Fu Manchu: Back To The Future

For almost forty years the Californian band FU MANCHU have been creating their instantly recognisable, fuzz-drenched rock and roll tunes. There have been plenty of groups over the years that have tried to replicate the groups sound, yet none have managed to match their sonic intensity and penchant for writing tunes that are not just unquestionably heavy, but also catchy and fun at the same time. It’s been six years since the bands last full length effort Clone Of The Universe, but that doesn’t mean that the lads have been quiet with a number of re-releases, new songs and live albums having been put out in recent times. Now in 2024, the band are gearing up to do something they have never done before and are releasing their first ever double-album The Return Of Tomorrow.

Over the course of thirteen new tracks the band had plenty of material to choose from, ranging from some of their heaviest material to date in the form of songs such as the sluggish, almost doom metal Haze The Hides or the groovy opener Dehumanize in the first half to some of the most psychedelic, laid back music that they have ever penned with tracks like Solar Baptized and the album closer High Tide. “Once we started writing for the new album and had got a couple of heavy songs finished, we discussed things and decided that we didn’t just want to write another heavy record,” explains guitarist/frontman Scott Hill. “When I’m listening to music I’m normally in the mood for really heavy, aggressive shit or I’m in a mellow mood and want to listen to softer stuff. And as we were writing that was the way the record was taking shape, so we just ran with it.”

That whole thought process is indicative of the way that FU MANCHU have always been as a band. From the very beginning the band has always done things in its own way, never quite fitting into any particular scene, or following any trends, but rather forging their own path and exploring what felt right at the time. Hence the freedom in the sound.

Another interesting thing about The Return Of Tomorrow is the fact that both of the LPs play at forty-five revolutions per minute for the thickest possible sound. A decision that was very deliberate from the band “we definitely wanted to make the album sound as big as possible, and I was speaking with our manager and saying how hesitant I was that you would only be able to fit four or so songs on per side and people would have to get up and flip the records too much,” confesses Hill. However, he disagreed with that point and ultimately convinced him that it was “all part of the experience” and you can’t help but agree with him. The album sounds huge, and you never want to see a band compromise their vision for the sake of a little inconvenience, especially a band like FU MANCHU who have never compromised on anything before.

Despite the fact that the band have written their most musically ambitious album to Hill is quick to debunk the idea that there is any kind of concept running through the album. “Since the beginning we have always started with a guitar riff, built the song and once we’re happy with the arrangement and everything else down then the lyrics come” he explains. “I’m never singing about anything important. No politics, nothing religious and barely anything remotely personal. I tend to just start with one line and then run with it” and in that is the simplicity of the band. Ultimately, the fans of FU MANCHU are in it for the guitar-driven rock songs that the band craft so well and that is exactly what the lads have delivered time and time again.

Another defining feature of FU MANCHU is their old school approach to writing, recording and even their live shows. Opting for a much more analogue way of operating that most modern bands you hear nowadays. “When it comes to writing songs, we tend to come to the practice room with plenty of ideas stocked up and ready to go. We always have riffs ready to go so that there’s no time wasted.” And that comes across in the direct way the band have delivered their music. They know exactly what their audience wants and make sure that they deliver a truck load of riffs and have fun whilst doing so. Even the way that the band recorded the album is a testament to the punk rock, DIY spirit that has always encapsulated the way that they go about things as Hill explains. “When we record, you’ll get all four of us in a circle, four taps of the drumsticks and then away we go.” 

That doesn’t mean that the boys aren’t taking care when they record their songs, but as they have famously never played to a click track, you can expect the songs to speed up or slow down during a live set depending on the vibe of the show and how the band are firing on any given night and that is the beauty of the FU MANCHU sound in the era of over-sanitised and over produced music. This is real.

So here we are. Nearly four decades on from the inception of the Californian legends and the band seems to be as energetic as ever, with the creative juices not only flowing, but seemingly taking a fresher and more dynamic shape than ever. With plenty of festival, domestic, and international dates in the books it seems that there is no slowing down for FU MANCHU and that is a massive, massive relief for fans and the music scene in general. We would be far worse off without them and plenty of our favourite stoner, doom and straight-forward rock bands would sound very different without their direct or indirect influence. Let’s hope they never run out of steam and continue to release albums with the kind of high quality that they have with The Return Of Tomorrow for many years to come.

The Return Of Tomorrow is out now via At The Dojo Records. 

For more information on FU MANCHU like their official page on Facebook.