It’s happening. After 18 long, sludge-deprived years, American heavy metal supergroup Down are finally back in the studio. This record will mark their first full-length album since 2007’s Down III: Over the Under. The new record—tentatively called Down V—is shaping up to be a throwback to the glory days of riffs, grit, and absolutely no bullshit.
Let’s talk about the lineup for a second: Phil Anselmo (Pantera), Kirk Windstein (Crowbar), Pepper Keenan (Corrosion of Conformity), Patrick Bruders (Saint Vitus), and Jimmy Bower (Eyehategod). That’s not just a band; it’s literally a wrecking crew of madness.
In true Down fashion, the new material isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel—it’s just rolling it straight over your face. Kirk Windstein summed it up perfectly in a recent chat with Concrete Spew: “It just sounds like Down.”
He went on to explain that this record feels more like their early days, calling it “old-school Down” and comparing it to the simplicity of their iconic NOLA record. “We’re not overthinking it,” he said. “We just got in a room and did it like we did from the beginning. It’s very magical.”
Magical is great, but let’s be real—what we really want are riffs. Riffs that shake the foundation of your house. And by the sound of things, that’s exactly what they’re going to be delivering.
It’s truly all shaping up to be something quite special. It almost feels wrong to be calling it a comeback; it’s a full-on resurrection.
Down hasn’t released a full-length record in almost two decades, but the riffs are alive, the band’s chemistry is apparently “magical,” and they’re ready to show the world how it’s done. So, mark your calendars, start working on your neck-strengthening exercises, and get ready. The lords of sludge are back, and they’re set to be bringing the thunder.
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