by Greg Prato
Down is an all-star heavy metal side project whose original lineup consisted of members from Pantera (singer Phil Anselmo), Corrosion of Conformity (guitarist Pepper Keenan), and Crowbar (guitarist Kirk Windstein, bassist Todd Strange, and drummer Jimmy Bower). Formed in the mid-90s when Pantera was on a brief break (between their Far Beyond Driven and The Great Southern Trendkill releases), the quartets members had been longtime friends and decided to break up their downtime (hence their name). The East/West label issued Downs 1995 debut, NOLA, an abbreviation for New Orleans, LA, from which all its original members hailed. While many assumed that the group would specialize in over-the-top, extreme metal, it contained more elements of classic rock than the members usual bands (a prime influence of the group being Black Sabbath). After a supporting tour wrapped up, little was heard from the group, as the members returned back to their full-time projects, leading many to assume that Down as a one-off. But this proved not to be the case. Anselmo, Keenan, and Bower reconvened to work on new material in 2001, with Pantera bassist Rex Brown taking Stranges spot in the lineup. March 2002 saw the release of Downs long-awaited sophomore effort, the appropriately titled Down II. A third volume, Down III, followed in 2007.