Down: Witchtripper – new video & Down IV Part I - The Purple EP – full album stream

 

 

DOWN a.k.a. Louisiana finest, an all-star heavy metal side project whose lineup consists of former CORROSION OF CONFORMITY's guitarist/vocalist Pepper Keenan, drummer  Jimmy Bower (EYEHATEGOD/CROWBAR), guitarist Kirk Windstein (CROWBAR/KINGDOM OF SORROW), vocalist Philip Anselmo (PANTERA/ARSON ANTHEM) and bassist Pat Bruders (ex-GOATWHORE), trip some witches in their new bewitching video ‘Witchtripper’:

“Somebody would suggest to me, “Hey, man, that might make a killer song title [‘Witchtripper’].” And at the time I’m like, “You’re out of your fucking mind. There’s no way I’m gonna call a song ‘Witchtripper’,” [Phil Anselmo told Rolling Stone. But after digging the riff created by DOWN guitarist Pepper Keenan and drummer Jimmy Bower, Anselmo decided to give them what they wanted:] “I was like, “OK, check this out, you dicks. ‘Witchtripper’ you want, ‘Witchtripper’ you will get. I laid it on them, and sure enough, they were right – it worked, as usual. So there goes the genius of Phil Anselmo. Always doubting, and I’m the last one to get it,” [he added, laughing – read the rest here and do not forget to check out the legendary man's autobiography when published]

‘Witchtripper’ is also the first single off DOWN's September 18h, 2012 release ‘Down IV Part I - The Purple EP’, available for purchase through iTunes, Amazon and through the band's official store here, as well as available for your listening pleasure in full here (Billboard.com). DOWN plan to release a series of four EPs over the next few years.

 

DOWN was formed in the mid-'90s when PANTERA was on a brief break; between their ‘Far Beyond Driven’ and ‘The Great Southern Trendkill’ albums. The then quartet's members (with Todd Strange of CROWBAR on bass) had been longtime friends and decided to break up their downtime (hence their name). The East/West label issued DOWN's 1995 debut ‘NOLA’ (an abbreviation for New Orleans, Louisiana, from which all its original members originate). The album went platinum with 1,000,000 copies sold (in America) and was hailed as a landmark album by music critics. Seven years later, members of the band reunited in Phil Anselmo's barn dubbed “Nodferatu's Lair” (see video) in southern Louisiana where they lived and recorded the album ‘Down II: A Bustle in Your Hedgerow’ in 28 days without anyone leaving the house, or so the story goes. Despite poor reviews, the album debuted at number 44 on the Billboard Top 200 albums chart. Once signed to Warner Bros. Records, DOWN released their third album, ‘Down III: Over The Under’, which lyrically dealt with the breakup of PANTERA, murder of guitarist Dimebag Darrell, the band's anger at the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, and the singer's recovery from drug addiction. The album, received warmly by critics and fans alike, debuted at number 26 on the Billboard 200, selling about 29,000 copies in its first week. In 2010, DOWN released a 2 CD full concert recorded live in London and DVD titled ‘Dairy Of A Mad Band’.