Metal supergroup Down, whose most recent lineup featured Phil Anselmo formerly of Pantera, guitarist Pepper Keenan of Corrosion of Conformity, guitarist Bobby Landgraf of Honky, bassist Pat Bruders of Goatwhore, and drummer Jimmy Bower of Eyehategod, have announced their first show since 2016 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their album NOLA, which is scheduled to take place in 2020 at Belgium’s Graspop Metal Meeting Festival the weekend of June 18.
NOLA was a collaboration between Anselmo, Keenan, Bower, and Crowbar’s Kirk Windstein and Todd Stange. Strange left the project in 1999 and was replaced by Rex Brown until 2011, when Bruders took his place. Windstein left in 2013 and was replaced by Landgraf, however Loudwire notes that it is “currently unclear which of the guitarists will appear at the upcoming performance.”
Anselmo has been playing Pantera songs with his solo support band Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals, who are currently opening up for Slayer’s farewell tour. Their short seven song setlist included classics such as “Mouth for War,” “A New Level” and “Strength Beyond Strength.”
In a recent interview with Blabbermouth, Anselmo explained that the death of Vinnie Paul encouraged him to play Pantera songs once again:
“We were about a month out from touring when Vince Paul passed away and that was horrific and so unexpected. It was something that stopped me dead in my tracks. I was in my kitchen and I just dropped to the floor and just had to breathe for a little while. That’s when the big plea for us to do more Pantera songs became irresistible. The tribute had to be then. It had to be right.
Anselmo recently released a One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest– inspired music video entitled “Choosing Mental Illness” featuring Michael St. Michaels. The performer also announced that he will no longer be working on his former project Superjoint.
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