STRENGTH IN NUMB333RS
STRENGTH IN NUMB333RS has enough anger to fill an entire album, but FEVER 333 take it further. The band connect heavy guitars and rap with melodic choruses, electronic rhythms and moments of real vulnerability. Jason Aalon Butler brings these sides together with a voice that can move quickly from a scream to an inviting melody. The message concerns resistance, but also bringing people together.
BURN IT immediately demonstrates how much force this line-up can produce. The music stays close to the vocals and leaves little time to catch a breath. The song still retains its shape. Clear accents and a chorus that offers more than increased volume give the tension a direction.
ONE OF US uses a more accessible melody to create a similar sense of belonging. Its mixture of hip-hop rhythms, heavy guitars and soulful singing works particularly well. The social subjects become approachable without losing their seriousness. The band clearly want listeners to join in rather than simply observe.
The long INGLEWOOD/3 shows that the group can also handle more space. A personal, softer opening develops into a much more unsettled and heavier ending. That difference gives the song weight. AM I HERE? takes a more acoustic, questioning approach. These pieces prevent every emotion from receiving the same aggressive treatment.
Some of the large melodies and transitions feel familiar. The record does not reinvent rap rock with every chorus. Yet the commitment, variety and strong voice make that a minor concern. STRENGTH IN NUMB333RS is a fierce debut that does not treat anger as its final destination. There is room for uncertainty and hope. That gives the music something to say beyond its loudest passages, while keeping the immediate physical impact that makes those passages so effective.
