Review Summary: Fu Manchu slow it down and turn it up.
I am not especially fond of skateboarding, 70s cars, surfing or California but I do love Fu Manchu. On this album Fu Manchu gently eases off the gas, purrs the motor, listen to its sound, hums it back and weaves everything together twelve tight tracks unlike anything they have done before or since.
This album easily sits in the realm of other genre classics from Kyuss (
Sky Valley) and Monster Magnet (
Superjudge) to name a couple. Suffice to say the
Black Sabbath sound is evident throughout. You probably know that already. But how about adding some fuzz? Dueling guitars? Sing-along choruses? Guitar solos? Standout memorable riffs? Percussive breakdowns? A hint of sludge? Stellar production? Brant Bjork on drums? Check all those. Check those on
every song.
The killer ingredient and the oxymoron that infuses this album with its undemanding hypnotism is how the rhythm of Fu Manchu’s ingredients are restrained, intertwined and yet used together constantly. This album’s predecessor
Daredevil screamed constantly. It begged attention with an all demanding fuzzy logic. However on
In Search of by the third track Fu Manchu haven taken us down to a crawl. Although in reality the crawl does not last long before the big fuzz release, whilst you are in that crawl it feels like your breathing has slowed down. Fu Manchu make the low points interesting, and not just to make the high points seem high. Everything feels purposeful and everything works so well. They ease off the gas and the atmosphere forms.
Fu Manchu followed this album with another stellar and successful album in
The Action is Go. Whilst the songs of
The Action is Go standout more, the journey of
In Search Ofleaves all other work in its dust.
In Search Of just keeps coming at you. It is never dull. You never grow tired as the album moves and grooves along its rails, and by the time track nine (The Falcon has landed) kicks its dirge into gear you are fully absorbed into the sound that any faults just become background noise to the controlled roar of this magnificently tuned engine.
