Fu Manchu "We Must Obey" (2007)

Fu Manchu is back. After their last and by far worse record "Start the Machine" Fu Manchu has returned to their patened stoned (rather than stoner) rock. This time the sound drips with more Thin Lizzy references than the usual ted Nugent-riffs. For better or worse.

Personally I still hold their California Crossing as maybe not their most fun or inventional album but the best. When Fu Manchu let the focus drop they often tend to be sound too stoned, too smart or just too much. The whole point with Fu Manchu is to be dumb music played too loud. And that´s why their surfer dudes-image works so well.

The first single of the album and probably the best track, “Hung out dry” is as classic Fu Manshu as ever. Slow and rhythmic. Otherwise “We Must Obey” is harder, less poppy and far from the catchy sounds of “Urethane” and “California Crossing”.

All in all it´s a must buy for any fans. Everyone else should start with “Californa Crossing” and work their way backwards in the extensive Fu manchu backcatalogue.