DOWN

Ever wonder what happens when five righteous headbangers pile into a New Orleans garage with a lot of beverages and, as they say, "a mission"? Wonder no more, and look no further than NOLA. As Pepper Keenan (who also plays guitar in Corrosion Of Conformity) tells it, that's how Down was born. He was just off a tour, and hooked up with his pal Philip (Pantera) Anselmo. One thing led to another, and by the time they and the rest of the guys stumbled out of that garage, what was now Down had laid the basic tracks for three of the songs on this incendiary debut, including the opening jam, "Temptation's Wings." "Wings" says just about all there is to say about NOLA. The guitars, cranked up, fuzzed-up and loud, harmonize along a perfect line of distortion one moment, only to chatter away at each other like angry machine-guns the next. Down plays metal pure and simple (Metallica meets Led Zeppelin with many dark, sinister vibes thrown in for good measure) but there's a hint of a New Orleans backbeat propelling the whole wailing construct. But don't get the wrong idea--this is not groovy easy listening. Anselmo does some truly incredible things with his voice--painful, unholy things. Yells become screams become moans become long, keening wails of frustration and pain. The band kicks out the jams in track after track. Down even approximates a kind of hybrid blues/metal on one number, "Underneath Everything," wherein Keenan shows his bayou roots with chunky pieces of guitar work. In the end, that ten seconds of guitar sums up Down. These guys know where they're from and where they're going. And, trust us, they're going there LOUDLY.

Estimated despatch 5-10 days after ordering.