Down Confirm September 2026 Target for Long-Awaited New Album

In a fresh conversation with “Reckless” Rexx Ruger on the Pod Scum podcast, guitarist KIRK WINDSTEIN dropped the clearest update yet on when we might finally hear the new album from DOWN. According to the interview, the band’s next slab of heavy southern catharsis is most likely landing around September 2026. For fans who’ve been waiting over a decade since the "Down IV" era, this is the closest we’ve been to a real release window.

Windstein explained that while the band is deep into writing and recording, timing with their label NUCLEAR BLAST plays a pivotal role. With C.O.C. gearing up to drop their own new album on April 2nd, DOWN simply won’t release anything too close to that date — not out of pressure, but out of respect. “C.O.C. needs to come out and let everybody get blown away for a good bit,” Windstein said. “Then when the water settles a little bit, we give ’em a double whammy and throw out the Down.” It’s classic New Orleans attitude — patience seasoned with swagger.

There’s a reason the band can speak with that kind of confidence: the moment you hear DOWN, you know exactly who it is. The massive riffs, the swamp blues bite, the smoky ritualistic vibe — it’s all unmistakable. PHILIP H. ANSELMO, PEPPER KEENAN, JIMMY BOWER, PAT BRUDERS, and KIRK WINDSTEIN have developed a signature language rooted in tradition yet never frozen in time. Their music simply feels lived-in, weathered, real. And for collectors and die-hard fans, that authenticity is part of the addiction — the reason we still chase every vinyl, CD, or tape the moment it drops.

From the smoky birth of "Nola" in 1995 — backed by the collective histories of PANTERA, C.O.C., and EYEHATEGOD — to the revered runs of "Down II", "III", and the "Down IV" era, this band has carved out its own mythos. Their legendary live reputation, forged beside giants like METALLICA and HEAVEN & HELL and on stages at OZZFEST, DOWNLOAD, and SOUNDWAVE, only adds to the weight behind a new release. Whenever the next album lands, fans won’t just hear it — they’ll feel it in their bones.

Links:
DOWN Official Website
DOWN Facebook
DOWN Instagram
DOWN YouTube

More updates soon — keep spinning loud.





⛤ MORE FROM PULSE RECORDS

All CDs
All Vinyl LPs
All Tapes
Other Formats

Comments

More Posts

20 Metal & Rock Album Reviews & Collector Buying Guide 2025

LUCIFER’S FALL Announce Reunion, New Drummer & New Material in 2026

Vital Remains – Dechristianize (2024 2xLP Reissue) Review

AARON STAINTHORPE Returns to Perform MY DYING BRIDE Material at PROPHECY FEST 2026 With DEEKS & QUAIL

MÜTIILATION Announces New Album “Pandemonium of Egregores” for December 2025