Down | |
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Background information | |
Origin | New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
Genres | |
Years active | 1991–present |
Labels | |
Spinoff of | |
Members |
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Past members |
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Website | down-nola |
Down is an American heavy metal supergroup that formed in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1991. The current lineup consists of vocalist Phil Anselmo (Pantera and Superjoint Ritual), drummer Jimmy Bower (Crowbar, Eyehategod, Superjoint Ritual), guitarists Pepper Keenan (Corrosion of Conformity) and Kirk Windstein (Crowbar), and bassist Pat Bruders (Goatwhore).
Since their formation, Down has gone on hiatus twice and has released five studio albums. The first three were LPs entitled NOLA (1995), Down II: A Bustle in Your Hedgerow (2002), and Down III: Over the Under (2007). In 2008, the band began working on additional material, which resulted in two EPs entitled Down IV – Part I , released in September 2012, and Down IV – Part II , released in May 2014.
NOLA has always reminded me sound-wise and approach-wise as a really loud demo, and it was based on three three-song demos that we did just for fun. We were still growing and finding out what we were as a band, and we were into a lot of bands that were influenced by Black Sabbath, like St. Vitus, Trouble and Witchfinder General.
Phil Anselmo on Down's first album [4]
Down formed in 1991 with vocalist Phil Anselmo of Pantera, drummer Jimmy Bower of Eyehategod, guitarists Pepper Keenan of Corrosion of Conformity and Kirk Windstein of Crowbar and bassist Todd Strange, also of Crowbar. All of the band members were longtime friends, and shared interest in bands such as Black Sabbath, Trouble, and Saint Vitus, which would significantly influence the music they made.[ citation needed ] The band made a three-track demo for underground trading. In an effort to build a fan base, Anselmo and Keenan would ask heavy metal fans if they had ever "heard of this band, Down" and hand them copies of the tape without telling the person that they were in the band. [5] [6] Eventually, the tape was distributed throughout the United States and Down played a small concert in its hometown. A record executive from Elektra Records was attending the show. When he found out who the members of the band were, he signed Down to a recording contract. [6]
Down released its debut album, NOLA , on September 19, 1995, [7] debuting at number 55 on the Billboard 200. AllMusic reviewer David Reamer gave the album a nearly perfect 4.5 out of 5 stars, praising the songs "Temptations Wings", "Stone the Crow", and "Bury Me in Smoke". Reamer stated that "this is a landmark album that combines the talents of dedicated rock musicians, and should be included in any collection of heavy metal music." [8] NOLA was supported by a 13-date tour, and afterward the band went on hiatus in order to return to their respective bands. [5]
In 1999, while Down was on hiatus, Strange left the band and was replaced by Pantera bassist Rex Brown. In late November 2001, Down came back from hiatus to make another record. The band wrote and recorded Down II: A Bustle in Your Hedgerow in 28 "drug and booze induced" days in Phil Anselmo's barn called "Nödferatu's Lair." [9] The album was released on March 26, 2002, but was not received with the same positive reviews as NOLA. Blabbermouth.net reviewer Borivoj Krgin stated, "Down II appears to have been thrown together more haphazardly, with much of the material falling short of the standard set by the Down's classic debut offering." [10] Despite mixed reviews, the album debuted at number 44 on the Billboard 200. [11] To support the album, Down toured on the second stage of Ozzfest in 2002. [12] Also in 2002, the band recorded an acoustic version of "Stone the Crow" that was never officially released although it can be heard on YouTube. Afterward, the band once again entered an indefinite hiatus to focus on their respective bands.
Newly signed to Warner Bros. Records, Down once again reformed in 2006. The band wrote an album over the course of a year. The lyrical content of Down III: Over the Under covers subjects such as the breakup of Pantera, the murder of ex-Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell, the band's anger at the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and Anselmo's recovery from back surgery and drug addiction. [5] [9] Debuting at number 26 on the Billboard 200, the album was released on September 25, 2007, and received generally positive reviews. [11] Kirk Miller of Decibel Magazine said of the album, "for almost an hour, it's like the metal world was set right again." [13]
The release of Over the Under was preceded by a tour with Heaven & Hell and Megadeth. To further support their album, Down headlined a tour starting at the end of September 2007. [14]
On April 22, 2008, the BBC Radio 1 Rockshow broadcast a new session of Down recordings featuring alternate versions of "N.O.D.", "Beneath the Tides", and "Jail", along with a cover of "When the Levee Breaks" (written by Kansas Joe McCoy and his wife Memphis Minnie, and famously covered by Led Zeppelin).[ citation needed ]
On July 24, 2008, frontman Phil Anselmo mentioned in a post on the band's Myspace blog that Down had been "fucking around with some new material" and had "enough material already recorded"—at least six new songs in addition to those that did not make the final cut on Down III: Over the Under. [15] What or how much will be included on the tentative Down IV is uncertain, but according to Anselmo, there is "definitely enough for an awesome EP, with some surprises within." [15]
Asked in November 2008 what the current status of the new album was, bassist Rex Brown told Billboard.com that Down had been "writing constantly on the road. We still have all these ideas, and we play a lot of new stuff at sound check, just to feel it out. Hopefully, we can get back in the studio in the fall and work on something." [16]
On February 18, 2009, Down was announced in the lineup for the 2009 Roskilde Festival in Denmark. Following these live dates, the band toured the United States and Canada during August and September 2009. On March 30, 2009, Down posted a statement on their message board indicating that they will be back in the studio from October through November writing and recording what will eventually become Down IV. In the summer of 2009, Down began a US tour without Rex on bass, who had developed acute pancreatitis. [17]
On January 27, 2010, it was announced that Brown had nearly fully recuperated from his fight with pancreatitis. [18] Down had discussed reconvening in New Orleans sometime after the 2010 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. After legal issues with Warner Brothers Records regarding the rights to the music, Down released the live album Diary of a Mad Band: Europe in the Year of VI on October 5, 2010, via Roadrunner Records. The title is a reference to Diary of a Madman , an Ozzy Osbourne album.
In 2011, Phil Anselmo commented on the future of Down, stating: "Man, there will be a time for Down. Matter of fact we had a meeting this past week, and I know Jimmy's gotta go do an Eyehategod tour in February. But after that, I think we're looking to do some shows starting in March. Maybe local around here, maybe even some Mardi Gras gigs. But yeah, last week we sat around and they played me some new stuff they're working on, and it sounds good. Sounds like it's got a lot of promise, and really they just need me in the fuckin' practice room. So all this is going to happen this year. It has to happen. I know there's a responsibility here. Down has a fanbase and they are very very very loyal. So I don't want to let those people down. They deserve some new music, we have it. We've demoed other songs, there's songs that haven't even been released that people have never heard, so there's always Down there. For all you people out there, don't you stress. We got the Down coming." [19]
On May 11, 2011, Down announced on their Facebook page that they "demoed a brand new tune." [20] Down played at Download Festival on Saturday June 11, 2011. They played alongside System of a Down, Avenged Sevenfold and Alice Cooper. Rex did not tour with Down during their spring 2011 shows. Crowbar bassist Pat Bruders filled in for Rex during those shows. "Rex is not gonna be with us," said Keenan. "He's got things he needs to deal with, and we gave him an ultimatum and he's trying to work things out. We've got Pat (Bruders) from Crowbar playing bass, and he's ass-kickin' in the same way. He plays with his fingers—which is really cool; he's got the whole Geezer Butler thing going on." When asked whether or not Brown was still considered a part of the band, Keenan was hopeful but hesitant: "I don't know what to really say on that; he's not out of the band, but he's not playing with us live." On June 22, 2011, Jimmy Bower announced that Rex Brown would not be returning to Down, and that Pat Bruders is his replacement. [21]
The band spoke on their Facebook page and said they started recording new material on October 20. On January 16, 2012, they revealed track names for the new EP on Facebook. Initially, rumors spread about the possibility of Down releasing four EPs, instead of an album. However, when asked about it in an interview with Scuzz TV, Anselmo said that "It would be too pretentious, we try not to think as far ahead as that, and just go with what we feel at the time."[ citation needed ] In the summer of 2013, Kirk Windstein quit the band and was replaced by Bobby Landgraf. Down IV – Part II was released on May 13, 2014.
Following Anselmo's white power and Nazi salute controversy during the Dimebash event in the United States, the organizers of FortaRock Festival decided to cancel the appearance of the band for the 2016 event. [22]
When speaking to Max Morin of Bucketlist Music Reviews in January 2018, Anselmo said about the follow-up album to 2007's Over the Under:
"I have to focus on this new stuff for the time being because really, to clear it up and make it loud and clear for everyone: Down, when Down got together, we knew we were a band made up of many other bands. It's always been out of brotherhood and love that when any of our 'real' bands such as C.O.C. and Eyehategod, specifically get on a roll, at the time, even Pantera, [...] we always make room for that band. A tour like for Superjoint, for what it's worth, when Superjoint is working, there's no real time for Down, of course. It's a complete and just, I think, clear, very crystal-clear understanding between all of us that the day will come when things will slow down and we'll feel primed enough and ready for it and moods will alter as they do over time, especially musically. If you play certain songs, no matter what band you're in, if you play those songs enough times and enough nights, in a row, night after night, you're going to want to change tastes here and there. Yes, we will record another Down record. Everybody's committed to it. It's just right now, everybody's committed to it." [23]
In November 2019, Down announced they would be reuniting for a series of shows in 2020, including Graspop Metal Meeting, set to take place June 18–21, 2020 in Dessel, Belgium. [24] In anticipation of the 25th anniversary of Down's first album NOLA , founding member Kirk Windstein confirmed he was returning to the band. [25] During a December 2019 interview with BraveWorlds, Windstein said "anything Down does from here forward, whether it’s a full tour or one show, I'm 99.9% sure that I'm a part of it." [26]
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Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | Sales | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [11] | AUS [27] | FIN [28] | FRA [29] | GER [30] | IRL [31] | SWE [32] | UK [33] | ||||
1995 | NOLA
| 57 | 75 | — | — | — | — | — | 68 |
| |
2002 | Down II: A Bustle in Your Hedgerow
| 44 | 45 | — | — | 67 | — | — | 80 |
| |
2007 | Down III: Over the Under
| 26 | 60 | 30 | 114 | 65 | 42 | 45 | 46 | ||
"—" denotes a release that did not chart. |
Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [11] | FIN [28] | FRA [29] | GER [30] | UK [33] | AUS [36] | ||
2012 | Down IV – Part I
| 35 | — | 163 | 86 | 57 | 58 |
2014 | Down IV – Part II
| 23 | 21 | 81 | 88 | 50 | 79 |
Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | |
---|---|---|---|
FRA [29] | GER [30] | ||
2010 | Diary of a Mad Band
| 147 | 93 |
Year | Song | Album | Music video |
---|---|---|---|
1995 | "Lifer" | NOLA | No |
"Stone the Crow" | Yes | ||
"Temptations Wings" | |||
1996 | "Rehab" | No | |
2002 | "Beautifully Depressed" | Down II: A Bustle in Your Hedgerow | |
"Ghosts Along the Mississippi" | Yes | ||
2007 | "On March the Saints" | Down III: Over the Under | |
"I Scream" | No | ||
2008 | "Mourn" | ||
"N.O.D." | Yes | ||
2012 | "Witchtripper" | Down IV – Part I | |
2014 | "We Knew Him Well" | Down IV – Part II | |
2015 | "Conjure" | ||
Pantera is an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas, formed in 1981 by the Abbott brothers, and currently composed of vocalist Phil Anselmo, bassist Rex Brown, and touring musicians Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante. The group's best-known lineup consisted of the Abbott brothers along with Brown and Anselmo, who joined in 1982 and 1986, respectively. The band is credited for developing and popularizing the subgenre of groove metal in the 1990s. Regarded as one of the most successful and influential bands in heavy metal history, Pantera has sold around 20 million records worldwide and has received four Grammy nominations.
Far Beyond Driven is the seventh studio album by American heavy metal band Pantera, released on March 22, 1994, by Elektra Records and East West Records. Pantera's fastest-selling album, it peaked at number 1 on the Billboard 200 and was certified Platinum by the RIAA. The album was also certified Platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association. Far Beyond Driven is the first album by Pantera where the band's guitarist Darrell Abbott is credited as "Dimebag Darrell", having changed his nickname from "Diamond Darrell" soon after Vulgar Display of Power was released. The Japanese and the Driven Downunder Tour '94 Souvenir Collection editions contain a bonus thirteenth track, "The Badge", a Poison Idea cover. This cover was also featured on The Crow soundtrack.
Philip Hansen Anselmo is an American heavy metal musician best known as the lead singer for Pantera, Down, and Superjoint, amongst other musical projects. He is the owner of Housecore Records.
Superjoint, formerly known as Superjoint Ritual, was an American metal/hardcore band formed in the 1990s and fronted by Pantera vocalist Phil Anselmo.
Crowbar is an American sludge metal band formed in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1990. The band is fronted by vocalist/guitarist Kirk Windstein, Crowbar's sole constant member.
Down II: A Bustle in Your Hedgerow is the second studio album by American band Down, released on March 26, 2002. The subtitle "A Bustle in Your Hedgerow" is borrowed from the lyrics of "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin.
Rex Robert Brown is an American musician. He is the longtime bassist for heavy metal band Pantera, having joined the band in 1982. Following the band's reunion in 2022, Brown is the longest-serving member of the band. He is also a former member of the supergroup Down (2001–2011) and a former bassist for Kill Devil Hill. He released his debut solo album Smoke on This… in 2017. For the first time in Brown's career, the work features him not only as a bassist but also as lead vocalist and guitarist.
Use Once and Destroy is the debut studio album by American heavy metal band Superjoint Ritual, released on May 21, 2002. The guitar and bass work was done by Phil Anselmo and Eyehategod's Jimmy Bower. Drumming was performed by Joe Fazzio. For touring bass duties, the band recruited Hank Williams III. Anselmo did not want to play bass live because he wanted to focus mainly on singing.
Eyehategod is an American sludge metal band from New Orleans, Louisiana who formed in 1988. They have become one of the better known bands to emerge from the NOLA metal scene. Their core lineup has remained consistent since the band's inception, with the exception of the bassist, until the death of drummer Joey LaCaze in 2013. As of 2021, the band has released six studio albums.
Pepper J. Keenan is an American guitarist and vocalist, best known for his work with heavy metal bands Corrosion of Conformity and Down. He joined Corrosion of Conformity in 1989, but did not become the lead singer until the recording of Deliverance in 1994. In 1991, Keenan formed Down with Phil Anselmo of Pantera, Jimmy Bower of Eyehategod, and Kirk Windstein and Todd Strange of Crowbar.
Patrick Bruders is an American musician who is the current bassist for heavy metal supergroup Down, former bassist of extreme metal band Goatwhore from 1997 to 2004, and former bassist for sludge metal band Crowbar from 2005 until 2013.
Kirk Michael Windstein is an American musician. He is the frontman, vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and sole constant member of the sludge metal band Crowbar. He is also a founding member of the heavy metal supergroup Down, playing guitar with them from 1991 to 2013 and later rejoining the band in 2020. In 2005, Windstein formed Kingdom of Sorrow with Jamey Jasta of Hatebreed. Their debut album was released in 2008. Windstein began his musical career in 1985 as a guitarist for a cover band called Victorian Blitz, and in 1988 joined a hardcore punk band called Shell Shock as a vocalist and guitarist.
Crowbar is the second studio album by American sludge metal band Crowbar, released on October 12, 1993. It sold 100,000 copies on the now defunct independent label Pavement Music. The singles "All I Had " and "Existence Is Punishment" were played on MTV and received international attention. Crowbar was recorded in New Orleans in 1992 and produced by Phil Anselmo, a childhood friend of Crowbar's founder Kirk Windstein and singer of Pantera.
CraigNunenmacher is an American musician, best known as the former drummer for heavy metal bands Black Label Society and Crowbar. He joined BLS in July 2000 while playing for Crowbar, who were touring with BLS at the time. The original BLS drummer, Phil Ondich, left the band mid-tour and, to keep the tour on the road, Nunenmacher filled in for Ondich, playing for both Crowbar and BLS for the rest of the tour. A few weeks into the tour, he was asked to join the band permanently.
Over the Under, also referred to as Down III: Over the Under, is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Down, released five years after their previous album, Down II: A Bustle in Your Hedgerow. It was released internationally on September 24, 2007, and in the United States on September 25, 2007.
The music of New Orleans assumes various styles of music which have often borrowed from earlier traditions. New Orleans, Louisiana, is especially known for its strong association with jazz music, universally considered to be the birthplace of the genre. The earliest form was dixieland, which has sometimes been called traditional jazz, 'New Orleans', and 'New Orleans jazz'. However, the tradition of jazz in New Orleans has taken on various forms that have either branched out from original dixieland or taken entirely different paths altogether. New Orleans has also been a prominent center of funk, home to some of the earliest funk bands such as The Meters.
Kingdom of Sorrow is an American sludge metal band that features Kirk Windstein of Crowbar and Down, along with Jamey Jasta of Hatebreed.
Diary of a Mad Band: Europe in the Year of VI is a live album by sludge/Southern metal band Down. It was released on CD/DVD on October 5, 2010. It is the final Down album to feature Rex Brown as bassist.
Down IV – Part I is the first EP by American sludge metal band Down. It was released on September 18, 2012. It is the first album featuring bassist Pat Bruders due to the departure of former bassist Rex Brown in 2011, and the last to feature guitarist Kirk Windstein, who left in 2013.
Down IV – Part II is the second EP by American sludge metal band Down. It was released in May 2014 via Down Records. It is the only release by the band featuring guitarist Bobby Landgraf, who replaced founding member Kirk Windstein in 2013, before Windstein returned to the band in late 2019. The album was recorded in frontman Phil Anselmo's home studio Nodferatu's Lair in Louisiana.
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