Lately, the heavy-metal environment offers some pretty interesting terrain: There are popular death-core bands with eight-stringed guitars playing polyrhythms they've rehashed hundreds of times, a full-on early Megaforce Records-style thrash revival, and more blossoming subgenres than you can shake a stick at. And while it would appear that a lot of bands have grown preoccupied with trying to write faster, heavier, and more technically challenging music than the next, there really is no substitute for solid riffs, deeply pocketed drumming, and some soulfully anguished vocals.
If you haven't heard of Down, the band is composed of former Pantera frontman Philip Anselmo, pseudo-former Corrosion of Conformity guitarist and singer Pepper Keenan, Crowbar guitarist Kirk Windstein, and Eyehategod/Superjoint Ritual drummer Jimmy "Power" Bower. Though Pantera's Rex Brown was the most recent bass player for the group, following Todd Strange's departure, health problems have since sidelined him in favor of Crowbar bassist Pat Bruders. We caught up with the ever-affable Pepper Keenan before the band's first date of tour in Broussard, Louisiana.
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