Down - "Down III: Over the Under"

Down - I Scream (Down/Independent Label Group, 2007)

Down - Down III: Over the Under

Let's get this out of the way for those who don’t know: the lineup for this band contains members of Pantera, Crowbar, Corrosion of Conformity, and Eyehategod. There. It's been said. To not put that fact out in the open would just scream ignorance, but Down is basically synonymous with that referrals back to the members' previous (and in some cases, still current) bands. It also has to be said that when you have members of Pantera (who declared themselves "power groove") and Crowbar (listen to any of their albums for a smorgasbord of sludgy, hook-filled riffage), you're going to have a champion of a band.

The group's first album, Nola, was released way back in 1995 and basically solidified the "southern" sound which declares that there's nothing held in higher regard than the Almighty Riff. Six years later, Down II: A Bustle in Your Hedgerow was released to a giant "meh" across the land. Not a bad album by any stretch of the imagination, but the follow-up clearly lacked the oomph of the first disc. Now, here we are six years later, and Down has finally released (seemingly out of nowhere) Down III: Over the Under.

The thing that Down succeeds so wildly at isn't crafting the most original songs in the universe, but writing songs that appeal to young and old metal fans alike. Again hailing the riff supreme, Down III is a perfect mix of the '70s and present day: stoner rock meets, well, stoner rock. They're one of these bands that bring different types of metalheads together, because whether you like black, death, grind, power or any other metal prefixes, all metalheads love a good riff. A riff that sticks to the bones; one that makes your head (or body) move.

There's nothing fancy on Down III, and that's what makes it such a winner of a record. Meat and potatoes guitar work and drumming matched with basic classic-rock song arrangements and Phil Anselmo's scream-croon that's both soulful and possessed. For the most part, the songs stick to the four- or five-minute mark, with only the interlude "His Majesty the Desert" clocking in at under three minutes. The rest of the album takes its time stretching out, venting its frustrations via the Almighty Riff(s).

Some might consider this album to run a little long with a total time of just under one hour. But with an almost nine-minute closer in "Nothing In Return (Walk Away)," this is just another step towards bands releasing albums that you want to listen to all the way through instead of just picking out the heaviest jams for the ride to work. Even though you know exactly what you're in for after a song or two, the 12 tracks on Over the Under are so well-crafted that you can't help but stick around to hear what slight variant is put on the formula to keep it interesting. Check the circle-pit inducing, mid-tempo change-ups in "On March the Saints" or the "self destruction brings misfortune" sing-along break on "In the Thrall of it All."

In closing, buy this album, enjoy it sober or stoned (all three Down records are textbooks in grass-friendly music), and prepare to see your doctor about a bad case of neck-ache brought on by uncontrollable head-bobbing.