Down - Down - Over The Under
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CD Details
Artist: DownEdition: Music CD
Format: Explicit Lyrics
CD Release Date: 2007-09-25
Music Label: Down Records
Soundtracks:
- Three Suns And One Star
- The Path
- N.O.D.
- I Scream
- On March the Saints
- Never Try
- Mourn
- Beneath the Tides
- His Majesty the Desert
- Pillamyd
- In the Thrall Of It All
- Nothing In Return (Walk Away)
Music reviews of Down - Over The Under
Music Review: Welcome back, boys
Rating: 5 Stars
"A great riff is something you know instinctively. It has energy, and attitude, and sex." -- Jimmy Page.
Even though it was initially intended to be just a part time side-project for vacationing members of Pantera, Corrosion of Conformity, Eyehategod, and Crowbar, New Orleans, Louisiana's Down actually evolved into a full-time project whose music was capable of standing on its own. It also became one of the more important heavy music groups of the Nineties. In fact, with their debut, 1995's "Nola," and alongside the latter two of the aforementioned bands, Down more-or-less can be attributed with turning the music world on its ear, and being an integral part in spearheading that decade's Southern sludge/doom metal revival scene. This scene would go on to inspire a truly vast number of followers. (It would probably be safe to assume that pretty much any sludge/doom metal collective that has formed since the mid-Nineties sites "Nola" as one of their favorite records.)
So, what have Phil and the gang (which is completed by the seminal two-headed guitar monster that is Pepper Keenan/Kirk Windstein, bassist Rex Brown, and Jimmy Bower on drums) been up to lately? Falling apart, mostly. Like most side-projects, Down was almost immediately put on hiatus in favor of the band members' respective day jobs. Thus, after the release of that iconic debut, fans didn't get to hear anything new from them until several years later. They finally did return in 2002 (we were left hanging for seven whole years!), but unfortunately didn't offer much to get excited about. The long-delayed and anticipated second full-length, "Down II: A Bustle In Your Hedgerow," which was slapped together in a mere 28 days time, is widely thought of by metalheads as one of the biggest and most disappointing, awkward, and disjointed sophomore bombs in history.
Couple that disc's negative reaction with its equally-as-disappointing sales figures, the fact that they were still taking heat following Pantera's official disbandment in 2003, and that their vocalist was still very much involved in a few other short-lived projects (i.e. Superjoint Ritual), and the gentlemen in Down had no choice but to basically and indefinitely dissolve. But the real sad part is that, for a while, things would only get worse if you were a guy named Phil. Following months of public feuding with him, former longtime Pantera bandmate and friend, guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, was senselessly murdered in late 2004. And then, he could only watch as Hurricane Katrina (among the most tragic storms ever to hit the U.S.A.) struck and devastated his hometown the next year.
On top of all that, when you add even more turmoil from a recent record label jump (from Elektra to Warner/Roadrunner), and Phil's sworn newfound sobriety, and the end result is one huge, convoluted mess. So who would have expected now would be a good time for another Down record? Well, actually it's the perfect time! True, many fans probably still have a bad taste in their mouths left from "A Bustle In Your Hedgerow", but 2007's "Over The Under" is ample proof that these guys can still make great music. In fact, in order to do so, they apparently just needed some fuel for their fire; and as a result, they have never sounded better or more inspired and full of life. Mr. Anselmo delivers a passionate and noteworthy performance complete with catchy, lung-stretching classic metal vocals (which land somewhere between James Hetfield, Rob Halford, Ozzy Osbourne, his old self, and Deep Purple-era David Coverdale), and intelligent, heartfelt lyrics. (And yes, the rumormongers were correct in thinking "Dimebag" Darrell and Katrina were on his mind when writing lyrics -- for proof, see "I Scream", and "Mourn", and "On March the Saints" and "Beneath the Tides", respectively.)
Everybody else sounds revitalized, too. Brown and Bower combine to form an excellent and very tight bottom-end; the former with good, meaty bass lines, and the latter with his rock-solid (yet too often unsung) drumming. But as is the case with any great sludge/doom opus, the real magic lies in the almighty guitar riffs. And by busting out one monstrous and eminently memorable riff after another with nimble genius, Pepper Keenan and Kirk Windstein turn in a performance worthy of David Copperfield. No, they might not exactly reinvent the kind of riff that is usually heard in doom metal, but there should be absolutely no debate that the ones heard on "Over The Under" are positively killer. (And they are easily among the finest this reviewer has heard in quite some time.) Sometimes the riffs are slow and plodding, sometimes mid-tempo, and sometimes downright blistering -- but they are always extremely dangerous, meaty, chunky, heavy, aggressive (but also sufficiently diverse and well-textured), headbangable, trance-inducing, and guaranteed to bounce around your head for a nice, long while, and become legendary at some point in the not-so-distant future. And, to reference the Jimmy Paige quote mentioned above, there isn't one riff on tap here that does not "instinctively" satisfy.
Granted, due to its uncomfortable, drawn-out song lengths (these twelve tracks make for a solid hour of playing time, and several of them are easily among the longest in the group's discography), and the surprising (and almost startling) level of harmony/melody in Phil's vocals, some listeners are bound to initially feel a bit uncertain about the new album. But those who are wise enough to spend more, quality time with it (giving it at least more than one listen) will soon learn that, overall, this is the same old Down we've always known and love. The only difference this time around is just that they opted for a different (and more mature) songwriting approach. As a result, the songs have all the ingredients that made past efforts so great while simultaneously being more intricate and epic. And they may take a little longer to digest than what longtime fans are used to hearing from this New Orleans-based quintet; but your patience will pay off because, ultimately, they will also stick to your ribs longer.
With that in mind, it is not all that unfitting for "Three Sons and One Star" to be the set opener because it confidently piledrives out of the speakers with a commanding bellow from the frontman of "The old dog has learned a new trick!" From there, the listener is launched into a ton of big, fat, mighty-heavy, chugging guitar and bass riffs, while the vocals echo and cascade on top. "Path," with its really strong, Southern blues vibe (a la classic Corrosion of Conformity), excellent, crunching, dueling guitar licks, distorted, sludgy groove, forceful, banging drums, fairly ripping solo, catchy vocal refrain (which may get tattooed to your brain after only one listen), and cool, backing guitar harmonies, is a suitably strong follow-up. Following that comes "N.O.D.", a distinctly Seventies rock-esque and Thin Lizzy-influenced number backed by a lurching, made-for-headbanging groove, strategic tempo changes, wicked, shrieking vocals, and a bullying barrage of deft, buzzsaw picking.
"I Scream" comes off as a cross between Eyehategod, Van Halen, Judas Priest, Metallica, Led Zeppelin, Black Label Society, and vintage Pantera. Naturally, there is plenty of more killer riff work to go around here; but for the most part, "I Scream" is Philip Anselmo's show -- he expertly mixes a high, almost Rob Halford-worthy falsetto with supple, warm, burned-out crooning and accomplished proper singing to excellent effect. "On March The Saints," which was released as "OTU"'s first single, finds the members of Down working together and as a team -- they move through it in near-perfect lock-step unison. Until around the mid-point, that is, because then the track tosses in an awesomely nasty breakdown, and the rest of it is a straightforward mosher with propulsive, chainsaw guitars and a hooky, circle-pit-ready chant-along vocal refrain. "Never Try" is a restrained, depressing, mournful, slow-burning brooder -- it could almost be said to be a power ballad with thought-provoking lyrics, and gobs of tasty, bluesy leads, and wailing melodic soloing that give the tune an epic feel.
But fear not, because immediately that track is over, the metal returns in full-force. "Mourn" is an incredibly fierce, dense, and bruising tune/riff-fest that overflows with great, tight, beefy rhythms, and thundering, uber-juicy, bottom-heavy riffs that weigh a friggin' ton and a half, and recall the halcyon days of Crowbar and Soilent Green. Moving along, "Beneath the Tides" packs quite a lot of stuff, ideas, and breadth into just about three-minutes of time. It is highlighted by an excellent bass intro, huge, darkly pounding power chords, a heavy, rollicking, and propulsive main groove, and steady, pronounced, flowing bass grooves. And as an afterthought, a fine bit of nice guitar harmonies are added to the arrangements, as well. Track nine, "His Majesty the Desert," is a surprisingly melodic interlude which boasts an abundance of moody atmosphere and pretty progressive parts that would not sound completely mismatched coming off of an Isis outing.
But after that, and like always, Down thunder back even meaner and heavier than before. "Pillamyd" is a huge standout track, and also quite possibly the album's biggest highpoint. Why, you ask? Because it begins with a catchy, machine-gun drum beat, and soon thereafter transforms into a bludgeoning, rip-roaring, head-ripping riff-monster. Indeed, this truly astounding collection of inventive, scorching, expansive, and brutally heavy riffage is living proof that Keenan and Windstein are nearly untouchable in the world of modern guitarists. Also included in "Pillamyd" is deft, booming drumming (including plenty of double bass work), cool, spoken-word parts, and really catchy, sing-along-choruses. In sum, at the beginning of the song, when Phil wails (in that distinctly Phil-esque voice that only he can do so gloriously) "Awww, yeah!", the listener can't help but whole-heartedly agree.
Moving along, at around six-and-a-half minutes in length, "In the Thrall of It All" is an undeniable epic that evokes vintage Led Zeppelin and "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath"-era Black Sabbath. It is filled with strong guitar lines, and catchy, air-guitar-worthy "wah-wah" licks. Three excellent and technically-impressive solos come ripping through the mix here, also. Finally, "Nothing in Return (Walk Away)" rounds out the set, and does so on an strange, contemplative, and low-key (but no less strong or memorable) note. It is a very psychedelic, bluesy, and mournful piece that pushes the nine-minute mark, and is fueled by Seventies prog-style ambience complete with creative uses of ethereal, ringing Mellotron flourishes, and soft, echoing-out croons. Sure, ample chunky, Sabbath-y riffs crop up here and there, but most of "Nothing in Return" sounds not unlike Pink Floyd, "Houses of the Holy"-era Zepp., Pantera's 1996 cover of "Planet Caravan", Tool, Pelican, and (believe it or not!) some late Beatles stuff.
Whether Down will ever surpass the level of excellence they first achieved so many years ago is still up in the air; and whether they can even match that excellence (especially without first having to go through so much tragedy) is also completely up for debate. But that is neither here nor there. The fact of the matter is that this is an excellent, arresting, meaningful, meticulous, well-rounded affair, and a very fulfilling and highly contagious listen. It also takes the prize for the best comeback of 2007, and it may darn well be the finest slab of doom and "true blue" metal released in recent memory. Buy, buy, buy!
Description of Down - Over The Under
1st full-length in 5 years from heralded hard rock pioneers, Down. Featuring Philip Anselmo, Rex Brown, Pepper Keenan, Kirk Windstein and Jimmy Bower, ?Over The Under? is 60 minutes plus of groundbreaking music combining elements of Black Sabbath, Lynyrd Skynyrd and everything in between that sets the group apart from anything in the marketplace today. This record documents the lives of these New Orleans natives through the last 5 years of catastrophe, tragedy and ultimately triumph.Alternative Rock CDs
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