Downsides – “Going Under”
Downsides is an Easycore/Metalcore band out of Center Moriches, NY. The band consists of Omar Montufar (lead guitar/lead vocals), Dan Palumbo (rhythm guitar), Billy Krausch (bass) and Ryan Noonan (drums). Drawing influence from bands such as A Day to Remember and Four Year Strong, Downsides comes at you with an aggressive Pop Punk vibe accompanied by heavy guitar riffs and sick breakdowns that will definitely have crowds going wild! They are set to release their new album, “Going Under” this coming Monday, the 29th and I was fortunate enough to check it out before release. This album is nothing short of an absolute banger!
“Going Under” is a six track album that packs a punch! Downsides begins the album with “The Scranton Strangler”, a quick one minute intro that sets the tone for the rest of the album. The song starts with the slow drumming of Ryan Noonan and leads into full band mayhem. Omar Montufar sings “it’s been a long time coming, it’s our time now. This is the second chapter, so play it loud!” I love this line because it couldn’t be more true. Downsides came to challenge the scene with this awesome album and it is definitely their time now!
The album continues on with “No Man Escapes the Kraken Alive” and “Dorothy Mantooth is a Saint!” These are my two favorite songs on the album. I love the upbeat tempo that Downsides was able to maintain while incorporating the hardcore breakdowns and face melting guitar riffs. “No Man Escapes the Kraken Alive” gives off early A Day to Remember vibes. It’s a song that would fit perfectly on the albums “And Their Name Was Treason” and “For Those Who Have Heart”. It’s the second verse that is going to have fans going wild for this song. The intensity in Omar Montufar’s vocals will resonate throughout the crowd and have fans screaming the words right back to him. If the vocals don’t get the crowd going nuts, the breakdown sure will! I can’t wait to catch these guys live and see this in action! The album then goes into “Dorothy Mantooth is a Saint!” I really enjoyed that Downsides put this song next because it was the perfect transition from the hardcore chaos heard in “No Man Escapes the Kraken Alive” into the softer, Pop Punk sound. Despite the lack of screaming vocals on this song, the members make up for it with their nasty instrumentals. The heavy, fast-paced drumming and fast, insane guitar chords give the song that hardcore, “kick everyone’s ass around you”, feeling!
Downsides transitions back into their hardcore sound with “Real Men Shake Hands”. This is the song that encompasses the most Metalcore sound on the album. The darkness of the instrumentals and vocals add so much depth to this one. Even in the vocals, you can hear the intensity and the raw emotion that was put into this song. “…I need you to make me whole again. I admit it, I’m weak. Is that what you wanted to hear from me? Will that make you whole again?” “Going Under” continues on with “Ol’ Armor Abs Krabs”, the first single off the album. This is the very first song I heard by Downsides and I was immediately sold. I love that pure, Post-Hardcore/Easycore sound that the band does so well. This song is sure to be a favorite by all fans.
Downsides ends with “Glass Hands”, a song that incorporates a different style than one would typically hear when listening to the band while still holding true to Downsides original sound. I was surprised that the band ended with a song that strayed away from their usual sound, but Downsides clearly knew what they were doing because this song is a banger. “Glass Hands” is much slower than the previous five songs. Although it slows down, Downsides doesn’t lower the intensity and hit this one out of the park! The band did an amazing job of keeping the instrumentals as true to their sound as possible and they ended up creating a classic on this album!
All I can say is that I’m extremely impressed with “Going Under”. Before I heard this album, I had never even heard of Downsides. Now I can confidently say that Downsides is one of my favorite Long Island bands! Make sure you follow their social media accounts and check out songs from the album on the blog’s Spotify playlist: After Hours Review! (songs will be added when album is released on Monday!)
Upcoming Downsides Shows!
April 26th, 2019 – Dad Shack w/ A Place to Hide, Mellophobiac, Rigid, The Deep End, Benchmark – Oneonta, NY
April 27th, 2019 – Creek Haus – Fredonia, NY
April 29th, 2019 – Album Release Party! – Amityville Music Hallw/ The Word and The Whisperer, Soul Searcher, Big Damn Octopus, Plead – Amityville, NY
May 24th, 2019 – Amityville Music Hall w/ The Everafter, This Crooked Home, Northernstate, Break Down The Walls, Justin Tierno – Amityville, NY