KIRK WINDSTEIN Would Rather Make New Full-Length Album With DOWN Than Release Another EP

In a brand new interview with "The MetalSucks Podcast", Kirk Windstein was asked about the possibility of new music from DOWN, the band that he recently rejoined in time for the upcoming shows celebrating the 25th anniversary of its "NOLA" album. Asked if he would like to make a new album with DOWN or continue putting out EPs to follow up the two efforts that arrived in 2012 and 2014, Windstein said: "If we ever did anything as far as writing and recording a record, I'd rather just do a full record. Because with everybody, it becomes easy.

"When I think of a band like KISS, of course, Gene [Simmons] and Paul [Stanley] are main songwriters, but on some of these early albums, you might have nine songs," he continued. "Ace [Frehley] would throw one in, or occasionally Peter [Criss]. And it's easy to write a record when you have a lot of songwriters that can write complete songs, almost.

"What happened with the EP thing is it took so long to do [2007's] 'Over The Under' [album] that were kind of, like, 'Man…' Like I said, it took five or six months of traveling back and forth from L.A. to New Orleans. And I'm totally happy with the way it came out, but I think that was our whole mindset: 'You know what? Why don't we just do six songs?' Everybody's got main riffs on a couple of these songs. We worked together, we put 'em all together, and boom, there you go. So I think that was the whole mindset of that."

A founding member of DOWN, Windstein left the band in 2013 in order to focus on CROWBAR and his family life. He was replaced by Bobby Landgraf, DOWN's former guitar tech who was previously in GAHDZILLA MOTOR COMPANY, a 1990s outfit also featuring Jason McMaster (DANGEROUS TOYS, WATCHTOWER),and HONKY.

Last month, Windstein confirmed that he will rejoin his DOWN bandmates to celebrate "NOLA"'s quarter-century milestone.

"I'm in, 100 percent," Windsteintold Revolver. "The quote from Pepper [Keenan, guitar] was, 'If you ain't doing it, I ain't doing it.' Phil, Pepper and Jimmy [Bower, DOWN drummer and EYEHATEGOD guitarist] are my three of my oldest, closest friends, so this is a no-brainer for me."

When asked if this means he's back in DOWN for good, Windstein replied: "As far as I know, I'm back in the band. Bobby Landgraf did a fantastic job, and he's a very good friend of mine. But once again, DOWN is back to what it started out as, which is a 100 percent complete side project. Everyone's other bands are the priority and that's that. But it's been six and a half years since I jammed with those guys, so I'm excited. It's gonna be fun."

DOWN has several shows scheduled in 2020 so far, including appearances at the Graspop Metal Meeting festival in Dessel, Belgium, and at the Copenhell festival in Copenhagen, Denmark.

DOWN was forced to cancel a number of shows in 2016 after Anselmo was filmed giving a Nazi salute and shouting "white power" at a California concert.

Keenan later offered his take on what transpired, telling Metal Wani that DOWN was "far from done" after the controversial incident. "You know, DOWN didn't do anything wrong," he said. "I mean, we were just guilty by association on that one. That was Phil's mistake. I've spoken to Phil and told him to get his shit together, and he is. He knows he made a mistake and was being stupid."

He continued: "I've known the guy [most of my life]. He's not what that whole thing framed him to be at all. But, yeah, there's definitely a future for DOWN. I wouldn't throw all the shit we've done, beautiful music we've done on one stupid moment that was caught on camera, and he apologized for. [So we are] far from done."

DOWN's last live appearance took place in August 2016 at the Psycho Las Vegas festival in Las Vegas, Nevada.