More than Jazz in New Orleans?

Down plays Mardi Gras at the New Orleans Civic Center

Since the city of New Orleans is synonymous with  Mardi Gras, The French Quarter, Bourbon Street, crawfish, and Jazz, it's hard to imagine the city being home to a rock scene.

The Documentary of NOLA: Life, Death, & Heavy Blues from the Bayou

Phil Anselmo of Pantera and Down as featured on the Noisy

New Orleans native Phil Anselmo exports his style to Dallas band Pantera, thereby changing the landscape for metal in the 90s. Meanwhile, a visit from the Melvins to the New Orleans area would change the landscape for metal as we know it, with Kirk Windstein of the band Shell Shock was discovering that slower was, for him, heavier.

Down Are Poised To Release Their New EP - Down IV - Part 2, On May 13th

"Down is the New Orleans sludge-metal supergroup led by Pantera’s Phil Anselmo and Corrosion Of Conformity’s Pepper Kennan, and later this spring, they’ll release their new EP Down IV – Part Two. The first track we’ve heard from it is a titanic, bludgeoning deep-head-nod groove called “We Knew Him Well,” and it’s gloriously messy but locked-in in the way that only New Orleans metal bands can pull off. Listen to it below."

Phil Anselmo Speaks On His New Album, With The Classic Metal Show

As a die hard Down and Pantera fan, just about any project with Phil Anselmo involved I will check out. Never resting on his laurels and forever on the hunt to create new material is what makes the dude so damn good at his job. The releases they put out with Housecore Records are always on point and heavy as can be. Stoked for sure on the new solo project and really wish the tour was coming through our area. 

Dive into Housecore Records




"The master of all things heavy, Philip H. Anselmo, has returned with the very first solo album of his illustrious career. Years of fronting the legendary PANTERA and hard rock titans DOWN have propelled the vocalist to stardom and with 'Walk Through Exits Only,' Anselmo and his backing band, THE ILLEGALS, have created a truly heavy, angry monster that merges the visceral aggression and power of PANTERA with the devastating thrash and Southern sludge that Anselmo and the NOLA scene pioneered. 'Walk Through Exits Only' is an essential metal album from one of the genre's most iconic names!"

Antiseen's Influence Looms Large As Phil Anselmo Releases Solo Album

 Check out the post on Rolling Stone

"After acting as frontman for Pantera, Down and Superjoint Ritual and contributing to a multitude of peers' projects, metal legend Philip H. Anselmo has decided to fly solo. He is scheduled to release his first solo album, Walk Through Exits Only, on July 16th on his own Housecore Records label with his band the Illegals (comprised of guitarist Marzi Montazeri and drummer Jose Manuel Gonzalez). Here, get an exclusive first listen to their track "Usurper Bastard's Rant." Relentless guitars paired with bold percussion and Anselmo's signature screams make for quite an introduction.

Anselmo explains that the song was inspired by how watered-down music has become and the number of "sound-alikes" that exist in the industry. "Traditions were meant to be celebrated and/or destroyed. The celebration is worn out in my view," Anselmo tells Rolling Stone. "It's time for more destruction, and this is exactly the point of 'Usurper Bastard's Rant.'"

Anselmo and the Illegals are planning a North American tour for this summer."

Phil Anselmo wearing an Antiseen shirt in the Rolling Stone article

I Tell Ya Folks, It's Harder Than It Looks...

Who Digs Antiseen, Phil Anselmo Of Course

The almighty Down rocked the Tremont Music Hall in Charlotte several months back and it was one of those shows that is forever burned in your mind. Every track, every note and every one of us was moving in that room to the swampy groove that only Down can provide. Was damn stoked to hear Phil giving Jeff Clayton of Antiseen shout out after shout out. Clayton is a stalwart in the punk rock community and for great reason. His dedication to the craft is without compromise. We are honored to work with all the bands on Rusty Knuckles Music and humbly thank Jeff, Joe, John and Phil for allowing us to work with them. Appreciate ya fellas!

Check out some of the releases from Antiseen with us 

Check out the full photo set and more from Digital Diversion

Phil Anselmo of Down is a huge Antiseen fan

Down recently played the Regency Ball Room in San Francisco in our old neighborhood

Kurt and Pepper laying down those muddy grooves akin to a water moccasin slithering across the bayou

Down and Antiseen should be on tour!

What could be better than a packed house for a metal show, nothing!

Pepper Keenan shreds and shreds and shreds

Phil Anselmo Digs Antiseen And So Should Their Entire Fanbase

Proof is in the puddin' and when we find photos such as this, we know that great things are coming up in the future. Would dig seeing Housecore Records and Rusty Knuckles Music team up for a project. Maybe a split 7" series that could start things off right.

Check into all things Down

Get in touch with Antiseen

The fellas in Down enjoying a meal in the UK and Phil is rockin' his favorite Antiseen shirt

Down, Live At Tremont Music Hall, Charlotte NC - October 2nd 2012

Down, Warbeast and Mount Carmel at Tremont Music Hall - Charlotte, NC on October 2, 2012

Few bands are capable of the live act and crowd response that Down deliver. Phil Anselmo will always be considered one of the greatest front men in all of metal and without fail, proves once again what a great show they put on. The packed house at Tremont Music Hall, gave our all and the chorus to every single song was sung loud and proud. Thank ya fellas, we Lifers are ready for the next show as soon as yall can make it back. Also stoked to see how many shout outs Jeff Clayton and Antiseen got from Phil. Good to know that we are in the presence of some amazing talent.

All images courtesy of the Tremont Music Hall Tumblr page

Phil Anselmo of Down, getting a huge response from the packed house

Pepper Keena and Kirk Windstein laying down the riffage

Pepper Keenan of Down rippin' into another lead

Phil Anselmo laying into another great track with Down

Kirk Windstein is a monster shredder and Down proves once again how great of a live act they are

Down, 'The Purple EP': Exclusive First Listen, Repost From Billboard.com

Down need no introduction. Hell, they rarely even need opening acts, when they decide to take the show on the road. With "The Purple EP" about ready to be unleashed upon the masses, Down is taking their creative output in a new direction. Instead of focusing on definitive albums, they plan on releasing blocks of music, an EP at a time. We cannot thank them enough as we only have three albums worth of material for a band that has been playing sporadically for over 17 years. Cannot wait for the new material!

Check out all things Down

Link to original article on Billboard.com

Down - the all star metal band featuring members of Pantera, Corrosion of Conformity, Crowbar and EyeHateGod

The only downside of Down, the members of the all-star metal band led by Phil Anselmo, have long complained, is arranging time for the group amidst their other commitments. But they think they've found a way to solve that. "Down IV Part I - The Purple EP," a sludgey, six-song set that drops on Sept. 18, is the first of four planned EPs the quintet hopes to release in relatively short order -- at least shorter than the five years since "Down III: Over the Under" came out. (Listen to an exclusive stream of the EP below.)

Listen: "Down IV Part I - The Purple EP"

"It's about getting people more music quicker," frontman Phil Anselmo ( Pantera, Superjoint Ritual, Arson Anthem, etc.) tells Billboard. "It's obviously easier to knock out six songs rather than 12 songs. Me personally, I hate doing full-length records 'cause it drains the f*** out of you. And (an EP) leaves ways less chance for songs that you'd consider filler songs to get through. I think it's the healthiest way for Down to continue to get music out on a reasonable schedule."

Guitarist Pepper Keenan (ex- Corrosion of Conformity) says he DOES still like to make what he calls "the giant records" (i.e. albums), but he likes both the efficiency of the EPs as well as the opportunity to change styles form one to the other. "It allows us to shift gears between EPs," Keenan explains. "With Down we have a couple of styles of songs, and it's sometimes heard to fit a particular song with an album, so we have to put it aside for who knows how long. Now we can we can create EPs that can shift progression and diameters as they progress. That's our idea -- in theory, at least."

Actually, Keenan says Down has "mapped out" where it hopes to take the other three. "We're not just shooting blindly," he says. While "The Purple EP" -- which marks the debut of Crowbar bassist Pat Bruders in place of Pantera alumnus Rex Brown -- is raw and immediate in a manner Anselmo and Keenan compare to Down's 1995 debut "NOLA" ("hamfisted is a term they both use) Keenan predicts "Down IV Part 2" will be more fleshed out like "Down III." The third, he says, will likely be "trippy, acousticy, mellow, cleaner, not bombastic, the kind of songs we've been talking about for years but can never place anywhere." And the fourth? "I'm assuming that one is just gonna be doom as f*** -- giant, bombastic, slow, bury-me-in-smoke type of things. Apocalyptic. We'll have fun with it."

Anselmo, however, prefers not to promise when the other EPs will surface. "We are the worst; we are liars of the first degree when it comes to telling the public or anybody else some set date or time for the next release!" he says with a laugh. "It always seems like five friggin' years go by, no matter what we say. But, once again, the reason we're doing the EPs is to get the product out quicker to our audience. That just means concentrating on a handful of songs instead of an entire record, and it works."

And, Anselmo adds, the other EPs might not continue the color scheme in their titles. "People are calling it 'The Purple EP,' but I had nothing to do with that," he says. "Left that totally up to..,the press, to the fans. I left it up to everybody else. Call it what the f*** you want, and we'll move on from there. I honestly don't care. I don't know what the next one's going to be called, if anything. The music speaks for itself."

Down kicks off an 11-date North American tour on Sept. 18 in Fort Worth, Texas. Anselmo says the group plans to play European festivals during the summer of 2013 and may book other tours during the interim.

Flat Tires And Talisker, With A Marachisno Cherry

Any civilized individual should have cultivated some taste buds at a certain point. We don't want to hear about your horse shit hipsterism's either, concerning PBR, as cheap beer just ain't applicable to this conversation for our concerns. What we are alluding to is having a smooth drink that could go well with the music you might be listening to. The world problem of correct drink choice has been answered and Drinkify.org was born. Slide on over there and pop in a band and see what drink of choice might be best. Some choices will be dead on, but we did have to question the rationale behind the suggestion of a Bud Light served cold with an umbrella, while listening to Merle Haggard. Bud light no problem, but an umbrella in the beer bottle, now that is just plain wrong.


Drinkify.org

Drinkify gave us a new angle on enjoyin' some Talisker with our Juke Joint Rock N' Rollers in the Flat Tires

Drinkify suggests we drink to Merle Haggard with a Bud Light and umbrella, WTF?

Down was dead on the money with some smooth sippin' Southern Comfort suggest by Drinkify

All Hail The Mighty Pantera

Lets get the facts straight and clear, we are diehard lifers for Pantera and have been since Cowboys From Hell. When it comes to all the side project bands and now full time bands such as Down, we dig them almost even more. Down is such the seething beast with venomous licks and more ambient vibe than any NOLA late night hot spot. After hearing word about a missing track from the genre smashing album, Vulgar Display of Power, we are picking up the new deluxe edition of this classic.

RIP Dime!

Corrosion Of Conformity Releases New Self Titled Album Through Candlelight Records

Not sure if yall have been sleeping under a rock or maybe just worn out by being obliterated with the amount of albums being released, but damn if we aren't stoked for the new Corrosion of Conformity self titled release. As a fan of the band since the early 90's I missed out on their early hardcore albums, but have gone back and listened to their entire catalog numerous times over. Seeing them as a three piece, is a different beast, but does not feel as if they lose any steam. If anything, it has made them more feral and ready to claw their way back to the top with or without Pepper Keenan back in the band. 

Below is a great interview with Reed Mullin about the band, their history and where they are heading.The new album is coming out on the amazingly great label Candlelight Records and looking forward to picking up one of their cd bundles.

New self titled Corrosion of Conformity album being released by Candlelight Records

Link to article on Metalholic Magazine

Corrosion of Conformity‘s eighth studio album is self-titled, which is perhaps a metaphor for the band coming full circle three decades after its formation. Founders Reed Mullin (drums), Mike Dean (bass, vocals) and Woody Weatherman have been on a lifetime journey of friendship and music. Over the years each member has stepped away for a bit, but all have come home. The band’s newest release, which hits digital outlets and stores today on Candlelight Records, marks both a return to the band’s early days as a trio, and another example how much each has grown together and apart. The whole of C.O.C. is much stronger than the sum of its parts. There exists a dynamic, a synergy between these three men which allows them to bridge into any musical sub-genre and still retain the essence of their signature sound.

While many Corrosion of Conformity fans are sad that the band’s fourth member, Pepper Keenan is too busy with Down at the moment to partake in this joyous reunion, one listen to the new record should salve that wound. In fact, it feels more appropriate that the band made this album as a trio just as it began. For had Pepper been available, this three decade sonic celebration might simply have become a moment of nostalgia rather than a stepping stone for another decade of C.O.C.

The night before the album’s release I spent some time talking to Mullin about the band’s history, the new album, his hope for a special show with both Pepper and former vocalist Karl Agell, his list of best drummers, and the five albums that changed his life. We also spoke of conspiracy theories and men dancing naked with owls, how the band came to record this album at Dave Grohl’s new Studio 606, and what’s going on with his Righteous Fool project. Tune in for 30 minutes of C.O.C. and Roll with Reed Mullin.

Raleigh, North Carolina's favorite sons, Corrosion of Conformity

Get More: Corrosion of Conformity, The Moneychangers, Music, More Music Videos

Hank Williams 3 - Reviews On NPR

For fans of public radio, go over to NPR and listen to a solid review of Hank 3's lastest batch of albums. They are on point and shed more light on the variety of sounds between the four albums released. We have always dug his sound due to his refusal to be pigeon holed just to play one type of music. Whether it be the hellbilly punk infused metal that was brought out through Assjack, the Discharge worshipping sounds of Superjoint Ritual or his real country tunes in which he wails like his grandfather Hank Williams. Hank 3 continues to live through music on his own terms.

Review of the four new albums on NPR

Hank Williams III, also known as Hank 3, is the son of Hank Williams Jr., as well as the grandson of Hank Williams, considered to be one of the greatest country music performers of all time. Hank 3 got his start in music playing punk and metal, then went on to form bands with members of Pantera and The Jesus Lizard. Hank 3 made country albums, too, but had little use for mainstream Nashville's restrictive culture.

He's always cast off the expectations connected with his iconic bloodline, challenging the music industry, the press and even his fans. In concert, Williams will often go from a set of straight-up country to "hell-billy" to punk rock and metal, with only the most broad-minded audience members sticking it out for the whole show. And he's just released three albums — spread out over four CDs — on which he pushes boundaries farther than he ever has before.

"Trooper's Holler," from Ghost to a Ghost, is a perfect example of Williams' originality, as his dog Trooper's vocals are featured here. Ghost to a Ghost is, for the most part, unambiguously country, with some requisite dirty words and a small shot of klezmer. The second CD, Gutter Town, plays more like the soundtrack to a horror film: a demented Cajun campfire on the outskirts of a creepy, deserted village.

Hank 3 has used ambient sounds and bleeps and blips on recordings in the past. But it's the third CD, Cattle Callin', on which he truly innovates. In his never-ending, genre-bending quest, Williams creates what he calls "cattle-core," setting the rapid-fire calls of cattle auctioneers to super-speed-metal double kick drum, guitar shreddery and diabolical vocal squall.

As if that isn't enough, there's a fourth disc, titled Hank 3's Attention Deficit Domination. This is Williams' foray into doom rock. It's a bottom-heavy slow dirge that shows off what got Williams into music in the first place: his considerable bass and drum playing.

With his instrumental skill, his vocal ability and his pedigree, Hank 3 could have easily coasted into a mainstream country-music career, but no. Legend has it that Minnie Pearl, who was close to the Williams family, told Hank 3, "Lord, honey, you're a ghost," because he so closely resembles his grandfather. But as much as country music runs through Hank 3's veins, so does rebellion. Remember that his grandpa was thrown out of the Grand Ole Opry. Most of the music on Williams' four CDs bears little resemblance to Hank Sr., but his reckless spirit is in there.

Periodic Table of Metal

Can vikings, thrashers and nerds all coexist? We highly doubt this could happen outside of an online community due to the nerds not being hold up a sword that isn't plastic and yelling "lightning bolt" during their live action role playing, but who knows. When it comes to science and fact, heavy metal should never be denied its heir to the throne in the universe. Today we can celebrate this with a poster print showcasing many bands that make up the periodic table of metal. We know the fellas in Amon Amarth would be proud and are toasting their goblets to Odin and Alchemy as we speak. Long live riffage, howling vocals and the glorious metal to charge into battle with! 

Buy this poster!

Down - When The Levee Breaks

If you are a Zeppelin fan and also a fan of NOLA metal then this is the best cover you will hear all year and maybe into the next. Hopefully Down will release it with their new album maybe out at some point next year. Trying my best to get back down to NOLA for Down, The Sword and Metallica in november, will be one hell of a show. Just saw Crowbar and EyeHateGod at One Eyed Jacks in the Quarter and that show was badass. Then had to rush out of town for a hurricane, sucked ass being stuck in never ending traffic and hungover.

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