Fever 333 - Strength In Numb333rs

Fever 333 - Strength In Numb333rs

It’s 2019 and the state of the world is one of anger. At least, according to Fever 333, the end product of a generation raised on Rage Against The Machine. Fury, it seems, has no sell-by date. Their latest album Strength In Numb333rs is a furious mix of pop punk, rapcore and hardcore malevolence, which burns bright but misses the mark when trying to inspire a level of earnestness.

Musically, Strength fits the mould of the contemporary alternative landscape. Rough screeching vocals that embody the Fall Out Boy whine tell tales of violence, riots and uprisings. Drum blast beats are spliced with industrial hip hop fills, giving small blurts of variation that helps keep things brazen. Frontman Jason Aalon Butler plays the part of the livid soapbox preacher, part town crier, part skate punk poet, on songs ONE OF US (“Another one in jail, another young black male, he kinda looks like me”) and BURN IT (“When the neighbourhood in pieces, they say pray and look for Jesus”). Fire and Brimstone seem to suit him. It is in these moments where Strength shines, when the socially motivated wordplay is backed-up by an avalanche of hardcore percussion and scorching guitar riffs. For this brand of music to survive in the modern world, where beats have become more important than lyrics, it needs a thundering spirit, a healthy dose of Fuck You. Thankfully, Strength has in spades.

Unfortunately, this does not last throughout the whole album. What starts as a genuine statement against the endemic social problems facing some of America’s poorest communities, instead becomes a battle between filler or killer. AM I HERE?, which seems intended to be a tone and pace changer, is woefully out of place with its ballad-esque tendencies and pseudo-serious tone, while the poppy choruses of THE INNOCENT are cringy at best (It should have been named THE IMPOSSIBLE TO TAKE SERIOUS). What is particularly shameful is that, lyrically, these numbers remain on par with their peers. However, the slowing of pace in an attempt to convey a sense of solidarity just comes across as clunky, melodramatic and manufactured.

All in all, Strength In Numb333rs is a solid album from the Californian trio. At its best, it is one of the more arresting albums of January. At it's worst, it's like the child hyping himself up in the mirror before school, telling himself he's a bad motherfucker, because if he doesn't believe it then no one will. Mildly entertaining but unavoidable embarrassing.

Ultimately, it's when Fever 333 expose what lies in the shadows that they are at their best, their most honest. The commentary on the prison population, how the most in need are simultaneously the most forgotten. It is here that we can experience their true potential, and it is glorious to witness.  And while they devote their energy there, Fever 333 are viciously exciting and near impossible to ignore. A flawed release with memorable high points and forgettable lows.