Down formed in 1991 with vocalist/songwriter Phil Anselmo of Pantera, guitarist Pepper Keenan of Corrosion of Conformity, second guitarist Kirk Windstein of Crowbar, bassist Todd Strange of Crowbar, and drummer Jimmy Bower of Eyehategod. All of the band members were long-time friends and were known from their respective bands, making them a supergroup. The band made a three track demo for underground trading. The band members would ask heavy metal fans if they have "heard of this band Down" and give them a copy of the tape without telling the person that they were in the band.Eventually, the tape was distributed throughout the United States and Down played a small concert in its hometown. A record executive from Elektra Records was attending the show to find out who the members of Down were. When he found out the members of the band, he signed Down to a recording contract.
Down released its debut album, NOLA, on September 19, 1995. Debuting at number 55 on the Billboard 200, the album has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.Allmusic reviewer David Reamer gave the album a nearly perfect 4.5 out of 5 stars, praising the songs "Temptations Wings", "Stone the Crow", and "Bury Me in Smoke". Reamer stated "This is a landmark album that combines the talents of dedicated rock musicians, and should be included in any collection of heavy metal music."NOLA was supported by a 13 date tour, before the band entered a hiatus to return to their respective bands.
In 1999, while Down was on hiatus, Strange left the band and was replaced by Pantera bassist Rex Brown. In 2002, Down came back from hiatus to make another record. The band wrote and recorded Down II: A Bustle in Your Hedgerow in 28 "drug and booze induced" days in a barn called "Nödferatu's lair".The album was released on March 26, 2002 and was not received with the positive reviews that appeared when NOLA was released. Blabbermouth.net reviewer Borivoj Krgin stated "Down II appears to have been thrown together more haphazardly, with much of the material falling short of the standard set by the Down's classic debut offering."Despite poor reviews, the album debuted at number 44 on the Billboard 200.To support the album, Down toured on the second stage of Ozzfest in 2002.The band again entered an indefinite hiatus to focus on their respective bands.
Newly signed to Warner Bros. Records, Down once again reformed in 2006. The band wrote an album throughout the course of a year. Lyric topics on Down III: Over the Under were written about many subjects such as the breakup of Pantera, the murder of ex-Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell, the band's anger at the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and Anselmo's recovery from back surgery and drug addiction.Debuting at number 26 on the Billboard 200, the album was released on September 25, 2007 to generally positive reviews.Kirk Miller of Decibel Magazine stated "For almost an hour, it’s like the metal world was set right again."
Down preceded the album by touring with Heaven and Hell and Megadeth, and supported the album performing on a headlining tour starting at the end of September 2007.
On April 22, 2008 the BBC Radio1 Rockshow broadcasted a new session of Down recordings featuring alternate versions of NOD, Beneath the Tides, and Jail, along with a cover of Led Zeppelin's version of When The Levee Breaks.
In 2011 Bassist Rex Brown left Down to join newly formed band Kill Devil Hill. Pat Bruders of Crowbar is his replacement. Rex Brown stated that there were several reasons for his departure, mainly because of lack of passion for the project that were partially due to tensions between himself and Phil Anselmo.
The band has decided to forego writing for a full length album and instead is planning a series of four EP's. Phil Anselmo explained the decision to Metal Hammer magazine: "To me, an EP is less stress for us. We have an incredible relationship in DOWN, but when we're locked up for a month or two or three, pounding out 12 to 15 songs, it's very taxing. Very emotionally taxing. So one, it's easier on us, and two, it gives the music to the people quicker."
In November 2019, Down announced they would be reuniting for a series of shows in 2020. In anticipation of the 25th Anniversary of Down’s first album NOLA, founding member Kirk Windstein confirmed he was returning to the band. During an interview, Windstein said: "Anything Down does from here forward, whether it’s a full tour or one show, I’m 99.9% sure that I’m a part of it".
I Scream
Down Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A monster should be feared
Witch hunt blame
Regret and fuck the day
I scream
Fallen leaves
Wind blown halves
Regret is all that's left, all that's left
Words cut deeply, no secrecy
So long since seeing, my life time appealing
The two are not healing
I cannot help feeling regret, regret
Reflecting on our memories
We know the pains of living
And I know he's seeing both of we
Regret he would not want to be
I scream
I scream
I scream
I scream
I scream
I scream
I scream
I scream
I scream
The lyrics of Down's song "I Scream" are centred on feelings of regret and despair. The first two lines, "All scorn me, A monster should be feared" serve as a lament of the singer's perceived ostracization and alienation from society. The following line, "Witch hunt blame", suggests that the singer is being unjustly accused of something harmful. The phrase "Regret and fuck the day" encapsulates the singer's state of mind, where they are consumed by feelings of regret and bitterness towards the day when their actions or circumstances led them to this situation.
The second verse, which features the lines "Fallen leaves, From the same family tree, Wind blown halves, Regret is all that's left, all that's left", hint at a familial context to the regret and pain that the singer feels. The metaphor of the "wind blown halves" suggests the singer feels disconnected from their family, while the repetition of the phrase "all that's left" underscores the emptiness and futility of their situation. The sense of isolation and vulnerability increases in the succeeding lines as the singer reflects on the depth of pain caused by hurtful words and long-standing strife between themselves and their family member.
The lines "Reflecting on our memories, We know the pains of living, And I know he's seeing both of we, Regret he would not want to be" capture a sense of melancholy that is present throughout the song. The phrase "he's seeing both of we" suggests a certain kinship between the singer and their family member, even though they are estranged. Through this line, the singer longs for a resolution and an end to the pain of their separation, yearning for forgiveness and understanding - but the repetition of the refrain "I scream" seems to indicate that the catharsis they crave is out of reach.
Line by Line Meaning
All scorn me
Everyone looks down upon me and judges me harshly.
A monster should be feared
Society sees me as a monster and believes I should be feared.
Witch hunt blame
People are trying to find someone to blame for things that have gone wrong, and I am the target of their accusations.
Regret and fuck the day
I am filled with regret and wish that the day had never happened.
I scream
I am in so much agony that I have to scream my pain out.
Fallen leaves
My family has been torn apart and is scattered like fallen leaves on the ground.
From the same family tree
Despite the differences between us, we all come from the same family and bear the same burden.
Wind blown halves
We have been separated by life's events, blown in different directions like halves of a broken object.
Regret is all that's left, all that's left
The only thing that remains after all that has happened is a profound sense of regret.
Words cut deeply, no secrecy
The things people have said about me have hurt me deeply, and there is no hiding from their words.
So long since seeing, my life time appealing
It has been so long since I have seen the ones I love, and all I want is to make things right before it's too late.
The two are not healing
Despite our best efforts, we are still hurting and cannot find a way to heal the wounds.
I cannot help feeling regret, regret
I am consumed by my feelings of regret and cannot escape them.
Reflecting on our memories
I am taking a close look at the memories we shared and what brought us to this point.
We know the pains of living
We have experienced the hardships and challenges of life firsthand.
And I know he's seeing both of we
I am certain that even though we are not together, my loved one is still watching over us.
Regret he would not want to be
My loved one would not want me to be consumed by regret, but to find a way to move on.
I scream
I am still in so much pain that I have to scream it out, over and over again.
I scream
The pain is so intense that I cannot help but scream it out.
I scream
The agony is still there, and I cannot help but scream to let it all out.
I scream
The only way I can express the depths of my pain is to scream it out loud.
I scream
The pain and regret are too much to bear, and I can only find release by screaming it out.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JIMMY BOWER, KIRK WINDSTEIN, KIRK MICHAEL WINDSTEIN, PEPPER KEENAN, PEPPER JAY KEENAN, PHILIP ANSELMO, PHILIP HANSEN ANSELMO, REX BROWN, REX ROBERT BROWN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind