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If there is a man in Heavy Music that has seen it all, done it all, tasted it all... that man is Philip H. Anselmo from PANTERA, DOWN, SUPERJOINT RITUAL, etc. He recently sat down with FUSE and offered great advice for upcoming musicians! So to sum up what Anselmo said above, follow all or at least some of the following steps in order to succeed: - Rip off 20 to 30 bands whose music you identify with in order to find an original sound. - Play as many gigs as you can in order to master your craft and connect with the audience. - Gig for nearly nothing in return in order to pay your dues. - Connect with your fans via the Internet.
Here are DOWN's upcoming tour dates:
- May.23.2013: Birmingham, AL, Zydeco - May.24.2013: Raleigh, NC, Lincoln Theater - May.25.2013: Baltimore, MD, Sonar/Maryland Deathfest - May.27.2013: August, GA, Sky City - May.28.2013: Nashville, TN, Marathon Music Works - May.30.2013: Broussard, LA, The Station - May.31.2013: New Orleans, LA, House of Blues - June.14.2013: Donnington, UK, Download Festival - June.15.2013: Copenhagen, Denmark, Copenhell - June.16.2013: Törnävänsaari, Seinäjoki, Finland, Provinssirock - June.18.2013: Moscow, Russia, Moscow Arena - June.20.2013: Jaworzno, Poland, Metalfest Poland - June.21.2013: St. Goarshausen, Germany, Metalfest Germany - June.22.2013: Clisson, France, Hellfest - June.24.2013: Ljubljana, Slovenia, Kino Soska - June.25.2013: Zagreb, Croatia, Culture Factory - June.27.2013: Tisza Kemping, Tokaj-Rakamaz, Rakamaz, Hungary, Borsodi Hegyalja Fesztival - July.1.2013: Athens, Greece, Rock Gods
Earlier this week, Forbes Magazine (Forbes.com)
posted an in-depth piece on the comeback of vinyl and Record Store Day,
written by Tim Clark. In a time where people are quick to label the
current state of the music industry as "failing" or "experiencing a
downfall", Tim Clark points out that the independent record store
experience illustrates otherwise.
Ex-Pantera and current DOWN vocalist
and Housecore Records CEO Philip H. Anselmo was interviewed for the
piece, and gave his personal thoughts on the rise in record store
activity and how it supports growth in the music business and community.
As one of the leading voices of the recent indie label and independent
music takeover, Forbes looked to Anselmo has a voice of authority.
From Forbes
piece: "When he was younger, Anselmo used to constantly scour
underground record stores and to this day still believes in the vinyl
format."
"Record Store Day promotes this type of passion of having the
actual product in your hand instead of just a download", said Anselmo. "I love having the full album, art, lyrics and I think vinyl sounds
better. And as a label owner, it makes me happy to see that people
slowly but surely want to have this tangible copy in their hands instead
of a free [expletive] download, which is driving me [expletive]
bananas."
Record
Store Day is now celebrated on the third Saturday every April is the
one day that all of the independently owned record stores come together
with artists to celebrate the art of music. Which means that Record Store Day is TOMORROW!Forbes calls Record Store Day, "an industry phenomenon".
To read the full article, visit this direct location. DOWN's upcoming tour dates:
- May.23.2013: Birmingham, AL, Zydeco - May.24.2013: Raleigh, NC, Lincoln Theater - May.25.2013: Baltimore, MD, Sonar/Maryland Deathfest - May.27.2013: August, GA, Sky City - May.28.2013: Nashville, TN, Marathon Music Works - May.30.2013: Broussard, LA, The Station - May.31.2013: New Orleans, LA, House of Blues - June.14.2013: Donnington, UK, Download Festival - June.15.2013: Copenhagen, Denmark, Copenhell - June.16.2013: Törnävänsaari, Seinäjoki, Finland, Provinssirock - June.18.2013: Moscow, Russia, Moscow Arena - June.20.2013: Jaworzno, Poland, Metalfest Poland - June.21.2013: St. Goarshausen, Germany, Metalfest Germany - June.22.2013: Clisson, France, Hellfest - June.24.2013: Ljubljana, Slovenia, Kino Soska - June.25.2013: Zagreb, Croatia, Culture Factory - June.27.2013: Tisza Kemping, Tokaj-Rakamaz, Rakamaz, Hungary, Borsodi Hegyalja Fesztival - July.1.2013: Athens, Greece, Rock Gods
NOLA super group DOWN, are traveling to South America as we type this. Beginning on April 10, the band will be spreading
their newest sonic assault to fans from Brazil, Argentina and Chile!
Following their South American takeover, on May 23 the band will kick off their U.S. tour in Birmingham, Alabama.The band recently wrapped up the first leg of their European tour and
have now announced the second leg of their U.S. tour. And on June 14, the band will be performing at the 2013 Download Festival, and then will touring all over Europe.
Here are all the bands upcoming tour dates:
-April.10.2013:Sao Paulo, Brazil, Carioca Club - April.11.2013: Buenos Aires, Argentina, Teatro Flores - April.13.2013: Santiago, Chile, Metal Fest - May.23.2013: Birmingham, AL, Zydeco - May.24.2013: Raleigh, NC, Lincoln Theater - May.25.2013: Baltimore, MD, Sonar/Maryland Deathfest - May.27.2013: August, GA, Sky City - May.28.2013: Nashville, TN, Marathon Music Works - May.30.2013: Broussard, LA, The Station - May.31.2013: New Orleans, LA, House of Blues - June.14.2013: Donnington, UK, Download Festival - June.15.2013: Copenhagen, Denmark, Copenhell - June.16.2013: Törnävänsaari, Seinäjoki, Finland, Provinssirock - June.18.2013: Moscow, Russia, Moscow Arena - June.20.2013: Jaworzno, Poland, Metalfest Poland - June.21.2013: St. Goarshausen, Germany, Metalfest Germany - June.22.2013: Clisson, France, Hellfest - June.24.2013: Ljubljana, Slovenia, Kino Soska - June.25.2013: Zagreb, Croatia, Culture Factory - June.27.2013: Tisza Kemping, Tokaj-Rakamaz, Rakamaz, Hungary, Borsodi Hegyalja Fesztival - July.1.2013: Athens, Greece, Rock Gods
DOWN is coming to South America! This time around the all star band, which features Philip Anselmo, Kirk Windstein, Pepper Keenan, Jimmy Bower and Pat Bruders, will be performing in Sao Paolo, Brazil, Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Santiago, Chile. Philip Anselmo has a special message for the bands fanatics in Brazil:
DOWN in South America:
NOLA super group DOWN, are back in black (or in purple) spreading
their newest sonic assault to thousands of ear buds all over the world!
The band recently wrapped up the first leg of their European tour and
have now announced the second leg of their U.S. tour. They have also announced that they are returning to South America! It seems like the
band is focusing on cutting back the amount of tour dates per trek, so
that they can be extremely focused on their musical craft.
With
that said, DOWN is going to be tearing through the U.S. in January 2013
in support of 'Down IV Part I: The Purple EP'. Warbeast, who are part
of Philip Anselmo's label Housecore Records, will offer support on the
tour. As previously reported HERE,
Anselmo and Warbeast are working on a collab album titled 'War Of The
Gargantuas'. This album is set for a January 8th release. So its safe to
assume that some of those songs will be performed during this tour.
Then the band will head down to South America and perform in Brazil, Argentina and Chile! Additionally, the band will be part of the 2013 "Maryland Death Fest" in May! In June, the band will be part of Provinssirock in Seinäjoki, Finland.
Here is a confirmed list of tour dates:
- Fri Jan 11, 2013: Warehouse Live in Ballroom Houston, TX
- Sat Jan 12, 2013: Backstage Live in San Antonio, TX
- Mon Jan 14, 2013: The Marquee in Tempe, AZ
- Tues Jan 15, 2013: Hard Rock Cafe on the Strip in Las Vegas NV
- Wed Jan 16, 2013: Key Club in West Hollywood, CA
- Fri Jan 18, 2013: City National Grove in Anaheim Anaheim, CA
- Sat Jan 19, 2013: Ace of Spades in Sacramento, CA
- Sun Jan 20, 2013: Regency Ballroom in San Francisco, CA
- Tue Jan 22, 2013: Showbox at the Market in Seattle, WA
- Wed Jan 23, 2013: Roseland Theater in Portland, OR
- Thu Jan 24, 2013: Knitting Factory in Boise, ID
- Sat Jan 26, 2013: The Summit Music Hall in Denver, CO
- Mon Jan 28, 2013: First Avenue in Minneapolis, MN
- Tue Jan 29, 2013: The Rave in Milwaukee, WI
- Wed Jan 30, 2013: Bogart's in Cincinnati, OH
- Fri Feb 1, 2013: Track 29 in Chattanooga, TN
- April 10, 2033: Carioca Club in Sao Paulo, Brazil
- April 11, 2013: El Teatro (Flores) in Ciudad Autonoma De Buenos Aires, Argentina
- April 13, 2013: The Metal Fest Chile in Santiago, Chile
- May 25, 2013: Maryland Deathfest in Baltimore Maryland - June 14-16, 2013: Provinssirock in Seinäjoki, Finland. (exact day coming soon)
DOWN's charismatic front man Philip Anselmo is on the cover of Decibel magazine! The issue also contains a DOWN interview. The issue will be on shelves soon. You can also order it now: http://bit.ly/TU0FhL
A previously announced, super group DOWN, are back in black (or in purple) spreading
their newest sonic assault to thousands of ear buds all over the world!
The band recently wrapped up the first leg of their European tour and
have now announced the second leg of their U.S. tour (dates below). It seems like the
band is focusing on cutting back the amount of tour dates per trek, so
that they can be extremely focused on their musical craft.
The band have also announced a South American tour, the dates are as follows:
- April 11, 2013: El Teatro (Flores), Ciudad Autonoma De Buenos Aires, Argentina - April 13, 2013: The Metal Fest Chile, Santiago, Chile
DOWN U.S. tour (leg II) with WARBEAST and HAARP:
- April 11, 2013: El Teatro (Flores), Ciudad Autonoma De Buenos Aires, Argentina - April 13, 2013: The Metal Fest Chile, Santiago, Chile- Fri Jan 11, 2013: Warehouse Live - Ballroom Houston, TX - Sat Jan 12, 2013: Backstage Live San Antonio, TX - Mon Jan 14, 2013: The Marquee Tempe, AZ - Tues Jan 15, 2013: Freemont Country Club, Las Vegas NV - Wed Jan 16, 2013: Key Club West Hollywood, CA - Fri Jan 18, 2013: City National Grove of Anaheim Anaheim, CA
- Sat Jan 19, 2013: Ace of Spades Sacramento, CA - Sun Jan 20, 2013: Regency Ballroom San Francisco, CA - Tue Jan 22, 2013: Showbox at the Market Seattle, WA - Wed Jan 23, 2013: Roseland Theater Portland, OR - Thu Jan 24, 2013: Knitting Factory Boise, ID - Sat Jan 26, 2013: The Summit Music Hall Denver, CO - Mon Jan 28, 2013: First Avenue Minneapolis, MN - Tue Jan 29, 2013: The Rave Milwaukee, WI - Wed Jan 30, 2013: Bogart's Cincinnati, OH - Fri Feb 1, 2013: Track 29 Chattanooga, TN
NOLA super group DOWN, are back in black (or in purple) spreading their newest sonic assault to thousands of ear buds all over the world! The band recently wrapped up the first leg of their European tour and have now announced the second leg of their U.S. tour. It seems like the band is focusing on cutting back the amount of tour dates per trek, so that they can be extremely focused on their musical craft.
With that said, DOWN is going to be tearing through the U.S. in January 2013 in support of 'Down IV Part I: The Purple EP'. Warbeast, who are part of Philip Anselmo's label Housecore Records, will offer support on the tour. As previously reported HERE, Anselmo and Warbeast are working on a collab album titled 'War Of The Gargantuas'. This album is set for a January 8th release. So its safe to assume that some of those songs will be performed during this tour. Here is a confirmed list of tour dates:
- Fri Jan 11, 2013: Warehouse Live in Ballroom Houston, TX - Sat Jan 12, 2013: Backstage Live in San Antonio, TX - Mon Jan 14, 2013: The Marquee in Tempe, AZ - Tues Jan 15, 2013: Hard Rock Cafe on the Strip in Las Vegas NV - Wed Jan 16, 2013: Key Club in West Hollywood, CA - Fri Jan 18, 2013: City National Grove in Anaheim Anaheim, CA - Sat Jan 19, 2013: Ace of Spades in Sacramento, CA - Sun Jan 20, 2013: Regency Ballroom in San Francisco, CA - Tue Jan 22, 2013: Showbox at the Market in Seattle, WA - Wed Jan 23, 2013: Roseland Theater in Portland, OR - Thu Jan 24, 2013: Knitting Factory in Boise, ID - Sat Jan 26, 2013: The Summit Music Hall in Denver, CO - Mon Jan 28, 2013: First Avenue in Minneapolis, MN - Tue Jan 29, 2013: The Rave in Milwaukee, WI - Wed Jan 30, 2013: Bogart's in Cincinnati, OH - Fri Feb 1, 2013: Track 29 in Chattanooga, TN
NOLA super group DOWN, performed in Milan, Italy on Monday October 29 concert. And instead of ending the show with their famous jam session, they ended the show by staging a playful wrestling match between singer Philip Anselmo and some of his bandmates. Here is some footage of the bands outro in Milan.
Last week, Jerel Johnson from Target Audience Magazine interviewed Jimmy Bower, drummer from NOLA's DOWN. Here is what went down!
Target Audience: When’s the new Down record coming out?
Jim Bower: We finished last night (February 9 at time of interview) with the mixing and everything. So, all we have to do now is get it mastered and the artwork is all done. So I think maybe early May. It takes a while to get everything together; it took us a little longer with the recording process so it’s done. We finished it last night. It sounds killer.
TA: What does it sound like compared to your previous albums?
JB: We went for a really raw sound and went back to NOLA. The songs are really Sabbathed-out. I’m really happy the way it came out. It’s really aggressive and raw. All them rock n’ roll adjectives in there bro. It’s doomy!
TA: Any songs similar to “Stone the Crow” or “Jail” or is it pretty much an all-out blitz?
JB: No, the idea is we’re doing four EPs and the first one is pretty much cut-throat. The third one is supposed to be the acoustic one. But we’re releasing four EPs within the next year and a half. They all coincide with one theme. Like the artwork and everything. It’s like a big story.
TA: Like a concept record?
JB: Exactly. A concept with 4 EPs.
TA: What’s the theme? Is there a back story?
JB: No. Well, it’s kind of like end of the world kind of shit. Just the times we’re in. it reflects on how humanity is going apeshit. As far as concepts I don’t know.
TA: What’s the name of the record?
JB: Down IV, I think. I saw the artwork last night. There wasn’t an album title or anything. The artwork looks great.
TA: What’s the picture of? What’s the cover?
JB: I’m not gonna say anything man. Pepper usually does all the artwork; he does a really good job.
TA: Pepper is a good artist?
JB: Yeah, he does all the artwork for Down.
TA: I didn’t know that and I’m a COC fan.
JB: He did all the artwork for those records he was on as well.
TA: From Blind on? That’s excellent. So how have the shows been?
JB: They’ve been good. We haven’t been playing much. We’ve been pretty much busy with the recording process. But we have a festival in Ohio (Rock On The Range) and we’re going to do a couple of shows around that. We’re pretty much waiting for the release so we can get out and start working a little harder.
TA: When the new record comes out, are you going to do a national or world tour?
JB: Yeah. Probably start in the U.S. and work our way to Europe, and hopefully go to Japan and Australia, and hopefully back to South America.
TA: You have fun in South America?
JB: We went to South America in November and it was really cool. We’d never been down there before and we were received really well and it’s a great place to tour.
TA: Now the band formed in ’91-’92?
JB: Right.
TA: Phil was in Pantera, you did some work with Eyehategod and Pepper was in COC. When you released NOLA, it was an underground sensation. I believe it went gold on word of mouth alone. How has the metal scene changed regarding popularity? How would you compare it now to then?
JB: Then, it was really kind of fresh. We weren’t doing too much from what Soundgarden was doing. That was a big influence back then, and all the Witchfinder stuff. It seems like the people are a little more open to this genre music, but to me Down is a rock band. Rock music has been around for ever and kind of put off to the side into metal. I think Down; people accept it more as a rock band, not just a metal band. Back in ’91 it was really fresh to us.
TA: Where was Down IV produced?
JB: It was recorded at the Lair again (Phil Anselmo’s studio) the same place we did Down II and recorded it at a New Orleans studio. The last record, Over the Under, we recorded in L.A. because a lot of the studios weren’t up and running after Katrina. So it was really nice to stay home and have that New Orleans vibe in the record to as well. Makes a difference man.
TA: As far as song titles which one sticks out from the new record?
JB: “Witchtripper.”
TA: What does it sound like?
JB: It’s fire bro. It sounds like Down and I’m really excited about it. I’m more excited about it than Over the Under. Over the Under was a great record, but I think the production was a little too much, and this takes us back to the raw roots and the songs are good. But “Witchtripper” is my favorite one. We were in Spain for a festival, and walking around and we kept seeing rocks on peoples’ doors. We were like “dude it must be to trip a witch.” At first, it seemed kind of silly, but once we wrote the song and lyrics — Philip wrote the lyrics — it was really cool. Hopefully, we’ll make a video for it too.
TA: In regards to the music industry how has it changed in the past 20 years? Has it been better to you or since Down is a metal band have you guys been able to find your own niche?
JB: Well, the older you get, the wiser you grow about the industry. When you’re really young they try to take advantage of you. They did me, but now, being a lot more educated about how things are done, I think it’s gotten back to the whole DIY thing, at least for the underground. It’s just a lot easier for bands to put their stuff out which is a good thing or a bad thing. The opportunity for people to put anything out has definitely grown, and I think that’s really cool.
TA: So how have social networking sites like Facebook have helped Down with connecting with your fans or getting the music out there?
JB: It’s great. I can see in the future bands doing concerts; you pay online to see it and you can sit and jam. It’s just things we’ve been talking about in the future, but obviously nothing takes away from the vibe of a real live show. It’d be cool if while bands are recording you could log online and check out what they’re doing.
TA: You mentioned underground. Are there any southern bands that you are vibing on at the moment?
JB: From Arkansas you have Rwake. Weedeater is really good. The new Orange Goblin is really good; they’re from England. There’s a band from New Orleans called Mountain of Wizard. They sound like metal meets Boston. They’re really cool; they don’t have any vocals. We’re doing a show tonight with Eyehategod, and a new band called Black Witchgod playing. The drummer was from a New Orleans band called Graveyard Rodeo from the 80s. There’s Soilent Green, Outlaw Order. These are all with friends I know. It’s just I don’t get out of New Orleans unless I go play somewhere.
TA: What are your top 5 metal records of all time?
JB: Captain Beyond: Captian Beyond, Pentagram: Relentless, Black Sabbath: Black Sabbath and Volume 4. And Witchfinder General.
TA: What advice would you give to younger bands trying to make it in this industry?
JB: You gotta be pissed off and play fast. You gotta be pissed off and fuckin’ let it show. Don’t stop try and play as much as you can. That’s what we did. Write good songs don’t worry about gimmicks and shit.
Today, Philip Anselmo released a holiday message for all his fans. During this video, Anselmo announced that he has finished tracking vocals for the upcoming Down album (set to be released in early 2012). Click here to keep up with the process of Down's NEW album!
It has been over 4 years since Down released their critically acclaimed album titled "Down III: Over the Under". Since the band knows that the fans are hungry for new Down music and that they don't want to wait 4+ years between albums, the Down boys decided to release four EP's within the next few years. This is what Pepper Keenan had to say about this.
"We're going to do four EPs, and they'll all be different. We have many elements to our sound, so each one will have its own characteristics. Like, for example, this one we're writing right now and are about to start recording will be really hard, with heavy Down stuff. Then we'll have a mellow one, then a doom one — you know, slower and doomy stuff. A little bit of everything."
Down recently entered "Nodfaratu's Lair" (Philip Anselmo's home studio) and began work on Down IV, Part 1. Here is a progress report from riffmeister Kirk Windstein!
- Friday, December 16, 2011 at 11:30 PM:
NEW DOWN WILL RULE EVERYTHING ELSE...PERIOD!!! GET READY, THIS IS RAW AND ORGANIC, NO "COMPUTER FIXING" SHIT. WE DID IT THE OLD SCHOOL WAY, AND IT'S GONNA RULE!!!
- Friday, December 16, 2011 at 2:00 AM:
MOUNTAINS UPON MOUNTAINS OF GARGANTUAN GUITARS TODAY...THIS NEW DOWN IS GONNA BE SOMETHING REALLY SPECIAL!!!
- Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 8:00 AM:
OFF TO THE STUDIO @ NOON... TIME FOR SOME DOWN RIFFAGE!!!
- Tuesday, December 13, 2011 at 11:10 AM:
GUITARS TODAY... CAN'T WAIT, Y'ALL HAVE A GOOD ONE!!!
- Tuesday, November 22, 2011 at 11:40 AM:
RETURNING TO THE STUDIO NEXT WEEK TO FINISH UP THE NEW DOWN!!!
- Friday, November 4, 2011 at 12:00 AM:
BED-BOUND SHORTLY...PHIL STARTED VOCALS TODAY, SO GET READY Y'ALL!!!
- Thursday, November 3, 2011 at 12:30 AM:
TORE UP THE SOLOS @ THE LAIR TODAY/NIGHT...FELT LIKE MICHAEL SCHENKER, ONLY SHITTIER!!!
- Wednesday, October 26, 2011 at 10:32 AM:
BACK TO THE LAIR TODAY...MORE RIFFAGE, AND DON'T FORGET, DOWN SATURDAY, AND SUNDAY @ SOUTHPORT MUSIC HALL IN NOLA!!!
- Wednesday, October 26, 2011 at 2:00 AM:
PEPPER JUST DROPPED ME OFF AFTER AN AMAZING DAY @ THE LAIR...GREAT PERFORMANCES, GREAT TONES, AND READY FOR TOMORROW'S JAM AFTER TODAYS RIFFAGE!!! GOOD NIGHT Y'ALL...
- Tuesday, October 25, 2011 at 11:00 AM:
STARTED GUITARS YESTERDAY...BUSY, BUSY DAY WITH TONS OF RECORDING TO DO!!! HAVE A GOOD ONE, Y'ALL!!!
- Friday, October 21, 2011 at 9:39 AM:
HEADING TO THE LAIR TODAY TO RECORD SOME NEW DOWN...GET READY, ROCKERS, AND HAVE A GREAT DAY!!!
- Wednesday, October 19, 2011 at 3:57 PM:
GREAT DOWN JAM TODAY...WE START RECORDING NEW CD TOMORROW!!!
- Monday, October 17, 2011 at 11:07 AM:
READY TO ROCK WITH DOWN TODAY... STARTING DRUM TRACKS FRIDAY!!!
- Friday, October 14, 2011 at 8:22 PM:
DOWN JAMS, AND RECORDING EVERY DAMN DAY TIL WE'RE DONE WITH THIS NEW RECORD...IT WILL BE A MONSTER!!!
- Monday, October 10, 2011 at 10:02 AM:
DOWN JAM @ NOON...SO FAR WE'RE KILLING IT, CAN'T WAIT TO ROCK!!!
- Friday, October 7, 2011 at 9:03 AM:
STUDIO WITH DOWN TODAY!!!
- Tuesday, October 4 at 11:12 AM:
DOWN JAM @ NOON...GETTING READY TO HIT THE STUDIO THIS MONTH!!!
If you live in the New Orleans area, don't forger that Down will be playing two shows during Halloween weekend. The events are scheduled to happen at the Southport Music Hall on October 29th and October 30th in New Orleans, Louisiana.
During a recent interview we conducted with Kirk Windstein, he told us that Down is scheduled to release the first EP in early 2012.
Discography:
- NOLA, released on September 19, 1995.
- Down II: A Bustle in Your Hedgerow, released on March 26, 2002.
- Down III: Over the Under, released on September 24, 2007.
Down is:
- Philip Anselmo (Pantera, Superjoint Ritual): Vocals
- Kirk Windstein (Crowbar): Guitars
- Pepper Keenan (Corrosion Of Conformity): Guitars/Vocals
- Jimmy Bower (Eyehategod, Superjoint Ritual): Drums
- Patrick Bruders (Crowbar): Bass
Southern Metal bad-asses Down, have just confirmed that they will be playing two shows during Halloween weekend. The events are scheduled to happen at the Southport Music Hall on October 29th and October 30th in New Orleans, Louisiana.
In other Down news, the band is scheduled to release four EP's within the next few years. This is what Pepper Keenan had to say about this.
"We're going to do four EPs, and they'll all be different. We have many elements to our sound, so each one will have its own characteristics. Like, for example, this one we're writing right now and are about to start recording will be really hard, with heavy Down stuff. Then we'll have a mellow one, then a doom one — you know, slower and doomy stuff. A little bit of everything."
During a recent interview we conducted with Kirk Windstein, he told us that Down is scheduled to release the first EP in early 2012.
Down is:
- Philip Anselmo (Pantera, Superjoint Ritual): Vocals
- Kirk Windstein (Crowbar): Guitars
- Pepper Keenan (Corrosion Of Conformity): Guitars/Vocals
- Jimmy Bower (Eyehategod, Superjoint Ritual): Drums
- Patrick Bruders (Crowbar): Bass
After performing together with Phil Anselmo for over 20 years, Rex Brown announced in May that he would be leaving Down in order to slow his pace down and dedicate more time to his family and health. You may remember that in August 2009, Brown had to sit out the Down tour due to acute pancreatitis. As a result of this illness, Brown had to get his gallbladder and polyps on his pancreas removed.
After leaving Down, Rex joined Kill Devil Hill, the super-group featuring Vinnie Appice (Heaven & Hell) and Mark Zavon (Ratt, W.A.S.P., 40 Cycle Hum). This is what Rex told Metal Assault about this matter:
"This is it. I’m not doing any Down. This is my devotion right here. There’s no side gigs, or anything else that’s going on. So this is what it’s going to be for the future."
Philip Anselmo recently made a statement about Rex Brown's departure from Down, during an interview with the San Antonio Metal Music Examiner prior to DOWN's September 1, 2011 concert at Backstage Live in San Antonio, Texas (see below).
Here is Philip Anselmo's statement about parting ways with Rex Brown as band-mates:
"It's always difficult, man, but there comes a time… We're not in our 20s anymore, we're not young kids. Rex has to address a lot of things in his personal life, and it was a mutual thing, the split, because… You know, playing in a band and all that type of stuff, is a great portion of your life; it is a great importance in your life. Rex has two beautiful kids and he has obligations to his children and to his health, to himself, to his family, and that is always bigger than just being in the band. So, with blessing and with love… Like I said, the split was absolutely, 100 percent two-sided. Rex and I still talk today, we're still brothers. And when you mention [Rex's replacement in DOWN] Pat [Bruders], Pat and I go back a long time, too. 'Cause, you know, we're both from New Orleans, and Pat was always around and playing in various bands. And obviously, he's been in CROWBAR a long time. So, you know, if he couldn't do the job, he wouldn't be here, and I think, really, in Pat's case, playing in DOWN has made him a better bass player, and he has stepped up big time. As a matter of fact, he's fucking solid as a rock and he's doing fucking great. So all sides of the fence are pretty covered there."
Here is the interview that the San Antonio Metal Music Examiner conducted with Philip Anselmo:
Today, NOLA's All Star band Down is one of the best live bands in Heavy Music. Their shows are full of slamming riffs, solid grooves, and ear shattering vocals delivered by Pantera's former front-man Philip Anselmo. At the moment they are gearing up to enter the studio to record the first EP from a series that will be released within the next 4 years, so they can keep delivering the goods to their worldwide audience. We spoke with their riffmaster Kirk Windstein and he said that the first EP should be released early next year. In the meantime Down has been busy on the road, and have just announced some new tour-dates for their North American and South American fans. Here is the rundown!
North America:
- 9/01/2011: San Antonio, TX at Backstage Live
- 9/02/2011: Fort Worth, TX at The Rail Club
- 9/03/2011: Fort Worth, TX at The Rail Club
- 9/05/2011: Albuquerque, NM at Sunshine Theater
- 9/06/2011: Denver, CO at The Summit Music Hall
- 9/07/2011: Salt Lake City, UT at The Depot
- 9/09/2011: San Francisco, CA at Regency Ballroom
- 9/10/2011: Anaheim, CA at City National Grove of Anaheim
- 9/11/2011: Scottsdale, AZ at Venue of Scottsdale
- 9/14/2011: Oklahoma, OK at Diamond Ballroom
- 9/16/2011: Libertyville, KY at Austin's Fuel Room
- 9/17/2011: Sauget, IL at Pop's
- 9/19/2011: Lousville, KY at Expo Five
- 9/20/2011: Grand Rapids, MI at The Orbit Room
- 9/21/2011: Flint, MI at The Machine Shop
- 9/23/2011: Atlanta, GA at Masquerade
South America:
- 11/11/2011: Buenos Aires, Argentina at El Teatro
- 11/12/2011: Santiago, Chile at Maquinaria Festival
- 11/14/2011: Sao Paulo, Brazil at Starts With You - Music & Arts Festival
- 11/16/2011: Porto Alegre, Brazil at Opinao
- 11/17/2011: Curitiba, Brazil at Master hall
- 11/19/2011: Mexico City, Mexico at Vivo Cuervo
Rock AAA sat down with guitar master Kirk Windstein (Down, Crowbar, Kingdom of Sorrow) during these weekend's Download Festival and updated the fans on all things Down! The big news is that Down will be entering the studio on September 1st and recording the first of a series of EP's. The band plans to release a new EP every 9 months and keep the fans with enough Down music in their bellies. Here is the interview:
After a short North American tour, New Orleans All-star band Down is currently busy working on their fourth studio album. After the success of their third album "Over the Under", the band knows that their rabid fans expect another masterpiece. After seeing them perform live last month here in New York City, we have no doubt that the band is entering the production of Down IV at the right time and with the right mindset.
The only obstacle the band faces is whither Rex Brown (Pantera) is still in Down. Rex was nowhere to be seen on stage while the band was on tour, instead Crowbar's bassist Patrick Bruders took over. All this after Rex announced the formation of the Kill Devil Hill supergroup with Vinnie Appice (Heaven & Hell) and Mark Zavon (Ratt, W.A.S.P., 40 Cycle Hum), and after he recently quit Arms of the Sun. This is what Rex told Metal Assault about this matter:
"This is it. I’m not doing any Down. This is my devotion right here. There’s no side gigs, or anything else that’s going on. So this is what it’s going to be for the future."
The band has not made an Official statement yet, but as soon as they do we'll let you know. For now here is a video of the band's recent show at the Best Buy Theater in Times Square, New York City.
Last night Down performed a legendary concert at the Best Buy Theater in New York City. From the second Phil Anselmo and the boys got on stage, the crowd went wild and didn't stop raging out of control until security emptied the place up after Down destroyed everyone's necks and vocal chords. Down does not take anything for granted and they know that New York City always expects the best from them, and last night they performed their best show in New York City to this day.
The energy last night in the heart of Times Square was unbelievable, there wasn't one person standing still or frowning. Down's mission is always to jam their hearts out and regardless of how chaotic the crowd is, Phil Anselmo always demands more chaos! In a token of appreciation to all the rabid Down fans, Phil performed the entire set with a cracked open head after being hit with Pepper Keenan's guitar while the band was playing "Lifer", which they always dedicate to Anselmo's former band mate "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott. This made the crowd go absolutely insane, and from that moment on the whole place erupted into a huge mosh pit.
Performing all the "hit" songs from their three albums with full Bower Power combined with the shredding guitar of Kirk Windstein (Crowbar) and Pepper Keenan, Down is one of the tightest bands you will ever hear and last night was no exception. As in any successful band, the lead singer is the master of ceremony and Phil Anselmo last night proved that he is the best front-man in Heavy Music history. The man makes the guys lose their minds and the girls scream obnoxiously loud. All in all, a great mix of extreme music and amazing people. New York City is quickly becoming the capital of Metal, and nobody can stop us! \m/
"It's not the first time this happens, and it will definitely not be the last one." - Anselmo after having his head cracked open while on stage.
Here are the remaining dates for the 2011 DOWN US tour:
New Orleans, Louisiana supergroup Down, has just announced a few US tour-dates for this Spring! We know that some of you are skeptic about Down, since seeing Philip Anselmo and Rex Brown with another band makes you miss Pantera's fury, but Down is a band you must see live . Ever since the demise of Pantera in 2001, Down became a musical powerhouse and their lineup is unmatched:
Philip Anselmo: Vocals Kirk WIndstein & Pepper Keenan: Guitars Rex Brown: Bass Jimmy Bower: Drums
Their music is also unmatched, specially live:
Don't miss this chance to see one of the best Heavy Music bands today LIVE! Here are the 2011 DOWN US dates:
Mar. 04 - New Orleans, LA - The Hangar Mar. 05 - Maxwell, TX - The Cotton Gin Mar. 06 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live Apr. 28 - New York, NY - Best Buy Theatre Apr. 29 - Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero Apr. 30 - Sayreville, NJ - Starland Ballroom
New Orleans has always been known for its influence in music and its multilingual cross-cultural heritage. This ever-changing region of the United States gave birth to Jazz music, and is universally known for its cuisine. Recently they became known for their NFL football team, thanks to the New Orleans Saints victory over the Indianapolis Colts at this years Super Bowl in Miami. What does all this have to do with Heavy Music? Well, NOLA is the birthplace of one of the best bands in the country, which band are we talking about? DOWN!
Formed in New Orleans in the early 90's, Down started as a side project formed by Pantera's own Philip Anselmo, COC's Pepper Keenan, Crowbar's Kirk Windstein, Eyehategod's Jimmy Bower and former Crowbar bassist Todd Strange. After the demise of Pantera, Philip Anselmo recruited Pantera's bassist Rex Brown, and got Pepper, Kirk and Jimmy on board for the rebirth of one of the best "super-groups" in Heavy Music today. They immediately entered the studio and recorded one of the best sounding records of the last 10 years: Down II "A Bustle in Your Hedgerow". Soon after the completion of the album, they went on the road for what they called "An Evening With Down". The concept was to have videos from legendary bands like Black Sabbath, Led Zepellin and Metallica play before Down's set, instead of having opening acts.
In 2006, Down went to Europe for their first European tour and documented it all on video. The end result is a 130 minute DVD featuring 17 live songs, and plenty of behind the scenes footage. This is what guitarist Pepper Keenan had to say about the DVD:
"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."
"Diary of a Mad Band", will be released in the United States on October 5th through Down Records/ADA. Here is the OFFICIAL trailer:
Make sure you support the underground music scene and buy this amazing DVD.
