Here it is, the latest instalment of the Down IV E.P. series. An initial announcement informed us that there was to be four E.P.s with each one showcasing a different aspect of their style, i.e sludge/doom, acoustic, old school metal, etc. However, Anselmo has since denied that this is a concrete plan and they’ve decided to just write the music as they see fit. This is reflected on the first two E.P.s, whereby they both feature a wide range of influences and styles. Part I was a cracker in my opinion and my big question was, could the second E.P. live up to the first and that’s why we’re here today.

Steeple kicks things off and does a god-damned good job. The opening riffs scream from the top of what I can picture to be a grim looking steeple, such as is featured on the awesome album cover. While containing some riffs that have a real kick to them, the overall feeling on this song I found was to be a doomy, hypnotic one and it really works. The lead single, We Knew Him Well comes roaring in after Steeple and really ups the pace, resulting in a really solid straight up metal track. The chorus works perfectly with Anselmo’s trademark vocals going over a nice rolling riff. The outro on this track is also a highlight and will have you chanting “Rise Up! Good luck!” next time you think you’re being a badass.

The rest of the album is a mixed bag and while Sufferer’s Years has its moments for sure, I don’t think there’s enough to make it memorable. The same can be said for Hogshead/Dogshead which honestly serves no purpose that I can see anyway, which is disappointing from these guys, especially on a six track E.P. There’s two good ole doom numbers on here too that more than make up for these lulls and Conjure is a song worthy of a place on any Down record. The riff has an almost ancestral vibe that sounds like it could have been written in the 70s and really works with the trippy lyrics, “Snort the powder of Ibn Ghazi”. This track doesn’t go many places else but still works as a stoner, hypnotic, doomy-type song.

The closing track Bacchanalia steals the show for me and while it’s definitely a shameless Sabbath tribute, boy do they pull it off. There’s a barely audible jam going on in the intro which leads into some riffs that Iommi himself will be kicking himself that he didn’t write. The track weaves its way through clever swampy themed lyrics before ending in a crescendo that gives way to a most memorable acoustic outro.

Overall, I wouldn’t rate this as highly as the first E.P. as it just isn’t as consistent. I personally feared for Down when I heard that Kirk Windstein was leaving to concentrate on Crowbar . Ultimately, I think it made a difference and the overall body of riffs on this record just isn’t as impressive as previous releases. That said, they’ve still created something interesting here that really has some classic moments contained, given a few listens.