 | This article needs additional citations for verification .(August 2023) |
| NOLA | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 19, 1995 | |||
| Recorded | August 29, 1994 – January 22, 1995 | |||
| Studio | Ultrasonic (New Orleans) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 56:33 | |||
| Label | EastWest | |||
| Producer |
| |||
| Down chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from NOLA | ||||
| ||||
NOLA is the debut studio album by American heavy metal band Down, released on September 19, 1995, by EastWest Records. The title is the abbreviation for New Orleans (NO), Louisiana (LA).
NOLA was written mainly by Phil Anselmo and Pepper Keenan between 1990 and 1995. Throughout 1991 to 1993, the band released three demos, a three-track demo (1991), a four-track demo (1992), and a ten-track demo (1993). Originally, the band made the three-track demo for underground trading. The demo featured the tracks "Losing All", "Temptation's Wings", and "Bury Me in Smoke". In an effort to build a fan base, the band 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. In 1992, the band recorded a second demo, this time featuring the same track listing as the original but with an intro. In 1993, the band made the Demo Collection 1992–1993 which is a ten-track demo featuring all the songs that would make the album cut except "Rehab", "Pray for the Locust", and "Underneath Everything". Anselmo solely wrote only three songs on the album ("Hail the Leaf", "Pray for the Locust", and "Pillars of Eternity"). Eventually, the original demo tape was distributed throughout the United States and Down played a small concert in its home town. A record executive from EastWest Records was attending the show. When he found out who the members of the band were, he signed Down to a recording contract. The band began recording the album in the summer of 1994 at the Ultrasonic Studios, New Orleans, Louisiana, and completed the recording sessions by January 1995.
The band cites as influences 70s heavy rock bands such as Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin, Southern rock bands such as Lynyrd Skynyrd (in the song "Stone the Crow") and ZZ Top (in the rhythmic style of "Rehab") and Doom metal bands such as Witchfinder General, Pentagram, Trouble, Saint Vitus (especially album V) and The Obsessed. [3] [4]
The booklet art is by Jim DeBarros and David Manteau and makes extensive use of vintage photographs by Clarence John Laughlin.
NOLA was released in September 1995 and would peak at number 57 in October 1995 on the Billboard 200, and remain on the chart for six weeks. [5] The album spawned four singles in "Stone the Crow", "Lifer", "Temptation's Wings", which were released in 1995, and "Bury Me in Smoke" in 1996. However, only "Stone the Crow" would achieve commercial success when it reached number 40 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks charts, becoming Down's first and only top 40 song.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [6] |
| Chicago Tribune | [7] |
| Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal | 9/10 [8] |
| Kerrang! |  [9] |
| laut.de | [10] |
| MusicHound Rock | [11] |
| Rock Hard | 9.5/10 [12] |
The album received acclaim from critics. AllMusic reviewer David Reamer praised the songs "Temptation's Wings", "Stone the Crow", and "Bury Me in Smoke", stating 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." [6] In 2006, Oliver Badin of Terrorizer wrote that Down "succeeded where most supergroups fail: truly being the perfect sum of [its members] parts. But what makes [NOLA] so great is its forcible seizure of the Sabbathian legacy and how it soaked it in the filthy swamps of New Orleans." [13]
Rock Hard ranked the album at number 244 on their list of the "500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time". [14]
Down supported NOLA with a 13-date concert tour. [15] [16] The band went on hiatus in 1996 as all members continued their main projects. They would reunite in 1999 to make a second album, Down II , released in 2002.
| Date | City | Country | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| An Evening with Down | |||
| September 20, 1995 | New Orleans, Louisiana | United States | Rendon Inn |
| September 21, 1995 | Dallas, Texas | Deep Ellum | |
| September 24, 1995 | Chicago, Illinois | The Vic Theatre | |
| September 25, 1995 | Detroit, Michigan | Saint Andrew's Hall | |
| September 26, 1995 | Cleveland, Ohio | The Odeon | |
| September 27, 1995 | New York City, New York | The Academy | |
| September 29, 1995 | San Francisco, California | Fillmore West | |
| Headlining with Far | |||
| September 30, 1995 | Los Angeles, California | United States | The Palace |
| An Evening with Down | |||
| December 27, 1995 | San Antonio, Texas | United States | Sneakers |
| December 28, 1995 | Houston, Texas | The Millenium | |
| December 30, 1995 | Shreveport, Louisiana | The Warehouse | |
All tracks written by Phil Anselmo and Pepper Keenan unless noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Temptation's Wings" | 4:24 | |
| 2. | "Lifer" | 4:36 | |
| 3. | "Pillars of Eternity" | Anselmo | 3:57 |
| 4. | "Rehab" | Anselmo, Keenan, Kirk Windstein | 4:03 |
| 5. | "Hail the Leaf" | Anselmo | 3:28 |
| 6. | "Underneath Everything" | 4:46 | |
| 7. | "Eyes of the South" | 5:13 | |
| 8. | "Jail" | Anselmo, Keenan, Windstein, Todd Strange | 5:17 |
| 9. | "Losing All" | 4:21 | |
| 10. | "Stone the Crow" | 4:42 | |
| 11. | "Pray for the Locust" (instrumental) | Anselmo | 1:07 |
| 12. | "Swan Song" | Anselmo, Jimmy Bower, Keenan | 3:35 |
| 13. | "Bury Me in Smoke" | 7:04 | |
| Total length: | 56:33 | ||
|
|
Album – Billboard (United States)
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Billboard 200 | 57 [5] |
Singles – Billboard (United States)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | "Stone the Crow" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 40 [19] |
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.
Cowboys from Hell is the fifth studio album and major label debut by American heavy metal band Pantera, released on July 24, 1990, by Atco Records. It marked the first of many collaborations with producer Terry Date. This was also the album where Pantera fully abandoned the glam metal style of their previous albums in favor of a heavier sound. It has been recognized as one of the first ever groove metal albums.
Down is an American heavy metal supergroup that formed in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1991. The current lineup consists of vocalist Phil Anselmo, drummer Jimmy Bower, guitarists Pepper Keenan and Kirk Windstein (Crowbar), and bassist Pat Bruders (Goatwhore).
Vulgar Display of Power is the sixth studio album by American heavy metal band Pantera. Released on February 25, 1992, through Atco Records, it was the band's second collaboration with producer Terry Date, after having worked with him on their breakthrough album Cowboys from Hell (1990).
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.
Corrosion of Conformity is an American heavy metal band from Raleigh, North Carolina, formed in 1982. The band has undergone multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with lead guitarist Woody Weatherman as the sole constant member. Weatherman, founding bassist Mike Dean, founding drummer Reed Mullin and vocalist/rhythm guitarist Pepper Keenan are widely regarded as its "classic" lineup. After a hiatus in 2006, Corrosion of Conformity returned in 2010 without Keenan, who had been busy touring and recording with Down, but announced their reunion with him in December 2014. More lineup changes have happened since then, with John Green replacing Mullin after his death in 2020 and Dean departing from the band once again in 2024.
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.
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.
Gutter Ballet is the fifth full-length album produced by the American progressive metal band Savatage. This was the second album created under the direction of producer Paul O'Neill and was initially released in December 1, 1989.
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.
Deliverance is the fourth album by Corrosion of Conformity, and the first on which Pepper Keenan was lead singer. It was also their first recording on Columbia Records. Kerrang! described Deliverance as a "true 90s classic". The song "Mano de Mono" is heard in the movie The Fan. The song "Albatross" is playable in the video game Guitar Hero: Metallica and Guitar Hero Live.
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.
"Stone the Crow" is a song by American heavy metal band Down and a single from their 1995 debut album, NOLA. It peaked at No. 40 on the US Mainstream Rock charts. A video was also produced for the song.
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.
Mer de Noms is the debut studio album by American rock band A Perfect Circle. The album was released on May 23, 2000, and entered the Billboard 200 at No. 4, making it the highest ever Billboard 200 debut for a rock band's first album. It sold over 188,000 copies in the first week, and was certified platinum by the RIAA later that same year. Three singles were released in promotion of the album, "Judith", "3 Libras", and "The Hollow", all of which hit the top 20 of both the Billboard US Modern Rock and Mainstream Rock charts.
| |
| Studio albums | |
| Extended plays | |
| Live albums | |
| Singles | |
| Related bands | |
