Downset
Formed: 1989
Location: Los Angeles, California, USA
Genre: Metal, Rap Metal, Hardcore Punk
Years Active: 1993 - 2009; 2013 -
Meaning of the Name:
Core Members: Rey Oropeza (vocals)
Way of Working: Collaborative
Assoicated: Crowbar
Essential Releases
downset. (1994)
Aggressive blend of hardcore punk and hip hop
Do We Speak A
Dead Language (1996)
Potent fusion of rap, metal, and social commentary.
Check Your
People (2000)
More hip hop influences, same raw energy and political venom.
The seething fury of a lost generation is given voice in the brutal rap metal of downset. (sic). Emerging from the sweltering Los Angeles of the '90s, these raw and energetic Latinos picked up guitars to light a powder keg in a city that was set to explode in a fury of racial tension.
On Anger! (1993), vocalist Rey Oropeza reveals his father was killed by the L.A.P.D. Rodney King, an unarmed black man, was killed by the same force in 1991. Just one year before the songs release, a series of deadly riots erupted in the city after the officers involved were acquitted by a jury, despite video evidence showing King was not resisting arrest.
"I hate L.A. swine with a passion, G, cuz my pops was killed by the fucking L.A.P.D. Yes, they killed my daddy, yup they killed my daddy and if I don't blast 'em back, you know they gonna fucking kill me."
downset. comes from a hardcore punk background but is also known for making rap metal, which inevitably led to comparisons with their fellow Angelenos, Rage Against the Machine. However, where the latter is aggrieved on the behalf of society, for downset., its personal.
As a result, their vocals are delivered with a direct, intense urgency, and the thumping rhythm section drives proceedings with kinetic force. Distorted basslines contribute to a grumbling low end that lurks beneath the surface, a sinister sound brewing like an explosion, and representative of the groups growing discontent with society.
Establishing their intent from the start, the original name of the band was Social Justice. Conscious topics are featured overtly throughout their work, including class warfare in My American Prayer, which includes the lyrics
"downset. at the bottom with my underclass freedom. The birth of this nation, birth of the systematic jack, from land grab to whips across black's back."
The LA rap metal mainstays make music for the disenfranchised who seek an outlet for their anger at the state of the nation, and, for anyone with a bone to pick against an unjust system, offer a much-needed cathartic release. If you would prefer to listen to music than pick up a gun, downset. are the anger management you might need.
Skills
*This is a work in progress. Values are subjective.Emotional Impact
90
Mental Impact
80
Originality
75
Artistry
45
Authenticity
100
Live
75
Production
65
Musicianship
80
Screaming
80
Songwriting
85
Danceability
70
Fun
20
Consistency
80
Range
35
Cool
35
Charisma
40
