DOWN to Drop First Album in 12 Years Through Nuclear Blast Records

DOWN has finished most of the work on their first full record since 2007. The album hits stores in 2026 via Nuclear Blast Records.

"We're totally in the — I would say past the middle point of even recording it," said guitarist Kirk Windstein, according to The Heavy Metal Sitdown. "The drums are all done. Pepper and I did the rhythm tracks. The bass is done."

Nuclear Blast Records signed the group this April. They'll put out new versions of old records while finishing the latest one.

Phil Anselmo still needs to add his voice to the tracks. The musicians want to finish the guitar and bass work between early November and Thanksgiving. Then comes the mixing stage.

The sound stays true to what fans know. "It sounds like old-school DOWN," Windstein said during the same show. "The 'NOLA' record is so simple, and it just wrote itself. And that's how this is coming about."

Their last release came out in 2014, an EP called "Down IV — Part Two." It sold 10,000 copies right away and made it to spot 23 on Billboard's top 200 chart.

Shows remain few and far between. Pepper Keenan tours with Judas Priest now. Other players stay busy with their own music. This year saw just a few shows in New Mexico and Louisiana. Wildfires pushed a June concert to September when flames got too close to the stage.

Spring 2022 brought their last real tour, with stops in three states plus three big shows in Europe.

The folks at Nuclear Blast couldn't wait to share the news. "There are so many longtime DOWN fans at Nuclear Blast who are excited to be working with one of their all-time favorite bands," they said. Get more info on DOWN's official website.