| Description |
Down \ Over The Under (2007) ***
..:CD Info:..
Artists ... Down
Album ... Over The Under
Release Date ... 09 / 25 / 07
Genre ... Stoner/Sludge Metal / Heavy Metal
[Review]
One has to wonder whether the most newsworthy angle about
this third Down album is the fact that: a. it even exists,
considering the rare gatherings of this sludge/doom supergroup
(comprised of Pantera's Phil Anselmo and Rex Brown, C.O.C.'s
Pepper Keenan, Crowbar's Kirk Windstein, and Eyehategod's Jimmy
Bower); or, b. the fact that it represents vocalist Phil Anselmo's
first major musical work since the murder of estranged Pantera
bandmate Dimebag Darrell. Let's face it, probably the latter, since
it's only to be expected that fans would dissect all of Anselmo's
typically candid lyrics for Dimebag references -- almost to
distraction, for truly, the most important, noteworthy angle about
Down III: Over the Under: its marked improvement over 2002's sprawling,
unfocused Down II. Ironically (and to get this subject out of the way,
once and for all), the two tracks most obviously inspired by Dimebag's
tragic slaying, the earnestly regretful "I Scream" and the desperately
poignant "Mourn" (which describes Anselmo's hotel room exile from his
erstwhile colleague's funeral), actually lack distinct musical backdrops]
on par with much of the surrounding material. There, everyone happy? Now
let's move on... Pound for pound, Down III can't be said to possess the
same level of newly discovered songwriting chemistry heard on 1995's
watershed NOLA debut because, despite their strong delivery, tracks like
"The Path," "N.O.D.," and "The Thrall of it All" regurgitate far too many
Black Sabbath basics. But it does deliver a handful of career highs in the
shape of bulldozing opener "Three Suns and One Star"; the band's arguably
purest, bluesiest Southern rock number yet in "Never Try" (Skynyrd meets
Sabbath like never before); and a pair of heartfelt, evocative paeans to
their Katrina-ravaged hometown in "Beneath the Tides" and "On March the
Saints." And the quintet's talents for reshaping and refreshing their
classic metal influences achieves a heady climax on the epic "Nothing
in Return," which splits time between ethereal Mellotron α la Led Zeppelin's
"No Quarter," and gargantuan ringing power chords akin to Sabbath's "Sign of
the Southern Cross," with a little chunky "Sweet Leaf" riffing in between.
Finally, one would be remiss not to mention the impressive soft/hard tandem
of "His Majesty the Desert" and "Pillamyd," which pales only in comparison to
the last mentioned epic; nor the impressive European bonus track "Invest in
Fear." In sum, who knew, given their sophomore slump and Anselmo's distracting
baggage, that another Down album would feel so surprisingly welcome? Yes, genre
regulars may still brand their releases as "sludge/doom for dummies," but that's
a nearsighted mindset in light of the expanded fan base that each Down album
introduces to these underappreciated musical forms.
..:Media Info:..
Audio Info ... 256 kbps CBR
Channels ... 44.100 kHz / 16 bit Stereo
Format ... MP3
# of Tracks ... 12
Covers ... Front
..:Other Notes:..
Heavily inspired by both Hurricane Katrina and Darrell
"Dimebag" Abbott's murder, this release will rock the
face of every metal fan.
Enjoy...
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Adopted son doth mourn...
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