Down guitarist Kirk Windstein talks about writing for the new album

Down guitarist Kirk Windstein was recently interviewed by San Antonio Metal Music Examiner. Here is an excerpt from that interview:

Q: What's the progress of the new album?
A: It's kind of -- let's see. To explain that, it's kind of difficult. We have more than enough original songs that we think would make good material, but it tends to take time. We've recorded new material, and we'd like to play a couple songs out there, and fans obviously would want it as well. But it's moving along. We're trying to get something out as soon as we can.

Q: You go back nearly 20 years with Phil having produced one of the first Crowbar EP's, and several years with Rex as well. What were the initial conversations like in the early to mid-90s when you guys contemplated forming Down, as far as what the band would sound like?
A: Actually, me and Phil go back to being friends, I don't know, (to) 1983 or '84, and we were still kids. He was living in Texas. In Pantera, they were getting the idea rolling. Basically, Phil called Pepper. Me and Jimmy lived in the same apartment complex. And it just seemed to make sense: "Hey man, let's do a band that's influenced by Sabbath." But also Saint Vitus and Trouble that take a lot from Sabbath. In all honesty, the whole rest of '70s rock -- Led Zeppelin, Thin Lizzy, Lynyrd Skynyrd. "Let's do something different." We wanted to be able to grow and bring out all the influences that helped us get into music in the first place.