JIMMY BOWER MAKES IT OFFICIAL: REX BROWN IS OUT OF DOWN

Interview with Jimmy Bower about Down… by HecticCase

I don’t think this news is gonna come as a galloping shock to anyone, but at least now it’s official after nearly two months of speculation: Rex Brown will not be returning to Down. Drummer Jimmy Bower, also of the great Eyehategod (among other bands), confirmed it in a recent video interview with Metalchroniques.fr (above). Here’s his quote:

“We just wish him to find peace within himself and be healthy, and we weren’t seeing that for Down. We have Pat [Bruders] now. Pat’s playing bass. Pat’s from New Orleans. Makes sense. He plays with Crowbar as well.

“We love Rex to death, man, and wish him the best. He has a new project as well — Kill Devil Hill with Vinny Appice— and I know he’s having fun doing that. He gave Pat his blessing, so it was on a good term. But he will not be back.”

That’s a bummer, not least of all because Brown’s relationship with Phil Anselmo has already survived so much; it sucks to think that, at this point, there are pretty much no former members of Pantera who are currently on good terms (or, at least, I presume that Anselmo and Brown are not currently on good terms).

That being said, I feel the need to reiterate the point I made back in May, when word first got out that all might not be well in Down-land: Brown is a great performer and a great bass player, but Down have already made one great record without him (NOLA, their debut), and he did not do very much songwriting with the band over the years. So it’s impossible for me to believe that this is really gonna have a negative impact on Down’s music in the long-term.

But I guess we’ll find out soon: Bower says the group heads into the studio on August 1.

-AR

[via Metal Insider]