# Down return with Volume V, their first album in five years **New Music** — On Your Markus **Published:** 21 August 2026 **Author:** Markus Hamence **Source:** https://onyourmarkus.au/new-music-releases/down/ American heavy metal band DOWN releases Volume V on November 20 via Nuclear Blast Records, their first album in five years. The record reunites Philip H. Anselmo, Pepper Keenan, Kirk Windstein, Jimmy Bower, and Pat Bruders, recorded across writing sessions at Anselmo's New Orleans studio and featuring a guest appearance from King Diamond on the track 'Merciful Fate'. --- American heavy metal icons **DOWN** will unleash their long-awaited new studio album, Volume V, on November 20th via Nuclear Blast Records! **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 armour. 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 Spring, **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, pummelling 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 Oat**h,' 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.*” **PRE-ORDER / PRE-SAVE *****VOLUME V*****:** **[https://down.bfan.link/volume-v](https://down.bfan.link/volume-v)** **STREAM 'BLOOD OATH':** **[https://down.bfan.link/blood-oath](https://down.bfan.link/blood-oath)** [Watch on YouTube](https://youtu.be/551y9o4NEiE?si=VObi4Zb4scj_mIbZ) ![Down album cover featuring silhouetted figures above an analogue volume meter with "VOLUME V" dial.](https://media.onyourmarkus.au/admin/2026/08/2d9c333b-db24-4adf-8d46-3104fc1efce4.jpg) **DOWN - VOLUME V || TRACKLIST** 01. The Myth 02. Merciful Fate 03. Turn Out The Light 04. The Message 05. Causeway Grief 06. **[Blood Oath](https://youtu.be/551y9o4NEiE)** 07. They Walk The Night 08. They Came From Dust 09. Ozz 10. Twice-Told Tales **DOWN**’s ***Volume V*** was produced by Eddie Mapp and **DOWN**, mixed by Dave Fortman, and mastered by Maor Appelbaum at **[Maor Appelbaum Mastering](https://us.list-manage.com/Wl7c4MGdpgX?e=8eb7da516a&c2id=b83ff968615ee1ab477761331e6087de)** in California. The record will be released on CD and digital formats as well as 2xLP in the following colour variants: Orange [World] Yellow + Red Galaxy [Nuclear Blast US Exclusive] Orange + Red Galaxy [Nuclear Blast EU Exclusive] Black [Band Exclusive #1] Clear, Black + Red Smoke [Band Exclusive #2] Orange + Black Galaxy [Decibel Exclusive] Smoke [Revolver Exclusive] ![Down's album merchandise display featuring vinyl records, CD case, and t-shirt for Volume V release 20 November 2026.](https://media.onyourmarkus.au/admin/2026/08/ae65b379-4234-4b0f-a8aa-332a2b671c52.jpg) **More on DOWN:** In 1991, **DOWN**’s first impromptu jam session yielded a now-legendary demo that made its way around the world. From there, the three-song tape effectively laid the foundation for 1995’s Platinum-certified ***NOLA***. Metal Hammer cited the latter as, “a rock classic, period,” and Stereogum professed, “Our modern understanding of what metal in the Deep South sounds like and means starts with ***NOLA***, and we should pay our respects.” The band delivered fan favourites such as ***Down II: A Bustle In Your Hedgerow*** [2002], ***Down III: Over The Under*** [2007], ***Down IV – Part One*** [2012], and ***Down IV – Part Two*** [2014]. Each tour proved to be special in its own right. Beyond packing houses on global headline jaunts, the group shared the stage with the likes of Metallica, Heaven & Hell, Danzig, and Melvins in addition to igniting festivals such as Aftershock, Louder Than Life, Hellfest, and Sick New World. It's no wonder Revolver christened the collective one of the “12 Greatest Supergroups in Hard Rock and Heavy Metal History.” **DOWN**: Philip H. Anselmo – vocals Pepper Keenan – guitars Jimmy Bower – drums Kirk Windstein – guitars Pat Bruders – bass **DOWN links** **[website](https://us.list-manage.com/nF4qOGJWs9b?e=8eb7da516a&c2id=b83ff968615ee1ab477761331e6087de)**** ** | **[facebook](https://us.list-manage.com/fCT8fY5ckbv?e=8eb7da516a&c2id=b83ff968615ee1ab477761331e6087de)** | **[instagram](https://us.list-manage.com/GdvbCTrG0B5?e=8eb7da516a&c2id=b83ff968615ee1ab477761331e6087de)**