Artist: Fu Manchu
Title: “We Must Obey”
Label: Liquor & Poker Music
Release Date: 2/20/2007
Genre: Stoner/Fuzz Rock
Rating: 4/5

When you are looking for a pure definition of Hard Rock with a wide variety of other influences then you need look no further than Orange County’s Fu-Manchu. They have been together over a dozen years and this album is their tenth, but the first on the Liquor & Poker Music imprint of Century Media Records. The groups lineup consists of Scott Hill (vocals/guitars), Bob Balch (guitars), Brad Davis (bass) and Scott Reeder (drums) and the minute you begin playing the CD you will not only hear but you will feel the strong riffing that is happening on every single track. It is a little bit Punk at times, but also has that Stoner and Doom feel crunch in the background and together forms the unique “Fuzz Rock” for which they are most known. The music is totally in gear with the kind of stuff that Monster Magnet and Corrosion of Conformity are doing and should appeal to their fan base as well. “We Must Obey” throttles the listener like a punk version of Motorhead while “Between The Lines” has a very intense, almost Metal vibe to it “Lesson” has that resonant Black Sabbath groove going on and this leads you to the oddly placed cover of The Cars “Moving In Stereo”. I thought this was a unique track for them to do, as the original is so strong on the keyboards while there is nothing of the sort in Fu-Manchu. Essentially, if you have ever wanted to hear a Stoner/Doom rendition of a Cars track then here is your chance. Do not laugh, its very good actually.

This is pure and unadulterated Rock my friends and its sound is tailor made for those dark basement clubs and bars. There is nothing pretentious here and it amounts simply to four guys jamming out the way it used to be done and showing little care what others thought about it. It’s heavy and gritty throughout the recording, and is for those who love sharp groove and riffs that use distortion properly and tastefully. While not the most technical presence, the listener will find that Reeder is quite the solid drummer and fans of his in general might enjoy the chance to hear and support the other efforts he undertakes. This is a fun album if you like some of the referenced stuff most especially.

Track Listing:
1. We Must Obey
2. Knew It All Along
3. Let Me Out
4. Hung Out To Dry
5. Shake It Loose
6. Land Of Giants
7. Between the Lines
8. Lesson
9. Moving In Stereo
10. Didn’t Really Try
11. Sensei Vs. Sensei

Official Website: www.fu-manchu.com