Down: Over The Under (Red/Black Marbled Vinyl)

Over the Under is the sound of Down carrying enormous weight. Originally released in 2007, the band’s third studio album arrived after a turbulent period for its members, and that tension runs through virtually every groove. Rather than simply trying to recreate the swagger of NOLA, Down produced something darker, more reflective and considerably more bruised.

The band’s pedigree is ridiculous: Phil Anselmo, Pepper Keenan, Kirk Windstein, Rex Brown and Jimmy Bowerbring together decades of experience from Pantera, Corrosion of Conformity, Crowbar and Eyehategod. But Over the Under never feels like a celebrity supergroup exercise. Down have always sounded like a genuine band, with their shared affection for Sabbath-heavy riffs, Southern rock, blues and filthy sludge binding everything together.

Anselmo delivers one of the more emotionally exposed performances of his career, while the guitars alternate between enormous doom-laden riffs and smoky Southern melodies. Brown and Bower provide the low-end muscle, but there’s a looseness to the performances that prevents the album from becoming overly mechanical. Even at its heaviest, Over the Under swings.

Nearly two decades later, the record has aged remarkably well. Its slower, more expansive approach separates it from Down’s earlier material, while the combination of grief, anger and defiance gives the album a personality entirely its own. It also stands as an important chapter in the band’s catalogue, reaching No. 26 on the US Billboard chart and No. 46 in the UK upon its original release.

For 2026, Nuclear Blast has newly remastered the album and spread its twelve tracks across a Red & Black Marbled double LP, housed in a gatefold sleeve. It’s a particularly fitting colour treatment for an album this dark and heavy. Note that the bonus track “Invest In Fear” is not included on the vinyl edition; Nuclear Blast confirms it is exclusive to the 2026 CD release.