Review: Down - Down IV Part II
[Down Records; 2014]
Rating: 7.5/10
By Eric Perzanowski, Contributor
Key Tracks: “Conjure,” “We Knew Him Well”
In theory, a supergroup is a genius concept: musicians from already established and (usually) acclaimed groups collaborate and make what should be amazing music. However, more often than not, supergroups tend to disappoint or underwhelm. Fortunately, there are also bands like the New Orleans-based Down, a collective that at times seems to transcend the “supergroup” label.
Down has been going strong for over 20 years and features members from bands like Pantera, Corrosion of Conformity, Eyehategod and Goatwhore.
Down IV Part II is a six-track EP that, as the title suggests, is the second installment of Down IV, a series originally rumored to be comprised of four EPs (however, it’s unclear whether or not there will actually be four). While Part II is somewhat different stylistically from Part I, it’s roughly equivalent in terms of quality.
Stylistically, Part II differs from the last installment in the sense that this release seems to be more oriented to sludge metal, and the album as a whole has a slower tempo and is groovier than its predecessor.
The album starts with “Steeple,” which is the only song on the album that has a consistently fast tempo. Additionally, the main riff sounds somewhat similar to the riff from Black Sabbath's “Children of the Grave”. However, it seems as though the band’s intentions were to show its love for Sabbath, rather than rip them off.
“We Knew Him Well” is (so far) the only single on this EP. When heard live, this song is one of the highlights of Down’s set. On the album, the track doesn't quite live up to that thrilling experience. Nonetheless, this track is one of the best parts of the album.
“Conjure” was advertised as a song so heavy that “it would make Black Sabbath cry” in its fan-filmed video debut. While the song may not have lived up to those expectations (one has to keep in mind that the statement is quite a lofty request), it still ended up as what may be the best song on the album. It’s a nice eight and a half minute track that has a great “doomy” feel to it.
While this album is advertised as an EP, its length (36 minutes) and the quality of the material on this album are on par with what many bands would pass off as a full-length album. There’s no filler material on this EP, and while Down’s not a band that one has to worry about in regards to filler or bad material, this EP succeeds because it is short and straight to the point.
As with every other release by Down, there is a great chemistry among the band members that clearly shows in the music. The chemistry is one thing about the band that makes it seem as if Down has transcended the “supergroup” label.
It’s unclear at this point whether or not Down IV will have any future installments, but if the series ends after two, the material presented on Parts I and II would be worthy enough to be considered a complete “Down IV.”
