Fu Manchu – The Return Of Tomorrow
Legendary California fuzz rockers Fu Manchu are back with a new record, their thirteenth overall. The Return Of Tomorrow was released on June 14th, 2024 and features 13 new songs that combine stylistically all the goodness that this band are capable of delivering. The lineup has been the same since 2001, consisting of founding guitarist and vocalist Scott Hill, bassist Brad Davis, lead guitarist Bob Balch, and drummer Scott Reeder.
Lead off track “Dehumanize” kicks things off with the energy that one would come to expect with this iconic band. Heavy fuzz laden riffs with drum fills and guitar leads a-plenty. “Loch Ness Wrecking Machine” is next and starts with guitar and Hill’s trademark talking vocals. This is another ass kicker that gets things moving and sets you up for the first single, “Hands of the Zodiac.” This is classic Fu Manchu all the way! The accented riffs, spastic drumming, and tasteful leads throughout makes for a great song. Brad Davis starts “Haze The Hides” with a nice deep and fuzzy bass riff that launches a slow and heavy arrangement. His playing is great and the band are firing on all cylinders throughout this whole record. The tightness and conviction of these songs are evident. They even kick into a devastating sludge riff on “Roads Of The Lowly” which could be an influence from guitarist Bob Balch’s Slayer tribute / supergroup Slower(review here), which came out earlier this year. The two minute rocking “(Time Is) Pulling You Under” revisits the band’s hardcore roots with the mid paced riffing drenched with Balch’s infectious guitar leads. The first half of the record ends with the drum leading “Desroyin’ Light” which is another riff monster of a song.
The Return Of Tomorrow is divided into two parts so to speak, with the first seven tracks as more straightforward and in your face rockers. The last six songs explore Fu Manchu’s more laid back vibe with “Lifetime Waiting,” the psychedelic grooving of “Solar Baptized,” in which the band is jamming nicely at the end accompanied by excellent guitar soloing. Also worth mentioning is the chill inspired musical dynamics of “What I Need.” The recording and production of this record are superb. The instruments all sound clear and distinct throughout which really makes for an overall enjoyable experience. The title track “The Return Of Tomorrow” picks up the pace a little and has some nice drum fills mixed in with more cool guitar leads. It’s a straightforward rock song that breaks up the second half of the record nicely. “Liquify” has a classic Leafhound groove to it and the guitar licks are fantastic throughout. The ability to combine the band’s thirty plus years of songwriting and creativity into one record is truly impressive. It is slated as being a double LP, clocking in at 49 minutes. The record ends with a very chill and calm, psychedelic piece entitled “High Tide” which is reminiscent to their song “Lost At Sea” from the 2004 album Start The Machine.
The record is very well written and all the songs really fit cohesively together in the order that the band intended. It’s pretty remarkable that after thirty years of Fu Manchu that the quality of the songwriting is still at this level. The band has never strayed far away from their core sound but continues to explore new and creative ways to enhance it. I have been a big fan since discovering them back in the The Action Is Go era and have enjoyed every one of their releases. It’s no big surprise that they are one of the pioneers of the fuzz rock/stoner scene and continue to dominate at such an impressive scale. Fans of Fu Manchu should not be disappointed with The Return Of Tomorrow because it’s got all the elements that make this band so legendary within the heavy rock universe.
https://fumanchuband.bandcamp.com/music
