September marks the 30th anniversary of one of the greatest metal records of the 90s (and in this writer’s opinion, one of the best metal albums of all-time period): Down’s 1995 debut album NOLA. A stone-cold classic particularly in sludge/stoner-metal circles, NOLA captured a certain ferociously gritty and smoldering intensity that emphatically added up to more than the sum of its parts. Which is really saying something, considering those parts included an all-star lineup of NOLA sludge legends like Pepper Keenan (Corrosion of Conformity), Jimmy Bower (Eyehategod), Kirk Windstein & Todd Strange (Crowbar), and New Orleans native Phil Anselmo of Pantera fame on the mic.
Collectively, everyone really dug deep and pushed themselves to the limit on NOLA, effectively turning in the performances of their respective careers. The result was an absolute barnburner of an album chock full of jaw-droppingly filthy and groovy riffs, blazing solos, powerfully infectious (not to mention subtly funky) drumming, and an exhilarating amount of pure, unbridled Southern Comfort-soaked/resin-stained fury that’s heavier than the most oppressive New Orleans summer heat. Suffice to say, the record warrants a revisit or discovery if you’re not already privy to its greatness, but this blisteringly intense performance of the band in their prime deep in the heart of Texas from 1995 is Down-right devastating and should do more than enough to whet your appetite. Bare witness/crank it!
