"Down IV Part 1 - The Purple EP" (Down) (Review)

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"People are calling it 'The Purple EP,' but I had nothing to do with that," he says. "Left that totally up to..,the press, to the fans. I left it up to everybody else. Call it what the f*** you want, and we'll move on from there. I honestly don't care. I don't know what the next one's going to be called, if anything. The music speaks for itself." 

Yes, another installment to the epic saga that is DOWN is set to be released September 18!

ALBUM: "Down IV Part 1 - The Purple EP"
YEAR RELEASED: 2012
RECORD LABEL: DOWN Records
ALBUM TYPE: EP
* * * * * * * (7 out of 10 stars)


When I saw a friend on Facebook post that they had listened to the new Down EP, I immediately dropped everything I was doing and commenced to doing a bit of research. Luckily, I was able to find a (legitimate) free stream via Billboard.com! Seeing as I still play tracks from the first 3 Down albums regularly on my Spotify, I knew that I was going to enjoy this one!

Alas, I was not disappointed. There is a new dynamic to the same old Down. Down has become one of my favorite Phil Anselmo projects over the years. The guitars on this disc are grimey, dingy, and utterly filthy. The pace of each tracks moves just perfectly, starting with "Leviation." The opening track is your standard Down track. Phil Anselmo is great at putting together a group of musicians that knows how to start off an album. The track quickly defines the tone of the record, while keeping the main elements that you've come to expect out of them.

"Whichtripper" and "Open Coffins" are great tracks that flow as well. Not as memorable, but once they are on, you cannot help but headbang. You are moving through at a nice, calm and steady pace until the fourth track, titled "The Curse is a Lie." This is an excellently written track. It experiments with a few more crunchy twists and turns than the first two tracks. Both the tempo and the direction of the notation in the guitar riffs seem to want to break free of the album's steady pace. However, since it is a Down track, it doesn't become overbearing; especially since they bring "it" right back down to where they picked it up from at the start of the track. "The Curse is a Lie" is probably my favorite track of the disk.

"This Work is Timeless" is the next track we explore on the EP. This is your run-of-the-mill Down track. Raise tempo, yell a little bit, bang your head, bring it back down, pick it back up, bring it back down- all the while you find new ways to bang your head to the well-written riffs. Not a stand-out track, but more of a set-up to the closing track.

"Misfortune Teller" - bring it on home, boys! This is a 9 minute drudge to close out a very solid EP. It is a bit more intense than the first 5 tracks that preface it. Although the volume of the disc does not go up, it almost seems as if the spirit of the band was amplified much louder on this track. It is a solidly written song that takes a bit to get started, but stays strong at a steady chug until the end. It's a mildly-mannered grand finale, in the Down style that we've come to expect and love.

Click here to stream the EP before it's released at Billboard.com, while it lasts!