Thursday, September 18, 2008

The Fumes - Self-Appointed Guardian of the Machine (1996, eMpTy)


As far as city scenes go, Spokane, WA couldn't hold a candle to the blossoming empire their westward counterparts in Seattle were amassing in the '90s, but they did lay claim to some standout punk bands, first and foremost, The Fumes. Not a whole lot of info about them online-wise, save for a Myspace page and here. The Fumes, spearheaded by a chap named Dee Farmin, specialized in the same breakneck, aggro-as-fuck punk rawk swill that folks like the New Bomb Turks and Zeke were perfecting right around the same time. Heck, you could even liken the Fumes to a less offensive Dwarves (if that makes any sense). Self-Appointed Guardian of the Machine was the band's second album, following up the very fun and even more furious, Knock Out the Axis. Machine was more accomplished then it's predecessor, easing the reigns ever so slightly, still stuffed to the gills with Gearhead venom and blitzkrieg aplomb. A followup album, Pure Bad Luck, released in 1998 would be the final word on the Fumes. Damn, it feels like I'm writing an obituary half the time on here. Furthermore, the band was also survived by a bevy of singles that would have made a fine LP unto themselves.

01. She Wears Boots
02. Nite of Mason
03. Indonesian Carpet Burn
04. Shout Out My Heart
05. Depression
06. Hen House
07. Flame Thrower
08. Broken Crown
09. Greek Riot
10. GTO
11. Head-on Collision
12. Mr. Bushmills
13. Leash

http://rapidshare.com/files/146179987/fumes.rar

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