Downset
DOWNSET
»Maintain«
OUT: June 10th 2022
Line up:
Neil Roemer | Vocals
Rogelio Lozano | Guitar
Phillip Gonzalez | Bass
Bobby Blood | Drums
DOWNSET online:
https://www.facebook.com/DownsetLA
https://www.instagram.com/downsetofficial
The word MAINTAIN is defined as ‘a condition or state of affairs; to provide with the necessities for life or existence.’ To have the ability to maintain is to be able to hold fast to the unpredictable balance that is life, and to find a way to prosper through the most fluctuating of circumstances. LA hardcore natives DOWNSET are no stranger to this concept, going on to use life’s checks and balances as the inspiration for their first new album in almost 8 years: MAINTAIN.
Recently signed to world renowned heavy metal label Nuclear Blast Records, and having recently released reissued throwbacks of their original demos, DOWNSET have reawakened the passion of old-school hardcore within themselves, and have tapped back into the energy that fueled them from the beginning: life, death, love, hate, injustice… and the streets.
“From the beginning I’ve had concerns about the problematic nature of society,” explains founder and vocalist Rey Oropeza. “I reflect on the experiences of my life. There are concepts that should be challenged and thought about. Everyone is going to come to their own conclusions on how they feel about inequality, misogyny, political topics, etc. but all of these things have kept me critically focused on my activism over the years. My abilities as a vocalist revolve a lot around what I’m feeling, going through, or witnessing at the time; pretty practical.”
“During pre-production, MAINTAIN was the first song that we plucked out of the air,” describes founder and guitarist Rogelio “Roy” Lozano. “Going through hard times you’ve got to hang in there, hang on, MAINTAIN and hold it down. During the first wave of the pandemic, we had a lot of fear.
