Fueled By Fire

After nearly a dozen lineup shifts, the thrash metal band Fueled by Fire honed an explosive style reminiscent of 1980s speed-metal trailblazers Slayer, Overkill, and Testament. The outfit took shape in 2002 when drummer Carlos Gutierrez and guitarist Sal Zepeda began jamming together. Through local connections they enlisted bassist Adrian Gallego and vocalist Rick Rangel to complete the initial roster. Gallego soon departed, prompting Rangel to switch to bass while Ray Fiero joined as the new frontman. Seeking a fuller sound, the group added a second guitarist; Rangel returned to six-string duties and Anthony Vasquez assumed bass. That configuration held steady for roughly a year before Jovanny "Gio" Herrara replaced Fiero on vocals. Two weeks after Herrara’s arrival, the band tracked its debut four-song demo, Life...Death...And Fueled by Fire, which secured a slot at the Whisky a Go Go and helped cultivate a growing audience through repeated performances across Los Angeles.

Following the exit of third guitarist Zepeda in November 2006, Metal Blade Records founder Brian Slagel dispatched label representatives to a Fueled by Fire concert; the band signed with the imprint in March 2007. The remaining quartet promptly entered the studio to record its first full-length album, the nine-track Spread the Fire, slated for early August 2007. Later the group moved to Napalm Records, which issued the sophomore effort Plunging Into Darkness in 2010 and the follow-up Trapped in Perdition in 2013.