Fu Manchu - 'Signs Of Infinite Power'

Venerable California stoners haven’t learned any new tricks.

Having gained a moderate amount of success in the ‘90s with their sun-baked, skate-friendly brand of punkified stoner rock, California’s Fu Manchu have seemed to struggle in recent years, swimming against the stemming tide in an attempt at reclaiming their former sonic glory. Signs Of Infinite Power is the second fruit birthed from the quartet’s recent love affair with new label home Century Media, following up the somewhat disappointing We Must Obey in 2007.

Though We Must Obey actually sounds a bit better now in retrospect, Signs Of Infinite Power—still a decent listen, mind—displays the worried sound of a band spinning its tires, rather than burning rubber. Perhaps it’s the all-too familiar structural similarities the songs here seem to possess, or maybe Fu Manchu is simply starting to run out of gas for the idea tank, but Signs…still sounds like a far cry from such certified genre classics as 2000’s King Of The Road and 1996’s In Search Of…

What’s most frustrating is that all of the essential components for Fu Manchu greatness are still here: guitarist/frontman Scott Hill’s laid back, West Coast croon, Scott Reeder’s driving drum work, and Bob Balch’s thick, syrupy guitar lines. Yet, the pieces of the puzzle still don’t seem to fit; there’s something missing. Ultimately, it may just come down to the fact that no band stays on top of their game forever; it’s just sad to think that Fu Manchu may be the latest addition to this unfortunate list.

That being said, Signs Of Infinite Power is not horrid work by any means. If anything, it's solid stoner rock. This fan expects better, though. Let's hope the band can finally deliver properly next time around.