.” Windstein, whose beard is impressive enough to have its own Facebook page (titled Kirk Windstein’s Beard), names “Misfortune Teller” as one of his favorite tunes from the upcoming EP. Down’s current lineup features singer Phil Anselmo (Pantera), guitarist Pepper Keenan (Corrosion of Conformity), drummer Jimmy Bower (eyehategod) and bassist Patrick Bruders (Goatwhore). Influences on their new songs include ear-shattering artists like Black Sabbath, Pentagram and Trouble. In 2007, Windstein got a chance to hear one of his biggest idols, Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi, up close when Down toured with Heaven and Hell, the name Sabbath operated under from 2006 to 2009 with Ronnie James Dio as its singer, to differentiate from the seminal group’s Ozzy Osbourne-fronted configuration. “We’d be in our dressing room,” Windstein says, “and the second as we’d hear (Iommi) hit a chord (at soundcheck), me and Pepper would run out into the empty arena.” Windstein and Anselmo were childhood friends. They bonded over recordings from Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Motorhead and Metallica. Windstein’s current music collection also contains decidedly un-metal artists, including Sade, Seal, Lady Gaga, Earth Wind & Fire and Dr. John. I ask Windstein if he was surprised the appellation “Down” was still available when the band formed in the early ’90s. “Yeah. It’s such a simple name. The other day, me and my fiancé were looking through a Revolver magazine, and maybe I’m just old, but some of the names … Everybody’s got the three-word name: Ashes of Susie or whatever. I just don’t get it. Come up with something cool and simple. Down. Crowbar. Thin Lizzy.” Speaking of Crowbar, it’s interesting to note videos from Windstein’s pre-Down band were featured on MTV’s classic, metal-centric cartoon “Beavis and Butt-Head” “(The characters Beavis and Butt-Head) were laughing at how fat we were,” Windstein remembers, “which I thought was great.” Want to go? Down with Haarp, Black Tusk When: Saturday, 8 p.m. Where: Crossroads Cafe, 115 Clinton Ave. How much: $19 advance, $25 at the door Details: 256-533-3393, crossroadsmusic.biz, down-nola.com