Down don’t release albums that often. In fact so far they have only released two. We got the debut “Nola” in 1995 and the follow up “Bustle In Your Hedgerow” in 2002.Both those albums were awesome displays of hard rock power and passion and to a lot of rock and metal fans they are now regarded as classics of their time.

Now in 2007 Down are unleashing their latest album “Over The Under” to the hard rock loving masses. Considering the success of the first two albums there is a lot to live up to but when you look at the personnel in the band and what they have been through in the last few years you are left in no doubt that they have the personalities to have a good go and deliver a product that they are one hundred percent behind.

The opening track “3 Suns And 1 Star” kicks the album off in fine style. The band sound like the musical equivalent of a juggernaut and the performance is delivered in wonderful powerhouse fashion. They sound like a well-oiled machine playing music that is tight but delightfully loose. The guitar riffing sounds like the bastard son of Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath) and the attitude, swagger and flow of the music recalls Led Zeppelin in their most grandiose.

There is a song for nearly every lover of classic hard rock on this album. If you have a penchant for slow, deep and grinding grooves take a listen to “The Path”. If you want bouncing guitar riffs tuned down so low that they’re guaranteed to shake even the sturdiest foundations listen to “N.O.D”. If you want riffs with a nightmarish quality and melodies born from fever dreams give “I Scream” the once over.

For those people who like songs with twisting, shifting and tricky rhythm changes the band deliver “On March The Saints”.

The album whilst being rooted in hard rock does take some detours along the way. For instance “Never Try” is a wonderful bluesy melodic workout. The timbre of the drums and the sheer power with which they are attacked is reminiscent of how John Bonham (Led Zeppelin) would supercharge a straightforward blues number and take it to a new level. Within this track the band take the listener to dizzying highs and then down to the deepest lows.

“Beneath The Tides” is a brooding and hypnotic track blessed with gorgeous rotary speaker effects on the guitars whilst “His Majesty The Desert” is a trippy soundscape full of ethereal and musical mystery. The final track on the album “Nothing In Return (Walk Away)” is almost “Bridge Of Sighs” (Robin Trower) for a new hard rock generation. The surreal almost fusion like metal melodies and riffs drift in and out of focus like mirages in the desert.

“Over The Under” shows Down have lost none of their fire and passion as shown on their first two albums. One thing that does strike me about the new album is that it consistently rocks from start to finish .The energy levels and creative juices flow relentlessly from beginning to end. Ultimately the songs literally blow your mind (without the need for any illegal substances).

In the corridors of hard rock power “Down” can be found residing behind the door marked “Chairman”. Hard rock doesn’t get much more “real” than this.

Let us know your views on III: Over The Under

Track Listing

Three Suns And One Star
Path
N.O.D.
I Scream
On March The Saints
Never Try
Mourn
Beneath The Tides
His Majesty The Desert
Pillamys
In The Thrall Of It All
Nothing In Return (Walk Away)

Line Up

Phil Anselmo - Vocals
Pepper Keenan - Guitar
Kirk Windstein - Guitar
Rex Brown - Bass
Jimmy Bower - Drums