For fans of Down, the heavy metal band known for its unique style, raw metal and energetic music, the wait is over with news that the outfit are finally touring to Oz in August. In an interview with Faster Louder, Kirk Windstein, guitarist of the band, spoke of his upcoming tour with metal legends Heaven and Hell: Black Sabbath, their band’s upcoming CD, as well as apologising to Australia for not making it sooner.
“Sorry it took us so long to get to Australia, but I think it will be worth the wait. I think everybody will be happy. I know how extremely excited we are. I hope that the fact that since it’s being so long since the band came out, it’ll add to the excitement for the fans and for us as well,” said Windstein.
He also stated that they’re very excited about touring with Black Sabbath. “It’s awesome, it’s like a dream come true. We’re fortunate enough to do a Canadian tour with them as well. You know back in March. It was a fantastic service. It’s really a dream come true: to go to Australia for the first time with Down and with Black Sabbath.”
Windstein admitted he is the only member of the band who hasn’t previously visited Australia with his previous projects which included metal band Crowbar, where he is both the main guitarist and vocalist. “I’m looking forward to getting there, checking out the country. To be able to play in front of Black Sabbath is going to be unbelievable and I’m hoping we’ll get a real warm welcome from the Australian fans. We’ve never been there so we’re all really pumped up and really excited about it.”
Along with his fellow band members: Phil Anselmo, Pepper Keenan, Rex Brown and Jimmy Bower, Windstein is positive Down will surpass audience expectations and delivery; “To start, we a real raw rock & roll band with lot of aggression, a lot of feel. We like to get up and jam also, to have a good time. I’ve been doing it for a long time, and I think it really shows. We’re just looking forward to playing to our fans and hopefully to make us some new fans from the Sabbath guard. But basically, we are the epitome of what a real rock and roll or a rock band should be.”
Down, whose previous works include NOLA and Down II: A Bustle in your Hedgerow, will be releasing their new CD this Spring. “”Right now, I don’t have anything official but we’re looking around until the very end of September for a release date,” Windstein said. “I mean, I have a date but I can’t say anything because it’s not set on stone. It is right around the very end of September as of now but of course that can change, hopefully not.”
The third album, which is tentatively titled Down III, is expected to show a more mature and intense band. “”It’s Down, but it’s an older more mature Down. We would have had an absolute crap load of songs and rest for this thing, but we chose what we though floats best together for this record. It is full of dynamics but I think it also leans itself a little more to the heavier side of what the band’s fans know. I think we kind of, in a lot of ways, went back to some of the styles, some of the influences that happened on the Nova record that came out back in ‘95,” Windstein said. “We never made too much of a conscious decision to sound a certain way or anything but we kind of just went back to the roots of what got us inspired to form down in the first place. I just think that it’s further down the line; we’re better musicians, we’re more focused. I think the record will really blow people away.”
Windstein said that he is very proud of his band and is glad that they stand out as unique. “”I don’t think we sound like any of the other metal bands out there today, really. I think there’s a hole in the music, you know, there’s a spot for Down, there’s a need for a band like Down right now in the heavy, in the metal, in the heavy rock community.”
“I’m not saying we’re the greatest thing on earth, although I’m very proud of it. But we are real and doing something different. Love it or hate you gotta admit that’s different and that’s important. We love it, our fans love it I thank them and hopefully we’ll pick a lot of more fans,” he said.
He also commented on the current metal trend by stating that he is “old school” although there’s interesting bands out there. “Maybe because I’m kinda old school, I haven’t really gotten too much into many new bands. Other than the movement with bands like Witchcraft, there’s a whole movement of stuff like that sounds pretty badass as far as being new bands. Stuff like Mastodon, I think it kicks ass. For the most part I’m an old school guy.”
Down will be playing the following shows:
Aug. 02 – Challenge Arena – Perth, AUS
Aug. 05 – Thebarton Theatre – Adelaide, AUS
Aug. 07 – WIN Entertainment Centre – Wollongong, AUS
Aug. 08 – Entertainment Centre – Newcastle, AUS
Aug. 10 – Rod Laver Arena – Melbourne, AUS
Aug. 11 – Entertainment Centre – Sydney, AUS
Aug. 14 – Entertainment Centre – Brisbane, AUS
Aug. 16 – Logan Campbell Centre – Auckland, NZ
