Metal Injection previously highlighted 10 Great Metal Collaborations That Worked aka: cool ass supergroups/side projects that got metal fans excited. Fantomas, Bloodbath, Palms, Blotted Science. You know the drill. Well, in light of recent headlines [Metallica & Torche collaboration? Tool and Mastodon?!] and a seemingly never ending parade of fancy new heavy metal supergroups announced by the week, we’ve decided to compile another list, of even MOAR awesome metal collaborations for your viewing pleasure.
Keep in mind that as you’re reading this, Giraffe Tongue Orchestra [Dillinger Escape Plan, Mastodon, The Mars Volta], Act of Defiance [Megadeth, Nevermore, Shadows Fall], and the unnamed Cannibal Corpse, Killswitch Engage, The Black Dahlia Murder hybrid, are all secretly working behind closed doors to blast your ears to pieces. Prepare yourselves…
Down
[youtube]https://youtu.be/rJ1T4F9tT5g[/youtube]The original holy shit these guys are playing together supergroup has got to be…Down. Pre-internet, pre-social media everything on demand shenanigans, the lads in Down generated buzz for their Southern fried heavy metal project the old fashioned way, underground tape trading. Of course it sure helped that the guys were all in some sweet ass, big name metal bands themselves. Pepper Keenan from Corrosion of Conformity, Kirk Windstein and Todd Strange of Crowbar, Mr. Jimmy Bower from Eyehategod, and that Phil Anselmo guy from uh, fucking Pantera; Down featured an allstar cast of New Orleans’ favorite sons. The band released their debut album, the aptly titled NOLA, in 1995 and enjoyed a tidal wave of acclaim from the metal community before going on hiatus to focus on their “main bands.” When Down regrouped in 2002 it was an event of headbanging proportions and still basically is whenever they reconvene. Their lineup has changed over the years, with Rex Brown [Pantera] joining for most of the 2000’s, and Patrick Brudens [ex-Goatwhore] replacing him in 2011, but Down still remains the standard bearer for all modern metal supergroups to follow.
