It is the band’s first new record in nearly two decades
After almost two decades of anticipation, Down are back with their long-awaited new studio album, Volume V. The album is slated to arrive on November 20 via their new label Nuclear Blast Records. To celebrate, the band has unleashed the lead single “Blood Oath.”
Stream the official music video below.
Down was never just a band. It’s a brotherhood rooted in childhood friendships that have endured for decades. It’s an homage to the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. It’s music meant for anybody who has ever headbanged, played air guitar, or worn a weathered tour t-shirt like armor. For over three decades, the quintet – Philip H. Anselmo, Pepper Keenan, Kirk Windstein, Jimmy Bower, and Pat Bruders – have quietly built a legacy like no other. When these individuals congregate, magic ensues, conjured by earthquaking grooves, bellowing straight from the soul, and riffing loud enough to awaken an ancient deity.
This Fall, Down begins another chapter with Volume V.
“We were all excited about this,” smiles Anselmo. “There was a sense of lightness in the air. Everyone’s attitude was positive. There was more focus than ever. It just felt fresh again. Each one of us was individually striving for something, and I believe we achieved what we wanted to achieve. The record is a journey. It’s classic Down, but it’s also unique.”
“Everybody played their asses off, wrote great riffs, and Philip is singing amazing,” adds Windstein. “There’s so much electricity when we get together. To me, it’s the same vibe as our debut NOLA, but we’ve got another 35 years of experience as songwriters.”
“The five of us are from the same era, grew up together, and accomplished a lot on our own,” Keenan observes. “We all sounded different, but we’re still from the same 20-block radius. As far as what makes Down special, we knew one another before any of us had done anything. There’s history.”
Down’s bond runs deep. The guys initially crossed paths as teens in various local bands throughout New Orleans. Over the years, each musician went off and made a name for himself with Anselmo notably fronting Pantera, Keenan holding down guitar and vocals for Corrosion Of Conformity, Windstein leading Crowbar, and Bower slinging guitar in Eyehategod.
Two writing sessions yielded the bulk of material on Volume V. Upholding a tradition dating back to Down II, the members retreated to Anselmo’s home studio and their de facto clubhouse, Nodferatu’s Lair. Songs originated on the spot as they jammed face-to-face. Throughout 2025, the music naturally took shape. Keenan and Windstein chose to simultaneously record guitar together, giving the album a timeless punch.
The album opens with a blistering barnburner “The Myth.” It sets the tone with a powerhouse vocal, pummeling rhythms, and precise down-picking. Then, there’s “Merciful Fate” featuring King Diamond. It reaches an apex with a vocal duel between Anselmo and King Diamond and fret-burning solos executed at a breakneck pace of 120bpm. King’s wife Livia Zita even blesses the track with dark accents of her own. Closer “Twice-Told Tales” caps the trip off with a heavy and hypnotic denouement. “It’s a conglomerate of tight riffs and blues rock mixed with the diligence of classic metal,” Anselmo reveals. “It’s an important song to us. I could feel Ozzy Osbourne’s influence on me in the strangest way.”
Lead single, “Blood Oath,” is anchored by an alternately hard-hitting and hummable riff, culminating on a clarion call chorus. With a sly tip of the hat to their stomping grounds, it practically bleeds old gold, black, and white. “Anybody who’s from New Orleans is going to get a kick out of the references to the city,” grins Anselmo. “Musically, it’s got a big hook. It’s a Down song, but it takes a turn.”
“You’ll know it’s Down right off the fucking bat,” adds Keenan. “It’s heavy in its attack.”
Down just launched a a short headlining tour featuring very special guests Helmet and Spirit In the Room. The run will see the band make stops in Atlanta, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Toronto, Chicago, and more.
Check out the full tour itinerary below.
Down will also be appearing at Zakk Wylde’s Berzerkus. This year, Lamb of God are co-headlining along with Black Label Society. While it’s not a full touring festival, the Berzerkus will take place at two venues this summer – The Pavilion at Montage Mountain in Scranton, Pennsylvania on Friday, August 28, and Northwell at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, New York on Saturday, August 29.
In October, Down will perform at both Aftershock and Sick New World Texas. In December the band will headline day two (December 5) of this year’s edition of the Decibel Magazine Metal & Beer Fest Denver. The appearance marks the band’s first Denver appearance in over twelve years.
Back in February, Down released a special funk-metal cover of Dr. John’s iconic hit “Right Place, Wrong Time”
New Orleans native Dr. John was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. His music combined New Orleans blues, jazz, R&B, soul, and funk. The well-known “Right Place, Wrong Time” was the first single from Dr. John’s 1973 album, In the Right Place, and became the most popular song of his career. The song has been featured in various films and television shows, including Dazed And Confused and American Horror Story: Coven.
Down’s cover and accompanying video, shot last March by Mike Holderbeast, comes in celebration of the Mardi Gras season and serves as a homage to Dr. John and his appearances on The Midnight Special TV series, a late-night musical variety show that aired from 1972 to 1981.
“Dr. John’s ‘Right Place, Wrong Time’ is probably one of the first songs I ever learned or knew of as a kid,” says Down vocalist Philip H. Anselmo. “We grew up in the French Quarter and Dr. John’s music was everywhere. Recording this song was something that I always wanted to do and I’m happy that I did it with Down. The video was an absolute blast to make. Even my mom is in it! Because of her, I know Dr. John’s music very well.”
Last spring, Down served as special guests for Danzig on a brief tour, and headlined opening night of the Milwaukee Metal Fest.
With a collective resume encompassing Pantera, Corrosion Of Conformity, Crowbar, and EyeHateGod, the quintet puffed out its first haze of sonic smoke from the belly of gritty old New Orleans on the 1995 platinum-selling classic, NOLA. At that moment, they naturally summoned something akin to a ritual, continually partaking in it with critically revered offerings — Down II: A Bustle In Your Hedgerow in 2002, Down III: Over The Under in 2007, Down IV – Part One in 2012, and Down IV – Part Two in 2014. Their shows built a certain live lore with unforgettable runs alongside Metallica and Heaven & Hell, as well as coveted spots on iconic festivals like Download, Soundwave, Ozzfest, and so many others, forever delivering passionate, powerful, pure heavy music you can feel deep down in your soul.
Down – Volume V [Nuclear Blast, 2026]
1. The Myth
2. Merciful Fate
3. Turn Out The Light
4. The Message
5. Causeway Grief
6. Blood Oath
7. They Walk The Night
8. They Came From Dust
9. Ozz
10. Twice-Told Tales
Pre-order now HERE
August 15 – The Eastern – Atlanta, GA
August 16 – Piedmont Hall – Greensboro, NC
August 19 – House Of Blues – Cleveland, OH
August 20 – Stage AE – Pittsburgh, PA
August 22 – Royal Oak Music Theatre – Royal Oak, MI
August 23 – HISTORY – Toronto, ON
August 25 – MTELUS – Montreal, QC
August 26 – The Palladium – Worcester, MA
August 28 – The Pavilion @ Montage Mountain – Scranton, PA*
August 29 – Northwell @ Jones Beach Theater – Wantagh, NY*
August 30 – The Fillmore Silver Spring – Silver Spring, MD
September 1 – Bogart’s – Cincinnati, OH
September 2 – Ramova Theatre – Chicago, IL
September 4 – Mystic Lake Amphitheater – Shakopee, MN^
October 3 – Aftershock – Sacramento, CA#
October 24 – Sick New World Texas – Fort Worth, TX#
December 5 – Decibel Metal And Beer Fest – Denver, CO#
*Berzerkus Festival
^with Slayer
#Festival Appearance
Ticket are available HERE