Home to some of the spiciest dishes in Philippine cuisine and the beautifully shaped Mount Mayon, Bicol’s music scene is just as hot and active, with many names making strides from within and beyond their home province; DWTA, for example, has seen major success as of late, going as far as making it to the 2024 Wanderland Music Festival’s lineup. Bicol’s success in cultivating a vibrant music culture can be attributed to the efforts of its many community-based art collectives that are constantly ideating and collaborating to produce high-caliber releases and events that give Bicol its formidability as a producer of some of the best local artists in the larger music ecosystem. One such collective is Legazpi City’s Children of the Mist. Fervids is one of the major players under Children of the Mist. This young and exuberant rock band is no stranger to explosive live sets – no matter the distance – and their sophomore album SONIC BOOM embodies that destructiveness down to the T. It is not the first time we at The Flying Lugaw have set our eyes and ears on Fervids. In my initial review of the band’s material (see: TFL’s review of “SWEET TOOTH ACHIN’”), though middling, I saw potential – one that they have not yet fully embraced but the traces of it they had already worn on their sleeves. I was excited. Now, with a full blues rock-inspired album in their catalog, stage notoriety among the Manila crowd following an electrifying performance in TFL’s 2023 anniversary gig (Damn, if their set doesn’t get you going, then I don’t know what will), newfound inspiration from different styles of garage rock, and sharper songwriting experience in their toolkit, Fervids has never been more exciting. As exciting as it comes, though, the band does not immediately let on with their new style, as “SONIC BOOM” was teased with “ANNIHILATION” as some sort of a sequel or a spiritual successor to their self-titled debut album: a riff-heavy hard tune that draws primarily from the British Invasion era of classic rock. Even in the mastering of the album, this trend is evident. It isn’t until the third track ‘TRUE’ that their influences from modern contemporaries begin to flourish. This progression makes for an enjoyable listening experience, as “SONIC BOOM” is filled with banger tracks in this confluence of styles, each waiting to ignite. “THE VAMP AND THE SHEIKH” is a good example of a song that takes classic rock as the prominent element and elevates it to match the wavelength the band operates on. The result is something that Pete Townshend would approve of: a constant flow of kinetic energy pushing harmoniously against each other, and a sweet guitar solo from Andre you can never go wrong with. “I WANT YOU ALL THE SAME” operates similarly to “THE VAMP AND THE SHEIKH,” serving as Fervids’ take on a power ballad. This time, garage rock takes the driver’s seat. “EGO’S GRAVE” is easily the best track on “SONIC BOOM” and arguably in Fervids’ entire library thus far, only behind ‘Foolish Notion’. One of the few instances where the band donned a punk veil, “EGO’s GRAVE” shows Fervids going back to the drawing board and throwing out the window a lot of the things that made the band the renowned Bicolano blues-rock sensation they were known for. As a result, they made a song that was so emotional and dramatic despite its simplicity that it’s almost criminal that it only lasted for a little over two minutes. Its aggression almost reminds me of Comedown Machine. SONIC BOOM is a product of Fervids’ unwavering authenticity. Though it may have carried some of the characteristics that I marked as criticisms in my review of “SWEET TOOTH ACHIN’” two years ago, they are definitely working in their favor now. And given their prestige as some of the most electrifying young bands in the underground live scene today, each new song will only add more to their growth. But as tempting as it is to draw a connecting line between their growth and the evident success of SONIC BOOM as a rock album, there’s another comforting thought that I’d like to believe in. I want to believe that SONIC BOOM is Fervids’ way of proving us wrong. For thinking that wearing their influences on their sleeves would be to their detriment. For doubting them the first time around and showing us that their methods work, like the rock stars that they are. Support the art & the artist: