FUELED BY FIRE – Spread The Fire

Quite often you see subgenres of Metal vanish, only to surface later. It’s simply the way of the Metal. Sometimes it comes back in the same form and sometimes with a new twist. During the last few years, fans have seen a lot of Thrash Metal bands releasing records with more or less “success.” Spread The Fire, which is Fueled By Fire’s first full-length effort, brings nothing new to the table, but sometimes it’s enough just to remind you of what has been.

Fueled By Fire was formed in 2002 and has released two demo’s prior to this (Life … Death … and Fueled by Fire!, 2005, and Spread The Fire, 2006). Brian Slagel (owner/founder of Metal Blade Records) contacted the band in November 2006, and top executives from the record company came to see Fueled By Fire perform with Hallows Eve and Hirax. Early this year they signed to Metal Blade Records, and have now released their debut album Spread The Fire. Prior to this release, they’ve been playing shows throughout the entire west coast of the USA, opening for bands like Agent Steel, Municipal Waste, Fates Warning, and Toxic Holocaust.

“Ernest Goes To Hell” is a fast instrumental that sets the pace for the rest of the album. The riffing is fast and loose and sometimes a bit straightforward, but it’s cool and rapid like Thrash Metal is supposed to be. The next song “Thrash Is Back” is probably the best song on the record. The riffs are still fast and the vocals that are presented are clean, but rough on the edges, not so unlike the vocals on German Thrash Metallers Vendetta’s song “Revolution Command” (of 1987’s Go And Live … Stay And Die). Fueled By Fire’s style seems to be heavily inspired by Metallica’s Kill ‘em All, early Slayer, and Bay Area Thrashers Exodus.

“Dreams Of Terror” continue the merciless old-school Thrash Metal assault. The shredding riffs and blazing guitars are still at high speed and the vocals carry the song. It’s also cool to notice that Fueled By Fire have taken use of the “shouting choir” (where the entire band shouts the words in-between the vocal lines). These three songs mentioned are the most standout songs on the record, but watch out for “Striking Death” and the title-track “Spread The Fire” as well.

This album could easily have been released some twenty years ago, but it’s still great to hear uncompromising, old-school Thrash Metal in the early 80’s style. They’ve captured the exact same sound that the Bay Area Thrashers presented on their early records: quick, complex guitar riffs that along with the vocals are the centerpiece of the music. There are also high register guitar solos, staccato drum rhythms, and a bass that’s thumping along noticeably under the guitar riffs, enhancing the bass drum.

Spread The Fire is a great album if you’re into the Bay Area Thrash Metal or Old School Thrash Metal. There’s nothing new about it, but it’s high quality Thrash Metal. The cover art for this album deserves a line or two for itself. It shows a Thrash Metaller strangling two Emo’s. It’s perfectly fit for the band’s message and music, and underlines that Thrash really is back!

Line-up

• Carlos Gutierrez – Drums
• Rick Rangel – Guitar
• Anthony Vasquez – Bass
• Jovanny Herrera – Vocals