# Down II: A Bustle in Your Hedgerow

Down II: A Bustle in Your Hedgerow is the second studio album by American band Down, released on March 26, 2002. The subtitle "A Bustle in Your Hedgerow" is borrowed from the lyrics of "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin.

## Background

Down II was the band's first album in seven years since the release of NOLA, the longest gap between their three studio albums to date. Being a supergroup, the band went on hiatus in 1996 so that members could focus on their main bands (namely Eyehategod, Corrosion of Conformity, Crowbar, and Pantera). Down reformed in 1999 with Pantera bassist Rex Brown replacing Todd Strange. The band wanted the album to have a "bluesy" feel, so they moved into Phil Anselmo's barn for the recording.
Also in 2002, the band recorded an acoustic version of "Stone the Crow" that was never officially released although it can be heard on YouTube.

## Critical reception

Professional ratings :
| Review scores ||
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| Metal Hammer | |
| Rock Sound | |
| Rock Hard | 9.5/10 |
Down II was not received as well as the band's debut release, NOLA. Blabbermouth reviewer Borivoj Krgin stated, "Down II appears to have been thrown together more haphazardly, with much of the material falling short of the standard set by Down's classic debut offering." However, UK critics were more enthusiastic, with Metal Hammer awarding the album 8/10 and Rock Sound declaring it "a storming experience from the depths" and rating it at 4/5. Despite its poor US reviews, the album debuted at number 44 on the Billboard 200.

### Accolades

| Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank |
| Metal Hammer | United Kingdom | "Albums of the Year" | 2002 | 4 |
| Kerrang! | United Kingdom | "Albums of the Year" | 2002 | 14 |
| Terrorizer | United Kingdom | "Albums of the Year" | 2002 | 20 |
| Rock Hard | Germany | "The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time" | 2005 | 319 |

## Personnel
### Down

* Phil Anselmo – vocals, guitar on "Landing on the Mountains of Meggido"
* Pepper Keenan – guitar
* Kirk Windstein – guitar
* Rex Brown – bass
* Jimmy Bower – drums, all instruments on "Doobinterlude"

### Additional musicians

* Stephanie Opal Weinstein – backing vocals on "Landing on the Mountains of Meggido"

## Charts

| Year | Chart | Position |
| 2002 | Billboard 200 | 44 |
| 2002 | German Album Charts | 67 |

## Tour

To support the album, Down toured on the second stage of Ozzfest in 2002. They also scheduled an 18-date tour that began May 1 in New York and ended on May 25 in Dallas. After the December 1st show in Texas, the band once again entered an hiatus to focus on their respective bands until May 19, 2006.
| Date | City | Country | Venue |
| April 28, 2002 | Birmingham | United States | Five Points Music Hall |
| April 29, 2002 | Atlanta | United States | The Roxy |
| May 1, 2002 | New York City | United States | Roseland Ballroom |
| May 2, 2002 | Philadelphia | United States | Trocadero |
| May 3, 2002 | Worcester | United States | The Palladium |
| May 5, 2002 | Cleveland | United States | The Odeon |
| May 6, 2002 | Cincinnati | United States | Bogart's |
| May 7, 2002 | Columbus | United States | Newport Music Hall |
| May 9, 2002 | Grand Rapids | United States | The Orbit Room |
| May 10, 2002 | Detroit | United States | Harpo's |
| May 11, 2002 | Chicago | United States | House of Blues |
| May 13, 2002 | Minneapolis | United States | Quest Club |
| May 15, 2002 | Denver | United States | Ogden Theater |
| May 17, 2002 | Las Vegas | United States | House of Blues |
| May 18, 2002 | West Hollywood | United States | House of Blues |
| May 19, 2002 | San Francisco | United States | The Fillmore |
| May 21, 2002 | Scottsdale | United States | Cajun House |
| May 23, 2002 | San Antonio | United States | Sunset Station |
| May 24, 2002 | Houston | United States | Sunset Station |
| May 25, 2002 | Dallas | United States | Deep Ellum Live |