Max Fite - Shake It On Down

​Max Fite

Shake It On Down
self-released; 2016

3.7 out of 5

By Ted Rogen

Max Fite is a band that just formed in 2015. The band seems to mostly revolve around Fite himself. The photos on their website are pretty much of him and I can’t find much other info besides the fact that Carl Raether is in the band according to their Facebook page.

Max Fite released a six-song EP entitled Shake It On Down which is pretty straightforward hard rock. The songs revolve around distorted power chords, bass lines that supprt the chord progression and hard-hitting drums. At the center of it all are the vocals. In no way is this music reinventing the wheel but it is well produced and effective for what it’s trying to do. It rocks.

Fite opens with “Shake It On Down” which initially has a riff that’s akin to ’80s metal. Once he starts singing the ’80s vibe is gone. It’s catchy but overall fairly predictable. I was hoping for a couple of more surprises along the way which would help define Max Fite a little more. That being said the production is top notch and the song was easy to enjoy.

He continues to rock out with “Devil In Me.” Fite contemplates what others will say about him after his death. It’s a well composed song with a ripping lead. Up next is “Court Jester” and it falls in line with the previous songs. Fite rips through a couple of leads and implements catchy vocals on top of the bed of distortion. There really isn't much reason to go into the details on these no frills rock songs.

“My Own Fantasy” is arguably the highlight. I enjoyed the Queens of the Stone Age type rocking vibe as well as the almost constant lead guitar that is happening in this song.  “Yes Man” is a really fast, hard-hitting song while the closer “Time To Heal” rocks a little less than the previous song. “Time To Heal” was a nice change of pace and is a good way to end the album.

Max Fite definitely has an LA sound. There is just no denying that. It’s loud, in your face and you can’t ignore it. 

​This band is young and you can tell because it seems as if they are still searching for a distinct sound. Don’t get me wrong there is a foundation here but at this point it’s basic hard rock and the music doesn’t have enough qualities which really let me know it’s undeniably Max Fite. This is a solid band with solid songs at this point that unequivocally rock hard. Looking forward to seeing the evolution.

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