Kirk Windstein Says the New Down Album Could See a Fall 2026 Release

Looking forward to 2026, there are few albums that personally spark as much excitement as Down’s next one. It’ll be 19 years since the release of their last full-length album Down III: Over The Under and aside from the two additional EPs that followed, the band’s been largely resting on its laurels. New music is overdue, but it sounds like we at least have an idea of when it’s coming out.

During ar ecent interview with “Reckless” Rexx Ruger of the Pod Scum podcast, Down guitarist Kirk Windstein not only confirmed that the album was coming next year, but also offered that the possible release window lands somewhere in the fall.

“Yes. Later than sooner. But I don’t really see why it can’t get out, say, by September—around September-ish.”

While that’s all fine and good, your average Down fan would probably like it if the music came out much earlier than that. Unfortunately, according to Windstein, it all comes down to the release windows of record label Nuclear Blast’s other upcoming albums, including that of his fellow bandmate Pepper Keenan’s Corrosion of Conformity.

“[Corrosion Of Conformity] have an amazing new record coming out April 2nd. So we can’t put Down out too close to that… C.O.C. needs to come out and let everybody get blown away for a good bit. And when the water settles, we give ’em a double whammy and throw out the Down.”

Makes sense that they wouldn’t want those two highly-anticipated releases to cannibalize one another. To think that we’re getting new C.O.C. and Down in the same year though… that’s exciting as hell. All that’s left for us to do is to wait.