HELLFUELED
Hellfueled - Volume One (Nuclear Blast)
2004
1. "Let Me Out"
(3:40)
2. "Midnight Lady" (4:24)
3. "Second Deal" (3:16)
4. "Someone Lives Inside" (3:31)
5. "Eternal" (3:55)
6. "Mindbreaker" (3:16)
7. "Sunrise" (3:21)
8. "Live My Life" (3:12)
9. "Rock'n' Roll" (3:08)
10. "Break Free" (3:35)
11. "Hunt Me Down" (3:02)
First thing that hit me when this CD came in the mail was the cover art. The horned embryo in it's amniotic sac reminded me of Black Sabbath's tacky "Born Again" cover or Loudness' 1981 debut "The Birthday Eve". Musically what we have here is doomy stoner metal, not unlike Fireball Ministry. However, while Fireball Ministry lean more toward Black Sabbath's doomy grooves, Hellfueled has more in common with Ozzy's "No Rest for the Wicked", right down to the shredding axework of Zakk Wylde and the Ozzy-like vocals. Hellfuled has an amzing sense for hooks and melody, yet still incorporated crushing heavy riffs and blazing guitar solos. Because of this I am sure that Hellfueled will be relegated to "retro metal" in a modern music scene that is no downplaying guitar solos and hooks for downtuned guitar riffs. Personally, I'll take this over the trendy mallcore crap any day of the week. So what of the similarities to Ozzy? Well it seems the band doesn't even try to hide their admiration for Sabbath and all things Ozz. Personally I don't care as the music is just really good and their is enough differences that I don't think even the most passive fan would confuse the two bands. Songs like the infectious "Midnight Lady" and the simply titled "Rock 'n' Roll" are fantastic classic heavy metal. Also, producer Fredrik Nordström (Arch Enemy, The Haunted, In Flames, Hammerfall) gave this one a crisp sound with lot's of in-your-face guitars.