Since the 2002 release of Down II - A Bustle In Your Hedgegrow, a lot has happened to the supergroup of metal heavyweights known as Down. Frontman Phil Anselmo battled and overcame hard drug use, he and bassist Rex Brown experienced the death of ex-Pantera band mate Dimebag Darrel and collectively the whole band suffered and were displaced through the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina.
Overcoming these tragedies, guitarist Pepper Keenan (Corrosion of Conformity), vocalist Phil Anselmo, bassist Rex Brown, guitarist Kirk Windstein (Crowbar) and drummer Jimmy Bower (Eyehategod) reunited and embarked on a sold-out 21 date tour of Europe in the summer of last year. Shortly after the band demoed 18 new songs in New Orleans and then recorded 15 tracks in Los Angeles in early 2007. Twelve of them made the cut.
On Down III: Over The Under, their third album in twelve years, the band finds themselves creating their usual heavy riff-based Southern metal of old but with more depth both musically and vocally than seen previous. Although this release may not have have any clear cut hits unlike Nola's Lifer and Down II's There's Something On My Side, it has a far deeper lyrical meanings within profound musical structures.
Opener Three Suns and One Star starts with an optimistic blast not too far off the general sound of Nola. In The Thrall Of It All and Nothing In Return (Walk Away) each find Anselmo singing with the complete conviction that he has been truly touched by the events of the past 5 years with the chorus of - You want nothing in return - echoing the best Anselmo has vocally ever been. With the use of the Dropped-B tuning, N.O.D. offers the classic Down sound however with a major contrast in lyrics - Lost on a trip, no acid can supply, cause LSD aint what it used to be (for me) - contrasting what previously fuelled the early 90's Down sound.
Keeping in theme of their previous two offerings, the album does include an instrumental; His Majesty The Desert. In comparison to Doob Interlude from Down II or Pray For The Locust on Nola, it sadly doesn't really stand as a worthy or valid track but its easily forgotten taking up only a mere two and a half minutes of the albums sixty five minute total.
What is quite prominent on this album is an input from Keenan and Windstein regarding they're own bands sounds with the slow grooves of Mourn and Pillamyd consisting of some C.O.C. styled licks and I Scream getting some Crowbar treatment. Never Try, is like a relaxing trip down on the bayou, with the bluesy southern rock sound complimented by a similar mentality in Anselmo's lyrics - You either do it or don't waste your life. On March the Saints, my favourite song of the album has an opening riff that really is, for me the best moment of the album but the real heart of the song lies in the Hurricane Katrina-related lyrics. Anselmo sings - We have been through change, by the season of the storms, its irony, the cleansing. The same themes are also tackled on Beneath The Tides with a personal experiences described in - Setting Sail, from crushed rooftops, fathoms deep, shallow as a raindrop.
Overall the band has a flawless style that revolves around a classic stoner rock sound with no boundaries, allowing a pure metal solo or hard rock bridge to be introduced without it feeling out of place, ultimately appealing to both Sabbath as well as a Slipknot fans with no shame in admitting it.
Ironically Down will never let you Down, they're a band to be proud off, the best supergroup out there and will offer you more than a free therapy session in every listen, so buy Under The Over and drown yourself in the monster that is Down.

Dont expect this album to be better that the first because its not a patch (still not got one) on the first one, but that said this is still a great album from a great band and a worthy successor (and better) to the second album. If you like metal then buy.

Great CD. As good as anything that's out there right now. But be warned.... PLAY DID NOT SEND ME MY FREE PATCH. Very annoying as I would have just bought it down the shops had I known. Still, this album is a must.

I you liked the first two Down cd's?, then you'll love this one.

What you'll find here is typical Down style writing, southern metal with a big helping of Sabbath mixed in. What's not to like?

Down continues to evolve in a good way. The first Down cd had tons of great tunes and lots of angst. The second release had another helping of great riff's, but perhaps not as maybe hits so to speak. However I thought the second release was a step forward as far as the band went. The tunes weren't as rough sounding and seemed to be laid out with a little more thought. Yes that power and aggression was tamed just a bit from the first release, yet the angst and attitude was still alive and well. This release is yet again a step forward, Phil sings more, screams less, Peppper and Company are tight as hell and the sound is more polished overall. I'd say this is Down's best effort to date. I'm not sure if they'll ever recapture the magic of that first release?, but the fact of the matter is, they continue to get better even though the hits (if you want to call them that?) aren't their.

Buy it!!

"Never Try, You either do it or don't waste your life". That's exactly what Down did, and preach in the unbelievably Sabbath-esque 6th track. They didn't try to make a phenomenal album, they were never going to produce anything less!

Right from the get go, Down III delivers what we've come to expect, love and marvel at from the Southern supergroup. The opening riff of "Three Suns and One Star" highlights the riff masters that Corrosion of Conformity's Pepper Keenan and Crowbar's Kirk Weinstein are, and they don't let you forget throughout the whole album.

There's not much one can say about Phil Anselmo that's not been said already. He is a heavy metal vocal king, which is evident all over "Over The Under". Highlights of vocal brilliance include the aforementioned "Never Try", "N.O.D." and "On March The Saints".

Your life is incomplete without Down III, and if you don't own any Down, your life hasn't begun!

This is the third outing for this supergroup and it is a truly stunning album that is destined to be a classic. You can hear the Sabbath influence all over this bad boy. It ranges from some chilled out grooves to some more hard hitting tracks. This is definitely a contender for album of the year

im only really leaving this review here because i wanted to say thanks to play for sending me the free patch all you lot missed out on for whatever reason... hoorah!
cant really be bothered to talk about the cd in length because you've all covered it already....er....free patch!

Awesome just awesome. Well if you thought that Nola and II was amazing wait and till your ears here some of the tracks on this! Absolutely fantastic! Im usually dissapointed when bands get to their 3rd and 4th album..but DOWN have proved that mind blowing albums can be produced over and over again! Its been ages since the last album and Phil encompasses many events that have happened over those years..namely Dimebags death (RIP). Once again Anselmo with his lyrical genius has combined classic rock and metal with the members from previous bands such as corrosion of conformity and eyehategod and come out with an amazing finish. Tracks to definately listen to are 3 suns and 1 star NOD and march of the saints. I highly recommend this album if your going to buy just one album this year for hells sake make it this one!

Yes, you should go Down, but be warned! Once you go Down you never go back!

This new album is no exception to great album's which it follows, kicking off this spectacular musical achievement with 'Three Suns And One Star' really set's the tone for the full album.
'The Path' (my personal favourite) hits you next, with great riffs and amazing vocals, this continues much throughout, the rhythmic grooves of this album are incredible, they are especially perfect in 'In The Trail Of It All'.

Great album from a really good band who deserve all the adoration and respect that they receive to be honest.
Phil Anselmo and crew, I salute you!

Now this is more like it, only 5 years since the last Down album and they sound even better than last time, this is Class Rock with a capital C, Down really are a super group.

Their music is steeped in the blues and their Southern Flavoured Rock is a joy to listen to, despite all that has happened in the New Orleans area with the hurricane devastation and all the guys suffering collectively and personally they have managed to channel all this into a dozen of the best songs in the world. With Down the sum of the whole is more than the sum of the parts and you can tell from listening to the music these guys are a band and not just a side project, listen to "Nothing In Return" and tell me this is not one of the best songs ever written, it has that classic Fender Rhodes piano sound as used in "No Quarter" and "Riders On The Storm", and has a slow, haunting feel to it that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, yes, its that good and that's just one song. There is not a single note out of place on this CD and every song is a modern classic and deserves your attention.

I don't need to go on about this CD as its that good you have to buy it or your seriously missing out, buy the digi pack and you get an extra track as well, when I saw them live in June 2006 at Rock City Nottingham it was the high point of the year and they are touring again so if they come anywhere near you DON'T MISS OUT, go see them. ABSOLUTY ESSENENTIAL BUY.

TOTAL PLAYING TIME = 60 GLORIOUS mins + 12 TRACKS