Down announce ‘Volume V’ and share single/video ‘Blood Oath’

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 armor. 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 Fall, 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, pummeling 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 Oath,’ 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.”

DOWN’s Volume V was produced by Eddie Mapp and DOWN, mixed by Dave Fortman, and mastered by Maor Appelbaum at Maor Appelbaum Mastering in California.

The record will be released on CD and digital formats as well as 2xLP in the following color 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 is amid their North American headlining tour with support provided by Helmet and Spirit In The Room. The Strap It Down tour commenced in Atlanta, Georgia on August 15th and will close in Shakopee, Minnesota on September 4th with a special performance as direct support to Slayer. The journey also includes slots on the 2026 installment of Zakk Wylde’s Berzerkus Festival featuring Lamb Of God, Black Label Society, and others on August 28th in Scranton, Pennsylvania and August 29th in Wantagh, New York.

Limited DOWN VIP ticketless packages are available now, featuring a soundcheck experience, meet & greet, photo opportunity, signed poster, and exclusive merch item. Visit down-nola.com/tour to secure yours.

In October, DOWN will perform at both Aftershock and Sick New World Texas. In December the band will headline day two (December 5th) of this year’s edition of the Decibel Magazine Metal & Beer Fest Denver. The appearance marks the band’s first Denver appearance in over twelve years!

Tickets for all shows are on sale now. See confirmed dates below.

DOWN w/ Helmet, Spirit In The Room [remaining dates]:
8/19/2026 House Of Blues – Cleveland, OH
8/20/2026 Stage AE – Pittsburgh, PA
8/22/2026 Royal Oak Music Theatre – Royal Oak, MI
8/23/2026 HISTORY – Toronto, ON
8/25/2026 MTELUS – Montreal, QC
8/26/2026 The Palladium – Worcester, MA
8/28/2026 The Pavilion @ Montage Mountain – Scranton, PA ** Berzerkus Fest w/ Lamb Of God, Black Label Society, more…
8/29/2026 Northwell @ Jones Beach Theater – Wantagh, NY ** Berzerkus Fest w/ Lamb Of God, Black Label Society, more…
8/30/2026 The Fillmore Silver Spring – Silver Spring, MD
9/01/2026 Bogart’s – Cincinnati, OH
9/02/2026 Ramova Theatre – Chicago, IL
9/04/2026 Mystic Lake Amphitheater – Shakopee, MN ** w/ Slayer, Suicidal Tendencies, Hatebreed

 ** No Helmet, Spirit In The Room

US Festival Dates:
10/03/2026 Aftershock – Sacramento, CA
10/24/2026 Sick New World Texas – Fort Worth, TX
12/05/2026 Decibel Metal And Beer Fest – Denver, CO

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 favorites 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