Downset

Downset: Check Your PeopleCheck Your People (2001)
Epitaph Records

Reviewer Rating: 1.5

User Rating:

Contributed by: Booker_PeePat Book
(others by this writer | submit your own)
Published on April 8th 2001California band Downset a new cd out, called Check Your People, released on Epitaph Records, one of the premier punk labels in the world. The signing of this band was, I suspect, a part of Epitaph's recent efforts to expand both the genres of music they release and their fan base. Merle Haggard,.

California band Downset a new cd out, called Check Your People, released on Epitaph Records, one of the premier punk labels in the world. The signing of this band was, I suspect, a part of Epitaph's recent efforts to expand both the genres of music they release and their fan base. Merle Haggard, Joe Strummer, and now Downset's signings are all clear signs of this.

What Downset brings to Epitaph's party is a piece of the rap/rock genre. And when I say rap/rock, that's an emphasis on the rock. Downset is undeniably one of the hardest-sounding bands I've ever heard, miles ahead of rock bands like Korn, Limp Bizkit, even Rage Against The Machine. They have a sound that grabs you by the ears and slams your head into the wall, courtesy of guitarists Ares and Rogelio Lozano (Cypress Hill's live guitarist). Singer/lyricist Rey Oropeza lyrics are more introspective than on the band's previous releases, "Downset" and "Do We Speak A Dead Language?", though there are songs about politics, mass-production and consumption of glossy, manufactured, radio-ready music, and the state of life in poverty-stricken areas like the band's native South Central to level off the personal stuff.

The aim of this record is undoubtedly to show everyone how hardcore Downset is, and dammit, they certainly are hardcore. From the album cover (a crowd pummeling a single man) to the heavy, heavy licks to the screams of rage, Downset is definitely a hardcore contender. However, it took me three sittings to finally get through the entire album - hardcore doesn't necessarily mean listenable. To tell you the truth, I can't stand this cd. It scares me. I doubt I'll ever listen to it again. I might even take the advice of a friend and put it in my freezer where it can't hurt me.

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Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not respon sible for them in any way. Seriously.

Anonymous (October 1, 2001)

get a life you probably just hate him because you know him and are jealous that he has a life

Anonymous (July 18, 2001)

Dearest Mr. Pat Book,
I have concluded with countless hours of research that you are worthless and therefore should kill your self.

Listed below are five foolproof methods of killing yourself:

*1. Take a rope, tie a noose, place the noose around your neck, connect other end of rope to ceiling, and dangle miserably until no longer capable of breathing.

*2. Buy a gun, load gun with bullet, point gun to head, and pull trigger. (contact me via e-mail for loading instructions at Pat_Book_is_a_worthless_piece_of_shit@yahoo.com)

*3. Jump in a pool, ensure that your head is submerged in the water, keep that way until no longer capable of breathing.

*4. Find nearest cliff or mountain, Go to edge of aforementioned cliff or mountain, and jump off cliff.

*5. Take bath, bring radio, place operating radio on side of bathtub, when radio plays something you do not enjoy (don't worry you will not have to wait long) accompany yourself with the radio under water in the bathtub.

*- IF ANY OF THE AFOREMENTIONED METHODS OF KILLING YOURSELF DO NOT WORK. IT IS ENCOURAGED OF YOU TO REPEAT THE METHOD OR TRY METHOD OF DISCRETION.

PAT, YOU'RE A WORTHLESS PIECE OF FROG SHIT. KILL YOURSELF NOW FOR THE BETTER OF HUMANITY!!!

-SONIKtheHEDGEHOG

Anonymous (July 10, 2001)

i dont hear the rage against the machine at all. they're alot heavier, and alot better if ya ask me(although Morello is a mastermind on the guitar)- fathead

Anonymous (July 5, 2001)

Actually, it's "I can type correctly", not "right." That's like saying "I can talk good." Also, "and GRAMATICALLY CORRECT" is a sentence fragment. Ha!

-Senor Potpourri

SONIKtheHEDGEHOG (June 17, 2001)

Hey what's up Pat. God you're a piece of shit. Do you know how much i fucking hate you? No, Well then let me tell you all about it. I fucking hate you. Your reviews suck, you like shitty bands, you suck cock for a living, you like to suck goat's asses. You are a damn goat sucker (CHUPACABRA). It other words, you are a slimy weird looking little midget thing that lives in the desert of Mexico. You suck at reviewing as mentioned above, and i fucking hate you. YOU ARE A BUTT PIRATE. Now, as for the cd it's pretty shitty like PAT, but on a side note PAT IS A FLYING PIECE OF FUCK. Thank you for taking the time to read this review of PAT being a big asshole. By the way I can type right. and GRAMATICALLY CORRECT (notice I didn't spell the word gramatically wrong while ripping apart someone's grammar)do you See dickhead? By the way i will post this on every review you write.

Anonymous (April 11, 2001)

This Downset record may not be vry good but saying that they are a
Rage Against The Machine clone is just dumb. Downset have been putting out the same type of records just as long as rage against the machine has.

Anonymous (April 9, 2001)

I agree with the score given to Check Your People, but I agree that's a stupid review. The problem with this album is not that it's too scary or too hardcore, it's that it's way too uninspired. The only song that shows any kind of promise is the song Together, whereas the rest of the album is a bland mess of lackluster rapping and half assed rock riffs. Nothing really stands out, probably the only good thing about this album is that it has a pretty cool cover, and these guys are copies of Rage Against the Machine, only without the talent.

Anonymous (April 9, 2001)

again, another f*ucking less than par review. F*UCK RIGHT OFF