Downset
Do We Speak a Dead Language? (Mercury)
by Tim Creter
“I would rather seek the peace of self/ than play the games that force the scars of lifelong insecurity / frightening desires for dominant position when all we should be doing is loving! /Taken away!/ Sex kills!”
As you can see from this excerpt from “Ashes in Hand,” there is a clear message in every song. Lyrical opinions on issues like violence, substance abuse, ignorance, arrogance, and rape (among others) are tackled. The issues are addressed in powerful verbal flows backed by equally aggressive music. What is this musical machine raging against the system? Only one band stands on this soapbox with the power to give a musical smack to your head. No, not them; it’s the band who’s so upset, they’re downset. Unfortunately, I always hear people comparing them to RATM. This is usually because both bands use a rapper as a frontman to address various social and political issues. But to say one is like the other is really moronic, considering Rage has always been somewhat of a hypocrisy, with a big label deal, videos on MTV, and radio singles blabbering something about “BuIls on Parade.” Can anybody explain to me what Rage is raging about? Their lyrics tend to be a little too abstract. This is where downset. offers a little bit more to believe in. Vocalist Rey Oropeza makes the messages clear. It gives the band credibility, unlike some other pretentious preachers.
Now, for the people who weren’t too impressed by their debut (myself included), Do We Speak a Dead Language? far outdoes their last effort. Their music is tighter and meaner, with the hardcore parts more hardcore, and the hip-hop parts more hip-hop. The choruses are more intense (“Empower”), and they’ve even jumped to an Earth Crisis-like guitar crunch on others (“Eyes Shut Tight”). All in all, this disc definitely gives downset. a boost in all the right places. The band sounds incredible, as apparently they’ve done some digging into their hardcore roots for new and improved sounds. Most people knew them as the “Anger!” band, but this release will hopefully give them new support and turn old attitudes around.
