Gelap Pekat

Christine Leonard of Fast Forward Weekly recently conducted an interview with DOWN drummer Jimmy Bower. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

On the band's determination to continue pumping out Southern-tinged hardcore music of the highest caliber:

"It hasn't always been easy. In fact, we're about to release a live DVD of a tour we did in Europe back when we had absolutely no promotion and no label to speak of, yet we sold out every show. Now that's gotta tell you something. We've worked really hard. We edited it down and filled in some footage; I think it came out really, really well. Looking back at those shows, it's surreal to see how we've gotten better over time."

On his influences:

"I try to put a lot of blues in whatever I do. Getting behind the beat is the key to playing the blues. I think I learned it from watching Mardi Gras bands. It's a signature that all the grind bands use; you've got to hit it at the last possible moment. The last chance, man. You've got to be really laid-back, like you've already had three or four beers and barely nailed it. If any metal band was ever a blues band, it's DOWN. We love playing with different jams and dynamics and putting metal into unlikely situations. That's what CROWBAR and EYEHATEGOD were all about. They all bite their strings. They're all southern metal. But, north or south, it doesn't matter as long as it's got its ass in that groove."

On DOWN weathering real hurricanes and emerging all the stronger for it:

"I think we're a lot smoother than before. The last four years have seen a lot of drama, but we've put our misfortunes behind us because we knew it was time to get back out there. We're turning people who are already familiar with our style of music on to different stuff, while at the same time introducing the classic forms to a new generation. It's important to me to go back and study the roots of metal and the blues and to become enlightened about the great players of the past. For the cost of a Rock Band video game you could buy a guitar or bass or a small drum set. I'm self-taught. I just listened to the records and tried to go figure it out. No colored lights. No dots."