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FU MANCHU “The Return of Tomorrow”
FU MANCHU “The Return of Tomorrow”
By Dr. Abner Mality
FU MANCHU is back and it’s the FU we all love! The masters of fuzzy stoner rock have broken a six year album drought with “The Return of Tomorrow”, which is billed as their first double album. That’s the way to do a comeback, with plenty of skateboard-ready riffology.
The first album is composed of hard-charging fuzz rock tracks in classic FU tradition, while the second is described as slower and more laid back material. That’s a rather deceptive description, because the second album is still pretty riffy and electric, with only two tracks that really veer somewhat from typical FU rock. And even those can be called “desert rock”…not a million miles away from what they are known for.
Good news is, the early stuff is HEAVY and massively fuzzy in the manner of the best FU MANCHU albums, “In Search Of” and “The Action Is Go!”. They kind of drifted from that fundamental stonerism, but no more! “Dehumanize” and “Hands of the Zodiac” are massively thick yet smooth and catchy. “Loch Ness Wrecking Machine” was born to be a skate anthem while “Roads of the Lonely” has touches of both psychedelia and true doom. This is enjoyable stuff that blows past your brain like a warm wind from the desert.
The later second album stuff also makes for a breezy listen. The title track and “Liquify” could easily fit on any FU album and have classic licks. “What I Need” is one of the songs that really shows a new side to the band...it’s slow, dark and brooding yet it’s still a great track. “Solar Baptized” features a touch of synth along with a slightly slower yet still fuzzy groove. The album ends with the totally chill instrumental “High Tide”, which is a perfect laid back “come down” tune to end on.
For anybody that loves classic FU MANCHU, “The Return of Tomorrow” is an easy pickup!
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