(Elastic) Total Time: 09:20
I have a special interest in traditional Doom Metal and therefore I was always a bit wary about the Stoner mutation. You see, I am of the opinion that the Stoner trend is/was in a significant degree a number of bands trying to ape a few really great bands such as KYUSS, MONSTER MAGNET, and FU MANCHU. Despite my distrust about the stoner rock label, these three bands I adore and I think they are three of the greatest bands the 90’s offered us outside the borders of metal (although I will stubbornly continue to consider the long-disbanded KYUSS a doom metal band, no matter what the mainstream press claims). In addition, I could never understand how these three can be filed under the same label, as apart from the SABBATH influences (well, who doesn’t have SABBATH influences, directly or indirectly?) and a love for the 70’s they did not have much else in common.
Of the three aforementioned innovators FU MANCHU is a special case, because they have a musical formula from which they very seldom deviate (when they slightly did in the controversial “California Crossing” they divided their fan base). Therefore, if you didn’t like FU so far the chances are you’ll never like one of their future albums and the same goes for this new CD EP. On the contrary, if you dig FU this release (although small in duration, it only includes three songs), is an important one as it is their first studio recording since 2002 and the studio debut of drummer Scott Reeder (no, not the legendary bassist Scott Reeder formerly of KYUSS, and the gods THE OBSESSED; it’s a coincidence).
Forget about the “Separate Kingdom”-style melodic hooks that were present in “California Crossing” and welcome back the classic sound we missed (well, not a complete return as the production is still more polished than in the old days, but overall certainly a move well in the right direction). The EP kicks off with “So Far Behind” a relatively up-tempo song in the vein of FU classics like “Evil Eye” and “Hell on Wheels”, only shorter than usual with a less than two and a half minutes duration. Great starter and even greater is the following track “Something Beyond”. This starts slowly with a heavy riff and about a minute later it evolves into a hefty groovy song. The EP closes with a really great cover of BLACK FLAG’s classic “Six Pack”, which gets the FU treatment. For some reason punk covers suit FU a lot (remember the cover version of SSD’s “Nothing Done” included in “The Action is Go” album). “Six Pack” is a clever choice and a very successful cover, especially given that it’s not just a reproduction of the original but a much slower, heavier and laid back version that gives a new character to the song.
So there you go: 2 great new FU songs and a killer cover song; what more can you ask from a 9 minute EP? Things are looking very good for FU and this EP definitely got my hopes high for the band’s future releases.
