Search - Fuel :: Monuments to Excess

Great punk band but not "Sunburn" Fuel from Pennsylvania

Justanotherguy | PA, USA | 10/08/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD is awsome if you're into punk. Don't expect to hear the Fuel from Pennsylvania that released the Sunburn CD. These guys are faster and have been around longer. Some of the members from this band now play in another punk band called Pinhead Gunpowder. Don't buy this CD expecting to hear another Shimmer. If you want the "Sunburn" Fuel, buy THEIR newest CD: Something Like Human ...which is also an awesome CD...but its not kick-a** punk like this!"

NOT WORTHY OF THE NAME, THEY MAKE THE REAL BAND LOOK BAD

zack | PA, USA | 07/21/2000

(1 out of 5 stars)

"THIS IS NOT THE FUEL THAT RELEASED THE ALBUM 'SUNBURN', AND THAT ROCKS! THIS BAND IS TERRIBLE! GO BUY THE REAL FUEL CD, NOT THIS PUNK JUNK!"

Not the adult-alternative contemporary "Fuel"

Mike | Minneapolis | 07/03/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"My word, I usually rely on patron reviews for music purchasesbut I'm calling that all into question after reading the reviews for"Monuments to Excess". This band is the Bay Area band that broke up 10 years ago. This isn't the "Fuel" that sounds like "Fastball" and "SmashMouth". This Fuel sounds more like Fugazi. Their music is a bit more straight-forward punk rock but still, the activist lyrics and anger and creativity are ever present. This Fuel has nothing to do with the cd "Sunburn". I cut my college teeth on this tape when it was put out on Rough Trade. Since then, it was release on Allied records and now, a new label. The tape I bought back in 1990 only had 8 songs. The Allied release had a few more but now, it looks as though all of their releases are present on this CD. It's really a great CD. "Cue to you" is one of those epic punk rock songs that makes you just love to listen to punk rock. It starts off with slow guitar picking, introspective lyrics, a gentle melody and eventually becomes barn burning punk rock. The lyrics are so great I used a few of them in some of my college papers. (Well, maybe just some of the words and concepts.) They are all about hypocrites and honesty and environmental degradation and greed. I believe some members are currently playing in Pinhead Gunpowder with Billy Joe from Green Day. Pinhead Gunpowder is pretty much Fuel sounding music with Billy Joe's vocals. I had a few 7 inch records by Pinhead and they never moved me as much as "Monuments to Excess" has. "Disengaged" and the "instrumental" song are also tremendous. "Not for Sale" is an obvious political song but, the music has a lot of power. "Why can't you" is actually a Fuel song set to the music of "Shield your Eyes" by the late Jawbreaker. It's all part of this large early 90's Bay Area conglomerate that was once great. It's not so great anymore but that's what happens. Blake from Jawbreaker is now in Jets to Brazil. Another musical reference point would be Hot Water Music. If you like them, you'll never go back to them after listening to Fuel. Fuel really has something that they lack but they still sound similar. I had to write this since the reissue just came out and I wanted to see what people had to say. Unfortunatly, everyone that said anything was horribly wrong."