Fu Manchu
In Search Of...

THE REVIEW

The Californians Fu Manchu are considered one of the most important stoner groups, second only to Kyuss. "In Search Of. . . ", released in 1996, is probably their most representative album and proves that indeed they draw from the same sources as the band of Homme and Garcia: like them, Fu Manchu bring back the crude riffs and the heavy, paced rhythms of Black Sabbath with thunderous and devastating sounds derived from the late-sixties garage. Their sound is a gloomy hard rock characterized by walls of fuzz distortions, solos full of wah-wah and various effects (delay and tremolo especially), robust bass, and powerful and pounding drums. Also very singular is the use of the voice by the singer (and guitarist) Scott Hill: indeed he uses neither a melodic register nor a screamed one, as he prefers a tone that comes very close to speech.

What however distinguishes them from the Palm Desert combo is the value of music: that of Fu Manchu is more sparse compositionally, offers few variations, and in the long run may seem monotonous. "In Search Of. . . " offers a lineup of twelve songs that taken individually are very valuable, but when listened to in succession can become a bit tiring in constantly presenting that triumph of ultra-distorted Sabbathian riffs, those paced and martial tempos, and that voice that somewhat paradoxically talks and almost never sings. There are few memorable episodes: the initial track, Regal Begal, which hybridizes Ozzy Osbourne's group with MC5, the malevolent Cyclone Launch and Neptune's Convoy, perhaps the best song in the catalog, a sort of Black Sabbath (the eponymous song, that is) of the end of the century: slow and menacing start, crescendo development, and overwhelming finale. Amidst so much sonic tumult, the most tranquil song is The Bargain, a sinister stoogesque blues (in the verse there is a barely perceptible acoustic guitar in the background).

Far from being a masterpiece, "In Search Of. . . " is nonetheless a good dry and powerful stoner rock album. In a fairer world, it would have received a slightly better rating (three and a half stars).