★★★★★
Sound: Fu Manchu's songs have been closely tied to the skateboarding and extreme sports community thanks to lyrics dealing with such topics, but it's the music this time around on We Must Obey that should provide the perfect soundtrack for anyone looking to get pumped up for aerials. The 11-track CD is at it's best when it allows little guitar hooks to pop up in random places, keeping what could have been your run-of-the-mill rock songs from being stale...
- www.ultimate-guitar.com
2012-04-12
★★★★★
It's about bloody time. These California riff kings have more albums, EPs, 7-inches and limited release vinyls than you can shake a wah-wah at, but nary a complete live package that throws the best Manchu together - until now. Fittingly, it's a two-CD set, recorded throughout the band's 2002 tour, and drawing amply from the vault (Wurkin', Ojo Rojo) along with stuff from 1994's breakout The Action is Go and beyond...
- www.hour.ca
2010-11-09
★★★★★
Ollying out of the dope-smoking skate parks of Los Angeles at the dawn of the '90s, to the uninitiated Fu Manchu have existed over the past decade as little more than a repetitive remedy for Kyuss fans who live in mourning of the godfathers of stoner...
- www.musicomh.com
2010-08-23
★★★★★
It really is a shame that Fu Manchu left the Bong Load label for the greener pastures of Mammoth in the mid 1990s (with the release of In Search Of). What could possibly fit this band more than a record label referencing a phat pinch of marijuana? How about palm trees, beach-front parking lots, babes and a cherry red El Camino? Sweet, bro...
- www.lostatsea.net
2010-02-19
★★★★★
Sound: Let me introduce the new album of California's old rockers Fu Manchu "Start The Machine". It's the first album in over 3 years from the band, which started crafting heavily aggresive, psychedelic rock almost fourteen years ago, and since that time they keep their job on the top level -- you can recognize the band with its already classic sound of ultra-heavy guitar riffs, smooth basslines, solid drum beats, and the unique vocals of Scott Hill...
- www.ultimate-guitar.com
2009-11-15
★★★★★
Sound: Being a long time Fu Manchu fan, I first got this album when it came out. I can recall being very disappointed with it. I've dug it out recently and revised my opinion, it's actually a really killer album. What it lacks though, is the trademark Fu Manchu fuzz tone that makes their other albums so perfect. The story goes that the band had all their gear stolen, including their fuzz pedals. In the studio they ended up using Dan Armstrong transparent guitars into cranked Marshall amplifiers...
- www.ultimate-guitar.com
2009-11-15
★★★★★
Sound: On this record Fu Manchu are joined by former Kyuss drummer Brant Bjork, and his influence can be clearly heard. This record sounds like a more mainstream Welcome To Sky Valley, with it's pounding riffs and sun-drenched atmosphere. Unlike Kyuss, however, Fu Manchu aren't afraid to throw in a good chorus or whip out the wah pedal for some brief solos. These are generally played quieter than the rhythm guitar, which adds weight to the riff but may not be to everybody's taste...
- www.ultimate-guitar.com
2009-11-15
★★★★★
"Hey, dude, Mountain is on the phone, and they want their sound back." One thing to know about Fu Manchu - people either get it or they don't. The listener shouldn't expect to hear innovative guitar parts, thought-provoking lyrics, or even vocal melodies. This is what I call a "guilty pleasure," the musical equivalent of an eight dollar shot of tequila. This is music one might listen to when no one else is around, or something to turn on at a party...
- www.adequacy.net
2009-07-21
★★★★★
Formerly associated with Bong Load records, and still associated with the
bong, Fu Manchu delivers a high-power blast of heavy skate rock that
ignores all the superfluous aspects of the "music biz" and delivers
straight-up, groovin' rock. Fu Manchu sounds part AC/DC, part Masters of
Reality, and displays touches of a "cleaner" sounding Mudhoney. Fu Manchu
hits the pipe (both skate and smoke) with the crunching arena-crushing
anthem "Evil Eye" and never stops for the remaining 13 tracks...
- www.splendidezine.com
2009-06-08