On "Inflict The Inevitable," Fuelblooded offers up a barrage of melodic death/thrash-influenced instrumentation with enough vocal variety to ensure an original overall sound. At the core of the band's sound, you'll find riffs geared more toward eighties heavy metal acts like Iron Maiden and it's safe to say that much of the record's instrumental appeal lies in a direction that's not too distant from bands like Trivium and Bullet For My Valentine. However, the vocals of Vital Welten possess enough character and dynamics to prevent Fuelblooded from coming off as trend followers.
From 1989 to 2002, Fuelblooded went by the moniker Sacramental Sachem. Starting the writing process for "Inflict The Inevitable" in 2003, the band headed into the studio in 2004, recording the entire record in several different sessions. Jacob Hansen (Mercenary, Communic, Raunchy) was handed the masters in December of 2004, with the talented engineer handling mixing and post-production work as well as the record's final mastering.
Such a protraction of effort in creating the album shows in the final product. Nary an error is apparent in terms of production and execution on "Inflict The Inevitable," with a crisp, clear sound relaying the group's definitely headbangable tunes with a honed intensity.
As "Dream Tech Inc." illustrates the level of musicianship Fuelblooded doles out, the listener is treated to an intense yet accessible foray into unadulterated metal thunder. Tracks like "Measure Swords" and "Art Of Life" emphasize the group's ability to launch a full scale metal attack that leaves nothing standing in its wake, while the varied technique of Welten makes "Constructive Destruction" an appealing enough reason to inspire moshing fits.
Fuelblooded is most assuredly relevant in the scope of today's metal commune, delivering powerful, suitably aggressive sounds with no signal of musical weakness, making this record both laudable and entertaining.
- ErinFox
(See reviewer's scoring method)
