Fever 333 – WRONG GENERATION (EP Review)
Fever 333 – WRONG GENERATION EP
Released: October 23, 2020
Lineup
Jason Aalon Butler // Vocals
Online
Last year Fever 333 dropped their highly anticipated album Strength In Numb333rs which scored them worldwide recognition, a Grammy Nomination and respect amongst the heavy music community for their fight against police brutality and the social injustices that African Americans are facing in America (and around the world).
On Friday, the lads will release their latest EP WRONG GENERATION which was conceived after frontman Jason Aalon Butler spent 13 days marching in the frontline at the rebellious protests throughout LA earlier this year following the tragic death of George Floyd. If you thought this band were angry before, you ain’t seen nothing yet!
The EP kicks off with new single ‘BITE BACK‘ which is a fast and furious assault on the senses that slaps harder than a Mack Truck to the chest! The heavy riff, combined with bangin’ drums really accentuate Butler’s vocals as he screams at us demanding we all ‘BITE BACK’ against the racial driven privilege police have against people of colour. The song’s breakdown is massive. The song itself – at just over 3 minutes in length – leaves you with more of a lasting impression than any of the mainstream media’s coverage of the global protests this year alone. ‘BLOCK IS ON FIRE‘ is up next and this one focuses on the band’s more rap/hip-hop influences sound wise, but lyrically it’s about the police/government officials who were hiring rioters to throw bricks at police cars/buildings so the blame could be shifted to the protesters. We all saw this being reported on the news and despite the minimal coverage it received, it was obviously much more present for those who were at the marches and events. With lyrics like “Block is on fire / y’all some fucking liars / cop cars, brick buyers / who’s the suppliers? / Since we own the subject / let’s talk ’bout the suspect / sworn in they serve us / they forget to protect”, you know who this song is directed to and it makes you think about what else they have got away with during all of this.
[wordads]
‘WRONG GENERATION‘ once again kicks off with that hip-hop sound with a riot alarm playing in the background and Jason’s assertive vocals grabbing your attention instantly. Repeating the words “you fucked with the wrong generation” repeated over and over again in the chorus, this call-to-arms anthem is going to inspire millions of new fans who have been following the band since day one OR who are just jumping on the bandwagon now. It has a hard-hitting RATM vibe behind it. People power and rising up against wrong-doers is the best way to describe what this song is all about and I can only imagine Jason and co. climbing on anything in sight at their future live shows (when they return). ‘YOU WANTED A FIGHT‘ slows the tempo down momentarily at the start before erupting into a yell fest track with a riff that – in my opinion – is an absolute nod to the activist champion himself, Mr Tom Morello! I know I’ve said it before, but Fever 333 are the next generation’s Rage Against the Machine and this track backs up my claims 100% ‘WALK THROUGH THE FIRE TOGETHER‘ takes that brothers and sisters in arms mentality and turns it into a walking into battle soundtrack with Jason chanting “we gon’, we gon’ die together / we gon’ walk through the fire together” over and over as the song kicks off before completely erupting with an all in assault adding a backing sound that’ll scare any doubters who stand in front of a mob screaming those words over and over again! The chorus is heavy, there’s riffs a-plenty and enough screaming that’ll make anyone singing along to this word for word lose their voice in a matter of minutes, especially when you listen to the lyrics on a personal level. Try and tell me that “please understand, the best you can / they want us dead so we can’t be free (so we can’t be free) / please understand, another man / is lying dead and he look like me” doesn’t hit hard and make you consider how lucky you are that this kind of thing doesn’t happen to you.
‘FOR THE RECORD‘ is fucking fast from the second it kicks off! This hardcore punk offering is akin to that of Jason’s side project Pressure Cracks and features cameo vocals from Walter Delgado of Rotting Out. It’s unlike anything Fever 333 have done in the past, but it’s a welcomed change-up in style that’ll please the band’s heavier sound loving fans! The best thing about it is how fast and furious it is… the worst part is how quickly the song is over, due to the duration, but remember kids, it’s not about how fast you finish, it’s about the impact you have doing it! ‘THE LAST TIME‘ brings the piano out for a balladesque offering that reminds me a lot of letlive.‘s last album If I’m The Devil… Emotionally raw and oozing with feelings of giving up on those we turn to for help. This is the song you just listen to for its heartfelt message and not the breakdowns or chuggy riffs. ‘SUPREMACY‘ wraps up the EP and this is the style I was stoked to hear Fever 333 honing in on. It’s pure rap/rock goodness combined with the band’s thought-provoking lyrics we heard on their debut album last year. If you appreciated the band’s album because of the more in-depth songwriting and storytelling, then this should slide into your fav songs from the band playlist instantly.
This new release from Fever 333 is definitely an EP. The songs are shorter and punchier, yet they still pack the force of a one-inch-punch to the face from a master ninja. WRONG GENERATION is the soundtrack for the BLM protests and marches we all witnessed in America earlier this year, which were also turned into demonstrations in our own backyard and if you ever want to be reminded about the atrocities African Americans and People of Colour go through on a daily basis, you only need to chuck this on and listen to the words frontman Jason Butler is screaming at you. My only critique would be that I’d love to hear the band go more in-depth on these issues like they did on their album, but considering this is supposed to be a quick release for the band to get their message across, I can only expect we’ll hear more of what they have to say on their follow up sophomore album.
Enough is enough. Something has to change and the fact our favourite musicians and public figures are using their platforms to raise awareness for these issues (on a global level), it’s only going to get more people involved in the fight against injustice and the wrongdoers of the world who are supposed to represent and protect us. This is more than a warning, this is a call to arms and you better believe we’re all ears. Are you?
Fever 333 – WRONG GENERATION EP tracklisting
1. BITE BACK
2. BLOCK IS ON FIRE
3. WRONG GENERATION
4. U WANTED A FIGHT
5. WALK THROUGH THE FIRE
6. FOR THE RECORD ft. Walter Delgado of Rotting Out
7. LAST TIME
8. SUPREMACY
Rating: 8/10
WRONG GENERATION is out tomorrow via Roadrunner Records. Pre-order here
Review by Browny @brownypaul
Revisit our interview with frontman Jason Aalon Butler talking all about the EP’s inspiration, their forthcoming live stream shows and more here
