“It just felt fresh again,” Philip H. Anselmo says of the work behind Volume V. DOWN's new studio album will be released November 20, 2026, through Nuclear Blast Records, with preorders available. The ten-track record includes lead single “Blood Oath” and second single “The Myth.”
“There was a sense of lightness in the air. Everyone’s attitude was positive. There was more focus than ever,” Anselmo explains. “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.”
Most of the material emerged from two writing sessions at Nodferatu’s Lair, Anselmo's home studio. Continuing a practice dating back to DOWN II, the musicians developed songs while jamming face-to-face. The music took shape throughout 2025, and guitarists Pepper Keenan and Kirk Windstein recorded their parts simultaneously.
Windstein connects the sessions to the atmosphere of the band's debut: “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.”
Those connections reach back to the members' teenage years in New Orleans, Louisiana. “The five of us are from the same era, grew up together, and accomplished a lot on our own,” Keenan says. “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.”
The lineup comprises Anselmo on vocals, Keenan and Windstein on guitars, Jimmy Bower on drums and Pat Bruders on bass. Their other musical backgrounds include Anselmo fronting Pantera, Keenan playing guitar and singing in Corrosion Of Conformity, Windstein leading Crowbar and Bower playing guitar in Eyehategod.
Album opener “The Myth” combines down-picking, forceful rhythms and Anselmo's vocals. “Merciful Fate” features a vocal exchange between Anselmo and King Diamond, additional contributions from King Diamond's wife Livia Zita, and solos the announcement places at 120 bpm.
“Blood Oath” brings New Orleans references into a song built around a prominent riff and chorus. “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 adds: “It’s heavy in its attack.”
Closing track “Twice-Told Tales” draws together another set of influences. “It’s a conglomerate of tight riffs and blues rock mixed with the diligence of classic metal,” Anselmo says. “It’s an important song to us. I could feel Ozzy Osbourne’s influence on me in the strangest way.”
The announcement also collects responses to the singles. Consequence called “Blood Oath” “a nasty doom grinder,” discussing its New Orleans sludge metal sound and influences from Trouble and St. Vitus. Revolver highlighted Keenan and Windstein's guitar harmonies, the song's groove and its local references. Metal Injection described “The Myth” as “a croaky romp of a ditty” and characterized it as a tribute to metal greats.
Eddie Mapp and DOWN produced Volume V. Dave Fortman mixed the album, and Maor Appelbaum mastered it at Maor Appelbaum Mastering in California.
The album will be available on CD, digitally and as a double LP. The vinyl editions listed in the November 4 announcement are:
- Orange — World
- Yellow + Red Galaxy — Nuclear Blast US exclusive
- Orange + Red Galaxy — Nuclear Blast EU exclusive; sold out
- Black — Band exclusive #1; sold out
- Clear, Black + Red Smoke — Band exclusive #2; sold out
- Orange + Black Galaxy — Decibel exclusive; sold out
- Smoke — Revolver exclusive; sold out
- Transparent Neon Orange + Black Marble — Nuclear Blast exclusive
- 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
DOWN's recording history began with an impromptu jam in 1991 that produced a three-song demo, preceding the platinum-certified NOLA in 1995. Subsequent releases include DOWN II: A Bustle In Your Hedgerow (2002), DOWN III: Over The Under (2007), DOWN IV – Part One (2012) and DOWN IV – Part Two (2014).
The supplied background recalls appearances alongside Metallica, Heaven & Hell, Danzig and Melvins, and at Aftershock, Louder Than Life, Hellfest and Sick New World. It also cites Metal Hammer calling NOLA “a rock classic, period,” Stereogum discussing its place in Southern metal, and Revolver including DOWN among its “12 Greatest Supergroups in Hard Rock and Heavy Metal History.” No current tour dates accompany the album announcement.
