Initially intended as a part time jam session between longstanding friends, DOWN's debut opus, a collision of "NoLa" groove and huge riff distortion, inadvertantly gained the status of a timeless Metal masterpiece. DOWN was launched as a side project of PANTERA's vocalist Phil Anselmo and CORROSION OF CONFORMITY guitarist Pepper Keenan. Guitarist Kirk Windstein and bassist Todd Strange are members of CROWBAR. Drummer Jim Bower also plays with EYEHATEGOD and is a founder member of CROWBAR. Both Bower and Anselmo also play in BODY OF BLOOD and the duo also busy themselves with SUPERJOINT RITUAL alongside ex-CROWBAR guitarist Kevin Bond and STRESSBALL drummer Joseph Fazzio. Anselmo, billing himself as 'Anton Crowley' would also turn up as guitarist for the reformed NECROPHAGIA for the 1999 'Holocausto De La Morte' album.

2000 found Anselmo involved in the Black Metal 'star' side project EIBON. With a low key track inclusion on the 'Moonfog 2000' compilation album EIBON consisted of SATYRICON's Satyr Wongraven, DARKTHRONE's Fenriz, Maniac of MAYHEM and NECROPHAGIA's Killjoy. As if all this activity was not enough Anselmo also performs, albeit anonymously once more as "Anton Crowley", with Black Metal band VIKING CROWN.

Toward the close of 2001 Anselmo seemingly took his passion for side ventures into overdrive declaring a further two bands to his ever lengthening list of side projects. SOUTHERN ISOLATION, which featured Anselmo's then wife Stephanie Opal as lead vocalist, saw Anselmo acting as guitarist. The band was rounded out by CHRIST INVERSION keyboard player Ross Karpelman, Kevin Bond of CHRIST INVERSION, CROWBAR and SUPERJOINT RITUAL on bass guitar and Sid Montz on drums. A four track EP was issued in October 2001 on the Baphomet label. Also announced was another collaboration with Killjoy of NECROPHAGIA billed as ENOCH. This band also boasting the inclusion of Mirai from cult Japanese Black Metal band SIGH.

DOWN, now with Anselmo's PANTERA colleague Rex Brown on bass, would return in March of 2002 with a new album 'Down II: Bustle In Your Hedgerow'. The album debuted Billboard charts at no. 44 selling over 30'000 copies in it's first week of sale. DOWN would also be a late addition to the 2002 'Ozzfest' touring festival, putting in their own headline performances along the way. Canadian gigs would be pulled when Anselmo suffered a scratched cornea and was advised by doctors to rest. The band would soon be back in action and scheduling a run of headline North American shows to take them through November and be confirmed as one of the headline attractions at the mammoth 'Beast Fest' event in Japan during December of 2002.

Phil Anselmo virtually retired from public view in the wake of the onstage murder of his erstwhile PANTERA comrade Darrell 'Dimebag' Abbott on 8th December 2004. Finally breaking the silence, Anselmo guested as fill in guitarist for EYEHATEGOD's 15th August 2005 gig at New York's famous CBGB's club in New York City.

In June 2005 Windstein announced a musical union, given a working title of CROWBREED, with HATEBREED frontman Jamey Jasta. Speculation as to Anselmo's well being raged throughout the year, the singer eventually revealing he had been suffering from extreme back problems that required surgery and a lengthy recuperation. As 2006 was ushered in, DOWN's future once again became a point of conjecture when the Italian 'Metal Gods' festival announced the band as a performing artist.

Anselmo marked his return to public on a March 10th concert for VH1 Classic's 'Decades Rock Live!' tribute to HEART at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City. A reunited ALICE IN CHAINS, involving guitarist JERRY CANTRELL, bassist Mike Inez and drummer Sean Kinney would be joined by the vocalist and GUNS N' ROSES and VELVET REVOLVER bassist DUFF McKAGAN, on second guitar. DOWN performed their first ever European date on May 19th at the Grosse Freiheit in Hamburg, Germany.

A "Sunday Music Workshop Series" performance at Tiptina's in New Orleans, Louisiana held on November 12th saw Robert Mercurio from New Orleans band GALACTIC filling in for Rex Brown.

DOWN played its first show in over nine months at the El Corazon in Seattle, Washington on March 9th 2007. The band was back out on another high profile US tour in 2007, packaged with headliners HEAVEN AND HELL and MOTȪRHEAD in March. Unfortunately the group managed to perform at the opening Vancouver show before cancelling dates in Edmonton, Calgary and Regina due to Phil Anselmo contracting strep throat.

DOWN issued a Best Buy stores exclusive "deluxe edition" of 'Over The Under' on 14th October 2008. The package included a DVD with over half an hour of previously unreleased live performances and behind-the-scenes footage. The band landed the coveted support slot on the METALLICA North American tour starting 21st October in Glendale, Arizona.

Anselmo underwent further surgery in April 2009, this time to repair a semi-torn anterior cruciate ligament and a semi-torn meniscus, both in in his knee. European festival performances took the band through the summer. US dates that year would be performed without Rex Brown, the bassist bowing out to settle family matters. Danny Theriot of VICTORIAN BLITZ, an 80s act also featuring DOWN guitarist Kirk Windstein, duly filled in. Brown rejoined the tour in Austin, Texas on 24th August.

Garry Sharpe-Young