By Reagan Wheeler
Fuel, made up of singer/guitarist Brett Scallions, guitarist Carl Bell, bassist Jeff Abercrombie and drummer Kevin Miller, has not moved into the future of music. The Pennsylvania natives are still stuck in their post-Pearl Jam days of grunge-rock with the band’s latest release on Epic Records, “Angels and Devils.” In opposition to the album’s third track “Forever,” which includes the line “you threw it all away,” Fuel front man Scallions didn’t throw it all away, but rather threw it all into this song. With a strong guitar solo by Bell halfway through the song, the song progresses nicely. Other noteworthy tracks include “Again” and “Hangin Round.” The album stays true to Fuel’s sound, but is still very somber and slightly sappy. Scallions has a great band behind his angelic vocals, but his raspy lyrics from song to song seem to be about the same topic, the past. Fuel would do well to take their own advice from track five, and “leave the memories alone.” The talent that is contained within the members should be pushed to new levels to create new, edgy rock. “Angles and Devils,” due out August 7, is not the band’s worst record, but could definitely be better.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 4, 2007. Read the original PDF.