Light the Fuse presents three Perth bands, The Volcanics, The M-16s and Fourstroke, with recordings of their own exclusive tracks and covers hailing from a range of influential Perth bands, such as The Bamboos, The Victims and The Bakery...
The M-16s rendition of The Victim`s anthem "Television Addict" is a great choice of cover leaking energy everywhere, with frontman Ken`s intense vocals and some epic guitar, and all very Pistols in an Ausie way to boot.
"Tumble down" follows swiftly, proving that simplicity really is the key to good old fashioned rock and roll, and this is again showed with the pounding drums and piercing guitar of "Too Much, Too Much", confirming The M-16`s rock status and ending their tracks flawlessly...
In short this release is an all round asset to Australian music, as Light The Fuse holds some great quality tracks. However, more important is the fact that this is a compilation of those songs that you don`t realise how much you like until you`re still humming them a day later.
Talena, The-Mag (UK) (click for full review)
Listening to Light the Fuse is an exponentially rewarding experience. The three-way split features three Perth bands (yes, that's right, Australians) you've probably never heard of paying tribute to three other Perth bands with whom you may not have been any better acquainted. The fact that the three bands whose recordings make up the compilation (The Volcanics, The M-16s and Fourstroke) are solid, hard hitting rock acts is a bonus -- it's always great to find out that there are still bands out there that you've never heard of, actively making great music. The fact that the three songs they cover -- by The Bamboos, The Victims and The Bakery, respectively -- all sound like they were written by serious badasses will only increase your enthusiasm.
Confused?
The M-16s' work is equally impressive, and again, their cover of The Victims' "Television Addict" will earn both bands some new fans. The MC5 seem like a likely point of comparison, but the organ work and garage leanings also suggest contemporaries like The Hentchmen and The New Bomb Turks.
- Philip Stone, Slendid Zine (USA) (click for full review)
Somewhere, on the other side of the planet, there is an island continent responsible for gorgeous actors, surfing, and a small country town called Perth. Music and spirit often collide here and rock legends are born in isolation away from the mainstream world on the other side of Australia.
Light the Fuse brings together the Volcanics, the M-16s, and Fourstroke all on one stellar compilation. To look at it in its separate parts somewhat detracts from its sole purpose. While it is, in part, a nod to Australian rock legends like the Bamboos, the Victims, and the Bakery; at the same time these newbies are taking an unbridled jump toward a new generation of punk music from their homeland roots...
Second on the release are the M-16s, who tackle the Victims’ classic 'Television Addict.' Its unique lyrics and Ken Watts’ even more unique and amplified voice boost the song while also giving it an appropriate kick in the ass to give the track its due honors. The M-16s’ originals definitely hold their own, particularly the percussion-heavy 'Remains'...
Overall, Light the Fuse stays fueled and ready for the future, knowing that the history of the town and genre play as much a part in where these bands are going as well as where they have come. Good things are in store for this trio of rock bands from the land down under, poised to make as much of an impact around the world as their musical forefathers did before them.
- Janelle Greenwood, Playback STL (click for full review)
Perth has now proved itself as not just the overgrown country town on the other side of Australia, but as a machine thats breeding, and has bred, some quality talent, contrary to previous misconceptions. Light The Fuse is such an occasion, as to formally pronounce this talent and release it to the audience outside, and inside, the microcosm of Australias most isolated city, both geographically and socially.
New generation Perth bands The Volcanics, The M-16s and Fourstroke feature on this release, paying homage to some of Perths most influential artists from the past few decades; The Bamboos, The Victims and The Bakery. The release aims to finally make recognisable Perths already triumphant musical legacy, and introduce it's new stock of talent. Upon conclusion, it becomes evident that both aims are fulfilled...
Central position on the disc is held by The M-16s, who take reign with their cover from The Victims, whose members went on to play in the Hoodoo Gurus, The Scientists, The Beasts Of Bourbon and The Dubrovniks. The cover itself, Television Addict, is all chunky guitar riffs and unique vocal work, the bands own material further showcasing ripping guitars and snearing lyrical stylings...
For those in a similar position as I, too young to have heard the original bands in their heyday and too young to see those who cover them, this tribute to the Perth music scene is an opportune release. And for those already familiar with these tracks, a reincarnation of town heroes of the past and an introduction to Perths musical future, is surely worth the purchase.
- theworldisround, Faster Louder (click for full review)
Cool Australian comp on Out Of The Loop Records..."Television Addict", cover of old Australian punk legends The Victims done by The M-16's. Cool band with that typical Australian metalic punk sound we all love, like Radio Birdman, but also other famous Australian bands. Really great band, I also hear some early Blue Oyster Cult influences. Don't know if they really wanted to sound like that, or it's just pure coincidence. Anyway one of really unusual bands and a big refreshment...
Vanya, No Brains Zine (Netherlands) (click for full review)
Four tracks each from The Volcanics, The M-16's, and Fourstroke. All tunes are covers of The Bamboos, The Victims and The Bakery, three influencial Australian '77 rock bands that are virtually unknown off the continent. I'm not familiar with those bands either, but I know The Volcanics, who play excellent, stripped-down garagey punk n' roll. The M-16's are also really good in that vein, while Fourstroke has a more dragging, sludgy classic rock sound. All are assumably influenced by the aforementioned bands, but I also hear a lot of Radio Birdman. Not crazy about Fourstroke, but the rest rocks.
- Read Magazine (USA) (click for full review)
A rowdy showdown for three Aussie bands from Perth...The M-16's display some scorchin' guitar-driven rock'n'roll, not unlike Lime Spiders and Radio Birdman. Solid shit! They do a neat take on the much covered "Television Addict" by The Victims, another Perth band which members later formed Beasts Of Bourbon, Scientists and Hoodoo Gurus....This comp is one of the best releases from Out Of The Loop, rocks like a croc in a wombat's arse!
- Jens, Low Cut Magazine (Denmark) (click for full review)
Usually various artists compilations aren't much to get excited about. In this case, the exception can be found in two of the three bands featured in this collection of groups from Perth, Australia.
The collection showcases three current Perth bands (The Volcanics, The M-16s, and Fourstroke) who cover one song each from the town's past music scene, along with three original tunes to round it all out. Simply put, The Volcanics and The M-16s are incredible little post-punk garage bands, flailing away skillfully with their guitar rock strut. It's almost hard to believe they are both tucked away down under on the other side of the world while other more famous and less-deserving bands (who won't be named here) get all the press here in the West.
The Volcanics do their best take on the sloppy-but-sure glam rock of NYD & Johnny Thunders, and The M-16s seem to take their cues from the big guitars of The Cult. Fourstroke holds their own also with a classic drum & guitar attack, even though they are somewhat overshadowed by the other two. Don't miss this one---and since you're probably not going to Perth anytime soon, let your browser take you there.
- Mish Mash Zine (click for full review)
OK, no cliches about there being something in the Perth water. If you have to know, it has too much body for an East Coaster and, although still a short half-head in front of Adelaide, you're safer sticking to beer. Let's just say that the Rock Action-attuned denizens of the world's most isolated capital city are unusually blessed, and not ponder the reasons why. In spite of the lack of international touring bands calling by, or maybe because of that, The Volcanics, The M-16's and Fourstroke are three of the best bands in the wide brown land. That makes "Light The Fuse" one highly desirable CD.
The idea is a good one: Ask each band to dip their lids to a Perth band from that city's rock and roll past with their own interpretation of one of their songs, then lay down three more tunes of their own. Since none of these bands yet have what you'd call a substantial discography under their belt (The M-16's have released a single and an EP, The Volcanics an EP and Fourstroke a solitary seven-inch), anything coming down the pipeline is sure to get the converted stirred up. It's the rest of you we have to preach to....
"Television Addict" was an obvious choice for a cover by The M-16's, growing in stature over the years as a marker of sorts for Perth's take on punk. While it's hard to match the frenzied buzz of the original (and the Hoodoo Gurus still do a storming version - not surprising since since that's where former Victim Dave Faulkner has ended up), this take is pretty damned good.
The M-16's may not be breaking any new stylistic frontiers with their brand of mid-period Sonic's Rendezvous Band rawk, but there are few bands pulling it off as well. The battle between chorus and lead guitar in "Too Much, Too Soon" and the deft but firm touch of "Remains" won't surprise anyone but those who didn't know hi-energy rock doesn't stop and end with the Hellacopters....
The Barman, I-94 Bar (click for full review)
The chances of a Western Australian secession these days are a squillion to one, but if ever there was a hard rockin' soundtrack to arrest the population's attention, this is it. The Volcanics, the M-16s and Fourstroke continue the West's defiantly parochial attitude, as well as paying homage to the earlier, and seminal, Perth garage rock sounds.
There's a subtle chronological progression in the sequence of bands; The Volcanics are firmly in first wave Ramones pop punk, the M-16s produce a potent pub sound that's more Hitmen rock than garage while Fourstroke weight their music to the lumbering stoner rock aesthetic spawned by post-Led Zep bands such as Black Sabbath and Deep Purple....
The M-16s' chosen cover is The Victims' Television Addict (which continues to streak ahead of all other contenders as the best Australian punk scene ever); their originals are Rose Tattoo constructive rock anger baked in a Cult mould; a personal favourite is Too Much, Too Much, in which David "Spiff" Hopkins manages to cram a lead solo that's certainly not too much at all....
Patrick Emery, Beat Magazine (click for full review)
Many compilations fall into the trap of featuring pure gems scattered amongst material that just feels too damn middle of the road. This is due to a number of reasons; a lack of thought put into the tracklisting, reliance on the strong tunes to lift the filler, filler in itself. Light The Fuse, however, comfortably avoids such a problem through consistent strength, and not only is its quality a key to its overall appeal, but also its insight into the history of Perth homegrown rock 'n' roll, past and present. A history lesson, and a more than proficient one at that.
The Volcanics, The M-16’s and Fourstroke are our lecturers for this particular course, showcasing what has helped bring them considerable amounts of attention on the scene, as well as paying homage to local rock 'n' roll heroes of yesteryear....
The M-16’s follow by adding more fuel, largely thanks to their versatility, to the fire. Their ‘Television Addict’ cover (original creation of The Victims, whose members included a gentleman by the name of Dave Faulkner) sits comfortably within their own style, but is in fact outshone by their strongest track in ‘Too Much’ – its low-end groove tendencies and punk ethos make this Light The Fuses’ knock out punch. Possibly the only criticism the band will suffer based on this selection of songs is related to the actual production, which certainly drains a substantial amount of aural energy that would no doubt be presented with far more grunt in the live environment.
Steph Edwardes, Rockus Online (click for full review)
