Recording information: Morrisound Studio (1996); Nordic Helmet Studio (1996); Nordic Helmut Studios (1996).

The second, and arguably best release from Gainsville's Hot Water Music, is this driving LP that opens with five of the best tracks the band has ever recorded. Swinging, complicated basslines and the throaty vocal screams of singers Chuck Ragan and Chris Wollard punctuate pummeling tracks like the opening "220 Years" and the fantastic "Trademark." The crunching dual guitars never let up, and the drumming is strikingly hard and original, only adding to the overall power of the record. Fuel for the Hate Game is raw and unrelenting, but it is also a refreshing release of energy, and an infectious one at that. This is the record that saw the band rise to the top of the hardcore/punk scene, and, years after its release, it is still as deserving of credit as it ever was. The tail end of the album starts to drag off a bit, a slight move downhill that some might say continued on ever since this record, but it doesn't take away from the unyielding rock that makes up the majority of the 11 tracks included. Many have copied but none have really achieved the urgency and integrity of this record, making Fuel for the Hate Game a truly standout recording. ~ Peter J. D'Angelo