It’s no surprise that Down, a supergroup featuring members of Pantera, Corrosion of Conformity, and Crowbar, made heavy music that was sludgier than sludge. Drawing on Southern metal and hard rock influences, the band delivered riffs, thick and heavy, and the slow, heavy groans of Phil Anselmo and Crowbar vocalist Karl Willetts. Two full-length albums, NOLA and Down II: A Bustle in Your Hedgerow, marked out a sonic territory all their own.

The riffs on Down’s Songs from the North are courtesy of guitarists (Pantera’s) Pepper Keenan and (King Helm) Kirk Windstein, who serve up crushing blends of Southern blues rock and straightforward doom. The guitar is employed here in massive, deliberate fashion, delivering plenty of powerful moments.

When Down take to the stage, what the audience gets is the complete opposite of what Phil Anselmo has become known for with Pantera/Enemies Of Reality-era Superjoint 6. The trio delivers a stripped-down yet powerful live set which is more intimate than your average large venue concert; more of an underground music club experience.

For the metal collector with a taste for history, we have added a selection of guitar picks and backstage passes from the Down tours of this metal purist’s band.