Welcome back Fuel! After a lengthy layoff and a major lineup switch since their last record, the current Brett Scallions-led edition of Fuel showed that the future is indeed bright during their record release show at The Viper Room in West Hollywood, Calif.

Giving fans a taste of the newly released 'Puppet Strings' album right off the bat, Scallions led the band through the hard-driving opener 'Cold Summer' and the anthemic preview track 'Yeah' before digging into the back catalog. Scallions and guitarist Andy Andersson then matched the sweaty vibe of the packed Viper Room with a swampy, reverb-filled guitar jam before launching into fan favorite 'Sunburn.'

Other older standouts like 'Falls on Me,' 'Shimmer' and 'Bittersweet' followed before Fuel revisited their new record. Scallions noted that 'Puppet Strings' offers a broader palette, thus meaning more guitar changes during the set. This led to the bluesy stomp of 'Hey Mama,' a song that was felt so much by the audience you could feel the foot taps in unison on the Viper Room floor.

As this was a record release show, the audience got a solid sampling of the new disc. The hard rocking 'Time for Me to Stop,' the touching tribute to Scallions' family, 'I Can See the Sun' and the equal parts heavy and melodic new single 'Soul to Preach To' all received a welcome response, keeping the energy going in the midst of other older hits like 'Jesus or a Gun' and 'Last Time.'

Though none of the Fuel members who performed on 2007's 'Angels & Devils' remain, the return of Scallions is a welcome one. And it's safe to say the new lineup with Andersson, bassist Brad Stewart and drummer Shannon Boone are more than capable of honoring the past Fuel sound while bringing their own stamp to the new music. Fuel's West Hollywood show was the first date of their current tour. To find out where else they're playing on the trek, click here.

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