FU MANCHU ~ California Crossing Mammoth Records

What a great way to kick off the new year! In the dead of winter Fu Manchu give us the California sun, a surfboard, damn-near naked chicks on the cover and eleven fuzzy grinders. Fu Manchu have always been about the ride -- windows down, stereo cranked, beach on the passenger side, headin' down the Pacific Coast Highway with beer in the cooler and surfboards on the roof. And on their latest journey, California Crossing, their destination is, as usual, unknown. California Crossing is a never-ending process of discovery, as intoxicating for the band as it is for their growing legion of fans. Like such frontiersmen as Lewis and Clark, Fu are charting new territory, boldly going where no band has gone before. Check out their pure SoCal vibe in "Squash That Fly," "Mongoose," and "The Wasteoid" A decade into their career, Fu's attitude and sonic approach have changed little. The heavy guitars still erupt (though not always blanketed by the band's previously ubiquitous fuzz), and the rhythm section still jackhammers away, but their sonic blasts are often shot with refreshingly hooky melodies. Thanks to the collaborative effort by producer/engineer/mixer Matt Hyde (Porno for Pyros, Monster Magnet), California Crossing is a gorgeous mix of heavy ass guitars, catchy hooks and rays of sunshine.

Review by Todd Smith http://www.thecutting-edge.net/