Stoner rock is somewhat of a loose term for bands who sound good under the influence. Fu Manchu are deemed to be such a band. This album is commonly accepted as their best album. Is it any good? Let’s find out now.

We begin with Eatin’ Dust which has some really awesome riffs to kick off with, along with some interesting drum parts. The singing enters, and we have a really good start to the album here. There is a Jimi Hendrix like fuzz guitar solo in the piece. The whole thing is fantastic, and sounds really well thought out. There is a semi-hardcore breakdown, before more guitar solos emerge. It’s very good and interesting listen. A great start to the album. Loud and powerful.

Next is Shift Kicker which has a load of feedback guitars at the start, before going straight into another loud, slacker style piece. This is definitely underrated, and great listening. There is chanting, some extracurricular drums and powerful guitars to boot. A superb and awesome listening experience. Towards the end, it sounds a lot like Black Sabbath. Great stuff.

Orbiter begins with a softly sung and drum led intro, before grungy guitars enter. This is a great piece, with a well recorded guitar solo. It is heavy music for slackers out there, another excellent and a captivating listen. Just when you think it is, the song re-emerges into a more uptempo section to hear. The riffs here are fantastic, and blow a lot away of what has been done before in the world of music. Awesome.

Mongoose has some well thought out percussion mixed together at the start, before some great riffs enter the scene. Admittedly, the singing sounds a lot like Lou Reed here, but is very original in itself. Some interesting and trippy lyrics are in this song about said mongoose flying. The whole thing sounds really well worked on and fantastic. This is a lot like The Sex Pistols – game changing. Good to hear. An excellent piece of music. There are some intelligent and interesting guitar parts here. Perhaps a good reference to drug taking, this is an awesome song. Guitar solos are everywhere at the end of this piece, which sound killer. It fades out gently.

Next is Pidgeon Toe which starts with loud guitars and a drum breakbeat. The singing then emerges, showcasing this interesting and unique piece. It goes into a grungy guitar led piece that is extremely loud, and well done. It’s the voice of a young generation speak out in their own twisted way. Still, the music is great from start to finish. Some very Black Sabbath breakdowns occur, along with some gurgling bass guitar and thundering drumbeats. Feedback emerges, going back into the main section of the track. After that part of the track, we return to more fuzzy guitar parts.

Following is Module Overload which starts with a basic kick drum beat, before guitars and bass join in. The singing emerges, being a more laid back track that some of the other tracks before. These guys have obviously done their work well with the music here. The sound is loud, raw and fuzzy. There is a bit of an electronic breakdown in this song as well, before going into a good synchronized section of beats and melody. Brilliant, and well worked on. It is very catchy, especially towards the end.

Living Legend comes next. It’s a riff heavy piece that sounds really good. It has a slow yet interesting approach to the song. It goes into a great stoner rock song that sounds superb. Fu Manchu obviously know how to rock, and even a slow tempo song such as this is extraordinary. There is a dual vocal of singing and whispering in this, keep an ear out for it. The whole thing sounds cool and interesting. There is some repeated vocals here that don’t really make sense. A nice chilled back listen.

Godzilla starts with ultra heavy guitar riffs and pounding drums to boot. It then goes into a slacker, stoner piece that is a great listen. It is a sonic swamp that is fun to listen to. It’s about the fictional monster in the movies that you are likely to have heard of. There is some very expressive guitar work here, and the whole piece is really great. There is some nimble bass work here, showcasing a good and interesting song. The drums then re-enter, and the song is really uplifting.

This is most definitely an underrated and good quality listen. If you dig the sounds of Black Sabbath, Black Flag, Nirvana or Soundgarden, you may want to seek this out. A great laidback and stoner sort of album that should get more credit than it does. Great music here.

Revolutionary.

9/10