Down’s ‘Strap It Down’ Tour Features Helmet As Co-Headliner

THE ANNOUNCEMENT

Down and Helmet are co-headlining a two-week run this August, and the tour name — Strap It Down — is a clever nod to Helmet's 1990 debut ^†. The timing lines up with Down's first new album in over a decade, which is recorded but still hunting for the right mix engineer ^*. Kirk Windstein says they're hoping for an October 2026 release, but nothing's locked ^*.

THE DETAILS

• Tour runs August 15 in Atlanta through September 2 in Chicago, with Spirit in the Room supporting throughout ^*†
• Down opens for Slayer's Reign in Blood 40th anniversary show September 4 in Shakopee, Minnesota, alongside Suicidal Tendencies and Hatebreed ^*
• Two stops at Zakk Wylde's Berzerkus festival August 28–29 in Scranton and Wantagh ^*
• Artist presale starts May 27 at noon ET (password: DOWN2026); general on-sale May 29 at 10 a.m. local ^*
• VIP packages include soundcheck, meet-and-greet, signed poster, and exclusive merch ^*
• New album contains 10 songs, three written primarily by Philip Anselmo, recorded without click tracks ^*
• Last original material was the Down IV – Part Two EP in May 2014 ^*

SUPPORT

Spirit in the Room supports all headlining dates; Suicidal Tendencies and Hatebreed join the September 4 Slayer show ^*.

WHY IT MATTERS

BUCKET LIST — Down hasn't released a full album since 2007, and Windstein already warned this one will "either be this huge thing or just flop" ^*. The fact they're touring before the album even has a mix shows confidence, but twelve years between proper records means this might be your last shot to hear new Down material live.

Source Articles:
^* DOWN Announces August/September 2026 North American Tour With HELMET, SPIRIT IN THE ROOM — Blabbermouth, Blabbermouth, 2026-05-27T11:35:13+00:00 — https://blabbermouth.net/news/down-announces-august-september-2026-north-american-tour-with-helmet-spirit-in-the-room
^† DOWN announce “Strap It Down” tour with HELMET — Gregory Adams, Revolver, 2026-05-27T15:39:37+00:00 — https://www.revolvermag.com/events/down-announce-strap-it-down-tour-with-helmet/