DOWN: DIARY OF A MADBAND WILL FINALLY SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY

Axl and I traveled to Donington, UK for the Download Festival in 2006 and it was something of a life-changing experience. We hadn’t yet come up with the idea for MetalSucks, but I’m sure the experience of being part of such a huge metal event and the people we met there gave rise to the idea only six months later that perhaps there was a worldwide audience that thought about metal along the same lines as we did.

One of the highlights of that fateful weekend was Down, who made an unannounced but widely rumored appearance at 11am one morning on the main stage. Anyone who trekked out that early to take a chance, as we did, bore witness to a fantastic set by a now-legendary band that unbenownst to those in attendance would be captured for posterity.

Four-and-a-half-years later (!), Down are finally releasing a DVD documenting their comeback and first-ever European tour, of which the Download show was a part. Just this summer it appeared as if E1 would release the DVD, but the release was mysteriously shelved and no explanation was given as to why. When I spoke to guitarist Kirk Windstein this week and asked him about what caused the lengthy and multiple delays of this DVD’s release I got an answer that I can safely paraphrase as “I have no fucking idea.” But it matters not, as Diary of a Madband will finally see the light on October 5th of day as a 2xCD + DVD bundle. I’m not huge on concert DVDs, but the documentary portion of this release is definitely one I’m excited to see. Pre-order it here. Check out three previews below, courtesy SkullsNBones.com, Noisecreep and Metal Injection; there’s definitely plenty of footage of the Download show Axl and I were at.

-VN