DOWN frontman Philip Anselmo (SUPERJOINT RITUAL, ex-PANTERA) has written the following poem for Boxinginsider.com:

A trained; composed; skilled fist

can strike out at an opponent for only so long

before it connects directly into the hearts of loved ones closest.

A pugilistic dementia reaction of habit

with a system in slow motion.

Done by thirty-three

and bitter about it.

What could have been!

Not a single promise kept.

No limelight.

Golden gloves trophies, colorless ribbons

and lost timelines…

gather dust

next to a stack of unopened mail;

forgotten for months.

Or years.

Bloodstains on a battle tested brain.

A warrior

fed back to the cruel streets unwanted and

left to cope alone

with predictable failure lying await in ambush

ticking like a time bomb inside of himself.

Whether it be nerve-damaged ticks

violent, abrupt outbursts

fists through framed family photos

or bottom shelf tequila—

this man is but a trapped, wounded hero

with torn pride inside.

A sad baggage to heave around

with nowhere to put it,

nor knowledge of how to.

The Retired Journeyman will be remembered

as the portrayal of a man that left his mark

as the loser of boxing matches

by those of us who lived through his losses

and have scorned his name because of them.

But let us take a moment to allot compassion for him

because to remember his name

is to know the unparalleled and oft-misguided courage it takes

to climb through the ropes, and into the ring

with nothing left.

For every champion, they must first meet The Journeyman…

who’s scarred face serves its purpose

and with every punch it receives, it

only serves as a detriment to this man’s health

and further distances him, from him.

Woe to The Journeyman—

a hollow young man

with only directionless; puzzled memories of combat

left on his head.

Bereft of family or friends

sitting quietly in his lonely squat—

uninvited, yet familiar company is kept

and can always be found seated in an opposing corner of the house

in a dimly lit smoker

waiting for the bell to ring

in The retired Journeyman’s

aspiration-dead

imagination.

Down - also featuring CORROSION OF CONFORMITY guitarist/vocalist Pepper Keenan, drummer Jimmy Bower (EYEHATEGOD, SUPERJOINT RITUAL guitarist), bassist Rex Brown (ex-PANTERA) and guitarist Kirk Windstein (CROWBAR) - have revealed the dates for their upcoming US trek with EVIL ARMY and WEEDEATER. Dates include:

Confirmed dates include:

February

15 - Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom
17 - Calgary, AB - MacEwan Hall
18 - Edmonton, AB - Edmonton Event Centre
20 - Winnipeg, MB - Burton Cummings Theater
21 - Fargo, ND - The Venue
22 - Minneapolis, MN - First Ave.
24 - Traverse City, MI - Streeter's
25 - Flint, MI - Machine Shop
26 - Flint, MI - Machine Shop
28 - Cleveland, OH - House Of Blues

March

1 - Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero
2 - Sayreville, NJ - Starland
4 - Asheville, NC - Orange Peel
5 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade
6 - Nashville, TN - The Cannery
8 - New Orleans, LA - Southport Music Hall
9 - Houston, TX - House of Blues
11 - San Antonio, TX - The Scout Bar
12 - Dallas, TX - Palladium
13 - Oklahoma City, OK - Diamond Ballroom
15 - Denver, CO - Gothic Theater
17 - Phoenix, AZ - Marquee Theater
18 - Las Vegas, NV - House of Blues
19 - Los Angeles, CA - Wiltern Theater
20 - San Francisco, CA - Grand Ballroom