SOUND BITES

A little before the release of the previous Down EP, I talked a bit about rationed albums , and discussed the potential reasoning behind it. What it almost always boils down to is money, and what it amounted to for fans of the bands I talked about in that article was paying up to triple value for a band's artistic vision because they chose to release it in staggered intervals rather than combining into one package. I mentioned Down in that article because they were employing an ambitious release strategy for their fourth album. Planned as a four part project, I couldn't help but wonder about the motivation; with so many bands (and their respective labels) looking to squeeze every last drop of milk from the udder before the industry goes tits up, shady practices were becoming increasingly common by the time part one of Down IV was released. Given time to absorb it all, the prospect doesn't frighten me as much anymore; it hasn't become commonplace (although Pixies ga...

DOWN Misfortune Teller From: Down IV Part I – The Purple EP Released: September 18 If it still doesn't feel like Down is a top priority for its members, that's because it isn't; Philip Anselmo alone has his own label and some six hundred projects in the works as we speak (okay, it's not really six hundred, but the dude is incredibly busy). In fact, it's a miracle that only five years has passed since their third album, the crushingly awesome Over The Under . What's more amazing is the fact that, rather than throw us one little bone and vanish for years on end again, there's a commitment to releasing four EP's over the coming months/years. And, most impressive of all is that, even with all of the other commitments this band has, they recorded something as cohesive and effortlessly badass as Misfortune Teller .

Listen to Witchtripper , Down's first studio release in five years here, courtesy your pals at Rolling Stone. We've been hearing endless rumours and speculation about Down's next project, dating back a couple of years now. Well, never ones to blindly rush in, the band has taken their time and let this project come along slowly, like a nice tender roast. Well, it's supper time. The long promised series of EPs (in lieu of a new album) is close to being rolled out, with the first (originally reported under the name EP One , now being promoted as the decidedly more wordy Down IV Part I - The Purple EP ) coming on September 18. For those who haven't been following along, the plan is to release four EPs over the span of the next couple of years or so (I call it The Green Mile Approach in honour of Stephen King, who rolled out his bestseller in six installments back in '96), each one boasting a different flavour, presumably all coming together in the end like a ...