Down – Down II

Artist: Down

Title: Down II

Label: Elektra

Rating: 9/10

This may be a biased opinion, but this is the best album I’ve heard since Kyuss released Sky Valley way back in 1994. Down fans have been waiting six years for the reunion to occur, and Down II will not let them down. For those of you uninitiated, Down is the New Orleans-bred supergroup consisting of Phil Anselmo (Pantera), Pepper Keenan (Corrosion of Conformity), Kirk Weinstein (Crowbar), Jimmy Bower (Eyehategod, COC, Clearlight), and most recently added Rex Brown (Pantera).

After selling 300,000 copies of Nola, the band’s 1995 debut, not much was heard beyond the dozen shows they performed in and around the New Orleans area. But five years into the hiatus, all of the band members found themselves being asked the same question over and over, “Will there ever be another Down album?” Their schedules finally clicked and the masterpiece was slowly born. “Lysergic Funeral Procession” starts the album off in brutal southern-rock style, letting any fan know the itch to be aggressive has never left the band. “There’s Something on My Side” and “Man That Follows Hell” continues with crushing grooves and trademark Anselmo croons. The riff-heavy tracks always stand out on rock albums, but it’s the loose jams of “Learn From this Mistake”, “Beautifully Depressed”, and “Lies” that showcase Pepper’s ongoing ability for writing instantly classic guitar licks, and Phil’s growth from his early years of drunken yells and angry rants.

At first it seemed like Phil was trying too hard to become a singer instead of just leading the group. But after repeated spins he seems to be the catalyst for the sound that Down has forged. His vocal style changes with the feel of each song, and never gets too heavy or too dainty. Down II may be the greatest southern rock album since Lynard Skynard’s 1971 debut, with all the elements of the progression of rock music present. It’s heavy when it needs to be, and they’re happy to lie back and jam out whenever they can. This band is the boys all grown up, and probably will outlast the rest of their endeavors. It’s rock’n’roll the way it was told in the 70’s, with all the power and prowess of a seminal 2K rock band.

+ rick hinkson