Throughout an look on “The Jasta Present”, Kirk Windstein confirmed that DOWN is engaged on a brand new full-length album, tentatively due in 2026 through Nuclear Blast Data. The guitarist/vocalist stated (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Yeah, all of the drum tracks are achieved and principally the bass tracks as properly.”
Windstein, who’s joined within the long-running heavy steel supergroup by vocalist Philip H. Anselmo, guitarist Pepper Keenan, drummer Jimmy Bower and bassist Pat Bruders, went on to debate the evolution of DOWN’s songwriting, starting with the band’s 1995 debut album “NOLA” and operating by means of DOWN‘s final two releases, 2012’s “Down IV Half I – The Purple EP” and 2014’s “Down IV – Half Two” EP. He stated: “[Philip and I] talked about it sort of jokingly and stuff, however I am, like, ‘Dude, sooner or later I feel you have been simply overthinking,’ as a result of it went from the simplicity of ‘NOLA’ the place there’s so many open areas of simply large, easy riffs and shit to essentially being advanced on a number of songs on ‘Down III: Over The Beneath’, the place he is virtually singing over each a part of the music however the guitar solo or one thing.”
Circling again to the writing course of for the subsequent DOWN album, Kirk stated: “We have been out on the [Nodferatu’s] Lair [Anselmo‘s home studio] and I am, like, I stated, ‘I have not been out right here writing with you dudes since… It has been, like, since for the primary EP,’ so perhaps 2011, early 2012… So it is sort of like we have not written collectively in so lengthy that it was so contemporary. I imply, we received collectively on a Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and I feel we had seven songs written. Since you’ve received 5 dudes that may write riffs. I imply, your drummer can write riffs too. And Pat writes nice, and Phil writes nice. And you have me and Pepper on guitar. So whenever you’ve received 5 dudes that may write riffs — there’s some songs that all of us sort of have a riff in it even, or an element or half a riff or one thing.”
As beforehand reported, DOWN will headline night time one in every of this yr’s version of the Milwaukee Steel Fest. The present follows the band’s current Western U.S. tour with DANZIG.
In April 2024, Windstein, who can be the frontman of CROWBAR, instructed Concrete Spew in regards to the musical course of the brand new DOWN materials: “It simply appears like DOWN. I imply, it sounds refreshing as a result of we’ve not achieved it in so lengthy, gotten along with me and the blokes and achieved it in — fuck — 12 years or one thing. So it appears like DOWN, I feel, to me, it sounds extra old-school DOWN. And the explanation I say that’s I feel we received to a degree the place… Like, the ‘NOLA’ file is so easy, and it simply wrote itself; it was so easy. And that is how that is coming about, which is nice.”
He continued: “We’re not overthinking it. We’re not making an attempt to make issues too advanced. Phillip‘s not making an attempt to put in writing so many lyrics and issues. We simply sort of received away — I hate to say ‘received away’, ‘trigger something we do is DOWN, however, to me, we sort of received a little bit bit… We wanted to return and take a look at one another and simply go, ‘Let’s simply get in a room and do it like we did from the start.’ And that is what it feels wish to me. It’s extremely magical. The concepts and the working collectively, simply bounce off of each other, it is a pure factor.”
DOWN performed its rescheduled live performance at Inn Of The Mountain Gods Resort And On line casino in Mescalero, New Mexico on September 27, 2024. The band was initially purported to carry out at at Inn Of The Mountain Gods on June 20, 2024, however the present was known as off on account of a pair of quickly rising wildfires which have been converging on a village inside a tribal reservation within the state. Because of the postponement, DOWN performed two pop-up reveals in Louisiana — on June 20, 2024 at Southport Corridor in New Orleans and on June 21, 2024 at Varsity Theatre in Baton Rouge.
Previous to Southport Corridor, DOWN‘s final live performance passed off in September 2022 on the Blue Ridge Rock Pageant in Alton, Virginia.
DOWN made a handful of uncommon reside appearances within the spring and summer season of 2022. The band launched a three-date U.S. run of reveals in Might 2022 on the Welcome To Rockville competition in Daytona Seashore, Florida. After enjoying in Atlanta and Dallas instantly after Rockville, DOWN took a three-week break earlier than regrouping for 3 European competition appearances in June. The aforementioned look at that yr’s Blue Ridge Rock Pageant adopted in September 2022.
In August 2021, DOWN took half in a really particular in-person reside and digital expertise. “NOLA City Throwdown” was held on the Fillmore in New Orleans, Louisiana and featured followers attending the present in individual in addition to watching it in actual time from the consolation of their front room.
In August 2020, DOWN celebrated the twenty fifth anniversary of “NOLA” with a particular livestreamed occasion. Dubbed “The Quarter Century Throwdown”, the high-production, multi-camera occasion passed off utilizing cutting-edge streaming know-how to create a one-of-a-kind digital live performance expertise.
A founding member of DOWN, Windstein left the band in 2013 so as to concentrate on CROWBAR and his household life. He was changed by Bobby Landgraf, DOWN‘s former guitar tech who was beforehand in GAHDZILLA MOTOR COMPANY, a Nineteen Nineties outfit additionally that includes Jason McMaster (DANGEROUS TOYS, WATCHTOWER),and HONKY.
Windstein introduced his return to DOWN in 2019, with the band confirming a variety of competition appearances for 2020 to rejoice the twenty fifth anniversary of “NOLA”, all of which have been later canceled or postponed as a result of coronavirus pandemic which swept the globe.
Previous to the August 2020 livestream, DOWN‘s final reside look passed off in August 2016 on the Psycho Las Vegas competition in Las Vegas.
“Down IV – Half Two” bought round 10,000 copies in america in its first week of launch in Might 2014 to debut at place No. 23 on The Billboard 200 chart.
The band’s earlier EP, “Down IV Half I – The Purple EP”, opened with round 12,000 models in September 2012 to land at No. 35.
“Down IV – Half Two” was recorded at Nodferatu’s Lair and produced by Michael Thompson. It was launched through Down Data/ADA Music.
Picture by MetalDave Media
