- from Telling It Like It Is (1996, Inner Rage Records)
When I was about 12-13 years old, I was very much still in my formative years as far as music went. Hardcore punk, old school metal, grindcore; if it was short, fast and loud--I was usually into it. So, it’s funny to me that my first time hearing Fury of Five... was on a trip to see Allan Holdsworth (RIP).
So how did I end up hearing one of the most wignorant bands in the history of hardcore on a trip to see a fusion guitarist? Well, interestingly enough, in this weird gift shop/CD store within the venue, there was a copy of A Fistful of Hardcore, a heavy hardcore compilation on the German label Gain Ground.
As far as I know, this was my first real introduction to so-called ‘tough guy’ hardcore. Released in 98, the comp included many bands who are now considered pioneers of the beatdown genre: Baltimore legends Next Step Up, CA outfit Hoods (fronted by the notorious Mike Hood), All Out War and Neglect of NYC and, of course, New Jersey’s own ‘Fury of Five’. At the time, being the impatient tween that I was, I wasn’t really fond of the heavier and slower sound of these bands.
Over time, I’d grow to love the harder side of the -core, and essentially rediscovering these bands I’d gotten a glimpse at in my formative years. Fury of Five are definitely one of those bands. Even on a CD full of meathead hardcore bands, Fury of Five managed to stand out by being particularly meatheady. I mean, this truly teeters the line between hardcore and rapcore. If E-Town Concrete were hardcore’s answer to Limp Bizkit, then Fury of V were Mudvayne. These dudes make Eminem look like a schoolboy. Shit, if anything, Limp Bizkit wouldn’t exist without E-Town and FOV.
With all of that said, don’t let me make you think they suck or something. I’ll admit, a lot of their discography is hit-or-miss for me, but what I like, I really like. At their best, they’re the perfect example of rap’s influence on modern hardcore: groovy, heavy, in-your-face, tough, at times comically-so. Basically, taking everything from bands like Biohazard, Merauder, Machinehead, and turning the dial up to 10.
I always thought it was kind of ironic that, back then, so many bands labeled as tough guys also made some of the more interesting music. Obviously these days heavy hardcore is one of the most popular forms of ‘extreme’ music, but back in the 90s, these bands were not afraid to mix hardcore with hip hop, funk, even jazzy elements. I’ve always said the best bands are the ones who are weird without realizing they’re weird, rather than bands intentionally trying to be weird, and bands like these are the perfect example of that. I think bands who come from rough backgrounds have less of an inclination to want to try and impress, and in turn, their range of influences are often much broader. I suppose you could say that ties into the economic factors of genres like nu-metal/rapcore, and how it both appealed to and was created by said low-income communities.
I don’t know, guys, I’m just rambling at this point. tl;dr Fury of Five were awesome.
