Philip Anselmo to guest on Full Metal Jackie's syndicated metal radio show this weekend (10/22-10/24.) To find a radio station near you airing the show, go tofullmetaljackieradio.com

You’ve yet to witness the power and passion of a band the likes of Down… unless you’ve seen them in concert. Then this live album will bring back hazy memories…

MetalStormMag.com Drummer Vinny Appice (BLACK SABBATH, DIO, HEAVEN & HELL) has joined ARMS OF THE SUN — the project featuring Rex Brown (PANTERA, DOWN) on bass, Lance Harvill on vocals and guitar, and Ben Bunker (GRYN) on guitar. In a recent interview with original TROUBLE drummer Jeff "Oly" Olson for Olson's new Internet radio show, "Heady Metal with Jeff Olson," Brown said of the departure of ARMS OF THE SUN's previous drummer, John Luke Hébert, and the addition of Appice, "[John] played on a couple of KING DIAMOND records in the '90s. Great drummer, just very hard to get to rehearsals. So we've been through three drummers now. And finally I convinced Vinny... I said, 'Dude, you've gotta come down and help me out on this.' Vinny and I joined another little side project. And I said, 'Look, I'll help you on with your deal if you'll come down and help me on mine.' So it's kind of a 'scratch-each-other's-backs' kind of deal. And we have time for both bands, which is cool." ARMS OF THE SUN recently completed work on thirteen tracks that were produced and mixed by Terry Date (DEFTONES, PANTERA, SOUNDGARDEN). The material is set for release through Extreme Music, which provides class-A production music to all major networks and studios, ad agencies and production companies, including FOX, HBO, NBC, BBC, MTV, SKY, ABC, Discovery, Nickelodeon, Turner Entertainment Networks, Universal, Lions Gate, Miramax, Sony Pictures, Touchstone and Disney, to name a few. ARMS OF THE SUN recorded the music, written by Lance Harvill, late last year at Willie Nelson's Pedernales Recording Studio in Austin. The project is executive-produced by Sir George Martin (THE BEATLES) and Mark Ross for the Grandmaster Series, which celebrates four of the world's top producers spanning from the '60s through the '90s, including Sir George himself, Terry Date, Jack Douglas (AEROSMITH), and Hugh Padgham (THE POLICE). ARMS OF THE SUN made its live debut on April 17 at Lakewood Theater in Dallas, Texas. "Heady Metal With Jeff Olson" interview with Rex Brown is available at www.HeadyMetalwithJeffOlson.com

Phil Anselmo will be on the October 30th episode of the all new That Metal Show on VH1 Classic. Phil will talk about the 20th Anniversary Reissue of Cowboys From Hell. Check out Behind-The-Scenes photos of Phil on the LA set of TMS with Slash, hosts Eddie Trunk, Jim Florentine and Don Jamieson. VH1 Classic's That Metal Show returns for a sixth season, premiering Saturday October 16th at 11pm ET/PT. For more info on upcoming guests and more photos of Phil from behind-the-scenes visit EddieTrunk.com.

On the outer banks of the Louisiana bayou, the sludge is brewing and bubbling, shrouded in a dense fog, while the "Eyes of the South" are slowly opening. Every couple of years or so, "The Ghosts Along the Mississippi" re-emerge to satisfy the power of the riff and as the............. Wait! Enough with the cliches, this is not some one trick pony nostalgia band, it's the mighy stoner/sludge-metal super group known as DOWN, and on October 5th, they will be releasing their first official live CD/DVD entitled Diary of a Mad Band. With live tracks and behind the scenes footage during the band's first European tour in the year six, or "VI", Diary of a Mad Band will bring DOWN off the road and into your home, the safest way possible. Composed of EX-PANTERA members Rex Brown and Phillip Anselmo, CROWBAR, EYEHATEGOD, and CORROSION OF CONFORMITY's Pepper Keen, DOWN has proven to be more than a side project nearly 15 years after the band's 1995 debut NOLA. Rex Brown is a freight train on bass that can bust through any wall, never missing a thunderous beat. With his signature style and tone, Rex continues to be one of the most respected and emulated bass players in all of hard rock and metal. Speaking with us on the eve of the release of Diary of a Mad Band, Rex discusses DOWN, PANTERA, along with his new passion, ARMS OF THE SUN, and the musical legacy that he continues to pass down. "After we finished the tour, we all said that we needed to go make a record, NOW!" SONIC EXCESS: Diary of a Mad Band is DOWN'S first official DVD and live CD that is set to be released on October 5th. This isn't a typical live DVD filmed in one location, with an extra song added as bonus material. Can you explain how this is a different kind of DVD, and did LED ZEPPLIN'S The Song Remains the Same inspire Diary of a Mad Band? Rex Brown: I wouldn't say that. We took a film crew, a director, and also a cameraman, on the road. It has a bunch of really different shots of us. We went to Europe with no product out, and we only promoted by using our name (DOWN) alone. SE: Was DOWN a bit overwhelmed when going over to Europe, with no promotion, and seeing the fans just go nuts? Brown: They went crazy! It was also very gratifying. We all have been over to Europe with our different bands, but not as DOWN. SE: Now what took DOWN so long to go overseas? I know you have had huge touring cycles in the US. Brown: We just never ventured out much. We toured America and lost touch for about three years. SE: Are you just as excited as the fans are to have it finally released? Brown: I'm excited. Diary of a Mad Band was supposed to be out a year ago. We had legal troubles and hassles, from different parties involved, but finally we got it out! I'm happy to have it released. SE: What do you wish was included in the DVD that did not make the final cut, or what do you wish was left in the editing room that's included in the film? BROWN: There is tons of footage! Pepper (guitar) had to edit this thing. He was the one who really put the movie together, because the director went to prison, I believe. He was a crazy bastard. Pepper was in the editing room just putting it all together, and that takes time. SE: In 2002, DOWN recorded a few shows during the "An Evening with Down" tour. Why wasn't the footage ever released or incorporated into the Diary of a Mad Band package? BROWN: We just wanted to chronicle the year of "VI"; 2006, we call it the year of "VI". We just wanted to film us in Europe, and that was the whole deal; us getting the band back together, wanting to walk again, and then to start running. We just took off. That was the whole premise of that (Diary of a Mad Band). It was a time capsule in that frame of mind. SE: DOWN is a very powerful live band. Do you think Diary of a Mad Band captures the raw energy of a DOWN gig? BROWN: Like I said, it's (Diary of a Mad Band) just the chronological order. From the very first show that we tapped, we put it together; then the next show, and so on. You can just see us (DOWN) getting better and better. After we finished the tour, we all said that we needed to go make a record now. "Once we all get into the mindset, that is when it's game on. We are getting close, but we are not there yet. We all still have something outside that has to be done." SE: With a new CROWBAR album on the horizon, have DOWN'S recording plans halted, and will you be laying down the bass tracks or producing the record as you did with Lifeblood? BROWN: I believe they (CROWBAR) just finished recording, and I wasn't a part of that. SE: Has all the material for the next DOWN record been written, and has anything been recorded in the studio yet? BROWN: Well, we have about three to six tracks, but what I think we are going to do is bundle these things together and record them. We will put like four tracks into a bundle, for $6.99 or something like that, and start putting those out and doing it all the time. That would be the ideal function of the band, instead of putting that one major record out that can be a pain staking process. SE: So, instead of going into a barn like you did with Down II, writing and recording in 28 days, you're really taking your time and skipping a full release? BROWN: Well, we are still going into the barn to get that heaviness and get it as stripped down as possible. We will have to see when we get there. I really can't speculate now, because I know it's not going to be this year; probably next year before anything comes out. With this band (DOWN) it just takes time. We all have different lives and things going on outside of this band. We just did a three-year touring cycle, so we have to get away from it for just a little bit. SE: Is DOWN no longer viewed as a side project, and is this where everyone would like to put their energy full time? BROWN: Once we all get into the mindset, that is when it's game on. We are getting close, but we are not there yet. We all still have something outside that has to be done. "I don't regret anything. Cowboys From Hell was a groundbreaking record, from a band out of Texas desperately trying to get out there and let our talents be shown." SE: The Cowboys From Hell 20th anniversary edition was recently released. Does it seem like only yesterday that you were in the studio and now looking back? Are you completely happy with your bass tracks on Cowboys? BROWN: Ohh absolutely. I wish that you could hear them (bass tracks) a little better. It was just hard, number one, to capture that guitar sound live on tape and, number two, getting into the flesh in the mixing with Vinnie's drums. The bass is in there, but you really can't hear it. Dime and I played a lot of the riffs together, but I don't regret anything. Cowboys From Hell was a groundbreaking record, from a band out of Texas desperately trying to get out there and let our talents be shown. SE: What's your favorite memory from those sessions, or that era, and did you realize how groundbreaking Cowboys From Hell was at that time? BROWN: We knew from a band's sense and that the four of us where trying to make a great record. We didn't know what it would do. Looking back now, production wise, it was a heavy record that still has the hooks. We just pushed it to the limit and that was every record PANTERA ever did. SE: And two years later, you took it to a whole new level (pun intended) with Vulgar Display of Power. Can we expect another re-issue in 2012? BROWN: Ohh yeah. It's going to be the next three. (Cowboys From Hell, Vulgar Display of Power, and Far Beyond Driven) SE: No The Great Southern Trendkill? BROWN: I'm not sure. If it's in demand, we will do it! SE: Why was the decision made to jump ship on everything prior to Cowboys From Hell, and any regrets during the glam days? BROWN: Well, we weren't glam. We looked weird with our hair, but we always wrote heavy music. That was just the style of the day. If you grew up in that time, you either had some kind of weight kicking or you were just some band that would play in a garage. We did not want to play in a garage. We wanted to play in front of people. SE: Many PANTERA fans have been calling for a sort of reunion. What are your thoughts on that? BROWN: I just don't see it happening. It would be great in one factor, that we would play with Vinnie (drums) again and that it would be all sorted out. But, I think it would be...I just don't think it would be right without Dime (guitar). It was only the four of us, and I don't know anybody that can play like him. SE: In other words, PANTERA was four core members and four original members only. BROWN: That's it. I don't think you could replace one and just get up there and do it. SE: I want to talk with you about ARMS OF THE SUN. You guys are doing a couple of dates in Texas, and I haven’t seen any dates elsewhere. Will you be planning a full tour? "I have that same spark that I had on Vulgar Display of Power. That's the way I feel about it now. It's not what's to be expected out of me. It's more song orientated and really good music" BROWN: YEAHH! I'm shopping it to management as we speak! Everything is done on it (the album). We have twelve tracks recorded, sequenced, mastered, the whole bit, and we put it on our own dime. It's something that is a real passion for me. Usually when I do a record, I just turn everything off and do something else, but I have been coming back to this music. It's heartfelt and really good. We should have that out by the first of the year, and hopefully tour; doing radio events around the country and stuff like that. We would also like to go to England and break this thing wide open. SE: ARMS OF THE SUN doesn't sound like something you do on the weekends to jam with your buddies. BROWN: This is a labor of love for me. It's some serious songwriting. SE: I guess we are just going to have to keep checking out armsofthesun.com for some material then. BROWN: Yes, and it's real bad ass. Our webpage is getting a makeover, and we are setting up the business. SE: How would you describe ARMS OF THE SUN's music to someone who has never heard it? BROWN: THE BEATLES on acid! SE: What's the reaction been like down in Texas from the people lucky enough to see ARMS OF THE SUN? BROWN: Amazing! We have people screaming for it. We are probably going to play a couple of more gigs here. We're not trying to make it into a big scene or anything like that, but the live shows have just been wild. SE: I can't wait to check this out. Sounds like ARMS OF THE SUN has given you quite a new spark and fire. Would you compare it to the early PANTERA days? BROWN: I have that same spark that I had on Vulgar Display of Power. That's the way I feel about it now. It's not what's to be expected out of me. It's more song orientated and really good music. SE: What else do you have going on right now? BROWN: I'm also a father, and I am taking care of my family. It's nice to be home and to be able to do that. I have twins, a boy and a girl that are 10 years old, so they take up a lot of my time with football, cheerleading and the whole bit. These kids are great kids and sharper than I am. SE: Do they take after their dad musically? BROWN: My daughter plays guitar and has lessons once a week. I got my son a drum set for Christmas. When he tells me he wants a teacher, I will bring someone in, but, until the day he does that, I'll let him do it on his own. You have to learn for yourself what you're playing and get used to the feel. He knows how to play regular beats, but I'm not going to push it on him. SE: Is he playing "Becoming" yet? Brown: (Laughs) No, that's going to be down the road. SE: Any last words? BROWN: For the fans, stick around! There is going to be a lot of great music. Keep the faith and smoke whiskey! SonicExcess.com  

NOLA’s DOWN has released their 3 disc (2 CD/1 DVD) set, Diary of a Mad Band today! Make sure to head to your local record store today and pick up a copy, and make sure to grab the 180 Gram triple vinyl version with a bonus DVD, available on October 26th! You can purchase deluxe versions of Diary of a Mad Band here, at Amazon here, and on iTuneshere. Also, you can listen to the full audio portion of the set now at AOL Music! The stream will be only be available un next Sunday, October 10th, so listen now!

Here is an exerpt from Kirk Windstein's interview with Metalsucks.net Read the full interview HERE! It seems like you’ll be quite busy for several months with Down and Crowbar, and we’ll get to that in a moment. For the time being, are there any more tours on the horizon for Kingdom of Sorrow that fans might be able to see you at? We’re discussing a U.K. tour possibly. There are discussions of a few things, but nothing that’s booked. And Down, I’m getting together with Pep and Jim probably Thursday and/or Friday to work on some new Down stuff [I started] with Jim before the last run we did over in Europe. We had some good ideas and whatnot. Just taking it step by step with that. We kind of just . . . with Down, it’s kind of one of those things that when everybody’s ready — mainly Phil — when he’s ready and has that fire lit, it moves like a rocket. It’s like you’re totally engrossed in it. You live it and breathe it 24/7. He’s got a lot of other things going on as well with his label and doing some other music like he always does. So we just keep writing and keep it rolling along. I’m ready to record that shit and get back to touring, man. That’s great. So new Down in 2011 maybe? Uh, 2011 I would say. Yeah. Something for sure. We’re not even there yet, so I think that’s totally feasible. Obviously not this year because it would have to be signed, sealed, delivered and done already. It’s not there by any means. It’s always going to happen and Down is always going to be there. So that’s a good thing. But in the meantime, you guys have a DVD coming out. It seems like that DVD has been talked about forever. It’s been delayed so many times. You guys filmed it back in what? 2008? 2006. 06? Then it was going to come out and then it didn’t. Then it was going to come out again, and it was going to be on E1, and then that got shelved. Right. Why is this project so cursed? Well, I wouldn’t say that it was necessarily cursed, but it was a situation of getting it filmed and trying to get all that organized. By the time we got back, Jim Van Bebber (who was in control of filming all this stuff) had so much footage that he didn’t really know where to even begin. We were so busy doing the Down Over the Under record and touring for that — repeatedly touring for that from September 2007 . . . shit, we just finished touring for it basically. It was a situation of finding the time to do it and when we thought we had it all figured it out; Pepper busted his ass. He was mainly in charge of doing the editing and putting most of it together. Phil, of course, had a big hand in it too. We felt it was signed, sealed, delivered and ready to go through E1 and literally at the 11th hour there was a legal problem and it had to be, not necessarily shelved, but postponed until they worked all that out with Warner. Thankfully it’s finally going to see the light of day. So it was a legal issue with Warner having to do with, I’m guessing, Down being previously signed to Warner? Is that right? Right, from what I understand. When it’s Crowbar, I’m very involved with the business obviously because it’s mainly my band. With Down, as far as the business stuff goes, I’m more just playing the guitar and helping writing riffs and having a good time. From what I understand, there was an issue because Warner was our record label that they had apparently had the right to do the DVD release, especially with the audio CD as well. They would have the first right. I think in the beginning, I don’t know, something didn’t work and we were under the impression that we were legally free to do it through E1 and went in that direction. Obviously it got postponed for legal stuff. That’s the way I understand it. So now you guys are basically self-releasing it though. I have no idea. I don’t know what’s going on. [Laughs] Seriously. I just ask Snake [Sabo, of Skid Row! -Ed.], our manager, “okay, when’s it coming out?” “Alright, it’s coming out in October.” “Okay, great.” I’m glad it’s finally coming out. I don’t understand, I care about it because I’m a member of the band, but the fact that it’s coming out is what I really care about. Right. I was just confused. I was hoping you might be able to tell me. You probably know as much as me, and that’s no fault of anybody. Personally, if there’s one thing about this business that sucks it’s the politics. It’s the business side of it. Why can’t we just make music? That’s my thing. Unfortunately, that’s not what it is. It’s all attorneys and accountants and whatnot that end up taking a lot of the fun out of it. [Laughter] It’s a necessary evil, and it’s not necessarily always evil. It’s a good thing when the ball is in your court or when things go your way right. It’s just something that I’m really not interested in. When I get the thumbs up that everything is okay, then that’s good with me. Continue Reading...  

IconFetch.com It's been 20 years since the release of Pantera's landmark "Cowboys From Hell." To celebrate, they've put together a deluxe 3-disc collection, featuring the entire album remastered, a disc of demos and a third disc of live material, recorded during the ensuing tour. But, the real treat of the collection is an unreleased Pantera song called "The Will To Survive." Icon Fetch catches up with former Pantera bassist Rex Brown and gets his thoughts on the new set, and it's place in metal history. He also gives his reflections on the loss of bandmate "Dimebag" Darrell, and updates us on his new project, Arms of the Sun.

20 Years Ago, PANTERA redefined metal when Atco Records released COWBOYS FROM HELL, the legendary album that opened the "Cemetery Gates" and introduced a legion of metal fans to the true "Art of Shredding." With their unmistakable brand of Texas groove-metal, PANTERA quickly became of the biggest acts in heavy music. With the long-awaited reissue of CFH taking place this coming Tuesday, I caught up with REX BROWN, bassist for PANTERA and current supplier of low-end rumble to DOWN for a casual conversation about the forthcoming reissue, and a look back at the legacy of the band. After playing phone tag for a bit, what follows below is that conversation transcribed, with Brown speaking from his Texas home. : Hey Rex, good to hear from you! REX BROWN/PANTERA: James! How are ya buddy? ZAHN: Good, I'm actually putting the finishing touches on our PANTERA contest right now. BROWN: Have you listened to the reissue yet? ZAHN: I have. They sent the 3-Disc, and it's excellent. BROWN: Glad to hear you're digging it! ZAHN: I wanted to talk to you about the record a bit. There's a lot of listeners out there that aren't really aware that PANTERA existed in a different form pre-COWBOYS FROM HELL, and for many years it was kind of a grey area for you as a band - not really talking too much about it [Note: PANTERA has long-conisdered CFH the first true Pantera record, as do most diehard fans]. What was the catalyst for the turning point you had as a band, to move beyond your early career and into the "groove metal" we've all come to know and love? BROWN: We'd been trying to do that for about two years before writing COWBOYS. Basically, we got Phil [Anselmo, vocalist] in the band and we started writing material for the POWER METAL record - which has never been released majorly in the 'States - but we toured on that in the Southwest Region and were always trying to get heavier and heavier. At the time, that's where our influences were coming from. I think that Phil joined the band toward the end of '86, so that gave us more than two years before we did the demo for COWBOYS and it was a natural progression. We got Phil in the band and he brought this more hardcore element, and Vinnie [Paul, Drummer] had a working studio alongside his old man for a long time, so even on those old Pantera records he had a really firm idea of what they should sound like. So, when we did COWBOYS, those old demos aren't that far removed from Terry [Date, producer]'s stuff even though you can tell the differences between the subtleties of doing it on your own and then re-doing it with a major label and having a lot more money to do it with. ZAHN: Listening to the demos myself, I noticed that the biggest differences seemed to be in the arrangements of the songs. "Cemetery Gates" is a big difference for example, with the into riff completely omitted from the early version. BROWN: Right. Dime [Darrell Abbott, Guitarist] and I wrote that while Vinnie was going over something. I had this big orange pumpkin bass from Kramer that they had put out - it was acoustic - and Dime and I were just sitting in the back of the office one day during the recording of that [with Terry], and started jamming and thought it was pretty cool and we could just take it and make a little diddy out of it. That's what it turned out to be - the intro to "Cemetery Gates." We just went right in and recorded it and had it all planned out and the whole bit. It was pretty cool that in just downtime, just me and Dime with the acoustic guitars started coming up with that stuff. In fact, I play acoustic on the actual piece, and I play piano on that as well. ZAHN: Right on. Was that they way a lot of your songs spawned - just sitting around jamming new riffs acoustically? BROWN: No, that was just one time where we were looking for an intro for a song that didn't even have lyrics over the top of it. So we wrote that little piece and showed it to the other guys and they were like "Oh yeah, this is going on it!" and after we jumped into recording it right away, we went back in and overdubbed with the additional guitar parts, and the end result is on the record. ZAHN: This new 20th Anniversary set is very extensive, so it begs me to ask if you'll be putting together similar collections for the albums that came after CFH... BROWN: Of course. VULGAR DISPLAY OF POWER is next, I guess in about a year and a half. It came out in 1992, so we're not that far off. We're just gonna put these things back into stores so that they have some shelf life again. Steve Harris [IRON MAIDEN bassist] once said when someone asked why they kept re-releasing all of their stuff, that "it's the best thing to do to keep your music on shelves and get it restocked to keep yourself out there." ZAHN: It's pretty much a given that you'll gain new listeners with each reissue, since new people will discover the band for the first time. BROWN: I think a lot of these people after Dime died... (pauses) I never really thought of this before, until maybe the past couple days... a lot of people didn't know PANTERA until Dime fell victim to that tragic situation. It's kind of like it brought attention to the band from this new-found group of people. ZAHN: I can agree with that. When I first discovered PANTERA it was during the VULGAR-era, and being a teenager at the time, that's when I started going to shows and first met you guys out in Iowa. Even though you had a huge fanbase in the Midwest, a lot of people just weren't in-tune to what PANTERA was all about until the Dime (pictured right) incident, and that was a decade later. BROWN: I'd never thought of that before, and then I started seeing all these new tattoos from kids that couldn't be more than 16 or so, and I was like "shit, you weren't even alive when we were doing this." I think a lot of people jumped on the bandwagon with a big misery trip. Morbid curiosity fueled that for some people. We're putting these back out number one for the fans, the ones that bought the record the first time around - and number two for the new offspring of kids that might be experiencing something old for the first time. ZAHN: Exactly. Speaking of experiencing things for the first time, when you were touring heavily and releasing those VULGAR VIDEOS, I know that there's a lot of footage out there that no one has ever seen. BROWN: Oh there's tons. ZAHN: What really comes to mind is the FAR BEYOND DRIVEN Tour. I'd seen you a few times on that one, and know that you were filming every show. Is there any chance we might get to see that sometime? BROWN: I would hope so. We just need to get someone to go down there and start going through hundreds of hours worth of footage. That'll be a part of the next little "box set" we'd like to do. I think that's the next priority is to get a VULGAR VIDEO IV out there or something like that. ZAHN: I think there's a lot of people that would really dig that. Maybe put the first ones together on a Blu-Ray like you did on DVD awhile back? BROWN: We'd do it both ways, new one on Blu-ray and DVD and then the originals on Blu-ray as well. ZAHN: What's up in the world of DOWN these days? Still working on the new record? BROWN: Slowly. ZAHN: What about the live DVD that was supposed to be out awhile back? BROWN: Comes out October 5th. ZAHN: I know that shifted release dates quite a bit, and a lot of people have been asking us for details. BROWN: Yeah, it was just politics between the labels and stuff. You know, at first Warner's said "Go ahead and do what you want, we don't want it." and then as soon as we go to put it out they step in an pull the plug on us. So now, Roadrunner is doing it with us. They'll be putting it out over here and overseas. It's really good. ZAHN: Getting back to PANTERA, is there anything you've never gotten to get out there through all these years of doing press? BROWN: It was all very memorable, but you've gotta remember that it was also a big blur. We'd just gotten signed, yet we still had to play clubs and do what we had to do to make some money... there was a lot of hunger there... a lot of fire there. I remember that CFH demo more than anything, and every day in the life of PANTERA there was something fuckin' crazy going on. PANTERA - COWBOYS FROM HELL 20th ANNIVERSARY EDITION will be released on September 14th in a variety of configurations, followed by an "Ultimate" box set this November. DOWN - DIARY OF A MAD BAND will be released as a CD/DVD combo on October 5th. Get your PANTERA fix below, and be sure to pre-order your copies of both CFH and the new DOWN. KikAxeMusic.com

To celebrate the 20-year anniversary of Pantera’s Cowboys From Hell, Rhino Records will be releasing three very special editions of the breakthrough heavy metal album, in the form of a two-disc Expanded Edition, a three-disc Deluxe Edition, and a three-disc Ultimate Edition. The albums are available in stores and online today, September 14th.   All three editions include a newly remastered version of the original album, along with rare live and unreleased performances during the band’s Cowboys From Hell Tour. The Ultimate and Deluxe Editions will include a bonus disc of unreleased demos plus “The Will to Survive,” a previously unreleased song originally recorded during the album’s sessions. The Ultimate Edition will also include several replica memorabilia pieces from the Cowboys From Hell era. Cowboys From Hell 20th Anniversary Edition Track Listing: Disc One – Ultimate, Deluxe, and Expanded Editions 1.“Cowboys From Hell” 2.“Primal Concrete Sledge” 3.“Psycho Holiday” 4.“Heresy” 5.“Cemetery Gates” 6.“Domination” 7.“Shattered” 8.“Clash With Reality” 9.“Medicine Man” 10.“Message In Blood” 11.“The Sleep” 12.“The Art Of Shredding” Disc Two – Ultimate, Deluxe, and Expanded Editions (Tracks 1-7 Recorded Live at Foundations Forum, Los Angeles, CA 9/15/90) (Tracks 8-12 Recorded at For Those About to Rock: Monsters in Moscow, 1991) 1.“Domination” – Live* 2.“Psycho Holiday” – Live* 3.“The Art Of Shredding” – Live* 4.“Cowboys From Hell” – Live* 5.“Cemetery Gates” – Live* 6.“Primal Concrete Sledge” – Live* 7.“Heresy” – Live* 8.“Domination” – Live, Alive And Hostile EP† 9.“Primal Concrete Sledge” – Live, Alive And Hostile EP† 10.“Cowboys From Hell” – Live, Alive And Hostile EP† 11.“Heresy” – Live, Alive And Hostile EP† 12.“Psycho Holiday” – Live, Alive And Hostile EP† Disc Three – Ultimate and Deluxe Editions Only 1.“The Will To Survive”* 2.“Shattered” – Demo* 3.“Cowboys From Hell” – Demo* 4.“Heresy” – Demo* 5.“Cemetery Gates” – Demo* 6.“Psycho Holiday” – Demo* 7.“Medicine Man” – Demo* 8.“Message In Blood” – Demo* 9.“Domination” – Demo* 10.“The Sleep” – Demo* 11.“The Art Of Shredding” – Demo* * Previously Unreleased † Unreleased in the U.S   If you can’t wait to hear what the Cowboys From Hell 20th Anniversary Edition has to offer, you can now listen to a demo version of “Cemetery Gates” and a live version of “Psycho Holiday,” both of which are streaming on the band’s Facebook page. You can also listen to the version of “Cowboys From Hell” that will be featured on the Deluxe Edition below. Cowboys From Hell (Album Version) by RhinoRecords Cowboys From Hell (Album Version) by RhinoRecords For more information on Pantera, check out: www.pantera.com

By Shannon Joy (LA Music Blog) Want to chat with Phil Anselmo? Any fan of heavy metal can answer that in two words–hell yes!  

DOWN TO RELEASE ‘DIARY OF A MAD BAND’ 3 DISC (2 CD/1 DVD) SET ON OCTOBER 5TH 2010, MULTIPLE PRE-ORDER BUNDLES AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE NOW!   180 GRAM TRIPLE VINYL WITH BONUS DVD VERSION TO BE RELEASED ON OCTOBER 26TH, 2010 New Orleans, LA’s DOWN is pleased to announce three killer pre-order bundles, available for purchase now in preparation for their upcoming 3 disc (2 CD/1 DVD) release, Diary of a Mad Band, hitting stores on October 5th, 2010. All pre-orders include an instant MP3 download of ‘Stone the Crow’ live in Dublin! These packages are a must have for every DOWN fan! Click the links below to be directed to the webstore to purchase your bundle! • Pre-Order Bundle #1 - Diary of a Mad Band 3 disc (2 CD/1 DVD) set - $18 • Pre-Order Bundle #2 - AUTOGRAPHED copy of Diary of a Mad Band 3 disc (2 CD/1 DVD) set with limited edition pre-order only T-SHIRT - $30 • Pre-Order Bundle #3 - AUTOGRAPHED copy of Diary of a Mad 3 disc (2 CD/1 DVD), limited edition DOWN 3’x 5’ FLAG, limited edition pre-order only T-SHIRT - $45 Guitarist Pepper Keenan affirms, “The DVD is an in-depth look at what five boys from the wrong side of the tracks can achieve when motivated by the will to escape hard times, fueled by an unexplainable quest to destroy live and be embraced by the love of fans whom we had not had the pleasure of meeting yet. This is how it’s supposed to be: rock solid.” Vocalist Philip Anselmo adds, “This is a semi-ugly glimpse into what would end up the perfect building blocks to a much more prosperous future! Raw, distorted, unpredictable, and with a freshly mended spine in tow, these shows were desperately important to us as a cohesive unit. Take this trip through the old days with us at your own risk, and don't forget to bring some aspirin!” Diary of a Mad Band features a 2 CD full concert, live in London! The DVD highlights documented footage marking the 2006 return of DOWN from the practice room through their first European tour, and a bonus behind-the-scenes featurette entitled ‘Tyrades and Shananigans’. The DVD closes in at a blistering 130 minutes! See below for a complete tracklisting of the set: DVD: Diary of a Mad Band w/ BONUS DVD FEATURETTE ‘Tyrades and Shananigans’ 1. Lysergic Funeral Procession 2. Lifer 3. Losing All 4. Rehab 5. New Orleans Is A Dying Whore 6. Ghosts Along The Mississippi 7. Learn From This Mistake 8. Underneath Everything 9. Temptation’s Wings 10. There's Something On My Side 11. Hail The Leaf 12. Lies 13. The Seed 14. Eyes Of The South 15. Jail 16. Stone The Crows 17. Bury Me In Smoke 2 CD: LIVE IN EUROPE 1. Losing All 2. Lifer 3. Lysergic Funeral Procession 4. Rehab 5. Temptations Wings 6. Ghosts Along The Mississippi 7. Learn From This Mistake 8. Hail The Leaf 9. New Orleans Is A Dying Whore 10. Lies, I Don't Know What They Say But... 11. Underneath Everything 12. The Seed 13. Eyes Of The South 14. Jail 15. Stone The Crows 16. Bury Me In Smoke If that isn’t enough for a rabid fan, a 180 Gram triple vinyl version with a bonus DVD will be available on October 26th! DOWN features the all-star line-up of vocalist Philip Anselmo (Pantera, Arson Anthem), guitarist Pepper Keenan (Corrosion of Conformity), guitarist Kirk Windstein (Crowbar, Kingdom of Sorrow), bassist Rex Brown (Pantera), and drummer Jimmy Bower (Eyehategod, Crowbar). Based in New Orleans, LA, DOWN boasts an intense domestic and international fan base. Their last album, III: Over and Under has scanned over 113,000 copies, and internationally, DOWN has seen staggering sales of over 1 million. Regarded as one of the most explosive live acts of our generation, DOWN is constantly touring the globe. Stay tuned for tour dates in the future! For more information about DOWN and Diary of a Mad Band, please visit these sites: http://www.down-nola.com/ http://www.myspace.com/downnola http://eastwest.ilgpress.com/down/media/

To the Down Brotherhood, After many months (years!) of delays, postponements, legal wrangling and haranguing and miscellaneous bullshit, we are proud and relieved to announce that we will be releasing our live concert movie "Down: Diary of a Mad Band" on Oct. 5th in North America and Oct 4th internationally. Its been a long time coming and we hope you feel it was worth the wait. Bust up, tune down, Sabb off! Pepper Keenan had this to say about the release: "This is an in depth look at what five boys from the wrong side of the tracks can achieve when motivated by the will to escape hard times, fueled by an unexplainable quest to destroy live and embraced by the love of fans whom we had not had the pleasure of meeting yet....this is how its supposed to be....rock solid" Stay tuned to the website for updates and for possible presale opportunities to purchase through DOWN-Nola.com! From now through Saturday, September 11, 2010 use coupon code DOWN15 at check out in the DOWN-Nola.com store and save 15% on your order.

ANSELMO COMPLETES EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH TIGHT END JEREMY SHOCKEY, VIDEO TO POST SOON; KRONK GYM FOUNDATION FUND RAISER + ARSON ANTHEM NEWS   Legendary metal vocalist and HOUSECORE RECORDS label founder PHILIP ANSELMO was first invited to visit the New Orleans Saints headquarters this past March to interview Pro Bowler and Saints right tackle Jon Stinchcomb. Recently, ANSELMO returned to interview tight end Jeremy Shockey, had a chance to hoist the Lombardi Trophy, and even tried on retired wide receiver/kick return specialist Michael “Beer Man” Lewis’ Super Bowl ring. Lewis attended the same high school as ANSELMO, and is currently an ambassador for the Saints. See below for photos of Lewis and ANSELMO’s opposing United Way teams battling it out on the ball field for a good cause!     PHILIP ANSELMO has been a die-hard Saints fan his entire life. His interview with tight end Jeremy Shockey will air on the Louisiana Sunday Kickoff, and the remainder of the interview will appear on ANSELMO’s HOUSECORE TV. HOUSECORE TV is the evolution of the HOUSECORE RADIO SHOW, which you can listen to here. ANSELMO will be attending the Kronk Gym Foundation fundraiser in Detroit this Wednesday, the 30th. ANSELMO is a board member with the foundation. He will visit the UK on July 25th with DOWN to perform at High Voltage, as well as in Spain at the Resurrection Festival the following week. Fans can expect a new ARSON ANTHEM album this fall. HOUSECORE TV will be available soon! In the meantime, enjoy these exclusive photos!

Down to play Resurrection Fest July 31, 2010 in Viveiro, Spain

To the Down Brotherhood,   We would like you all to be aware of the catastrophic oil spill which recently occurred in the Gulf Coast. This is a matter of extreme urgency, not only for the people of the gulf coast, but the world over. Please take the time to check out this website and respond accordingly. More volunteer opportunities will arise and any help and action on your part will make a difference.   http://healthygulf.org/   This is an organization Pepper has been involved with as a part of DOWN's continued support of rebuilding the Louisiana wetlands since hurricane Katrina.   http://www.epa.gov/bpspill/   This is the new site the Environmental Protection Agency has set up for information on the oil spill.

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KNAC.com During a somewhat hurried phone interview from New Orleans, in his emphatic basso drawl, an affable Anselmo touched on his new role as label head honcho, the status of his various musical endeavors, the 20th anniversary of Pantera's landmark Cowboy From Hell album, the band's legacy and what we might expect from his autobiography. KNAC.COM: I know we're a bit pressed for time, so I'll keep things short and sweet. Phil Anselmo: I doubt I will (laughs). KNAC.COM: Well, we'll see what we can get through. It's like 90 here in D.C. today (April 7) it must be hot as hell in New Orleans? Anselmo: Nah, man, it's gorgeous. I tell you what. Fall is beautiful, but this is gorgeous right now, this here spring. It's probably 68 outside, sunny, breezy, it's great. I think it it'll get up to about 75, 78, but with this dry breeze you get this lack of humidity which is always such a blessing here. In a couple months, it's gonna be Cambodia (laughs). KNAC.COM: Before we get to talking about your label and all that, I want to start by checking on the status of your various bands. What is up with Down at the moment? Anselmo: Well Kirk and Jimmy are in Europe, Kirk with Crowbar and Jimmy with Eyehategod. Rex is jamming and everybody's kinda doing their own thing. But we are always in touch and I guess we're looking at the end of the year, getting together. Pepper said he had some riffs, which is always good. So maybe some time toward the end of the year, early next year, we'll start rolling. We've got some shows this summer in Europe. We're not totally stagnant. KNAC.COM: How's Rex doing health-wise after his battle with pancreatitis? I know he's done some studio work with Arms of the Sun, but is he ready to get back to work with Down? Anselmo: Yeah, he's really battling with the surgery. Some of these surgeries were very complex [he had his gall bladder removed and polyps taken from his pancreas] but he's a resolute guy. We're in touch quite often during the week. He's doing better, he's got his good days and bad days, but he'll be fine. I think he's having problems putting on weight. He's always been a skinny cat. So we're playing it by ear, we'd like to have him come back and do the shows in Europe with us, but only if he's in fighting shape, if you know what I mean. KNAC.COM: You've certainly had your medical travails over the years, how's your health holding up these days? Anselmo: Ah, I'm all right, man. I'm not keeping my doctors and surgeons as busy as I was (laughs). I had my last surgery about a year ago this time, on my knee. Something, somewhere on me hurts every day, but when you've done as much damage to yourself as I have over the years, you have to expect that. I tweaked my back again when I was rehabbing from my knee surgery, which is a bitch. That gives me trouble from time to time, but I can manage. I know how to handle it a lot better than I used to, that's for damn sure. Older and wiser, you know. KNAC.COM: Superjoint Ritual, I haven't heard about them in a long time, is that still a functioning entity? Anselmo: It's not even a consideration, I don't think. Superjoint had its time; we had a blast. Honestly, the first record, I love that first record, but I'm not doing anything with Superjoint. I don't think anyone plans on doing anything anymore. It had its purpose, you know. KNAC.COM: Is Arson Anthem your only active concern right now? Anselmo: Nah, I'm not performing with anything. Actually I've been writing new stuff, which is just my stuff, there's no title to it necessarily. Arson Anthem, we did do the full-length record. Christ, we probably recorded that over a year ago. It's been mixed now for four or five months, it took a while to get back around to it because we all had so many other things happenings. So I just got, matter of fact, the second mastered version and I really gotta listen to it. We're real happy with it and I wouldn't rule out shows, if the correct opportunity came up. We would definitely play. But once again, Mike the singer for Arson, is in Europe and Hank's on tour too. This is definitely not a solid, but I know Hank has some time off in May and perhaps there will be an Arson Anthem little short run. KNAC.COM: You mentioned writing new stuff, is it in the vein of the some of the other projects you've had - black metally like Christ Inversion or Viking Crown - or is this totally different? Anselmo: Bite your tongue when you say that. I've been in many, many projects and I take pride in the fact, the fact, that none of them sound the same. They're all different. However, if I was going to compare it to anything, I hate to use the P [Pantera] word, because I don't once again want to build up a false sense, but it is more groove structured. However, I would say it's a little more disjointed, a little more spastic, but I'm still after the song. You know what, I'm not really gonna say anything else about it until it's really done, because it's still taking shape in my mind. But it's heavy, it's really heavy, it's aggressive, very aggressive. Put it this way, I am not at all going for anything necessarily traditional in any genre of extreme music. I'm in the firm belief that all the notes have not been hit yet. KNAC.COM: Given the state of the music business today, starting/relaunching a label is either really brave or really crazy. Which side do you fall on? Anselmo: Well if you're gonna use that scale, I guess I'm somewhere on the different side of the scale, because, honestly, we damn well know we're not gonna get rich off this fuckin' deal, man. None of these bands that I'm working with are expecting to hit the top of the charts. However, what comes naturally to me about this whole thing is it's basically an outlet for me, in general, I'm definitely going to take full advantage of that. The fact that I have great distribution here in the states for sure, it was an outlet for a lot of the projects I had done in between Pantera tours that people weren't completely privy to. I know a lot of secret tapes got dumped out there, but there's a lot of stuff people had not heard. So for the fans, hey man I'm all about giving them the complete catalog because I'm a music fan too. And I'd want to hear this stuff if I was a fan - or at least have the opportunity to. Being in the biz for so damn long, you're around so many great musicians and great bands and you see certain bands that are playing in clubs, playing regionally, and you can tell that they're ready to graduate. So helping out another band by getting their records out there, that's a natural, man. I like to say, it's very true, extreme music of all sorts has been so kind to me throughout my whole damn lifetime, I must give back. It's great to bring in bands that I think are very, very different. KNAC.COM: No argument that you've got an eclectic roster. A Japanese band, Norwegian band, horror movie soundtracks, thrash, sludge, you name it. Then you also have Crowbar and Eyehategod, who are relatively established, to kinda anchor things. Anselmo: Genre-wise, it's like you say, eclectic, but kinda unique as well. With Crowbar, that's a great thing because they are giving me product and they are a band people know. But I'll shout it out right now, as much as Eyehategod is on goddamn fucking tour, they owe me a record, and I will strangle Jimmy Bower 'til he gives me one (laughs). And I say with a grin on my face. You know I love Jim, I'm just trying to get a damn record off him. So I'm screaming in every interview just to pump up the damn task for him. Come on, we need some new Eyehategod. KNAC.COM: The shows they've been playing over the last year or so have certainly got a buzz going, probably even moreso than when they were around before? Anselmo: Absolutely, and I know people wanna hear it. For all you folks out there who are desperate to hear this Eyehategod newness, I'm the guy who's carrying the biggest whip, smackin' 'em, trying to get it going. KNAC.COM: Is there anything in particular that you look for in bands to bring to Housecore, or just something that catches your ear? Anselmo: It kinda depends. There's band that do traditional stuff that I can't say is absolutely totally different. There's Warbeast out of the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, and they are your prototypical thrash band but they are so fucking good at it. It's Bruce Corbitt, he's the lead singer for the band, he used to be in Rigor Mortis. And I grew up with a lot of these cats and I know they're top notch musicians. To me, this is very much a starting point for them. This is very much their Cowboys from Hell, because I think with their newer material they're going to find themselves even more. This first record, Krush the Enemy, is an awesome, awesome record. They play their asses off. Everybody's kinda finding themselves, but I like it, I like the direction they're going in. Like I was saying, some of it's my stuff like Christ Inversion, the thing that I did in '94 that's already out there again. We also have another demo that we did in '96 that I guess I'll put out next year some time. You can say that's in a black metal vein, we always like to call it holocaust metal or war metal because it is more war metal. Especially the second record. But then there are bands like the Sursiks, haarp, pretty much anything [former Soilent Green guitarist] Donovan Punch touches, we're talking about different music here, man, something that's really tough to say "this is this genre." That's the stuff that catches my ear, and if I like it, I want to turn other people onto it, you know. KNAC.COM: As "label head," how do you see your role with these bands - if it's anything other than just getting their music out there? Anselmo: It really depends on the band, man. With Warbeast and haarp and with Crowbar coming up, they asked me to be part of the record, they asked me to produce their records. That is always awesome, it's a fantastic experience. I also did the Arson Anthem this time around and we're talking about four totally drastic differences in sound, and very particular musicians. Drummers that want their drums to sound one way or another, guitarists that like this tone or that. Warbeast, they asked for a certain type of sound, a thrashy '80s type of thrash sound but with a little bit of a modern feel, especially in the drums, and then Arson Anthem is totally stripped down, very, very raw. And then haarp on the flipside, they have very stripped down drums, but very thick, dark production. And then on the flipside of that there's a band like the Sursiks or a lot of Donovan Punch's stuff, like Bum Freak In Egypt, that's already recorded and I didn't want to touch it because it was perfect. Or, in the case of the Sursiks, the main guy in the band, David Minnick, is a fantastic producer, engineer, musician himself, for me if it sounds good to him, I'm in full thrust of it. So it depends on the band, but either way, I'm having a blast. KNAC.COM: What happens with the label business once Down is up and really running again, recording and touring? Will it mean a less rigorous schedule for Down, or you are going to try to maintain a handle on things from wherever you are? Or do you have someone who can take the reins in your absence? Anselmo: That's a good question, and no one has asked me that yet. Because it is hard. I always found in the past when we were on tour things ran themselves, but it's maddening because in the end everything has my name on it; it's my thing, so without the hands on, phone call away, 20-minute drive away day-to-day thing, you do feel a bit disembodied. As a label we've come leaps and bounds since Down was touring last time. I have some faith in the tiny staff that we have that when I do tour - and touring I'm going to use that term loosely, because I'm not sure how much we're going to be touring. We may do select dates, we may do certain runs here and there, but I think the days of doing full-blown six-week tours are over. So I think there's going to be a little bit of compromise, and like my mother used to tell me, 'any decision you make has to be the right one.' So I'm just go out to say, 'look, this is going to work itself out.' Continue Reading...

Blabbermouth.net DOWN — the acclaimed New Orleans band featuring CORROSION OF CONFORMITY guitarist/vocalist Pepper Keenan, drummer Jimmy Bower (EYEHATEGOD, SUPERJOINT RITUAL guitarist), bassist Rex Brown (ex-PANTERA), guitarist Kirk Windstein (CROWBAR), and vocalist Philip Anselmo (SUPERJOINT RITUAL, ex-PANTERA) — was honored in the "Best Heavy Metal" category at the Big Easy Awards, which was held Monday night (April 19) at Sugar Mill in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Big Easy Awards recognize achievement in local music and theater from 2009. A couple of photos from the ceremony can be viewed below. DOWN's "movie" "Diary Of A Mad Band" has been delayed "due to recent legal issues" and is now expected to surface later this spring. The set will feature footage of DOWN members "tearing up Europe" — literally and figuratively — on their first European tour. This special DVD/CD collection contains over 130 minutes of live video material and a full, never-before-released concert. (Note: The CD is different from the DVD.) DOWN bassist Rex Brown has fully recuperated from his fight with pancreatitis, a sudden inflammation of the pancreas which can have severe complications and high mortality despite treatment. He said in a statement, "After two major surgeries to close out 2009, I have recovered from pancreatitis and I'm looking forward to getting back to work with DOWN." Brown and his DOWN bandmates are expected to reconvene in New Orleans soon to begin work on a new album. With a release date yet to be announced, the new CD will be the band's fourth studio offering. - Blabbermouth.net

KNAC.com By: Peter Atkinson Philip Hansen Anselmo is a man who literally needs no introduction. But for the sake of argument, here's one anyway. Frontman, firebrand, moving target, near-heroin casualty and prolific musician, he's been one of the foremost - and often infamous - figures in metal for two decades. Anselmo helped set the bar for ferocity and intensity as lead singer with Pantera during the 1990s - and became the focal point for blame after the band fell apart following 2000's Reinventing The Steel when he began recording and touring with his two all-star side bands, Superjoint Ritual (which included Hank Williams III and Crowbar/Eyehategod/Corrosion of Conformity guitarist/drummer Jimmy Bower) and Down (with Bower, COC's Pepper Keenan, Crowbar's Kirk Windstein and Pantera bassist Rex Brown). An ongoing, increasingly ugly and very public war of words with Pantera brothers Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell Abbott in the aftermath only made matters worse, and when Dime was assassinated onstage on Dec. 8, 2004, there was no going back. In the years since, Anselmo has continued on with Down, began working with yet another all-star side band - Arson Anthem (with Hank III and Eyehategod frontman Mike Williams) - and undergone several major surgeries to repair the back and knee he severely damaged hurtling about the stage over the years, from which he is still recovering. Most recently, Anselmo has officially launched Housecore Records, a label he created years ago as an outlet for his myriad own projects that in short order will be issuing a slew of multifaceted new releases from Texas thrashers Warbeast, The Sursiks, haarp, the soundtrack to a film about The Manson Family, a new Arson Anthem full-length, a live album from Crowbar and, at some point, a new album by the resurrected Eyehategod. During a somewhat hurried phone interview from New Orleans, in his emphatic basso drawl, an affable Anselmo touched on his new role as label head honcho, the status of his various musical endeavors, the 20th anniversary of Pantera's landmark Cowboy From Hell album, the band's legacy and what we might expect from his autobiography. KNAC.COM: I know we're a bit pressed for time, so I'll keep things short and sweet. Phil Anselmo: I doubt I will (laughs). KNAC.COM: Well, we'll see what we can get through. It's like 90 here in D.C. today (April 7) it must be hot as hell in New Orleans Anselmo: Nah, man, it's gorgeous. I tell you what. Fall is beautiful, but this is gorgeous right now, this here spring. It's probably 68 outside, sunny, breezy, it's great. I think it it'll get up to about 75, 78, but with this dry breeze you get this lack of humidity which is always such a blessing here. In a couple months, it's gonna be Cambodia (laughs). KNAC.COM: Before we get to talking about your label and all that, I want to start by checking on the status of your various bands. What is up with Down at the moment? Anselmo: Well Kirk and Jimmy are in Europe, Kirk with Crowbar and Jimmy with Eyehategod. Rex is jamming and everybody's kinda doing their own thing. But we are always in touch and I guess we're looking at the end of the year, getting together. Pepper said he had some riffs, which is always good. So maybe some time toward the end of the year, early next year, we'll start rolling. We've got some shows this summer in Europe. We're not totally stagnant. KNAC.COM: How's Rex doing health-wise after his battle with pancreatitis? I know he's done some studio work with Arms of the Sun, but is he ready to get back to work with Down? Anselmo: Yeah, he's really battling with the surgery. Some of these surgeries were very complex [he had his gall bladder removed and polyps taken from his pancreas] but he's a resolute guy. We're in touch quite often during the week. He's doing better, he's got his good days and bad days, but he'll be fine. I think he's having problems putting on weight. He's always been a skinny cat. So we're playing it by ear, we'd like to have him come back and do the shows in Europe with us, but only if he's in fighting shape, if you know what I mean. KNAC.COM: You've certainly had your medical travails over the years, how's your health holding up these days? Anselmo: Ah, I'm all right, man. I'm not keeping my doctors and surgeons as busy as I was (laughs). I had my last surgery about a year ago this time, on my knee. Something, somewhere on me hurts every day, but when you've done as much damage to yourself as I have over the years, you have to expect that. I tweaked my back again when I was rehabbing from my knee surgery, which is a bitch. That gives me trouble from time to time, but I can manage. I know how to handle it a lot better than I used to, that's for damn sure. Older and wiser, you know. KNAC.COM: Superjoint Ritual, I haven't heard about them in a long time, is that still a functioning entity? Anselmo: It's not even a consideration, I don't think. Superjoint had its time; we had a blast. Honestly, the first record, I love that first record, but I'm not doing anything with Superjoint. I don't think anyone plans on doing anything anymore. It had its purpose, you know. KNAC.COM: Is Arson Anthem your only active concern right now? Anselmo: Nah, I'm not performing with anything. Actually I've been writing new stuff, which is just my stuff, there's no title to it necessarily. Arson Anthem, we did do the full-length record. Christ, we probably recorded that over a year ago. It's been mixed now for four or five months, it took a while to get back around to it because we all had so many other things happenings. So I just got, matter of fact, the second mastered version and I really gotta listen to it. We're real happy with it and I wouldn't rule out shows, if the correct opportunity came up. We would definitely play. But once again, Mike the singer for Arson, is in Europe and Hank's on tour too. This is definitely not a solid, but I know Hank has some time off in May and perhaps there will be an Arson Anthem little short run. KNAC.COM: You mentioned writing new stuff, is it in the vein of the some of the other projects you've had - black metally like Christ Inversion or Viking Crown - or is this totally different? Anselmo: Bite your tongue when you say that. I've been in many, many projects and I take pride in the fact, the fact, that none of them sound the same. They're all different. However, if I was going to compare it to anything, I hate to use the P [Pantera] word, because I don't once again want to build up a false sense, but it is more groove structured. However, I would say it's a little more disjointed, a little more spastic, but I'm still after the song. You know what, I'm not really gonna say anything else about it until it's really done, because it's still taking shape in my mind. But it's heavy, it's really heavy, it's aggressive, very aggressive. Put it this way, I am not at all going for anything necessarily traditional in any genre of extreme music. I'm in the firm belief that all the notes have not been hit yet. KNAC.COM: Given the state of the music business today, starting/relaunching a label is either really brave or really crazy. Which side do you fall on? Anselmo: Well if you're gonna use that scale, I guess I'm somewhere on the different side of the scale, because, honestly, we damn well know we're not gonna get rich off this fuckin' deal, man. None of these bands that I'm working with are expecting to hit the top of the charts. However, what comes naturally to me about this whole thing is it's basically an outlet for me, in general, I'm definitely going to take full advantage of that. The fact that I have great distribution here in the states for sure, it was an outlet for a lot of the projects I had done in between Pantera tours that people weren't completely privy to. I know a lot of secret tapes got dumped out there, but there's a lot of stuff people had not heard. So for the fans, hey man I'm all about giving them the complete catalog because I'm a music fan too. And I'd want to hear this stuff if I was a fan - or at least have the opportunity to. Being in the biz for so damn long, you're around so many great musicians and great bands and you see certain bands that are playing in clubs, playing regionally, and you can tell that they're ready to graduate. So helping out another band by getting their records out there, that's a natural, man. I like to say, it's very true, extreme music of all sorts has been so kind to me throughout my whole damn lifetime, I must give back. It's great to bring in bands that I think are very, very different. KNAC.COM: No argument that you've got an eclectic roster. A Japanese band, Norwegian band, horror movie soundtracks, thrash, sludge, you name it. Then you also have Crowbar and Eyehategod, who are relatively established, to kinda anchor things. Anselmo: Genre-wise, it's like you say, eclectic, but kinda unique as well. With Crowbar, that's a great thing because they are giving me product and they are a band people know. But I'll shout it out right now, as much as Eyehategod is on goddamn fucking tour, they owe me a record, and I will strangle Jimmy Bower 'til he gives me one (laughs). And I say with a grin on my face. You know I love Jim, I'm just trying to get a damn record off him. So I'm screaming in every interview just to pump up the damn task for him. Come on, we need some new Eyehategod. KNAC.COM: The shows they've been playing over the last year or so have certainly got a buzz going, probably even moreso than when they were around before? Anselmo: Absolutely, and I know people wanna hear it. For all you folks out there who are desperate to hear this Eyehategod newness, I'm the guy who's carrying the biggest whip, smackin' 'em, trying to get it going. KNAC.COM: Is there anything in particular that you look for in bands to bring to Housecore, or just something that catches your ear Anselmo: It kinda depends. There's band that do traditional stuff that I can't say is absolutely totally different. There's Warbeast out of the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, and they are your prototypical thrash band but they are so fucking good at it. It's Bruce Corbitt, he's the lead singer for the band, he used to be in Rigor Mortis. And I grew up with a lot of these cats and I know they're top notch musicians. To me, this is very much a starting point for them. This is very much their Cowboys from Hell, because I think with their newer material they're going to find themselves even more. This first record, Krush the Enemy, is an awesome, awesome record. They play their asses off. Everybody's kinda finding themselves, but I like it, I like the direction they're going in. Like I was saying, some of it's my stuff like Christ Inversion, the thing that I did in '94 that's already out there again. We also have another demo that we did in '96 that I guess I'll put out next year some time. You can say that's in a black metal vein, we always like to call it holocaust metal or war metal because it is more war metal. Especially the second record. But then there are bands like the Sursiks, haarp, pretty much anything [former Soilent Green guitarist] Donovan Punch touches, we're talking about different music here, man, something that's really tough to say "this is this genre." That's the stuff that catches my ear, and if I like it, I want to turn other people onto it, you know. KNAC.COM: As "label head," how do you see your role with these bands - if it's anything other than just getting their music out there? Anselmo: It really depends on the band, man. With Warbeast and haarp and with Crowbar coming up, they asked me to be part of the record, they asked me to produce their records. That is always awesome, it's a fantastic experience. I also did the Arson Anthem this time around and we're talking about four totally drastic differences in sound, and very particular musicians. Drummers that want their drums to sound one way or another, guitarists that like this tone or that. Warbeast, they asked for a certain type of sound, a thrashy '80s type of thrash sound but with a little bit of a modern feel, especially in the drums, and then Arson Anthem is totally stripped down, very, very raw. And then haarp on the flipside, they have very stripped down drums, but very thick, dark production. And then on the flipside of that there's a band like the Sursiks or a lot of Donovan Punch's stuff, like Bum Freak In Egypt, that's already recorded and I didn't want to touch it because it was perfect. Or, in the case of the Sursiks, the main guy in the band, David Minnick, is a fantastic producer, engineer, musician himself, for me if it sounds good to him, I'm in full thrust of it. So it depends on the band, but either way, I'm having a blast. KNAC.COM: What happens with the label business once Down is up and really running again, recording and touring? Will it mean a less rigorous schedule for Down, or you are going to try to maintain a handle on things from wherever you are? Or do you have someone who can take the reins in your absence? Anselmo: That's a good question, and no one has asked me that yet. Because it is hard. I always found in the past when we were on tour things ran themselves, but it's maddening because in the end everything has my name on it; it's my thing, so without the hands on, phone call away, 20-minute drive away day-to-day thing, you do feel a bit disembodied. As a label we've come leaps and bounds since Down was touring last time. I have some faith in the tiny staff that we have that when I do tour - and touring I'm going to use that term loosely, because I'm not sure how much we're going to be touring. We may do select dates, we may do certain runs here and there, but I think the days of doing full-blown six-week tours are over. So I think there's going to be a little bit of compromise, and like my mother used to tell me, 'any decision you make has to be the right one.' So I'm just go out to say, 'look, this is going to work itself out. KNAC.COM: You mentioned Cowboys From Hell a bit back, it's now the 20th anniversary of that album, which just doesn't seem possible. It really does seem just like yesterday? Anselmo: I know man, I know it does. And that was literally half my lifetime ago. Unbelievable. KNAC.COM: If it weren't for that album, we probably wouldn't be talking right now. It certainly changed your life. Anselmo: There was an awful lot leading up to Cowboys From Hell, but you know for my first record back then when you were on a major label it was a big deal because major labels were a big deal back in 1990. We had written that material from the end of '88 throughout '89 and I'll always say Pantera, for me, our sound really didn't culminate to its fullest, I don't know about fullest, but really culminate 'til Vulgar Display of Power. But Cowboys From Hell does have classic Pantera sound: "Domination," "Primal Concrete Sledge," like that. Put it this way, I'll give you one little short quip about Cowboys From Hell and this will totally sum it up. The last song we wrote for that album came in the studio with one day left, maybe two days left, to do the drum tracks and that song was "Primal Concrete Sledge," which shows you the direction we were headed in mentally before that record even came out. But as a platform, as a new band, it definitely served notice. Pantera was a live band, you had to see it and then go back and listen to it again. In hindsight, I love that record, there's things I'm not wild about on that record, but take all that away man and as a full thing, it's fantastic. Really the fantastic part of it was having been a part of it and how young we were and full of life and just ready to roll, man. We were damn near in our strongest bodies. Damn near. KNAC.COM: Then, like you said, two years later there was Vulgar Display of Power and the rest is history. Anselmo: We did a lot of touring and a lot of bands took the chance and brought us on tour, without those bands, without that exposure, I don't know what really woulda happened, but it did happen and I just gotta thank all the bands, all the fans and everyone like that involved for the success. Without the fans, without the help along the way, we'd be nothing, I'd be nobody and, yeah, you're right, we wouldn't be having this conversation if it weren't for the fans. Bless 'em. KNAC.COM: It's amazing how the legacy, the legend of Pantera continues to grow. I realize Dime's death has something to do with that, but still? Anselmo: We made our mark, we damn sure did. You can't dispute that. Pantera will live on and be remembered because we were a band that goddamn meant something to people. To a lot of people, we were their band, man. And Dime, he was taken away in his prime. A lot of people probably feel that Pantera was taken away from them before all had been said and done, too. And maybe it was, but now we'll never know. It doesn't matter if it's Kurt Cobain or Layne Staley or John Lennon or fuckin' Elvis, when someone that means so much to people dies before their time, like Dime did, they don't go away. Memories are a strong thing, man, and sometimes they make that bond grow stronger. No matter what's been said, or more to the point, what was written - because that's another story entirely, the way things got twisted around - I loved Dime too and I miss him. I miss him more as time goes on. I honestly do. So you can see what I'm saying. KNAC.COM: For this autobiography you're going to be doing, have you decided just what kind of story it's going to tell, because your story could take any number of turns - rock and roll tell-all, cautionary tale or a chance to set the record straight, as it were Anselmo: I've thought things out, man, I don't really wanna give it away too much. I would say it's gonna be different to say the least. I'm not really one to praise all the elbow-rubbing and schmoozing and stuff like that that happened over the years, all the parties and stuff, people know that happened. And I'm also not gonna get into a pissing contest with my detractors, it's not worth it and it's not the story I'm trying to tell, that's boring. When you say a cautionary tale, sure, I can buy that. Because I've definitely been through some shit, serious shit, man, and seen and experienced all kinds of shit and lived to tell. But there's also funny stuff, sad stuff, angry stuff. You're gonna have to just wait and see and read about it like everyone else (laughs).

Blabbermouth.net "Coming Up Roses", a brand new song from ARMS OF THE SUN — the project featuring Rex Brown (PANTERA, DOWN) on bass, John Luke Hebert (KING DIAMOND) drums, Lance Harvill on vocals and guitar, and Ben Bunker (GRYN) on guitar — is available for streaming on the band's MySpace page. ARMS OF THE SUN recently completed work on thirteen tracks that were produced and mixed by Terry Date (DEFTONES, PANTERA, SOUNDGARDEN). The material is set for release through Extreme Music, which provides class-A production music to all major networks and studios, ad agencies and production companies, including FOX, HBO, NBC, BBC, MTV, SKY, ABC, Discovery, Nickelodeon, Turner Entertainment Networks, Universal, Lions Gate, Miramax, Sony Pictures, Touchstone and Disney, to name a few. ARMS OF THE SUN recorded the music, written by Lance Harvill, late last year at Willie Nelson's Pedernales Recording Studio in Austin. The project is executive-produced by Sir George Martin (THE BEATLES) and Mark Ross for the Grandmaster Series, which celebrates four of the world's top producers spanning from the '60s through the '90s, including Sir George himself, Terry Date, Jack Douglas (AEROSMITH), and Hugh Padgham (THE POLICE). ARMS OF THE SUN will make its live debut on April 17 at Lakewood Theater (1825 Abrams Parkway) in Dallas, Texas.

About.com Justin M. Norton   Does Phil Anselmo need an introduction? In the unlikely event that you ended up here by accident here’s a quick dossier: former vocalist for platinum selling artist Pantera, one of the few metal acts to achieve worldwide fame. Frontman for New Orleans sludge supergroup Down, guitarist and vocalist for Superjoint Ritual and guitarist for Arson Anthem. Anselmo is hoping to add another title to his already lengthy resume: businessman. He founded his own label Housecore Records two years ago, but is looking at 2010 to be a breakout year with releases from new artists like haarp and the possibility of the first new Eyehategod album in a decade. He’ll also be releasing the soundtrack for the cult horror film The Manson Family.   Anselmo says his label is in part a way to give back to extreme metal. “I’ve been to the top of the mountain and I know what my name is,” he says. “I love helping bands. It’s a journey, a learning experience. That’s why I’m in this ship. This is an artist friendly label to a fault. I give, as I should. Extreme music has been kind to me my entire life. “ Anselmo spoke to About.com about his plans for the label; his collaborations with horror filmmaker Jim Van Bebber; what it takes for a band to get Anselmo’s approval and his thoughts on the five-year anniversary of Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell’s death.   Justin M. Norton: Housecore Records was started two years ago. What do you have planned for the label in the coming year?   Phil Anselmo: It’s going to be brought to the next level, mainly because the projects we are working with have their stuff together. A lot of bands find themselves trying to meet deadlines and regretting a record later. I’ve been in that position a bunch of times. There’s always stuff on a record you think you could have done better. I like my bands to be relaxed and happy with their product, so I don’t put any time limits on them. Like Orson Welles said in the commercial “we shall sell no wine before its time.”   So you will sell no music before its time?   Yeah, but we will have a lot of releases this year. It’s going to be good stuff.   One of the best known bands on the roster is Eyehategod. Do you see their next album being released on your label?   That’s always been the plan. I won’t hold anyone to anything. I can say yes, but if it didn’t happen there would be no skin. But going with the more positive ‘yes it is’ direction – they’ve had these five songs floating out there. I have the demos at home so I know they have the stuff. I think they’ll have an opportunity to do a few different runs even though they’ll be touring Europe. They are busy. But I’m looking forward to it. If there is anybody out there that screams at (guitarist ) Jimmy Bower to get in there and do the record it’s me. He always has an answer, even if it isn’t what I want to hear.   Would that be your breakthrough release?   I would say them, or Crowbar. We have so many contrasting styles on the label now. That will be more evident in the upcoming year. Anything is possible. As far as a breakthrough records, the fact that Eyehategod is well known certainly doesn’t hurt. They are an established act, but we have new bands that will appeal to certain audiences as well and are great at what they do. There is always potential. Not to mention…if I do something, and I’m going to create something, I’ll do it on my label.   At one point you ran Housecore along with Killjoy of Necrophagia’s label Baphomet Records. You are now running the label solo – what happened?   You can scratch that. That was a false start. Nothing was distributed or for sale. Housecore’s conception really came with the Arson Anthem album in 2007 and we were always solo. So that’s an urban myth.   Housecore is primarily known for releasing acts you are personally affiliated with, but do you see yourself expanding and signing other bands based on demos or recommendations?   I’ll do a little bit of both. I have to believe in the band. There’s one or two things they need to bring to the table. To be technically proficient is great. But I’m not looking for perfection.     What gets your stamp of approval?   I want something different. There’s a band from New Orleans (on the label) called haarp. They are heavy metal, sure. You’d classify them as such. But they transcend the genre and have invented a genre. They play slow, but to call them slow isn’t fair. They are conceptually fresh. They might be an ugly listen the first time through. The first time I listened to Venom or Hellhammer it was an ugly listen, but it stuck with me. I feel the same way about haarp.   There’s also The Sursicks. They are extreme, but they aren’t metal or punk rock or hardcore. They are master musicians creating and inventing a style. They are very flexible. To describe their music is tough. They use horned instruments and strings, anything they can get their hands on.   Take those two extremes and that’s what you will get from Housecore. Way different tastes and styles, released together. I like the contrast.   Did the compilation last summer help get your label in front of a new audience?   It might have piqued interest.   Do you see yourself moving away from music and more into a supportive role by managing the label and producing artists or will music continue to be a significant part of your life?   I can’t let go of music, nor should I. I’m playing guitar with Arson Anthem and our second album will be out this year, sometime in early June. The record is called Insecurity Notoriety. Mike (Williams) from Eyehategod sings and Hank III plays drums. Arson Anthem is something I love to do. I love playing guitar and writing guitar parts and I need to keep jamming. I’ve got a fire in my belly. By the end of the year, Down might be writing new stuff. I see many things in the future and it’s good to have things to look forward to.   Have your vinyl sales accounted for a significant part of your business?   Yes, and I’m glad. I would print vinyl anyway, but vinyl sales are up. The fact that kids want tangible, collectible items in their hands is a good feeling. It’s a world where you can go download free music, that mentality is strong. But there’s nothing like just holding on to a copy of a record. I’m sure you’ve heard this a million times, but when my generation was growing up I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a record.   Several of the bands on your roster appeared on the soundtrack of cult horror filmmaker Jim Van Bebber’s film The Manson Family. I know Van Bebber accompanied Down on a European tour to film a DVD. What is the status of that project?   That’s been put on and off for so long. There are a lot of mixed emotions. I think what Down wanted to capture through Jim’s lens was our comeback as a band. I had just gone through back surgery and that was a personal triumph, to get back there six months out. As far as I know the deal (for the film) is not complete.   Can you see your label collaborating with Van Bebber on any future projects?   That’s tough to say. I just finished The Manson Family soundtrack. But Jim gets pulled in a lot of different directions and so do I. We’ve wanted to put it (the record) out for a while. I’m very happy with it. Hopefully it will be out on Housecore in late August or the first day of September.   A lot had been written this year about the fifth anniversary of Dime’s passing. Is it difficult to revisit what’s one of the most difficult experiences of your life?   Each year gets harder. This was a very tough year and a very tough December. When an artist dies that means so much to people he doesn’t go away. You still hear about Elvis. We hear about Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Layne Staley. The list is long and it’s a sad one. It is hard for me? I respect the love. I know I will never have another person like this in my life…Dimebag Darrell. To know that there is no tomorrow with him in it is crushing. He was a man of the world and a man of the people. He was very real, very vibrant.   So it get tougher every year. I keep my Pantera and Dimebag to me. That’s Phil’s stuff. I have so many recordings that the world will never hear…well, I can’t say ever. I have recordings of us doing the most ridiculous things. Traditional thinking would be to shrink wrap it and sell it, but Housecore is a new chapter, a new page.  

 



To the DOWN Brotherhood,



As you all are aware DOWN was scheduled to release their movie "Diary Of A Mad Band" today. Due to recent legal issues the release has been postponed to a later date as these issues get resolved. We apologize for any inconvenience or disappointment this may have caused. Please be assured that a new release date will be forthcoming and will be posted immediately after it is confirmed. We thank you all for your loyalty and support.



With much respect,

DOWN Management

Catch Kirk with CROWBAR in Europe this April with Sepultura, Hamlet and Gama Bomb! Dates are below April 3, 2010 Annemasse - Chateau Rouge (France) April 4, 2010 Marmande - Garorock Fest (France) April 5, 2010 Villava (Pamplona) - Sala Totem (Spain) NEW April 6, 2010 Madrid - Sala Heineken (Spain) NEW April 7, 2010 Santiago De Comostela - Sala Caitol (Spain) April 8 , 2010 Lisbon - Cine Teatro Du Corroios (Portugal) NEW April 9. 2010 Granada - Sala el Tren (Spain) April 10, 2010 Villareal - Sala Tal (Spain) April 11. 2010 Perpignan - El Mediator (France) April 12, 2010 Mulhouse - Noumatrouf (France) April 13, 2010 Stuttgart - LKA (Germany) NEW April 14, 2010 Bochum - Matrix (Germany) April 16, 2010 Aarhus - Royal Metal Fest (Denmark) April 18, 2010 Pisek - CK Pisek (Czech Republic) April 19, 2010 Brno - KD Semilasso (Czech Republic) April 20, 2010 Prague - Modra Vopice (Czech Republic) April 21, 2010 Krakow - Studio Cub (Poland) April 22, 2010 Warsaw - Progresja (Poland) April 23, 2010 Erfurt - Centrum (Germany) NEW April 24, 2010 Magny Le Hongre - File 7 (France)

TheMetalDen.com Philip H. Anselmo is a living “Heavy Metal God” , widely considered the ‘pound for pound’ greatest metal vocalist of them all – but that’s not to say he hasn’t been to hell and back. After losing his former PANTERA band mate Darrell “Dimebag” Abbott by way of a tragic on stage shooting on Dec 8, 2004, Anselmo and the entire city of New Orleans were next literally flooded out of their own homes by Hurricane Katrina – a category 5 monster – and forced to take a brutal dose of mother nature. To add further insult to the hellish turn of events, Anselmo then found himself having to get major back surgery. Never one to throw his hands up in defeat, the music icon simply tightened his boot straps and unloaded a third album from his long running Sabbath-influenced DOWN project, along with moving full speed ahead in signing new acts, such as Texas thrashers WARBEAST (featuring RIGOR MORTIS vocalist Bruce Corbitt), to his very own Housecore record label. WARBEAST’s debut “Krush The Enemy” is more than an all-out thrash assault… it’s a ‘brotherhood’ that’s come together – during difficult times – to keep the true metal tradition going strong… no matter what. The ‘Stronger Than All’ code he’s always lived by has definitely been put to the test in the past five years, but it’s Anselmo’s uncompromising love of music that’s helped him survive the toughest chapter in his life. The Metal Den’s Randy “Rocket” Cody has conducted an EXCLUSIVE interview with Philip H. Anselmo for TMD’s loyal following of DEN HEADZ all across the globe! Rocket: What initially inspired you to want to start your own record label? Philip: There’s music I’ve made in the past, music I’ll make in the future, and a handful of bands from around the world that deserve to be heard. The thought of licensing the personal music I’ve been holding onto for over ten-years with some other “label” was ghastly; it wasn’t going to happen. So I knew one day I’d HAVE to put the stuff out on my own! Fast forward to the present… Extreme music has been kind to me on all levels of human existence, so the idea of helping newer bands grow and prosper is natural. Rocket: You signed WARBEAST (formerly Texas Metal Alliance) to Housecore and took it upon yourself to truly be involved in the recording of the band’s debut “Krush The Enemy”. Why was it so important to you that you be involved so deeply in the process? Philip: 1st of all, WARBEAST is a great band. 2nd, like any of our bands, I want to be as close as possible without interfering. If a band WANTS me to be in the studio with them, it’s my pleasure. If not, I trust their judgement. It’s THEIR band. If a band wants my production input, I don’t charge a cent because we’re both working to get the best results, obviously! Their names AND my name will be on the product! The band’s satisfaction with the end result is the most important thing. With WARBEAST, I felt that I was familiar enough with Bruce’s background, as well as Rick and Scott, to contribute. I also know Thrash Metal VERY well, especially the older school DFW Thrash sound. The band asked me to help out, period. That’s all they needed to do really, and man of course I said, “Fucking right!” Bruce and I got to work closely together, and that was a very cool experience. With WARBEAST, there’s a lot of detailed to their music, as well as vocal passages that deserved an extra amount of attention. They do what they do so well, we had to make sure everything was clear and audible enough for each guys liking. It’s a special record for them. It’s a GREAT record to me. Rocket: You and Bruce Corbitt of RIGOR MORTIS/WARBEAST have known one another for many years. Can you recall the very first time you saw a RIGOR MORTIS show and tell us how it made you feel? Philip: I can’t remember the name of the bar, but what I remember the most was how absolutely fucking intense they were. They were up on that stage, ugly as hell (ha!), ripping the shit out of the set! I’d heard their 1st demo before I saw them that night, so I knew most of their songs, but what amazed me was how much effort they put into their music! The demo didn’t do them justice! The songs were there, but to see them played live was a different experience. Crazy-intense!!! Rocket: You recorded WARBEAST’s debut “Krush The Enemy” at your own home studio in New Orleans. As I understand it, you helped work with Bruce on his vocal delivery a bit before you actually began laying down his vocals. Was that a good experience for you and can you tell me more about what you were going after? Philip: I answered part of this question earlier, but yes the experience was very rewarding. Bruce and I worked on specific things in specific areas that either he or I felt needed to be addressed. The same thing happened with the band before they actually started recording, so I think it’s more of a “check list’ type thing I like to do, just to make sure we’re all on the same page. Bruce did a great job. All I really do is “suggest” ideas. We tried a few different approaches, kept what we wanted and moved on. Bruce was a complete trooper, but we weren’t doing rocket science; this was about bringing out the best in his performance. Bruce does what he does and he is who he is, I didn’t wanna change that at all. It was our intention to pay closer attention to detail, take our time and come out of there with the best ‘Bruce’ we could. I believe it’s his best work. He believes it’s his best. Honestly I’ll say it’s his best work, so far… he’ll have to out-do himself on the next one! But we feel real extremely good about the work he did on ‘Krush the Enemy’. It’s bad ass. To Continue Reading, Click HERE

Unbelievable! These kids are great! DAMN...how flattering...! If they keep at it (learning from the best!), they'll be getting a call from me to jam in a couple of years!" Philip H. Anselmo

The very best way to keep connected with Down is to get the brand new official search toolbar for IE, Safari and Firefox. This amazing new FREE tool allows you to surf the web and win exclusive Down prizes right from your browser (courtesy www.SearchwithDown.com) The toolbar keeps you updated with Down news and quick links to every single official band page. This is the ULTIMATE browser add-on that no fan should be without. Be like hundreds of fans like you who have already earned free Down swag through www.SearchwithDown.com and get your new search toolbar right here, right now: http://searchwithdown.swagbucks.com/?cmd=sb-plugins Also, be sure to check out all the NEW prizes that you can earn, including rare guitar picks, CD's, keychains, etched ipods & more! Check it out right here: http://searchwithdown.swagbucks.com/?cmd=sb-home

Rex Brown (DOWN, PANTERA) has nearly fully recuperated from his fight with pancreatitis. Says Brown, "After two major surgeries to close out 2009, I have recovered from pancreatitis and am looking forward to getting back to work with Down."



Brown, and the rest of Down, have discussed reconvening in New Orleans sometime after the Super Bowl to begin work on a new album. With a release date yet to be announced, the new album will be the band's fourth studio offering.



Brown who is currently looking forward to a healthy and productive 2010 says, "I'd like to thank everyone for their support and well wishes during my illness and recovery."

Unbelievable! We shocked the world! Congrats to our New Orleans Saints, the coaches, the staff, the general manager and the owners!!! Even before this season started, just looking at the roster, I had an insane feeling this year could be THE year! Everyone knows how powerful our offense is, but the defensive side of the ball is underrated!!! Look at the post-season stats!!!



This has been, and will continue to be a season of destiny... there's just too many parallels to count here, but it all adds up: we have arrived! The Mighty NO Saints have cut the heads off two legends (Warner and Farve), now it's time to decapitate the third; one of our own hometown kids, Payton Manning. BRING IT BROTHER!!!!! WE'RE GOING TO THE F-ING SUPER BOWL!!!!!!!!!!!



As for perfection in parallels, I can't think of any other words more suitable than...



ON MARCH THE SAINTS!!!!!!!!"



-Philip

As you ALL are aware the Saints beat the Vikings 31-28 this past Sunday in the NFC championship game! Meaning for the first time in team history, THE SAINTS ARE GOING TO THE FUCKING SUPER BOWL!!! To commemorate this monumental achievement we’re offering a FREE download of “On March the Saints” (the unofficial fight song for the Saints). Download it, play it, share it and support our New Orleans Saints! More to follow. "On March the Saints" PC: Right click on DOWNLOAD Mac: Control-Click on DOWNLOAD Choose: Save Target As. Click Save. Check out the Limited Edition "On March The Saints" Tee!

Kirk gets That Metal Show tattooed on his chest by legendary artist Paul Booth in the upcoming 4th Season of VH1 Classic's hit show.

In the early afternoon of January 5th, 2010, Pepper Keenan (DOWN guitarist) and longtime girlfriend Anna Hrnjak welcomed their baby girl into the world. Flannery Rose Keenan was born a healthy 8 lb. 10 oz. Both Anna & Flannery are doing amazing.

Anthrax' Frank chats with his old buddy Philip Anselmo. Watch the video below. Anthrax/Down - Sonisphere - Frank Bello interviews Phil Anselmo (1) on MUZU.TV. Sonisphere TV - Frank Bello interviews Phil Anselmo (1) on MUZU  

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Blabbermouth.com CROWBAR's November 20, 2009 concert at the City Club in Houma, Louisiana will be recorded for an upcoming live album. The CD is expected to be released next year via DOWN/ex-PANTERA singer Philip Anselmo's record label Housecore Records. CROWBAR's forthcoming box set, which will also be released via Housecore, will include the full self-titled demo from the pre-CROWBAR band THE SLUGS that was recorded in April 1990. Songs include "Subversion", "A Breed Apart", "My Agony", "No Quarter" (LED ZEPPELIN cover), "My 4 Walls" and the unreleased track "Brain Freeze". The lineup on the demo was as follows: Kirk Windstein: Vocals, Guitars Jimmy Bower: Drums Kevin Noonan: Guitars Todd Strange: Bass CROWBAR will re-release the majority of its back catalog through Housecore Records. Also planned is a CD of new material. Metal Mind Productions re-released three CROWBAR albums — "Crowbar" (1993), "Time Heals Nothing" (1995) and "Live+1" EP (1995) — in Europe in April 2008. Each limited-edition digipack title (limited to 2,000 copies) was made available on golden disc, digitally remastered using 24-bit technology. The "Time Heals Nothing" album also contains six bonus tracks — four audio and two video. CROWBAR's video for the song "Slave No More" was included on the band's DVD, "Live: With Full Force", which came out in North America in January 2007. Filmed at the popular German open-air festival of the same name, "Live: With Full Force" was captured on CROWBAR's world tour supporting their 2005 release "Lifesblood for the Downtrodden". The live performance DVD also includes candid backstage footage plus the band's second (and previously unavailable) promotional video for "Lifesblood for the Downtrodden" album track "Slave No More". CROWBAR will take part in this year's Stillborn Fest. The five Northeast shows will also include HATEBREED, THE ACACIA STRAIN, THE CASUALTIES and THY WILL BE DONE. The dates are as follows: Dec. 26 - Syracuse, NY - Lost Horizon Dec. 27 - Springfield, VA - Jaxx Dec. 28 - Poughkeepsie, NY - The Chance Dec. 29 - Burlington, VT - Higher Ground Dec. 30 - Hartford, CT - Webster Theater

Blabbermouth.net Philip Anselmo was interviewed by Fuse TV prior to DOWN's October 31, 2009 concert at the 11th annual Voodoo Experience music festival in New Orleans. Watch the chat below. Also available is footage of DOWN's performance at the event. More than 150 acts played on eight stages in three separate areas — named Le Ritual, Le Flambeau and Le Carnival — around the city. Other major acts on the Voodoo Experience bill included KISS, JANE'S ADDICTION, WOLFMOTHER, EAGLES OF DEATH METAL and MEAT PUPPETS. Fuse will provide on-air and online coverage of the Voodoo Experience and will broadcast a one-hour special on November 6.

Interview by Amy Kelly Ultimate-Guitar.Com © 2009 After almost 20 years in the music business, guitarist Pepper Keenan is accustomed to enduring the wears and tears of the touring life. Between his roles in Corrosion Of Conformity and the supergroup Down, there’s been little downtime for Keenan. If you’re a fan of Down, you probably have already come to terms with the fact that big chunks of time will likely pass between each album. And when you take a look at Keenan’s schedule that includes back-to-back tours and his commitment in COC, it’s fully understandable. The wait is nearing its end, however, and Down’s fourth record (tentatively titled Down IV) should be arriving in stores in late 2010. Of course, Keenan has one big very significant item on his agenda before any recording takes place: a new baby. After some quality time with the family, he will once again meet up with Phil Anselmo and the gang to deliver what could very well be the band’s rawest record yet – at least that’s the plan right now. The guitarist admits that the musical path could veer at any given minute, as the band never wants to be tied down to a certain sound. Keenan recently spoke with Ultimate-Guitar about his experience with Down, which has allowed him the ultimate creative freedom. UG: After so many years in the business, I’m sure you’ve experienced every type of festival or tour. What was your impression of the latest tour? Pepper: Right now, it’s probably my favorite tour that I’ve ever done or that we’ve ever headlined for. We’ve pretty much always played by ourselves, so we’ve played two-and-a-hours straight. We’re bringing bands with us. There are two other bands that we love, and it’s just a great package together. It’s the most fun on the road that I’ve had. I assume you’ve probably played your fair share of festivals in the past. Yeah. We just got back from Europe. We did a bunch of Europe dates. Yeah, imagine playing in front of thousands with Metallica every day. Talk about the fans overseas. What kind of reaction do you get with the current lineup? It’s great. We’re so far from home, but you’re hanging out with all of your buddies! The members of Down could easily be considered veteran players with the collective number of years in the business. Do you see yourself slowing down at all in the next five or ten years? I enjoy touring. You get spoiled sometimes. We’ve been doing it so long, and we kind of do it at a comfortable pace now. In the beginning we were all maniacs. Now we have two buses and we have room so that we don’t kill each other. We figure out how to make it work. There has been some information floating around about the next album, which isn’t slated for release until 2010. Are you basically in the earliest stages of preproduction? Yeah. I think we’re planning at earliest the summer of 2010. I think we start recording in January, so we’ll be doing that. The time period between Down releases can go from anywhere to five to seven years, obviously because you have your other bands. With that amount of time, do you gather quite an arsenal of material by the time you go into the studio? Sometimes, yes. When you’re touring as much as we have like this, it’s really showing which songs work in a live setting. I think we feed on a lot of that energy to see which songs are good and bad. There are certain songs that work like gangbusters. You use that mentality and that attitude, and you focus that on writing new songs in the vein of that kind of stuff. So with that mentality in mind, at this point do you have quite a few ideas ready to be recorded? Yeah, definitely. We have some. We actually have one microphone, one vocal track, stripping it back kind of like the first record – but even better. Do you have anyone in mind to produce it? I think I’m going to work with an old friend of mine who I grew up with in New Orleans. He used to produce all kinds of bands, and now he’s back in it. I think we’re going to work with him. In terms of working with Kirk (Windstein, guitarist), is it usually a tradeoff with who comes up with the guitar parts? I come up with a lot of the main riffs, and Kirk pretty much does the same. A lot of times if I come with something, Kirk will do something to balance it out that I couldn’t play in a million years. How would you describe your distinct styles and approaches to the guitar? I would say my style is more hammer-fisted. I use thick strings and downpick everything. Kirk is a little bit more precision-oriented, I guess. Kirk can play all the fast solos and I’ll do all the David Gilmour shit! So that’s a pretty good separation. It’s a good balance. On Down’s fan forums, there have been discussions about the possibility of acoustic tracks on the new record. Can we expect heavy use of the acoustic? We have a bunch of parts that we’re hanging on to, but we figure on the last two records that we had a pretty good mix. Now we want to go straight for playing a heavy-hitter song. So that’s the plan. Whether that happens, I don’t know. That’s the master plan, but it could change all tomorrow. You have quite some time before you go into the studio, too. Yeah. We’ve been on the road for years, but we’ve had a lot of fun playing live. For those people out there who are attempting to emulate your guitar sound, what advice can you give them? Specifically, what do you bring on tour? I play a Gibson ES-335 hollow body and two Orange stacks. We have four cabinets, and it’s loud! I’ve got an overdrive pedal. What attracted you to those particular guitars? I actually had ESPs or Gibson SGs for years. One day, Jeremy the Gibson rep came up to me at a show and said he was trying to track me down. He knew I had been playing SGs all along, and he knew the way I played. He said that I should try a 335 hollow body. I plugged the fucking thing into my rack and I’ve never looked back. It’s a very brutal-sounding guitar, but it’s not meant to be played like that. It’s meant for someone like B.B. King! Do you bring a wide variety of pedals on tour? I have a wah wah, a Small Stone, a Phase 90. I use the Pog a lot. That’s about it. In the studio, do you find yourself experimenting with an assortment of new items? Or are you someone who likes a pretty straightforward setup? I’m pretty straightforward. I never really went much into a bunch of guitar effects. I figure the less I have to change, the better. I realize that you’re still working on new songs, but will there possibly new tunings? Yeah, we use C sharp. We might crank it up a little bit. I’m not sure. It’s whatever Phil wants to sing it in. We change songs sometimes for that, but not a lot. We do a lot of drop D, too. There might be a song we’ll drop it down a whole step. When you first came together to form Down, each member had already a pretty successful go-round in the music scene. Given the differing backgrounds, did you still find yourself on the same page as far as the musical vision? We knew what we wanted to do. We wanted to start a band that we would like if we weren’t in it. The first song we ever wrote, we wrote it on a little cassette four-track. It had been like thirty minutes, and then Phil sang on it. We started laughing our asses off at how good it sounded. It was just ridiculous. We ended finishing it about two hours later. We knew we wanted to start a band that we could get old in. We didn’t have to do mellow or acoustic stuff or not have to be Slayer. We enjoy playing music period. I don’t care what it is. Were you ever worried that Corrosion of Conformity fans might not be willing to embrace the music you performed in Down? I never really did. We finished that shit a long time ago. I’m not going to spoon-feed an audience. You shouldn’t give them the same shit every time. Les Paul, who obviously had been a tremendous influence on the music world, passed away in August. What effect did he have on your playing? Well, other than his invention of the guitar? (Laughs) There was a comment on Facebook that said, “If it weren’t for Les Paul, I would be flipping hamburgers or in jail.” Did you ever get an opportunity to meet Les Paul? No. You’ve played SGs and now the hollow body, but did you ever seriously consider the Les Paul as your main instrument? I had a Les Paul goldtop that I used for a song called “Albatross.” That’s the most blatant Les Paul-sounding song that I have. There was a message from Rex (Brown, bass) on the band’s MySpace page regarding his not being able to play on the latest tour. He needed to see his family and get things together. So we thought it would be better if he could get all that straightened out. We’ve been on the road three years. I can’t believe that someone else hasn’t tagged out. That’s a long time to be away from your family. When you go into the studio, is there a sense of relief that you’re away from the touring life? The studio is very, very, very serious. I enjoy being in the studio. Of course, you know you’re setting yourself up to go back on tour. You mentioned that in those first meetings with Phil that you recorded ideas on a four-track. Do you ever use that same method? We’re worse than that. We just use a damn jam box! It works, though. Can we expect any future releases that might hit the shelves before the 2010 album? We have a huge live DVD. What it is, it’s the first time we got back together after Hurricane Katrina. We decided to go to Europe. New Orleans was all screwed up and we were all screwed up mentally. We decided to just go to Europe and play some shows. We hadn’t played there for four or five years. I made some fliers online to get people to come out and put them up themselves. When we got to Europe, every show was sold out. So we started it in Phil’s barn during rehearsals and we ended up having over 50,000 people coming. That’s when we decided to do a third record. How many hours of footage did you get? I think we have 80 hours of footage or something. Will you be touring up until the end of the year? We tour until the end of September, I think. Then we’re done because I’m getting ready to have a baby. I’ve got to get my ass on home.

Riverfront Times D.X. Ferris   Down is the kind of band that would own classic-rock radio if heritage stations hadn't stopped seriously updating their playlists after the first Black Crowes album. The supergroup features Pantera frontman Phil Anselmo and members of Crowbar, Eyehategod and COC. If COC's "Stare Too Long" isn't the greatest classic-rock song of the 21st century, then Down's metal-plated Southern rock anthem "Stone the Crow" is. Down guitarist Pepper Keenan had a hand in both.   "It belongs on the radio," Keenan says of "Crow." "If one jackass would have taken a chance and put it on the radio, it would have taken off. To this day, we play this song, and kids know every damn word. It's like playing 'Freebird' or something."   Granted, for curious baby boomers, the band's metal-heavy latest album, 2007's Down III: Over the Under, probably isn't the best place to start. But for this leg of the tour, the group is concentrating on material from its platinum first album, its most accessible effort. At a recent show, they faithfully covered Van Halen's "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" -- and web video made that song alone look totally worth the price of admission.   Also on the bill tonight at Pop's is Seattle's seminal hard-rock band the Melvins, a sludge machine that's equal parts Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, punk and a Panzer tank. This tour marks the band's 25th anniversary.   "I said this to Buzz [Osborne, frontman-guitarist] the other night, I said, 'Dude, I think you're one of the greatest American rock and roll bands that exists on the planet.' They're half Grand Funk Railroad, half Black Flag. It's just the craziest amalgamation of American music stuck into one band. Incredible."   Down guitarist Pepper Keenan answered some extra questions for A to Z below.   D.X. Ferris: You wrote COC's "Stare Too Long," right? Pepper Keenan: I wrote it. I wrote the melody, and I always dreamed that it would be killer if it sounded like the Allman Brothers, if [Allman/Gov't Mule guitarist] Warren Haynes would play it. So I mailed him a cassette to his management's office. The phone rang the second he got it. He said he was a fan of COC, and I was just stunned. He came down to the studio and brought a Les Paul and a shitty-assed 112 speaker combo amp, plugged it in, and, dude, I had tears in my eyes. He said, "Is that what you hear in your head?" I said, "Yeah, exactly." It's one o' them songs, you know?   COC started as a hardcore band, then became a hard rock band over the years. Were you into classic rock as you grew up, or did you come to it late? Growing up in New Orleans, the hardcore scene had become very stale. It was a few bands chasing each other. Part of the whole hardcore philosophy back in the day was, 'Stick you neck out and put your dick on the chopping block and do something.' COC doing [1994's] Deliverance, we felt more hardcore than any band out there, because we were doing the exact opposite of what everybody else was doing. And 15, 20 years later, that record stands the test of time, and all those other bands are gone. The point was giving the finger to all those bands we were associated with that were painting themselves into a corner. I never felt more hardcore in my life that when we wrote [the biker-rawk nugget] 'Albatross.' [We thought] 'These guys are gonna kill us, or they're gonna love it.'"   Down and COC have classic rock style songs, but you don't do the big, long solos. Is that part of the punk-rock approach, or have you just never felt like doing it yet??We can do shit like that. Is it necessary in this type of band, a half-hour solo? No. But I enjoy 'em -- if they're Robin Trower or Stevie Ray Vaughan. We just do our thing, and it has to keep up to our standards.   How's the tour going? We're keeping up with the Melvins, man. Not a lot of la-la-la songs. Just going for the throat. It's fun. And then we're heading back, we're gonna use that energy as a catalyst to write the new album.  

Bravewords Aaron Small   During DOWN’s recent stop in Toronto, freshly tattooed guitarist Kirk Windstein invited Brave Words scribe Aaron Small onto the tour bus for a beer and the following exclusive update:   Bassist Rex Brown – Diagnosed with acute pancreatitis, he underwent surgery, during which his gall bladder, along with some polyps were removed. “He’s doing much better. He’s gaining a little weight back. Rex is one of my best friends in the world. I love him to death. He’ll be all right. Everybody’s not Lemmy (from MOTÖRHEAD). I tell him that sometimes. It got to the point where his body just started giving out from 25 years on the road – drinking every day and what not. Most people do it on the weekend. Add that up to every day for 25 years and that’s what happens. By no means is he out of the band. Fortunately for us, my friend Danny (Theriot) who I played with in VICTORIAN BLITZ, my first metal band in the early ‘80s, helped us out. Obviously I prefer Rex to be there. But in a weird way, it is nice, 25 years later, to put my head on Danny’s shoulder while I’m doing a lead, ‘cause we used to do it when we were kids. But, I would prefer to put my head on Rex’s shoulder.”   KINGDOM OF SORROW – “Put it this way, I’m working so hard that on my off day in Hartford, I went to the studio with Jasta (from HATEBREED) and did Kingdom Of Sorrow demos. It’s not Hatebreed meets Crowbar any more. To me, it’s sounding like TROUBLE and PENTAGRAM. It’s more mid-tempo. Jamey gave me a 15-song demo of shit he wrote by himself and I… he calls it ‘Kirk-ifying it’. I hear it and change a chord or a tag; it works very well. I’m hoping to record it literally on January 2nd (2010). Fly up to Connecticut right after New Year’s and knock it out in two and a half or three weeks.”   CROWBAR – “The back catalog will be reissued through Phil (Anselmo)’s label, Housecore Records, on vinyl and CD. We’re going to do it in chronological order. So Obedience will be the first re-release. We already recorded a live record and we’re putting out a new studio record through Housecore. Then the reissues; there’ll be a t-shirt for each release that has the cover on it. The first one should be the live record, which should come out first quarter (2010). Recorded in Lafayette, Louisiana, we opened up with ‘Waiting In Silence’ and went into ‘I Have Failed’. I hadn’t played those in at least ten years. I’ve got a great bunch of guys (Tommy Buckley – drums, Matt Brunson – guitar, Rex Brown – bass) in Crowbar now, so I asked them what they wanted to play? I re-learnt it and we did it. Matt came up with a title for the live one – Obedience Through Volume (instead of Obedience Through Suffering). I think we may call it that. And we’re doing a box set through Housecore. We’re doing a SLUGS demo, five songs. That’s the first one we did with No Quarter. It was Jimmy (Bower), Big Todd, Kevin Noonan and me. I want to make it good; possibly a fleur-de-lie shaped box, something different.”   DOWN – “The DVD (Diary Of A Mad Band) is coming out next year. Pepper (Keenan) put 95% of that thing together. He did a hell of a job! It’s a movie. It’s a documentary on a band that got back together in 2006 – post Katrina – to say, let’s make this our real band. For the next album, something’s going to happen. We may get symbols like LED ZEPPELIN. We have enough shit already demoed. If we recorded that, it’d be an album. Phil’s been writing a bunch of heavy stuff.”   KISS – The new album, Sonic Boom, is a little over a week away. “I haven’t heard it yet but we have the same manager and he said there’s four or five really good songs. I bought Psycho Circus. I head the song on the radio and I love the song. The rest of the album is the worst hunk of shit I’ve ever heard in my life – Gene I love you. I know you’re Jewish. I still love you. But, it’s not good. In fact, me and my girlfriend at the time each bought a copy. I kept mine, just ‘cause it’s KISS. If Gene farts, I’ll buy it. We returned hers and I got High ‘n’ Dry by DEF LEPPARD. It’s a much stronger album Gene. I still love you. I’ve got two KISS tattoos. Everybody makes fun of KISS, but at one point in time – they got it! ‘Watching You’ is one of the heaviest riffs ever. Kiss – Alive I is a masterpiece! That’s my childhood. Those are my favourite songs ever. I’ve bought Kiss – Alive I probably five times. I wore the grooves out on the record. I can’t say the same about The Elder. For lack of a better term, they got led astray a bit.”

Self-Titled Magazine Andrew Parks Forget the way he bellows and barks in Down for a second. Because behind the music, Phil Anselmo is the most intense person I’ve ever met.       Speaking to the former Pantera frontman for a Decibel cover story a few summers ago, I quickly learned that you don’t ask Anselmo questions. You simply sit back and let the tape roll; let him talk, not be talked to. After all, he’s got a lot to say, whether it’s about the murder of Dimebag Darrell or the debilitating back injury that caused him to take up heroin and nearly die several times. And, well, as slow as he talks—poring over every…single…word—the guy always seems on the verge of snapping. Which would be a very bad moment to witness firsthand, given the massive “body/blood, joy/pain, life/death” tattoo on his left arm.       These days, Anselmo is healthier than he was throughout most of the ’90s. He’s a hell of a lot happier, too, enjoying Down’s shift from its status as an underground metal supergroup (featuring members of Eyehategod, Crowbar and Corrosion of Conformity, along with Pantera bassist Rex Brown, who’s currently facing surgery for acute pancreatitis) to everyone’s fulltime job. An exciting prospect if you’re into any strain of sludgy rock. Hence the band’s decision to bring the Melvins on the road this time around. A perfect pairing, really, especially considering the showmanship of both artists, from King Buzzo’s stoner witch facade to Down’s old-school grasp of guitar solos and a fanbase that’s frothing at the mouth for a reason.

Monday, September 21, 2009 The Vogue, 6259 N. College Ave., www.thevogue.ws 8 p.m., $25 advance (without ticket fees), $27 door, 21+ Fronted by Pantera singer Phil Anselmo and featuring Corrosion of Conformity guitarist Pepper Keenan, Crowbar guitarist Kirk Windstein, Eyehategod drummer Jimmy Bower and bassist Danny Theriot (filling in for Pantera bassist Rex Brown while he’s down with a bad pancreas), Down is a supergroup that sounds like a lean and hungry up-and-comer. Starting with 1995’s landmark NOLA the band has mastered a southern fried metal sound that’s equal parts stoner, boogie and blues-rock. Monday’s stop is part of a two-year tour supporting Down III: Over the Under, the band’s potent statement on, among other things, Dimebag Darnell’s death and Katrina’s impact on their New Orleans hometown. The Melvins slow, sludgy path has influenced everybody from Nirvana to Eyehategod and Crowbar. Led by long time members Buzz "King Buzzo" Osborne and Dale Crover, not much has changed since the days when young Cobain was their no. 1 fan boy. They are still Kiss obsessed, and they still mix liberal doses of Black Flag hardcore and Black Sabbath heaviness at full volume. With Wilmington, N.C. southern rockers Weedeater and Memphis’ heaviest band of the moment, Evil Army. —Jeff Napier

NoiseCreep.com By Justina Villanueva "I want to hear that primal ass chant. The war chant," Down's Phil Anselmo demanded Sept. 14 at New York City's Nokia Theater. The crowd then, in military fashion, delivered a steady stream of "Ehh! Ehh! Ehh!" Down have come a long way from being a Pantera side project with a history that has provided for a full documentary on the band. Hundreds of fans wearing black shirts with white Down logos came from all directions around Times Square -- where the venue was located -- in support of the Anselmo-led team. Known for drastically long rants that usually span over 20 minutes, ex-Pantera vocalist Anselmo has grown up. He respected the venue's curfew by keeping his between-song banter short and acknowledged that the fans were there to see the Southern boys do what they do best: rock out Southern metal style. With a set list that spanned three albums, an encore was still expected of the band. The crowd repeatedly shouted "U.S.A., U.S.A., U.S.A." until the supergroup returned to the stage. After a quick smoke break, they came back with a cover of Van Halen's 'Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love.' Drummer Jimmy Bower (Eyehategod, ex-Superjoint Ritual) made Anselmo plug his other band's New York City show happening in October. Nothing too fancy. Just Eyehategod headlining a CMJ festival showcase on a cruise boat with Pig Destroyer and Goatwhore. While the band's fourth album will be delayed until bassist Rex Brown can recover from his recent acute pancreatitis diagnosis, you can expect the release of 'Down -- Diary of a Mad Band' in 2010. The documentary includes footage from the band's first European tour and a sneak peek of it will be showcased at the Kronk Festival in Pontiac, Mich. on Sept. 20.

CleveScene.com The bands are new. But on the radio, the songs remain the same by D.X. Ferris Down is coming to town Tuesday, September 22. On paper, the New Orleans-based hard-rock/metal band should be playing the Quicken Loans Arena, not the much smaller House of Blues. The group's "Stone the Crow" is one of the great classic-rock anthems of its generation, worthy of Skynyrd. It's a haymaker of a song, with a mournful southern-rock riff, haunted vocals from a tortured soul and guitar harmonies that'll give you goosebumps. Down should own Cleveland. Because Cleveland's a classic rock town. A full 35 years after Aerosmith got their wings, it's still easy to hear "Train Kept A-Rollin'" twice a day on local radio stations, even if you're just flipping through the dial. The Black Keys only recently supplanted Pink Floyd tribute Wish You Were Here as the top-drawing local band (and that distinction is subject to interpretation). Classic-rock beacon WNCX 98.5 FM was the top-ranked rock station in Arbitron's Spring 2009 Cleveland-Akron's ratings. "[Cleveland] used to be a current rock town," says John Gorman, a media consultant and radio historian who was program director of WMMS in the '70s and early '80s, when a local station could help break a song nationally. "It still is, but it's not reflected on radio." After a golden age, Cleveland classic-rock fans decided their hearts and ears were full. Shaggy bands like Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd helped establish FM radio, making it a place where deep album cuts found new life. Throughout the '70s, long-haired dudes jammed out hot licks and let big riffs rip. Sweaty shredders like Deep Purple and Black Sabbath owned an age when people wanted to rock and roll all night and party every day. In 1979, the World Series of Rock drew more than 85,000 hard-rocking heads to Cleveland's Lakefront Stadium for a bill that included Aerosmith, Ted Nugent, Journey, Thin Lizzy and AC/DC. The wave was cresting. By the '80s, big rock's long solos — guitar, drums and bass — were becoming hard to take. Zeppelin had crashed. Sabbath turned gray. Aerosmith went off the rails. Many album-oriented rock (AOR) stations were concentrating on classic rock and playing maybe two new songs each hour. In 1981, Dick Hungate, program director of Philadelphia's AOR station WYSP, stopped playing current cuts and went with all old stuff. Classic Rock Radio as a distinct format was born. Throughout the '80s, classic-rock and AOR stations added new acts with increasing rarity: the Police, .38 Special, Guns N' Roses. Today, the classic-rock format is a nostalgia-delivery device, and it's hard to find anything newer than a single from the first Black Crowes album. The most recent song in WNCX's Top 100 tracks is Gregg Allman's "I'm No Angel" from 1987. In some parts of the country, classic rock — sometimes referred to as "heritage" rock — is practically the new folk music; kids are likely to know more words to "Stairway to Heaven" than a trad song like "Wild Rover." Gorman says there are two types of classic-rock listeners: those for whom the music was the soundtrack of the best part of their lives, and those who can't or won't try to relate to modern music. "That's the argument the companies will always use to say why the playlist is so tight," he says. "If you play something unfamiliar, you're taking a chance of somebody hitting a button and going to another station. Classic rock has turned into a pretty tight greatest-hits format" Updating playlists is a tough call. Akron's WONE 97.5 has been known to play Metallica and Green Day on the weekends. More recently it's added Creed and vanilla post-Nickelback bands to the mix. But contemporary rock radio ignores a whole scene that seems like a can't-miss combination with the classics. Whether you call it rawk, stoner rock or stoner metal, many of the bands crawling from club to club might have had a shot as an opening act on an arena tour once. Given the chance, any number of bands could be the next Nugent. Since hair metal died and grunge broke, the world has seen a groundswell of groups that preferred Black Sabbath to Boston and Zeppelin to Nirvana. (See sidebar for some of the best.) Down might be the biggest band of its breed, but there are countless others, from Australia's Wolfmother to Cleveland's Red Giant. Red Giant records for Detroit's Small Stone label, which specializes in the kind of rock that used to pour out of beat-up, smoke-filled vans. Small Stone owner Scott Hamilton thinks new classic rock-style bands deserve a shot at the airwaves. "I would love to hear that stuff next to Skynyrd and Led Zep," he says. "It makes sense. It is the same genre. It sounds right. And it feels right. I have made many attempts [to get my bands on the radio], but nothing seemed to work. I used to get feedback from some of the DJs that I was friendly with around town. They all liked what I gave them, but their hands were usually tied by the music directors and corporate broadcast consulting firms. They can't play what they like — just what is on the playlist. Both Sirius and XM have been friendly thus far. They have so many different genre stations that you can usually slide into one of them — but never on their classic-rock channels." Program directors at WNCX and WONE declined to comment for the story. Granted, while bands like Down are a perfect match for classic-rock radio, others are a hard sell to baby boomers who listen to music to relax. Many are closer to Blue Cheer than Blue Öyster Cult. And like it or not, you have to acknowledge there's something magic about classic rock. It's music that fans have listened to every day for decades. "Listen to Bad Company, something like that," says Down guitarist Pepper Keenan. "Fantastic songwriting skills. Musicians who had skills and dedicated their life to playing their instrument or singing. Just a wide knowledge of music and not so narrow-minded. You had to play your shit. You couldn't fix it in the studio. You had to be good. That's the same approach Down uses." But even with major-label backing — the Warner-Elektra-Atlantic WEA group — Down play to 1,000-2,000 fans a night. Keenan has seen veteran classic-rock concertgoers warm up to the band, and he thinks radio listeners could warm up to new fire-breathing groups. "I know they would," says Keenan. "I guarantee it. It's just the idea of convincing somebody to listen to it or getting it in their hand to where they'll play it. That's the record label and the industry's job, and sometimes they don't do it well. So sometimes you end up being an underground band, and then people hear you 20 years later and feel like they got ripped off." Another reason Down should own Cleveland: Cleveland is a metal town, and Down is a metal supergroup. Singer Phil Anselmo is best known for fronting Pantera, the last great, arena-packing metal band. (Bassist Rex Brown, also from Pantera, is sitting out this tour due to acute pancreatitis and problems with his gall bladder.) Kirk Windstein made his bones in sludge lords Crowbar. Drummer Jimmy Bower plays with seminal underground group Eyehategod. Guitarist Keenan made a cameo on Metallica's cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Tuesday's Gone." Metallica's James Hetfield is a longtime fan of Keenan's other band, Corrosion of Conformity (COC), a long-running North Carolina outfit that evolved from a hardcore group to a diesel-burning biker-rock band. If "Stone the Crow" isn't the best new-school classic-rock song, then the honor certainly belongs to COC's "Stare Too Long," which features stand-and-salute slide guitar by Warren Haynes of the Allman Brothers Band and Gov't Mule. Unlike many newer classic-style groups, Down's songs weren't written as homages. "It just kinda happened," explains Keenan. "I was always into melodic things. And 'Stone the Crow' — we were all on the same page. We were all kids from New Orleans. We weren't from Berlin. We listened to Sabbath and melodic-y, blues-based kinda bands. That's where it all came from. We had the story to tell; it kind of made sense. It fit the melody — just livin' hard, piecing it all together, there it was." Down qualify as classic rock whether you listen to the music or just measure by age. The off-again, on-again band has only three records, though it dates back to 1991 when the friends started jamming. The group's debut, 1995's NOLA, unexpectedly went platinum. But Pantera was the hottest metal band in the land at the time, and the more metallic Down II: A Bustle in Your Hedgerow didn't arrive until 2002. Anselmo has claimed that Elektra was so scared Down would take off and cut into Pantera business that the company sabotaged the band by under-promoting it. The group's most recent album, Down III: Over the Under, arrived in 2007 and sold out multiple shipments in Northeast Ohio stores in its first weeks. It has a foundation of chainsaw-riff songs like "I Scream," but balances them with some album-rock moments. One review described "Nothing in Return (Walk Away)" — a quaking-keyboard nod to Zeppelin's "No Quarter" — as "Led Sabbath." The band has been on the road since the album's release. By now, says Keenan, they're tired of the material. On this tour, they're concentrating on songs from the first record, the band's most accessible. "Stone the Crow" remains their signature song, even if it's mostly a live phenomenon. "If it gets on the radio, great," says Keenan. "That was never part of COC or Down's plan. We are very capable of writing songs that should be on the radio. If it doesn't, that ain't stoppin' us."

Special Guest Partier Philip Anselmo Gets Down at Kronk Fest 2009 A champion of the stage joins with Detroit’s own champions of the ring, as musical heavyweight Philip Anselmo pays a special visit to the first annual Kronk Fest 2009 on Sunday, September 20th, at Clutch Cargos in Pontiac, MI. New Orleans native Philip Anselmo is a world-renowned vocalist and musician, who has sold more than 25 million records with Pantera, Superjoint Ritual and now, his new long time band of brothers in DOWN. But he is a FOK, a Friend of Kronk, newly appointed to the board of the Kronk Gym Foundation. Anselmo will be making a special guest appearance at Kronk Fest 2009, which will benefit the Kronk Gym Foundation in its efforts to provide new equipment for the Kronk Boxing Gym, plus tournament funding for the Kronk Amateur Boxing Team. Playing live at the Kronk Fest will be two Michigan heavy-metal sluggers: Deadhouse rocking out of Detroit and Housecore Record’s presents Cavalcade weighing in from Lansing. As an extra special bonus, there will be an exclusive sneak preview of the long-awaited rockumentary, “DOWN – Diary of a Mad Band,” which follows Anselmo and his mates as they tear up Europe – literally and figuratively – on their first European tour. Doors for this special evening open at 6pm. Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the door. A $50 VIP ticket earns you the right to party with Anselmo in the VIP section and a limited edition, autographed photo. The Kronk Gym is an internationally known boxing center, which under the direction of legendary trainer Emanuel Steward, has produced a cavalcade of ring champions, including Thomas Hearns, Hilmer Kenty Lennox Lewis and currently training Heavey Weight Champion of the World Wladimir Klitschko. Steward has recently established the Kronk Gym Foundation, which seeks to keep kids off the street and in the ring, where they can learn how to be good boxers and better citizens. To make a donation or purchase tickets for Kronk Fest 2009, visit www.KronkGymFoundation.com – or call 248-917-1793. Kronk Fest 2009 Featuring Philip Anselmo Sunday, September 20, 2009 Clutch Cargos65 E. Huron St. Pontiac, MI www.Clutchcargos.com/index.php

To the DOWN Brotherhood, This past week Philip Anselmo did an interview with the Boston Herald to promote Down's show at the House of Blues in Boston. We wanted to clear up some things before the rumor mill starts turning. First off, the band will be writing and recording an album for release in 2010. Secondly, re the statement, "Rex Brown, who also played in Pantera, has left the band for personal reasons" - Rex did not join this tour due to imminent health concerns, the sabbatical is not permanent. As Philip states on stage every night, Rex is the bass player in Down and will continue to be. Lastly, the band haarp, currently touring with Down and signed to Philip's Housecore Records label, hail from New Orleans not North Carolina. We hope this clears up the questions that have been flooding in.

Events.nydailynews.com Friday, Sep 11 7:30pm at Nokia Theatre Times Square, New York, NY Price: $35.00 Age Suitability: None Specified Most typical southern band bios start with the cliche and overused phrase "from the murky swamps" or "bayou born and bred". Those sentiments, while holding some air of truth, are too redundant for Down. Down isn't your typical 'Southern' band. This is a band, however, molded and twisted by their environment. Passionate, focused, hanging on to their NOLA pride and upbringing, much like Louisiana's Spanish moss drifting and swaying from hurricane and termite damaged Magnolia trees. The war torn history of the brotherhood is a tribute to stubbornness and retribution that belies all combined groups before and concerns an introspection in rock, blues and metal as an inspiration/instigation for the ages. Down has risen a certain flag high for every p~~s poor jealous fool to see. They wear their influences on their ragged sleeves as well as personify despair and display agony very accurately. Imagine early Southern Rock squeezing through a Geezer Butler strainer in these post punk modern days. There is no label for what Down does, as are there no labels for the "thousand miles from New York" bands that share members with them; Crowbar, Corrosion of Conformity, EyeHateGod, and Pantera. This is chemistry. This is the solution. This is the band people will lie about and say that they were into from the beginning. I don't know if anyone remembers there's a war going on in Iraq, but there's a war going on here on the home front, in your head, with late night reconnaissance missions called "Temptation's Wings" and "Losing All". The southern hemisphere, primarily New Orleans, has much to offer by way of paralyzing roots music these days. In these dark times of cookie cutter paint-by-numbers wastes of recording contracts, an air of originality unseen anywhere else lives below the Mason-Dixon line. This is post-Katrina New Orleans.Through the wreckage and wretchedness, the third Down--Over The Under is poised fanatically on the edge. - By MIKE IX

Delcotimes.com By Michael Christopher, Rockmusicmenu@hotmail.com Down returns to Philadelphia Saturday night with a show at The Electric Factory, and after touring for over two years in support of the record “Down III: Over the Under,” the band couldn’t sound any tighter. One of the main reasons is that what was once known as a hard rock New Orleans supergroup is no longer just a project the musicians dabble in every so many years. “It’s a real band now and not a side project,” guitarist Kirk Windstein told Rock Music Menu. “It’s everyone’s main focus and we’ve toured extensively, we’ve been to 27 countries in the last two years, started touring before the record came out, and played everywhere.” “We’re kind of, for lack of a better term, taking it more serious because it is everybody’s main focus, and while we still do other things, it’s our real band now which it never really was in the past.” Windstein, frontman and guitarist for Crowbar, is joined by former Pantera singer Phil Anselmo, Corrosion of Conformity singer and guitarist Pepper Keenan, Eyehategod drummer Jimmy Bower and bassist Rex Brown, also ex-Pantera, but sitting out this leg of the tour with acute pancreatitis and replaced by Danny Theriot. That’s not only a lot of talent, but with so many leaders from their respective or onetime bands, it’s only logical to assume there’s a good chance of ego running amok and lots of disagreements over the direction of the music; but that’s not the case says Windstein. “In Crowbar I sing, write all the lyrics, write all the music — do everything, where in Down it’s more of a democratic thing,” he said. “I’m not saying we don’t want to kill each other sometimes, but like everybody in every band. I always use the analogy that I have my girlfriend at home, and I have four other girlfriends with different personalities to deal with.” “Basically all I have to do with Down is concentrate on playing, then when it’s writing time throw in some riffs to the guys and see if they use them and if not, they get used for something else.” Putting out the riff heavy debut “NOLA” in 1995, the band was surprised at the response by not only metal fans, but the music community in general. The record received rave reviews and is revered by audiences as a touchstone hard rock record during an era just stepping out of grunge and looking for something to sink their teeth into. But there was little promotion to back it up as everybody went back to their respective outfits. “I was surprised because we didn’t tour, we literally did like a two-week tour, and then we just did the occasional odd show,” said Windstein. “For a band not touring, it did really well and was well-received.” It wouldn’t be until 2002 that the group would reconvene and record “Down II: A Bustle in Your Hedgerow” over a drug-fueled 28 days. The album was more much more experimental than its predecessor, and reviews were mixed. A highly anticipated tour was fraught with spotty and downright poor performances as bandmembers battled various addictions, a period that finally passed according to Windstein. “We were all a wreck on that tour, everybody had a lot of personal demons they were dealing with at that time,” he said. “It’s just different now. Me and Jimmy are really laid back and Rex is pretty laid back where Pepper and Phil are a little more opinionated and maybe high strung at certain times about stuff or whatever — which is good.” The results show on “Over the Under,” a tighter, more focused feeling effort that touches on a wide range of topics, including the devastation that Hurricane Katrina wrought on the band’s hometown, and how even now, with the passage of the four year anniversary, things still aren’t back to normal. Windstein says that while the recovery is still taking place, the inaction by the U.S. Government still has a bad taste sitting in mouths of New Orleans’ residents. “Well they made a big to do for a couple weeks but then they just left us alone and went back to the war or whatever,” he said. “Some neighborhoods are struggling to come back, but you have some that are thriving.” “The thing is it’s never going to be the same, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be good; and musically it’s always thriving, as most of the artists that had to leave town because there was nowhere to play are back in and doing well, and as far as that goes, it’s pretty much fine.” Another one of the most lyrically glaringly subject matters on the latest record is Anselmo’s ban from Dimebag Darrell’s funeral, evident on the track “Mourn,” where he details sitting in a Dallas motel room waiting for word that he could attend. Playing with his new outfit Damageplan in December of 2004, the guitarist was gunned down on stage by a disturbed fan. The band also featured Darrell’s brother and Pantera bandmate Vinnie Paul. At the time, the two had been involved in a war of words in the press with Anselmo over the dissolution of Pantera, and Darrell’s longtime girlfriend Rita Haney has gone as far as laying part of the blame on the singer for the shooting, a sentiment that was then echoed by many fans. “In my opinion, and I don’t want to be rude, but the people, and I’m not referring to Vinnie or anything like that, but the general public, the fans who have blamed Phil really need to think about the reality of what happened,” Windstein said. “It’s one of those things to me where if Phil had never “temporarily” left Pantera or they had never started Damageplan this never would’ve happened. At the same time, if Joe Blow got killed in a car accident, if he would’ve left five minutes earlier, the truck wouldn’t have hit him type thing; you can’t really think that way.” “It’s dying away a lot now because I think people realize that Phil genuinely loved the guy, but it was very, very difficult in the beginning.” Through various interviews in recent years, Vinnie Paul has made it clear that he has nothing more to say to Anselmo, despite being collaborators in one of the greatest metal bands of all time. Windstein is hopeful that the two can get it together. “You never know,” he said. “I would hope with time … but I have a sorta-relationship with Rita that’s friendly; they can’t comprehend what happened, and neither can I for that matter, and everyone wants to blame someone. But what my problem is, why don’t you just blame the dude who did it? That’s what I say to the fans that are negative toward Phil.” “I know Phil would love one day to have a relationship with Vinnie; they’ve gone through a hell of a lot together and made some of the best metal — ever, so I would hope one day that can happen.”

Creativeloafing.com By Jeff Hahne in Live Reviews, Photos, setlist Down w/ The Melvins, Haarp, Evil Army The Fillmore Charlotte Sept. 5, 2009 The Deal: Supergroup Down brings along The Melvins, Haarp and Evil Army for heavy metal gig at The Fillmore. The Good: The night opened with Evil Army who played more of a punk style of metal. The band was introduced by Down singer Phil Anselmo, who spent the rest of the set watching from the side of the stage. He joined the band for a couple of choruses, and Pepper Keenan of Down was in the crowd watching for the second half of the set. Haarp was up next, as their singer performed the entire heavy metal set from the middle of the floor. Again, Anselmo was on the side of the stage, singing along, smiling and enjoying every moment. The Melvins, the fore-fathers of grunge, showed their mettle and their metal during the band’s 45-minute set that rifled through a number of songs — some instrumental, some with vocals. Feedback, dual drummers and a good bit of humor swarmed the stage as King Buzzo, Buzz Osborne, and his Einstein-like hair paced around while plucking riffs. As much as the crowd seemed to enjoy The Melvins, it was clear that everyone was there for Down. Drenched in red lighting, the group hit the stage with a fury as a drenched Anselmo sang, screamed and stalked the stage. Keenan tore through licks as Anselmo dedicated “Lifer” to his former Pantera bandmate “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott. The energy and enjoyment the band put forth for its hour-and-15-minute set would never let you know they’d been touring on their latest album for roughly three years. At the end of the band’s main set (and the encore), Anselmo was joined on stage by his little brother, Jerry, who sang along for the “Nothing in Return” refrain, “And when we walk away, there’ll be no coming home.” The band’s encore teased a cover of Kiss’ “God of Thunder,” before launching into “Hail to the Leaf.” At the end of “Bury Me In Smoke,” the stage was filled with a few of the previous band’s members as Down handed off instruments and let the other’s finish off the night. The Bad: Poor attendance. It’s not every day that you get a metal group like this through town and the Fillmore was less than half-full. The Verdict: Aside from being fantastic entertainers and great musicians, Down appeared to truly enjoy every moment on stage. While the other bands got the crowd warmed up, it was Down that brought the night to its climax. Hopefully, they’ll be back through the Carolinas in the near future. The Melvins setlist Pigs of the Roman Empire The Talking Horse The Bloated Pope Dog Island Des Area Billy Fish DNA Anaconda Zodiac The Kicking Machine Civilized Worms Blood Witch Hooch The Smiling Cobra Down setlist Lysergik Funeral Procession Pillars of Eternity New Orleans is a Dying Whore Lifer The Path Ghosts Along the Mississippi Losing All N.O.D. Eyes of the South Nothing in Return Encore Hail to the Leaf Stone the Crow Bury Me In Smoke