It’s EPs like this that ultimately convince me that No Echo’s owner, Carlos Ramirez, doesn’t sleep.
It’s the relentless digging that yielded Durham, NC’s Fever Strike, a hardened and five-headed phoenix found rising from the ashes of a litany of East Coast punk and hardcore bands, most notably Call It Quits. Having dropped their 5-song banger, The Eye Says It All, less than a month ago, the taught and exhilarating first batch has caught some ears. A
As if we needed further proof, their first introduction to the world found them rounding out a stellar bill that included real-deal heavy hitters: Break Away, Blind Justice, Regulate, and Krust. That’s great for a final show, let alone a first show!
Sonically, their sound looks onward into the future while it also harkens back to a time when aggression married melody. Though it no longer reigns supreme, Fever Strike has found a sweet spot while sidestepping the “amazing” tag.
Perhaps it’s the Carolina I hear, but there’s a Stretch Armstrong vibe running through “Regret," the second and standout track of the bunch. They embrace a melody-informed style of ripping metallic riffage atop a baseline that, at times, echoes the more intense and raw end of '90s skate punk. With leads at once thrashy and triumphant, Fever Strike exist as if lines will remain forever blurred, creating contemporary hardcore that finds it’s teeth in their willingness to embrace myriad sub-genres.
There’s no adherence to formula, as the final half minute of “Regret” is reminiscent of Daryl Palumbo or Geoff Rickly at their most desperate and pleading, an unexpected turn that also gifts us a crushing backing vocal before the fade-out. The other four tracks are worthy of your time and repeated listens that wind their way through a more pissed and pointed Good Riddance through a LIHC filter or even, at moments, a more melodically-inclined Warriors.
It’s this sense of playing what you love and were likely weened on that I love. They are bucking trends which always demands respect. Check ‘em out, lest we leave them at the demo.
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