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Fueled By Fire

Spread The Fire

Written by: PP on 07/10/2007 04:05:11

About a year back or so, I remember having to review a million power metal records that all sounded like carbon copies of each other. I also remember giving a statement like "how great would it be with some new thrash metal for a change", and it looks like the record execs are reading our reviews, because as of late I have seen tonnes of bands obsessed with 80s thrash revival arriving into my mailbox. I've received promos by all kinds of thrash bands: the bay-area sounding bands, early metallica styled bands, and by bands like Fueled By Fire, who really sound like they have arrived two decades too late.

Slayer's riffs 'slay' and ooze of evil, and early Metallica's technical proficiency is breathtaking at times. But that's not what Fueled By Fire's new album "Spread The Fire" is all about, albeit it being categorized under thrash metal. This is pure speed metal, delivering polished riffs in speedy sequential passages. What that means in plain english is simple repetitions of small passages at great speeds to create the kind of sound which demands you to have your fingers lingering up in air as you are trying to mimic the movements of the guitarists' hands. Especially during the impressive solos.

But overall, it all sounds a bit cheezy. Everything about their music is really predictable, after all they are playing in a genre that has been around for more than two decades now. The 'true metal' clean vocals sound like their best before date has passed long ago, and the riffs aren't that original either. They are straightforward, and occasionally worthy of a headbang or two, but nothing special. The guitarists shred like fuck throughout the record, which is an impressive trait in itself, but not enough to lift this record to the level pre-defined by bands like Sepultura and Slayer in the genre. Furthermore, much of the record sounds far too unison for my liking. There isn't much variation, but I guess that's the whole point when you are trying to give mouth-on-mouth resuscitation to a genre that has only been kept alive by the occasional Slayer release. Thrashy speed metal is dying out, because it sounds too tame in today's musical landscape where we are constantly bombarded with bands heavier than one another. No matter how much Fueled By Fire tries to force it onto me with titles like "Metal Forever" and "Thrash Is Back", I'm just not convinced. Too cliché, too straightforward, too generic.

Download: Metal Forever, Thrash Is Back
For the fans of: Onslaught, Dekapitator
Listen: Myspace

Release date 13.08.2007
Metal Blade
Provided by Target ApS