When it comes to New Orleans sludge supergroup Down, pretty much everything the band does is big. That's why, despite the band announcing their next album would be released as a series of EPs, it's no surprise that Down IV, Pt. II is a massive, shambling best-of that feels like the band is trying to redefine "extended play." True to form, Down deliver a crushing wave of Southern sludge metal that scrapes the low end of the sonic spectrum for some gnarly, down and dirty riffs. The EP finds frontman Phil Anselmo in fine form, pushing his raspy voice to its limits on songs like "We Knew Him Well" and "Conjure," leaving nothing on the table as puts his anguished vocal chords through their paces. While releasing the album as a series of EPs means that the album is doled out 30 minutes at a time, Down IV, Pt. II feels more complete than some of the band's sprawling, hour-long full-length albums. There's a consistency to the EP that can get lost when a band is trying to work their way toward a longer running time, so although fans might not be getting a big a dose of new Down material as they might crave, they're certainly reaping the benefits of quality over quantity.
© Gregory Heaney /TiVo