DOWN Debuts New Single “Blood Oath” Live in Cleveland
DOWN gave fans their first live taste of “Blood Oath” on Wednesday night, August 19, when the American heavy metal band performed the new single during its headlining show at the House Of Blues in Cleveland, Ohio. Fan-shot footage of the performance is available below.
“Blood Oath” was officially released on August 19 and will appear on DOWN’s long-awaited new studio album, “Volume V”. The album is scheduled for release on November 20 through Nuclear Blast Records.
A New Chapter for DOWN
For more than three decades, DOWN has been defined by a bond that goes well beyond music. The band grew out of childhood friendships in New Orleans, Louisiana, and those connections have remained at the heart of the group throughout its career.
The current lineup features Philip H. Anselmo, Pepper Keenan, Kirk Windstein, Jimmy Bower and Pat Bruders. Together, they have developed a sound built around massive grooves, soulful vocals and riffs with enough weight to shake a room.
Now, with “Volume V”, the quintet is entering another stage of its long-running story.
“We were all excited about this,” Anselmo says. “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.”
Windstein is equally enthusiastic about the new material.
“Everybody played their asses off, wrote great riffs, and Philip is singing amazing,” he says. “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.”
Keenan points to the group’s shared history as one of the key elements behind DOWN’s identity.
“The five of us are from the same era, grew up together, and accomplished a lot on our own,” he explains. “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.”
From New Orleans Roots to “Volume V”
The members of DOWN first encountered one another as teenagers while playing in different bands around New Orleans. Their individual careers later took them in different directions.
Anselmo became widely known as the frontman of PANTERA, Keenan established himself as a guitarist and vocalist with CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, Windstein led CROWBAR, and Bower played guitar in EYEHATEGOD.
Despite their separate careers, the connection between the musicians remained strong.
Much of “Volume V” came together during two writing sessions. Continuing a creative approach the band has followed since “Down II”, the musicians gathered at Anselmo’s home studio, Nodferatu’s Lair, which also serves as their informal clubhouse.
Rather than developing the songs remotely, the members created them in the room together, allowing the material to emerge naturally from their jams. The music took shape throughout 2025, while Keenan and Windstein recorded their guitar parts simultaneously, helping give the album the weight and immediacy associated with the band’s classic sound.
What to Expect From “Volume V”
The album begins with “The Myth”, a hard-charging opener built around powerful vocals, pounding rhythms and tightly executed down-picked guitar work.
“Merciful Fate” features an appearance by King Diamond and builds toward a vocal exchange between Anselmo and King Diamond, along with rapid-fire guitar solos played at 120bpm. King’s wife, Livia Zita, also contributes dark vocal accents to the song.
The closing track, “Twice-Told Tales”, brings the album to a heavy, hypnotic conclusion.
“It’s a conglomerate of tight riffs and blues rock mixed with the diligence of classic metal,” Anselmo says of the song. “It’s an important song to us. I could feel Ozzy Osbourne’s influence on me in the strangest way.”
The album’s lead single, “Blood Oath”, takes a different route. Its central riff moves between crushing heaviness and a more memorable, hummable quality before giving way to a prominent chorus. The song also draws directly from the band’s New Orleans roots, with references to the city woven into its character.
“Anybody who’s from New Orleans is going to get a kick out of the references to the city,” Anselmo says. “Musically, it’s got a big hook. It’s a DOWN song, but it takes a turn.”
Keenan describes the track more simply: “You’ll know it’s DOWN right off the fucking bat. It’s heavy in its attack.”
“Volume V” Track Listing
- The Myth
- Merciful Fate
- Turn Out The Light
- The Message
- Causeway Grief
- Blood Oath
- They Walk The Night
- They Came From Dust
- Ozz
- Twice-Told Tales
“Volume V” was produced by Eddie Mapp and DOWN, mixed by Dave Fortman, and mastered by Maor Appelbaum at Maor Appelbaum Mastering in California.
DOWN’s 2026 Tour Plans
DOWN is currently on its North American headlining tour, with HELMET and SPIRIT IN THE ROOM providing support.
The “Strap It Down” tour began in Atlanta, Georgia, on August 15 and is scheduled to conclude in Shakopee, Minnesota, on September 4. That final date will feature a special performance with DOWN appearing as direct support to SLAYER.
The tour also includes two appearances at the 2026 edition of Zakk Wylde’s Berzerkus Festival. DOWN will play in Scranton, Pennsylvania, on August 28 and Wantagh, New York, on August 29, alongside LAMB OF GOD, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY and other acts.
The band’s schedule continues into the fall. DOWN will appear at both Aftershock and Sick New World Texas in October.
In December, the band will headline day two of this year’s Decibel magazine Metal & Beer Fest Denver on December 5. The performance will mark DOWN’s first appearance in Denver in more than twelve years.
More Than Three Decades of DOWN
DOWN’s story began in 1991, when an impromptu jam session produced a demo that eventually circulated around the world. The three-song tape laid the groundwork for the band’s 1995 debut album, “NOLA”, which went platinum.
The record quickly became regarded as a landmark release. Metal Hammer called “NOLA” “a rock classic, period,” while Stereogum described it as the starting point for the modern understanding of what metal from the Deep South sounds like and represents.
The band followed its debut with a series of albums that continued to shape its legacy: “Down II: A Bustle In Your Hedgerow” in 2002, “Down III: Over The Under” in 2007, “Down IV – Part One” in 2012 and “Down IV – Part Two” in 2014.
Each era brought its own memorable tours and performances. DOWN went on global headlining runs, performed alongside METALLICA, HEAVEN & HELL, DANZIG and MELVINS, and appeared at major festivals including Aftershock, Louder Than Life, Hellfest and Sick New World.
Revolver ultimately named DOWN among the “12 Greatest Supergroups In Hard Rock And Heavy Metal History.”
With “Blood Oath” now making its live debut and “Volume V” set for November 20, DOWN is moving into its next chapter while maintaining the New Orleans-rooted chemistry that has defined the band since its earliest days.
DOWN
Philip H. Anselmo – vocals
Pepper Keenan – guitars
Jimmy Bower – drums
Kirk Windstein – guitars
Pat Bruders – bass