### Fu Manchu: California crossing

#### 17/11/10 || Habakuk

Cars and guitars man. Cars and guitars. Not many bands this side of the moon have this mixture down as much as Fu Manchu. These southern Californian rocksters have been perfecting their craft of creating catchy stoner rock for quite some time now, albeit changing practically their entire line-up throughout their career. This here is their last album with Brant Bjork of Kyuss fame on drums, and while they still churned out some quality tunes afterwards, I’d also say this is the last consistent high point in their career to date.

There is a good reason why every review of this album I’ve read contains something about cars. Mind you, I read them after I wrote the first line (note miserable attempt at saving credibility), but I’m still gonna stick with it. Because it’s where the truth lies. Put this CD in your car stereo and your ride will morph into the 1968 El Camino on the cover. No shit. Bass-heavy, fuzzy and warm guitars and laid-back drumming make it happen. Be advised that by “laid-back” I don’t mean slow – but the sticks move so naturally that the actual drumming comes across as if Bjork had been rocking out from the cradle onwards. Which sounds plausible. Now you’ve seen more skilled drummers on your sickdrvmmer wankfest drum school videos, kudos for that, but that is not the fucken point. The point is to get your head out of your metal-up-yo-assed rectum, leave the fucken house once in a while and take this album with you.

There is a time for everything, of course. Admittedly, I won’t put this on when I need something e-to-the-vil quickly. It’s music for the good times, you know, no underlying aggression or anything, just full-on groove, fat guitars and a great, simplistic singing voice. Look at the cover. It’s perfect. The album sounds exactly like that situation. Do you think a metalhead is in that car? Yeah right, and those girls probably went out to see Morbid Saint later that night. Bullshit.

We should all take this chance and put our miserable nerd lives on hold, wear a non-black shirt for once, go out, drive fast and feel like we’re actually bad-ass. Which is technically a lie, but at the same time the beauty of psychology. Sometimes, Metal can wait. And if the time thus spent can be filled with stoner rock that goes for a punky, upbeat feel instead of drugged-out droning, I’m not in a hurry to return to my vegan Egyptian Science-Fiction dungeon of dragonslaying mysogynistic left-wing zombies in World War II just yet.

- Information
- Released: 2001
- Label: Mammoth records
- Website: www.fu-manchu.com
- Band
- Scott Hill: vocals, guitars
- Bob Balch: guitars
- Brad Davis: bass
- Brant Bjork: drums

- Tracklist
- 01. Separate Kingdom
- 02. Hang on
- 03. Mongoose
- 04. Thinki’ out loud
- 05. California crossing
- 06. Wiz kid
- 07. Squash that fly
- 08. Ampn’
- 09. Bultaco
- 10. Downtown in Dogtown
- 11. The wasteoid