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Down return after a hiatus that saw the band’s members take part in several of their other projects (Eyehategod, Philip H. Anselmo and The Illegals). It also saw the departure of longtime guitarist Kirk Windstein, who left to concentrate on his other band Crowbar.

Two years after Down IV: The Purple EP, the first installment of a projected four part series, Down IV: Part II is unveiled. The six song, nearly 40 minute EP sees the band varying its style quite a bit throughout.

As this is a collective of musicians who are not afraid to showcase their influences, Down allow for more than a few of their favorite bands to make themselves heard through this album. One of the more obvious cases is the song “Conjure,” which has Philip Anselmo and company sounding like Black Sabbath during their self-titled song. Anselmo even sounds a bit like Ozzy and would almost confuse the listener if they had heard it in an isolated situation.

The band sound much more like themselves on the plodding “We Knew Him Well,” which features plenty of riffs from Pepper Keenan and newcomer Bobby Landgraf backed with Jimmy Bower’s work on the skins, bassist Patrick Bruders and the gravel-throated Anselmo at the helm.

A real hidden gem is “Sufferer’s Years,” which features plenty of love for southern metal’s past. As anybody who knows the guitar pyrotechnics of Molly Hatchet, this type of flair should come as no surprise. Guitar solos blow down the door and lead the listener on a fun path. It’s a barnburner of a track that shows off what they can do.

After a two year layoff, Down come through with a solid follow-up to their first EP.

(released May 13, 2014 on Down Records)