18 Fevers bring ample punk fervor to its single “Gate Keeper” as the song calls out the nuances of gate keeping and those who seem to always put themselves in such positions of power over others. In the song there are lyrics denouncing the white savior complex which seems too relevant in so many places and even in a city like Seoul, South Korea from which the band hails. The song points out how gate keeping tends to keep a music scene or any local creative culture small because of arbitrary standards of who get to be a part of it and what is considered the genuine deal. The line “Whining about punk costumes and Kpop does not make you hardcore” is something most people can relate to who have been in or adjacent to a local or not so local punk or whatever style of music scene anywhere. The song and its raging and liberating sounds are about resistance to forces that try to define what needn’t be defined according to a checklist that was never really a part of where punk started or where it has gone but isn’t that also a critique of what is essentially an elitist and colonist mindset? Whatever the layers of meaning one can get from the song it’s a fiery takedown of the people and mindsets that try to keep things narrow and therefore boring. Listen to “Gate Keeper” on Spotify and follow 18 Fevers at the links below. The group’s latest EP Death Punk Disco released on July 13, 2023.
Queen City Sounds and Art 
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