Heavy metal supergroup DOWN have announced their "Strap It Down" North American headlining tour, set to run from August 15 through September 4, 2026, with support from HELMET and SPIRIT IN THE ROOM. The trek marks the band's first major headlining run in years and arrives with the tantalising prospect of a long-awaited new studio album on the horizon.
The tour opens in Atlanta, Georgia on August 15 and winds through 13 primary venues before closing in Shakopee, Minnesota on September 4 — a date that doubles as a special direct support slot for SLAYER's anniversary shows. Along the way, DOWN will appear at Zakk Wylde's Berzerkus festival on August 28 and 29, sharing a bill with LAMB OF GOD and BLACK LABEL SOCIETY.
DOWN — vocalist Philip H. Anselmo, guitarists Pepper Keenan and Kirk Windstein, bassist Pat Bruders, and drummer Jimmy Bower — have long been one of heavy music's most beloved supergroups, drawing on the New Orleans sludge and Southern metal traditions that shaped American heavy music through the 1990s. Their self-titled debut NOLA (1995) remains one of the defining albums of the era, and subsequent records Down II: A Bustle In Your Hedgerow (2002) and Down III: Over The Under (2007) cemented their reputation as one of the genre's elite acts.
But the real story of the tour announcement is what it represents: guitarist Kirk Windstein has confirmed that the band's new studio album is complete and awaiting final mixing, with an October 2026 release targeted. The record will be DOWN's first full-length since Down IV – Part II in 2014 — a gap of 12 years that has left fans hungry for new material. "It's done. It's been recorded," Windstein stated plainly, describing the creative process as deeply collaborative and energised.
The album was recorded at Nodferatu's Lair — Anselmo's home studio in Louisiana — and produced by Michael Thompson. Windstein drew comparisons to the band's debut in describing the creative atmosphere: the same communal, instinctive approach that produced NOLA three decades ago appears to have reasserted itself on the new record.
Presale tickets were made available through Blabbermouth.net, with general on-sale following shortly after. VIP packages featuring soundcheck access, meet-and-greet opportunities, and exclusive merchandise were also offered.
For a band as influential and beloved as DOWN, this is not just a tour announcement — it is the prelude to what promises to be one of the most anticipated metal records of 2026. The combination of a strong touring schedule and an imminent new album signals that DOWN are returning with serious intent.