Last Independence Day, in the parking lot of Randy’s Donuts in California, three musicians performed a 12 minute exhibition that was nothing short of exhilarating. These men are Jason Aalon Butler (ex-letlive.,) Stevis Harrison (ex-The Chariot,) and Arin Improta (Night Verses). What they publicly debuted on this day was more than a band: it was a political movement. Since then, the group has dropped three tracks, two of which were performed at Randy’s Donuts. On March 23rd, 2018, out of the blue, they dropped their debut EP, Made An America.
Despite all the starpower and talent, I wasn’t as excited as I’d hoped to be with these singles. The passion and talent is there, with each song presenting some very unique ideas, but they’re all under three minutes, leaving a lot to be desired. However, they make more sense in the context of Made An America. Sonically, The Fever 333 experiments with a few different styles. Tracks like “Made An America” and “Walking in My Shoes” show an alternative rock style that is very reminiscent of Linkin Park with a bit more of a punk-punch. “Made An America” makes an especially great introduction; more than any other, it says The Fever are here to stay. Then you have “We’re Coming In” and “Soul’d Me Out,” which are abrasive, fast hardcore tracks that will get the room moshing in seconds. “Soul’d Me Out” is easily my favorite of the collection of tracks, and definitely the one I recommend if you are a fan of these gentlemen’s other bands. This track is as crazy as this EP gets. “Hunting Season” is a bit more of an industrial rock track that incorporates some hardcore elements; it’s a slowburner, but the chorus is very much worth it. This EP caps off with “P.O.V.,” which is an unusual, industrial hip-hop track that is just as punchy as the hardcore tracks. This is probably the style the group experimented with that I am the most interested in seeing develop on future releases; it’s a unique departure from each of their previous projects. The fact that it works so well here shows that they definitely can do more with the style. On a lyrical level, Jason Butler is here to take a stance. He did this on letlive.’s last LP, If I’m the Devil, and he brings his views to The Fever 333 even more bluntly. Instead of lyrics like “Although my brother is sleeping with our greatest enemy/We still love him like we did when we were kids./But if another of my brothers meets that reaper early,/There will be nothing that can stop revolution,” which are performed with a touch of elegance, Jason sings lyrics like “So let me tell you about/Where all my people from/Where all my people from/We're living hand to mouth/And dying by the gun” with pure and relentless anger. This project reminds me why Jason is both one of my favorite vocalists as well as lyricists. He’s been a lot more upfront about his politics recently, and we see so much of his personality come out in his performances. He writes directly from experience and ties them to an emotional point. Arin’s drumming is just as expressive, switching up between authentic drums and electronic, providing different flavors. I would be lying if I said Stevis didn’t leave a bit to be desired for, though. There are moments on these songs where the guitars just seem to be absent, and it feels like something’s missing over a choice of artistic direction. The worst part of this entire EP is the third track, “(The First Stone) Changes,” which features Yelawolf. The moment I saw he was on this track, I knew it wasn’t going to be very good, and oh boy, was it not. His feature does absolutely nothing, and the song itself sounds like a mediocre, run-of-the-mill rap rock track, or Periphery’s “The Parade of Ashes” off the Clear EP, but that track had precisely the fire that this track lacks, although it pays lip service in the chorus. In fact, every other track on this EP has it; just not this one. Despite my love for the title-track and “Soul’d Me Out,” no track on Made An America feels complete. Even so, I am still interested in what’s to come for The Fever 333. Aside from the third track, each of these songs present solid ideas that Jason, Arin, and Stevis can tinker with to craft some really solid tracks. Made An America, more than anything else, is a teaser. The first sparks of a revolution. Once they tighten up as a band, which I feel they already have after their latest performance on Last Call with Carson Daly, they will be something ferocious. Until then, if you have been a fan of any member’s previous works, go into this with an open mind. You just might get something out of it, like I did. VERDICT: Made An America lets us know there’s a fever coming, and we should embrace what’s to come.
- Alex Brown
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