Live in Vienna & Tyrol

Downset: Hardcore legends with a social conscience

Downset. anno 2024 around guitarist Rogelio Lozano (2nd from left), who is also the last remaining founding member of the band.

(Bild: Downset.)

Exactly 30 years ago, the US-Americans of Downset. wrote one of the most important and timeless political anthems of the hardcore world with "Anger". These days, Rogelio Lozano and co. are back on tour in Europe, stopping off in Vienna and Innsbruck. We talked to him about the current significance of the band, what Downset. are all about today and what values they still represent.

On April 29, 1992, the wind changed in the USA. Four police officers accused of abusing African-American Rodney King were acquitted in court, leading to some of the biggest riots in American history. The outrage on the part of the African-American community triggered civil war-like conditions, 53 people died, several thousand were injured and the property damage resulting from the riots crossed the US billion dollar level. For a few days, the West Coast metropolis was transformed into Sodom and Gomorrah, and the after-effects are still being felt today. Around a year and a half later, the rap-metal band Downset. wrote "Anger", an unambiguous anthem to this terrible chapter in US history, capturing the mood as authentically as possible through direct consternation.

Anger and pain in songs
Frontman and songwriter Rey Oropeza was not only inspired by the events of 1992, but also by the death of his father, who was shot dead by the police in Los Angeles in 1971, leaving the then eight-month-old Rey a half-orphan. Years later, Oropeza poured his anger and pain into hardcore sounds with rap and metal elements. First under the name Social Justice, a few years later as Downset. The eponymous debut album celebrates its 30th birthday in a few weeks and "Anger" still stands on its own pedestal as a memorial against forgetting. In 1996, Downset. followed up with "Do We Speak A Dead Language?", a great album, followed in 2000 by "Check Your People" on the successful punk rock label Epitaph Records, but then the band's star, which never attracted much attention, began to sink noticeably.

Around ten years ago, the band finally disappeared into the fog of insignificance until they suddenly made a comeback in 2022. A year later, Downset. were back on tour and played a show on the Red Bull fire truck at Nova Rock, among other things. Rey Oropeza and guitarist Rogelio Lozano got together on the phone and just got going again. Through their old contacts, they got a record deal with industry giant Nuclear Blast and released the strong album "Maintain" in 2022. The downer for European fans is that Oropeza is no longer coming on tour due to his changed life circumstances and is regularly replaced on vocals. Lozano doesn't see this as a major problem and is eager to take part. In 2023, Cutthroat frontman Neil Roemer joined the band, and they are currently on the road with Joe Hyde from Illmatic.

The language of the streets
"Our name and the band stand for community, values and a better world," says Lozano, "Downset. means to me that you can get through all crises together and rely on each other. Within the band, but also beyond, with the crew, friends and our fans." The current state of world politics, especially in America, is not very uplifting for the guitarist, which is why a song like "Anger" has lost none of its appeal in terms of aggression or explicit content. "Rey has always spoken from the hearts of the street kids from L.A. with his lyrics. Los Angeles in the early 90s was a wild place, you can't compare it to today. The racism is still there, but when it comes to issues like crime, homelessness or drug problems, it used to be much worse. But the current situation reminds us that we should carry our message further."

Downset. have always dealt with the harsh reality in their lyrics and also see themselves as a band that has a certain form of responsibility. "We want to create a social awareness of the things that are wrong in this world. Reality is tough sometimes, we all know that, but ignoring it has never solved any problems." The current record "Maintain" is also about the community as a band or mental health issues, which are not taboo for Downset. "Pandamia did something to me too," says Lozano, "I felt a kind of anxiety that I was never aware of before. We then quickly focused on the music and wrote this album. Being creative made the most sense at that stage." In contrast to the live business, original singer Oropeza can be heard on the album. "It was important for him to convey the message that everyone should believe in themselves 100 percent and never be deterred on their path."

Downset. until the end of life
The fact that the lives of the former and current band members have changed over the last 30 years has not dampened the musicians' enthusiasm. "We're putting all our eggs in one basket with the band once again and want to achieve as much as possible with it," Lozano continues, "a small band like this can only exist if everyone involved gives up everything else and focuses on it. Economically, of course, it's difficult, but I want to write songs, perform and see the world. Downset. is what I want to do for the rest of my life." And who knows - maybe "Anger" songwriter Rey Oropeza will get a taste for the stage again at some point. "As long as we and the fans like it, we'll definitely keep going. We still have a lot to say."

Live in Vienna and Innsbruck
Downset. can be seen live at Vienna's Escape Metalcorner on June 12 and at Livestage in Innsbruck on June 23. Tickets and further information about the two concerts of the hardcore cult band are available at www.oeticket.com