Fuse: Fire, Fire!

   

  Making a real impact on the rock scene was never easy, even when the “n’ roll” part was still obligatory. Cutting through the noisy din that is local music in ’16 requires a band that can focus not only on their strengths, but also on their overall appeal.

   Anyone trying to build on cute gimmicks is destined to become stale in time. Rather than risk obsolescence, Fuse comes out of the gate with a hot, up-tempo LP that is also their first. At times channeling a grungy Guns n’ Roses, Fire, Fire! is an album that refuses to stay in one seat for the entire flight. Jeff Winfrey and Mike Giguere combine to create an enviable range with their guitars that keeps what is most definitely a hard rock album intriguing and nuanced.

   Fuse doesn’t wait to establish their credentials, opening with a bang. The guitar in Angels in the Sky evokes the same pumped up feeling that comes from watching a favorite morning series—familiar but also biting enough to awaken the ear.

   Better High than Dry stays powered up as the lead strings lend a metal-inspired zest and refuse to wait on the sidelines until solo time. The riffs and whams sprinkled across this song’s sheet music are what raise it from ‘fits the genre’ to ‘is the genre’.

   Rather than keeping things in the far left lane, Bro Morgan and company dial back a beat with Somewhere in Time. Conjuring something between Authority Zero and late 2000’s radio-ready rock, Fuse introduces their biggest dose of variety mid-way into the album.

   Throughout the record, Morgan builds music and pop culture references into the lyrical structure. While avoiding an obvious timestamp he manages to place Fire, Fire! firmly in the now. It’s a record that feels contemporary while still paying homage to the source material that permeates all American rock.

   Songs like Loose Ends remind a critical ear that Fuse understands that rock n’ roll greatness begins in a bar. Climbing to the top entails targeting an audience, then promptly melting its face off. Winning the live crowd first is a long-proven method for building a band’s chops that Fuse embraces throughout their debut set list. It can be tough to beat a shout-along chorus and an electric riff produced by a capable hand.

   Fuse plans to release their first effort in February. As with any initial work, polish and experience could always come into play. But this is a group with history. Because of and despite that history, Fire, Fire! is an album with teeth that is as at home on stage as it is on the go. Listeners that can appreciate a crunchy, powerful lead axe and a heavy but not quite metal motif should look no further than Fuse.