By ISAAC SERRATO
Staff Writer
Downset is LA underground hardcore band that blends hip-hop, rap, heavy metal, punk hardcore into their music with lyrics about ‘social awarness’.
Downset made a song called ‘Pure Trama’ from their album ‘Check your people’ the song is about emotional trauma and attempts to replicate emotional trauma by it’s fast aggressive, highly distorted music. With reflective lyrics on what having PTSD is like.
(Picture of the album of “check your people”)
“Visions flourish through the hallways of my mind, holding, haunting, I’m still there, pure trauma frame by frame pure trauma / I’m Still There / Pure trauma” and the repetition of the words “I’m still there and pure trauma”. Is supposed to represent the horror of having PTSD despite the event being over it replays in their mind over and over again playing for infinity, haunting your mind, still there even though the event was long over.
The song is excellent as in the beginning it starts with a soft electric guitar playing with an amazing riff, then the drums kick in high gear to show how intense the song is going to be. Their lyrics kick in with aggression mixed in with the instrumentals giving off a feeling of being trapped in your mind with anxiety beating you down repeatedly. Then the song will slow down for 2 seconds to say the lyrics “I’m still there/ Pure Trauma ” to represent the realization that the memory of that terror is still there. Then in the middle of the song after a dragged out lyric the song plays a heavy metal riff with the drums giving off a feel of dread. Then my favorite part of the song that is unique is the guitarist makes a haunting riff that feels like you’re going through a panic attack, flashbacks of the traumatic event, even though it’s 8 seconds long it feels incredibly haunting, but amazing. The end then finishes off with the instrumentals dying off and the lyrics slightly echoing as if the person suffering from PTSD is an empty person after the repeated emotional damage.
Ultimately this song is amazing as it has excellent heavy metal riffs, it’s lyrics show how horrible PTSD is, but Downset doesn’t sacrifice good music over meaning, instead they balanced it. By having incredible, fast paced, aggressive sound while having lyrics that bring a huge issue to light.