When Fever 333 announced their formation back in 2017, fans of Letlive. had cause to believe frontman Jason Aalon Butler’s union with members of The Chariot and Night Verses could lead to the birth of one of that generation’s most exciting new bands. It’s not really worked out that way, though.
They were always superb live; they filled some impressively sized venues, and they even got a Grammy nomination. But with only one album and a pair of EPs in that time, and with many of that previous audience bemoaning Fever 333’s music being cleaner, simpler and more sloganeering than the deep complexities of their earlier work, it feels like much of their momentum has been massively lost. Moreover, two thirds of the original line-up is gone, leaving just their clear MVP, Jason, left alongside an entirely new bunch of bandmates.
Stylistically, the core Fever 333 sound remains. There are still thumping, rudimentary groove metal riffs, along with slick production and Jason’s socio-political rhetoric delivered in a variety of raps, screams and soulful croons. But here the likes of Higher Power and Desert Rap sound like totally unremarkable, elementary rap-rock tunes.
It’s not all bad news. Jason is as always, fully invested and committed to his role as chief agitator here, bringing some much-needed perspectives from a person of colour into the metal scene. The new Fever 333 have leaned more heavily on their hip hop influences, which gives songs like album highlight Tourist, a modern update of boom-bap and jiggy grooves, or the horrorcore, trap beat and riff heavy mash-up of Pin Drop a fresh, contemporary feel. Interpolations of Notorious B.I.G. and K7’s 1993 hip pop hit Come Baby Come – which rely a little too heavily on the otherwise excellent party rock of $wing – back this up further.
That feels like a pathway for Fever 333 to possibly achieve the potential so many felt they had back at the start of their career. But they’re not there yet.
Dark White is out now via Century Media/333 Wreckchords
