Down--Nola

Down--Nola (1995/Elektra) Rating--9.3

Pantera's Phil Anselmo, COC's Pepper Keenan, and three members of Crowbar spell mega-groove, sludge-nasty supergroup. The Pantera and COC stamp is certainly present, but the unit begins to take on a unique life of its own?and the result is ultimately some of Anselmo and Keenan's best work ever. Plenty of stoner/doom work is present (and the song titles suggest the same); this release is one of metal's great underrated releases.
Virtually every song threatens to bowl (pun intended) you over in one fashion or another. The note-driven, acid-injected romping in "Lifer" is nasty, the Trouble-like "Underneath Everything" snakes and moves, and the deep-rooted groove of "Eyes of the South" slaps you around.
"Stone the Crow" was the main radio single and has a heavy chorus, while "Bury Me in Smoke" concludes the disc with a doom march. Every other track--yes, every--stands on its own as well. There's plenty of lurching, cranking slabs for everyone.
A smoke-induced, southern-metal tribute ('Nola' stands for New Orleans, La.), this is a platter for every man's collection. (And women who listen to it are fine by me!)
TRACK LIST: Temptation's Wings/Lifer/Pillars of Eternity/Rehab/Hail the Leaf/Underneath Everything/Eyes of the South/Jail/Losing All/Stone the Crow/Pray for the Locust/Swan Song/Bury Me in Smoke

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