Albums of the Week: 18/01/19 (FEVER 333, Wristmeetrazor, De Staat, The Twilight Sad)

So here’s the idea; every week, in this segment, I give a short review for a few newly-released albums I’ve listened to. There’s no criteria for the genre (or quality) of the records, it’ll just be my opinions on what I’ve listened to. Place your bets now on how many weeks I'll manage to keep it up 😬

FEVER 333 – Strength In Numb333rs

6.5/10

Best Tracks: One Of Us, Burn It, Prey For Me/3

FFO: Rage Against The Machine, Linkin Park, letlive.

This debut record from Fever 333 was one I was very much looking forward to hearing, because this band feels like a movement.  After hearing their bombastic debut EP and seeing their sets at both Download and Reading last year, the idea that Fever 333 are the closest thing this generation has to a Rage Against The Machine wasn’t far from my mind (especially with their sonic similarities).

Strength In Numb333rs, in many ways, is surprising. It shows flashes of brilliance, mainly during the latter half of each track which ends with “/3” – each of these “songs inside a song” are the most aggro, exciting, and chaotic moments on the album. The rage within Jason Butler’s voice - fuelled by the political themes which arch over the entire record – is palpable and rousing, and the anarchic stylings of the /3 sections are overall the best part of the whole thing. Maybe it’s just me and my taste, but if the entire album followed the style of these parts, we could easily be looking at an 8 or a 9 here. The hip-hop elements (which also featured heavily on the EP) are well done, too.

But the album, for the most part, isn’t so wild and raw. Instead, the amount of Chester Bennington worship is unexpectedly high; the choruses of ballads Am I Here? and Inglewood wouldn’t look out of place on Minutes To Midnight (or even One More Light). A lot of the time, these near-saccharine passages begin to sound quite bland, slowing the pace and rendering the lyrical content far less involving. Producer John Feldmann – the Jamie Oliver of the sound engineering world - has firmly made his mark on parts of Strength In Numb333rs, in an obvious attempt to try and make the project as widely marketable as something like All Time Low or Blink-182. Sack him off, lads. Get Kurt Ballou in.

Occasionally, the balance between Jason’s huge choruses, his rap verses, and the band’s penchant for havoc meets a beautiful sweet spot. On tracks like One Of Us and Burn It, it all comes together fantastically. And on the whole, whilst the album has weak moments and could definitely be considered top-heavy, it’s hard not to be excited at the actual idea of Jason, Stephen, and Aric as a band. The live show will still be outstanding, it still feels like a movement, and there’s still a fever coming. It’s just got soggy pop-rock choruses sometimes.

Wristmeetrazor – Misery Never Forgets

6/10

Best Tracks: Insecurity Checkpoint, Loathsome

FFO: Pg. 99, Portrayal of Guilt, Vein

An artist I only discovered the day of this album’s release, Wristmeetrazor provide a delicious combination of metalcore (akin to Poison The Well or Converge) and classic screamo on their latest album. It’s as brutal, disgusting, and cathartic as you could want from such a project. The combination of the forlorn spoken-word and melodic passages and throat-shredding screams is, for the most part, disturbing and affecting, though sometimes lyrically falls a little flat. On Come In, The Water’s Pink especially, the whispered repetition of the spoken word in the song’s early stages comes dangerously close to self-parodic. Without a doubt, the record is at it’s best when it goes with all-out ferocity on tracks like Insecurity Checkpoint and Loathsome.

It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but I’d definitely check this one out if you’re into your gnarly screamo and metalcore.

De Staat – Bubble Gum

5.5/10

Best Track: Me Time, Mona Lisa

FFO: Muse, Everything Everything, Battles

Dutch experimentalists De Staat are almost indescribable as a whole, but they’re at their very best when they write off-kilter rock bangers with weird instrumental choices. From Sweatshop to Witch Doctor to Get On Screen, their previous records have been peppered with nuggets of gold which are irresistibly danceable, but they’ve never really been a “full albums” band. With Bubble Gum, unfortunately, they can’t seem to buck the trend. Most of the tracks on this LP aren’t bad, per say, but rather just forgettable. The exceptions come in the form of Mona Lisa and Me Time – both instantaneous dance floor fillers with a slightly dangerous undertone; the result of great vocal delivery from Torre Florim, heavy electronic leanings, and punchy drums.

Though Bubble Gum subs out the indie rock influence of their previous album, O, for some 90s-style techno, the songwriting remains much the same. It leaves the band with a few more live set staples but ultimately is a little unfulfilling as a full listen.

The Twilight Sad – It Won/t Be Like This All The Time

8/10

Best Track: Auge/Maschine, Shooting Dennis Hopper Shooting, [10 Good Reasons For Modern Drugs]

FFO: Frightened Rabbit, Foals, The Cure

This is the first Twilight Sad record I’ve ever listened to, so I can’t comment upon whether it’s a deviation from their previous work or not. I also won’t go on about genre here and pretend I know a lot about post-punk, shoegaze, and indie, but all that being said - this album did fascinate me, and I can appreciate the brilliance it showcases.

To me, it seems like the music here was built for late-night driving. It’s subtle and understated, but never feels boring or too far drawn out. James Graham’s vocals (the most Scottish voice in music I’ve heard since The Proclaimers) are beautifully brooding, and when it increases in intensity, comparisons could easily be made to the late, great Scott Hutchison – a good friend of the band. In fact, the blood of Frightened Rabbit runs through the veins of this album, particularly their last record, Painting of a Panic Attack, which features a similar use of percussion and synths; the two things that drive both records along. I also have to mention that I absolutely love the wailing guitar which runs almost constantly throughout Auge/Maschine, which might be my favourite song out of all the albums I’ve reviewed in this article.

Though it definitely took me a few listens, I'm now fully on board with this record (and this band in general). Whether you're a fan of indie, post-punk, or simply experimental music, I'd find it hard to believe that you won't find at least two or three tracks here that you love. It Won/t Be Like This All The Time is my album of the week.