In Something Like Human, the moody and brutally emotional rock band Fuel has a solid follow-up to their platinum Sunburn disc from 1998. Produced by Ben Grosse (Filter, Vertical Horizon) and coproduced by Fuel guitarist-so... more »ngwriter Carl Bell, Something Like Human picks up where Sunburn left off, both musically and emotionally. From Brett Scallions's heart-wrenching vocal performance on the CD's first single, "Hemorrhage (in My Hands)," with its mournful reflections to the "Shimmer"-like "Slow," the bleak, dark temperament that characterized Sunburn is continued. Even seemingly upbeat moments are buried deep in paranoia ("Knives") or leave a bitter taste ("Solace"). Not as dirge-heavy as Alice in Chains (though "Down" sounds like that band) or as commercially viable as Creed, Fuel nonetheless have the strong songs and melodies to make their doleful musical visions eminently memorable and quietly cool. --Katherine Turman« less
In Something Like Human, the moody and brutally emotional rock band Fuel has a solid follow-up to their platinum Sunburn disc from 1998. Produced by Ben Grosse (Filter, Vertical Horizon) and coproduced by Fuel guitarist-songwriter Carl Bell, Something Like Human picks up where Sunburn left off, both musically and emotionally. From Brett Scallions's heart-wrenching vocal performance on the CD's first single, "Hemorrhage (in My Hands)," with its mournful reflections to the "Shimmer"-like "Slow," the bleak, dark temperament that characterized Sunburn is continued. Even seemingly upbeat moments are buried deep in paranoia ("Knives") or leave a bitter taste ("Solace"). Not as dirge-heavy as Alice in Chains (though "Down" sounds like that band) or as commercially viable as Creed, Fuel nonetheless have the strong songs and melodies to make their doleful musical visions eminently memorable and quietly cool. --Katherine Turman
Corey K. (clanoftheduck) from SPRINGVILLE, IN Reviewed on 3/23/2007...
This CD album includes a second disc with extra PC accessed content
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Robert B. from LAND O LAKES, FL Reviewed on 11/15/2006...
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CD Reviews
It's serviceable
ecp2 | Durham, NC United States | 09/19/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"On their sophomore effort, at least as far as major releases go, Fuel doesn't really seem to change much from what made their debut album a hit. They continue to straddle the line between today's increasingly popular heavier bands and the alternative rock of the 90's that seems to be harder and harder to find in a quality form these days. Nevertheless, "Something Like Human" is still serviceable. It has its share of easily accessible songs with single-word titles like the single "Hemorrhage", as well as "Solace", "Bad Day" and "Slow". Meanwhile, they still manage to squeeze in their darker, heavier songs that aren't so radio friendly, like "Down" amidst the rest of their riff-filled tracks that all seem to blend in together. What makes this band better than a lot of the new acts coming out these days is that despite the depressing nature of the music as a whole, they still manage to fit in some, (I stress the word "some"), hooks and melodies, and they rarely resort to the primal, distorted screaming that many other bands find so charming. I was a bit disappointed that they didn't include at least one or two tracks with a more upbeat tempo. I saw them in concert, and they proved that they could pull off songs like "Nothing" from their Porcelain album that were catchy, but still heavy enough to retain their masculinity. Oh well, dark, downtrodden and heavy seems to be the way to get the money if you don't have a sugary voice, good looks, and someone else to write your songs."
ONE HECK OF A CD!
Nick | Louisville, KY United States | 02/14/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is probably the best post-grunge era CD to come out in 2000. Easily. This one does not disappoint! Fuel is a great band known for their hard-rocking tunes like "Shimmer", but I think their strong point is their semi-ballads. "Hemmorhage" is a great song, but top 40 radio will soon overplay it and kill the goodness of the song. Another good song is "Bad Day", a Matchbox-20-like ballad. This song is destined to be a number 1 hit. Heartfelt, catchy, and stunning, this is one great song.My other favorite tracks are number 7 and 8, "Prove" and "Down". Prove is a great song similar to the other songs on the album. "Down" is an awesome rocking song with a great guitar hook. It pumps me up when have to swim a race. Its a great song. Fuel reminds me of a post- Alice and Chains. Only better. If you are looking for an alternative to Creed, or a harder-edged Matchbox 20, look no further. This is a very solid cd, a cd that proves they are no one hit wonder. This group will be HUGE by the end of 2001, as radio begins to pick up "Hemmorhage," and Alternative stations picking up "Innocent", a great song with another great guitar hook. BUY THIS ALBUM. YOU NEED IT."
Fuel delivers with SLH
Matthew C. Russoniello | 09/26/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Those of you who have seen Fuel live in concert, know the power and energy that this band possesses. Their latest album Something Like Human does a great job of capturing this energy. The Sunbrun album produced a few big hits, mostly the radio freindly Shimmer and Sunburn, and Something Like Human is sure to pick up where the last album left off. Carl Bell the lead guitar/songwriter does a wonderful job with the lyrics. Track #5 Bad Day is sure to be a smash hit like Shimmer. Fuel starts the album with the gritty song Last Time which combines hot guitar licks with a very passionate vocal track from Brett Scallions. Hemorrhage, the first single released, shows Fuel's unique ability to combine soft and heavy sections in one song, with the end result sounding great. The next track Empty Spaces hits hard and never lets up. Soalce, Bad Day, Inocent, and Slow show off Fuel's softer side, and Bell's awesome lyrics. Prove, Easy, Knives and Down show that Fuel still knows how to play some good old rock and roll. This album is a must have for any rock and roll fan. If Fuel is not a part of your CD collection, do yourself a favor and pick up SLH and Sunburn, you won't be disappointed!"
Fueled to perfection
Matthew C. Russoniello | Spokane, WA United States | 09/20/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Anyone who has heard Fuel's first album "Sunburn" probably won't be able to tell the difference between that album and this one. But that is not neccesarily a bad thing. From the beginning, they had a strong, distinctive sound that drew me to them to begin with. It is nice to see that not every band out there is trying to reinvent themselves. They stuck with their sound and it turned out to be a good thing. Enjoy."