ThrashHits.com conducted an interview with guitarist Pepper Keenan of DOWN at this year’s Download festival, which was held June 12-14 at Donington Park, United Kingdom. Watch the six-minute chat below.

During a chat with NME TV, DOWN drummer Jimmy Bower revealed that the band will tour select U.S. markets with the MELVINS in August/September. The group will then return to the studio from October through December to record what will eventually become the fourth DOWN album, tentatively due in early 2010.

DOWN/ex-PANTERA singer Philip Anselmo recently spent time at home in New Orleans recovering from surgery. Anselmo said in an April online posting, “this time it was a semi-torn ACL [anterior cruciate ligament, one of four ligaments that are critical to the stability of the knee joint] and a semi-torn meniscus [a common knee injury that can cause pain in the joint].”

In October 2008, DOWN released a “deluxe edition” of its critically acclaimed third album, “Over the Under”. The deluxe package, which was made available as a Best Buy exclusive, includes a DVD with over 30 minutes of previously unreleased live performances and behind-the-scenes footage. The album was released on Down Records in conjunction with Warner Music Group’s Independent Label Group (ILG).

The tour dates are as follows:

August 3 – Beaumont Club – Kansas City, MO
August 6 – Burton Cummings Theatre – Winnipeg, MB (with VOIVOD)
August 7 – Edmonton Event Centre – Edmonton, AB (with Voivod)
August 8 – MacEwan Hall – Calgary, AB (with Voivod)
August 10 – Commodore Ballroom – Vancouver, BC (with Voivod)
August 11 – Showbox SoDo – Seattle, WA
August 14 – Regency Ballroom – San Francisco, CA
August 15 – The Wiltern – Los Angeles, CA
August 16 – House Of Blues – San Diego, CA (with THE MELVINS)
August 18 – House Of Blues – Anaheim, CA
August 19 – House Of Blues – Las Vegas, NV
August 22 – Gothic Theatre – Denver, CO
September 2 – House Of Blues – Orlando, FL (with The Melvins)
September 5 – The Fillmore – Charlotte, NC
September 7 – House Of Blues – Myrtle Beach, SC (with The Melvins)
September 13 – House Of Blues – Boston, MA (with The Melvins)
September 18 – Kool Haus – Toronto, ON
September 22 – House Of Blues – Clevevland, OH (with The Melvins)