The Fuse Is Lit

The Fuse Is Lit

Editorial Reviews
<"b0000twmio2999"> About the Artist
A typical Downfall 2012 performance unfolds in the following fashion: members Daniel Gil, Andrew Zapatka, Adam Pazda and brother Josh Pazda unleash their aggressive brand of hip-hop influenced rock on the crowd at a small, dark club. As the set winds down, the band plays its most popular song, Rip It Up, an incendiary cut meant to make audience members lose their minds. While drummer Josh Pazda drives the slammin' beat, Gil and bassist Adam Pazda work the vocals into a crescendo as Zapatka delivers lightning bolt riffs on guitar.

Usually, the band allows an audience member to come onstage and do whatever comes to mind, including grabbing the mic and going for it freestyle. This causes the crowd to emit a kind of velvety roar, as if the building were about to lift off and land in some musical promised land where rock rules existence. It's in this place where members of the collective can let loose and be themselves.

"The best thing about performing live has got to be when all eyes are on you and the audience is bobbing their heads to something you created and you're giving it to them," Gil says.

"It's all about watching a crowd get down to your music, man," Zapatka adds.

Right around the time the band formed in 1999, it seemed as if all of rock music had gone "corporate." Downfall's angst against this trend can be heard on its debut CD, The Fuse Is Lit, an 11-track assault on contemporary America.

"I think there's a lot of good music out there that people aren't hearing because of all the corporate control," Gil says. "I mean, there are a handful of good bands in the mainstream right now, but overall there's really just a bunch of crappy music getting played."

Downfall's heavy, beat-driven sound can be traced to early Metallica and early '90s industrial music, two major influences on the band while it was just doing covers in suburban garages in Kingwood.

"We started playing seriously about two years ago," Adam Pazda says. "In the beginning, it was mostly some garage stuff. We were just a bunch of suburban kids in the neighborhood with nothing to do. But all of the kids in our area would come out and support us, so we decided to get serious about it. About a year into it, we met Larry Fulcher (Taj Mahal's bass player), who became very interested in our music and decided to help us. We finished our demo in his ministudio and decided to do a full-fledged album after that."

Standout tracks on the album include D.F.U.S.A., a patriotic romp about terrorism against the United States and the outrage of Sept. 11, 2001. Self Defense of a Third Person is an eerie blend of guitar riffs and out-of-kilter percussion that tells the tale of a small-town outcast run over by the town's football hero, who was later let off with probation. Tessa's Song is probably the most endearing cut on the album.

"Tessa's Song is about a girl me and Adam knew in high school," says Gil, who like rest of the band, except for 17-year-old Josh Pazda, is in his early 20s. "She died of a drug overdose. It was really sad to see that happen, especially since we weren't used to seeing that kind of thing back then. So we made this song about her. It's still pretty rough to play that song live sometimes. It's a song we feel is for anybody who's known someone who has overdosed."

Overall, the album generates the energy of a nuclear warhead with all of its targeted aggression.

"It took about two weeks to record the album," Adam Pazda says. "We recorded all of the music live and then the vocals separately. We did it live because when you do an album live, there's a vibe there that makes the music come alive. I mean, this is the kind of band where we can just pick up our instruments and write a song on the spot. In fact, I feel like we could do that live onstage. A lot of good music emerges from that kind of chemistry."

With such a strong percussion heartbeat pulsing through its music, Downfall's creative force stems from its d

<"b0000twmio4999"> Album Description
"The Fuse Is Lit", the band's debut independent release showcases an aggressive, traditional, high energy sound that captures the listeners attention with an aggressive approach.

The Fuse Is Lit, Music, Downfall 2012, Blues, Pop, Soul/Reggae/Rhythm & Blues

The Fuse Is Lit

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