'90s Metal Band, With Iconic Lead Singer, Ranked Among ‘Greatest Supergroups' of All Time
Down, the heavy metal band fronted by iconic vocalist Phil Anselmo, has further solidified its status in the industry after being recognized among the best supergroups of all time.
One of the defining acts of the '90s music scene, the band helped shape the signature "NOLA" metal sound. It was named by Revolver Magazine as one of the 12 greatest supergroups in heavy music history.
Joining fellow heavy hitters Audioslave, Temple of the Dog, Velvet Revolver, Them Crooked Vultures and others, Down was described as the "masters of Southern-fried riffage and swinging grooves."
Formed in the early '90s, the band featured established musicians from Pantera, Corrosion of Conformity, Crowbar and Eyehategod: Pepper Keenan, Kirk Windstein, Jimmy Bower, Pat Bruders and Anselmo, the iconic frontman, widely regarded as one of the most recognizable voices in heavy metal, helped create a different kind of music that blends stoner rock, doom metal and sludge metal while retaining the traditional Southern rock sound.
In 1995, the supergroup released its debut album, NOLA, a major nod to its hometown.
The debut album was a commercial success, peaking at No. 57 on the Billboard 200 and remaining on the chart for six consecutive weeks.
The 13-track album includes the breakthrough single "Stone the Crow" and songs the band wrote when it was starting out as a supergroup.
"We all got together in 1991 in our friends' garage, and the first day we wrote ‘Temptation's Wings,' ‘Losing All' and Bury Me In Smoke,'" drummer Jimmy Bower shared, as cited by Louder Sound.
Behind the huge success of the album, it appears that not everyone was happy about it, especially the band's management.
"I actually got a lot of flak from our management," Anselmo mentioned, adding, "Like, ‘Why are you saving all these good songs for Down when you could save them for Pantera?' Because Pantera didn't write those songs! I didn't even come up with the title Bury Me In Smoke! And if I'd written those songs for Pantera, they'd have been laughed out of the room! I never even presented them to Pantera."
Despite this, the album was met with a mostly positive response, with many fans pleasantly surprised by the band's first project.
With a total of four full-length studio albums, Down is now gearing up for its Strap It Down North American Tour with Helmet and Spirit In The Room.
The upcoming tour will run from August to September, featuring 14 shows.
Related: '60s Rock Band, Disbanded After One Year, Ranked Among 'Best Supergroups' of All Time
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This story was originally published July 3, 2026 at 9:29 PM.