Universal

Downset | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 1, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Liquid 8
• ASIN: B0001MDP72
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #233,642 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Downset's back!, June 2, 2004

By 

A. Heuer (Hamden, CT USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Universal (Audio CD)

OK, only one review up so far and it's negative. I gotta disagree. Downset is back with a vengeance on this disc. Musically, it's a companion to their first disc, with a bit more melody, especially in the "shout-'em-with-me" choruses. But it's heavy, and the less-polished production serves the band well. Downset is not a we're-gonna-impress-you-with-our-studio-tricks kind of band; they are raw, intense, and rejuvinated on this disc. Lyrically, Rey focuses less on writing manifestos against issues like racism and violence toward women, and more on personal issues like survival, reaching out to others, and staying in the game. But this is a vocalist who continues to share his message - and his heart - without compromise. Thank you Downset (and Hawino Records) for staying true to your original vision. Here's hopeing disc 5 follows sooner rather than later.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Getting better with age..., December 14, 2004

By 

R. Hord (San Antonio, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Universal (Audio CD)

I started listening to downset back in '96 when the title album came out... the song "Anger" just really grabbed me. Well i loved that album, then a couple of years later got "do we speak a dead language", and at first it wasn't as good to me as downset was.... but i grew to love it... and in fact i ended up liking it more than downset.

the same thing happened when "check your people" came out. The first time i listened through it, i thought it was horrible... didn't appeal to me at all. But the more time i gave it, the more i loved it... and now, i like it better than the first two albums combined. it is more of a produced sound, so you don't have that raw edge you heard in downset... HOWEVER, the production is good, and it works. Reyes really conveys his messages well in this one, and in the first track the vocals are sung off key and kinda poorly... but it works on this track, and almost sounds like he sings off key on purpose... give the first track a listen and you'll understand what i'm saying.

The first track is both melodic in the chorus and the hardest track of the CD... don't judge the whole album by the first track alone though.... the song "2000" harkens back to "Anger", by the repetition of the title of the song.... and it works well... every track on this is solid, and they have even included the requisite track in spanish called "en el aire", and it is great... soft in the beginning and slamming vocals once it gets going.

this whole album is great, and if you always like downset and have grown up with them, you will appreciate the bands maturity in this album. the production has changed for the better, but the sound is good old downset. you can't go wrong with this one.

if you are new to downset, i recommend starting out with the album "downset.", and working your way more recently... if you are younger and can't appreciate the original, you might enjoy this if you liked the second album.

Downset doesn't really sound like any other band... you can't lump them into a specific category, if not LA-based metal, or latino hard rock. I love their sound and the whole thing works.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars True to it's roots..., June 27, 2004

By 

JRM "JRM" (Corvallis, OR USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Universal (Audio CD)

Downset has successfully shaken off the majority of thier rap-rock skin of the past and have really come into thier own. Now, I say most of it, because you can still tell it's the same guys who put out "Do We Speak A Dead Language".

"Check Your People" is admittedly one of my favorites, so for me "Universal" has proven both a regression and evolution. Regression meaning the sound quality is beavier, but very stripped-down much like Sepultura's "Roorback". What do I mean by evolution? Well, to the casual listener it may sound like more of the same at first. But much like Fear Factory's latest, it takes a while to sink in.

Universal's overall sound is distinctly Downset: Booming bass, cohesive-yet-basic heavy metal riffs, thick n' moshing hardcore breaks, and the ever-screaming Rey. I'd recommend this to fans of "Check Your People" who are looking for a step in a similar sonic direction. "Universal" is much more centered on the feel of the riffs and the feel of the vocals, rather than the message and the complexity of the music. The feel is quite pained and menacing throughout, much more hardcore-metal than rap.

Highly recommended for all Downset fans, old and new. I gave it four stars because unlike "Check Your People" I have no desire to listen to this CD every day, especially on a hot summer day when I'm bouncing off the walls. Maybe if I had air conditioning this would get a higher rating, but at my brain it is grating.