Down – the band featuring guitarists Kirk Windstein (Crowbar, Eye Am) and fellow guitarist Pepper Keenan (Corrosion Of Conformity), vocalist Phil Anselmo (Pantera), bassist Patrick Bruders (Saint Vitus, ex-Crowbar), and drummer Jimmy Bower (Eyehategod) – is working on the follow-up to their 2014 EP Down IV – Part 2, for real this time.
Down originally posted some photos of themselves writing together back in January, which Bower said in an interview with Laughingmonkeymusic produced seven songs.
"We got together about a month or two ago, and we were practicing with just me, Pat, Kirk and Pepper" said Bower. "Phil lives [near the band in Louisiana]. We got together over at his house for a weekend, and we have seven songs, man. We're supposed to get together again in April, and then talk about recording, trying to get this thing out."
Down released three very influential albums between 1995 and 2007 – NOLA in 1995, Down II: A Bustle in Your Hedgerow… in 2002, and Down III: Over the Under in 2007 – before dropping two EPs under the collective Down IV moniker in 2012 and 2014.
In the same interview, Bower praised Anselmo's writing abilities, noting that he's more of an on-the-fly writer rather than planning for new Down.
"Phil's amazing to write with because he's really good with arranging, and he's just really witty with his arrangements and bridges and stuff like that, that, I'd be, like, 'Damn, I would have never thought of that.' And that's the beautiful thing about Down — it's a room filled with dudes that are witty with their songwriting and stuff like that.
"We can write all day without Phil, but when he's there, it's that much better. It really is. 'Cause he'd be, like, 'Do this four times. Go into the bridge, then go back to the verse, and then we'll do a pre-chorus, and next thing you know, you've got a killer song."
