Down Albums (3)
What The Critics Say
One has to wonder whether the most newsworthy angle about this third Down album is the fact that: a. it even exists, considering the rare gatherings of this sludge/doom supergroup (comprised of Pantera's Phil Anselmo and Rex Brown, C.O.C.'s Pepper Keenan, Crowbar's Kirk Windstein, and Eyehategod's Jimmy Bower); or, b. the fact that it represents vocalist Phil Anselmo's first major musical work since the murder of estranged Pantera bandmate Dimebag Darrell. Let's face it, probably the latter, since it's only to be expected that fans would dissect all of Anselmo's typically candid lyrics for Dimebag references -- almost to distraction, for truly, the most important, noteworthy angle about Down III: Over the Under: its marked improvement over 2002's sprawling, unfocused Down II. Ironically (and to get this subject out of the way, once and for all), the two tracks most obviously inspired by Dimebag's tragic slaying, the earnestly regretful "I Scream" and the desperately poignant "Mourn" (which describes Anselmo's hotel room exile from his erstwhile colleague's funeral), actually lack distinct musical backdrops on par with much of the surrounding material. There, everyone happy? Now let's move on... Pound for pound, Down III can't be said to possess the same level of newly discovered songwriting chemistry heard on 1995's watershed NOLA debut because, despite their strong delivery, tracks like "The Path," "N.O.D.," and "The Thrall of it All" regurgitate far too many Black Sabbath basics. But it does deliver a handful of career highs in the shape of bulldozing opener "Three Suns and One Star"; the band's arguably purest, bluesiest Southern rock number yet in "Never Try" (Skynyrd meets Sabbath like never before); and a pair of heartfelt, evocative paeans to their Katrina-ravaged hometown in "Beneath the Tides" and "On March the Saints." And the quintet's talents for reshaping and refreshing their classic metal influences achieves a heady climax on the epic "Nothing in Return," which splits time between ethereal Mellotron à la Led Zeppelin's "No Quarter," and gargantuan ringing power chords akin to Sabbath's "Sign of the Southern Cross," with a little chunky "Sweet Leaf" riffing in between. Finally, one would be remiss not to mention the impressive soft/hard tandem of "His Majesty the Desert" and "Pillamyd," which pales only in comparison to the last mentioned epic; nor the impressive European bonus track "Invest in Fear." In sum, who knew, given their sophomore slump and Anselmo's distracting baggage, that another Down album would feel so surprisingly welcome? Yes, genre regulars may still brand their releases as "sludge/doom for dummies," but that's a nearsighted mindset in light of the expanded fan base that each Down album introduces to these underappreciated musical forms. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
"I do one thing/I do it well," Philip Anselmo hoarsely screams to start the "Symptom of the Universe"-inspired "The Man That Follows Hell," but the fact is he's sorely mistaken on one count. The erstwhile Pantera prowler does a heck of a lot more than only one thing, as evidenced by his numerous side projects, of which Down is the most prominent. On the supergroup's second album, Down II, his pipes generally show the range that has allowed the New Orleans native to reach demigod status among metal aficionados, gutturally blasting out tortured-soul lyrics that all seem to address his state of mind and body (legend has it the disc was recorded in a rural Louisiana swamp under the influence of quite a few narcotics). Pepper Keenan's shtick is a holdover from the last couple of Corrosion of Conformity discs, and except for the fact that Anselmo is a much better singer than Keenan and the material is far darker than he usually takes his main project lyrically, much of Down II could have appeared on a new Corrosion of Conformity album and few would have blinked an eye. A few tracks stand out, like the almost psychedelic "Beautifully Depressed," which revels in its contradiction, and the closing "Landing on the Mountains of Meggido," a nearly eight-minute epic which is reminiscent Led Zeppelin if they were truly evil and didn't just play the part on TV. ~ Brian O'Neill, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The combination of Phil Anselmo and Pepper Keenan should be enough to cause heavy metal fans to drool, but with a full cast made up of members of Pantera, Corrosion of Conformity, Crowbar, and Eyehategod, Down is truly a supergroup, and performs as such. Make no mistake, though, the music inevitably comes back to Anselmo and Keenan. NOLA (an acronym for New Orleans, Louisiana) takes the two superstars' writing talents and distinctive sounds and focuses them in a feast of Cajun-style heavy metal. Like much of Pantera's music, NOLA is lyrically enigmatic and frequently celebrates the use of controlled substances. Glorification of cannabis aside, the album's true focus is inner melancholy and atonement for earlier sins. Keenan's own brand of crunching axework -- the kind that typifies his work with Corrosion of Conformity -- compliments Anselmo's genuinely sorrowful vocals, and the two propel the album to its logical conclusion without the flashy solos or other excesses that often accompany their separate works. The two also combine in a unique way on "Pray for the Locust," an instrumental that was written by Anselmo but consists simply of Keenan on the guitar. From the highly layered "Stone the Crow," the group's only major radio hit, to the ponderous, introspective "Bury Me in Smoke," the members of Down display their abilities to play quality rock & roll outside the comfort of their individual bands. In terms of consistency and sheer rock power, NOLA surpasses all but the very best of the featured artists' other works, and can proudly be embraced in any of the associated bands' catalogs. This is a landmark album that combines the talents of dedicated rock musicians, and should be included in any collection of heavy metal music. ~ David Reamer, All Music Guide
