In a new interview with Geoff of the Gas Masks & Hand Grenades podcast, DOWN guitarist Kirk Windstein offered an update on the progress of the recording sessions for the band’s long-awaited new album. Kirk is joined in the long-running heavy metal supergroup by vocalist Philip H. Anselmo, guitarist Pepper Keenan, drummer Jimmy Bower and bassist Pat Bruders. Asked if it’s true that DOWN was originally going to release a covers LP next, Kirk said: “It started out that way. And that was the talk for quite a while, and it was kind of, like, well, if we’re gonna learn all these really obscure songs, in the time it’s gonna take us to learn all these fucking things and kind of make ’em our own, we could probably write originals. So we got together in January of 2024. Went to Phil‘s (rehearsal and recording studio). Pepper, myself, Jimmy and Pat had gotten together and come up with a few ideas, and Phil had some stuff. We went out for three days and came back, came home, and by the time we were done, we had seven songs — not perfectly arranged.”

According to Kirk, all the drums, bass and “95 percent” of the rhythm guitars have been recorded so far. “I think we have one or two songs (to do rhythm guitars on),” he explained. “And then we’re gonna go over to Phil‘s and do solos and sweetie tracks, we call it — just interlude things you put in between vocals and shit.”

Elaborating on the songwriting and recording process for the new DOWN material, Kirk said: “When we got together to write, the chemistry is just undeniable. It’s just magic. We’ve known each other so long, we’ve jammed together for so long. And Pepper and I did something — it was kind of his idea, but I thought it was a pretty brilliant idea. Jimmy doesn’t play to a click track, so it’s harder to keep time, especially when you’re not looking at him. So, he said, ‘You know what? Let’s track the fucking guitars together. Let’s not do one guy, then one guy. Let’s pick out one section, let’s make it through the whole fucking verse, and if one of us fucks up, we stop, go back and start it again.’ So we’re doing it, just playing together and shit. So it’s got more of a live feel, because Pat and Jimmy laid the drums and bass down together, and now we’re doing guitars together with the rhythm tracks and shit.”

He added: “DOWN‘s one of the few bands — of course we use Pro Tools (recording software), but we don’t do click tracks and fix shit. It’s real music.”

As for a possible release date for the next DOWN album, Windstein said: “I would guess — hoping by the summer next year.”