American stoner metal legends DOWN return in 2012 with Down IV Part I – The Purple EP and they light it up for sure on all six tracks, man. Enough said. You want heavy? It’s there. Doom? You got it. Some fat and sticky as a green bud grooves? Hell yeah. You’re gonna feel the love from these cats. This little shit kicker was self-produced by the band and recorded at Nosfertu’s Lair, located at singer Philip H. Anselmo’s New Orleans, Louisiana residence. Down IV Part I – The Purple EP is chock full of some powerfully crafted riffs that will hit you square in the chest. The listener will be amazed to find that vocalist Philip H. Anselmo is in the best shape ‘vocally’ since PANTERA’s Reinventing The Steel album. His voice sounds as raw and soulful as ever. You feel the passion on every tune, dammit… and that says a lot when most of the popular music we hear nowadays is totally void of any real feelings. I mean, come on… Lady Gaga sounds like a bad 80’s video game on acid.
It is the first DOWN collection of songs not to feature bassist Rex Brown as Pat Bruders steps in. Guitarists Pepper Keenan and Kirk Windstein sound as BLACK SABBATH influenced as ever on the most memorable cuts “Open Coffins” and “This Work is Timeless”. It’s like the great mystery in rock how both of these guys mesh with one another so well for what is truly the grittiest guitar sound going in all of heavy music today. These two play with their hearts on their stings, if you can dig me.
If you get anywhere near stoned as I did while listening to this album you will find yourself simply closing your eyes and just letting it take you places. I was always able to do that in my bedroom as a teenager with great names like THE DOORS, JIMI HENDRIX, and PINK FLOYD. DOWN never disappoints and this work truly is ‘timeless’. I think all in all that the idea to switch to EP format instead of taking more time to put out a full length was a smart decision because if that’s going to get us more new DOWN music more frequently and for a cheaper cost, how can that be a bad thing?
ROCKET REVIEW:
[starreview tpl=16]
DOWN – The Purple EP (CD)
(ILG/ Warner Music Group 2012)
1. Levitation
2. Witchtripper
3. Open Coffins
4. The Curse Is a Lie
5. This Work Is Timeless
6. Misfortune Teller
http://www.down-nola.com/
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