Fu Manchu

T

hey opened shop as Fu Manchu in 1990 by songwriter/guitarist Scott Hill along with fellow musicians Ruben Romano (vocals/drums), Greg McCaughey (bass) and Glen Chevens (vocals) but after their 45 single debut Kept Between Trees, McCaughey and Chivens left to replaced with Scott Votaw and Mark Abshire.

It would be 1994 when their Stoner Metal styled debut album No One Rides For Free their sound was a mix of Monster Magnet meets Stooges. This sound was further pushed on the follow-up Daredevil (1995) featuring Eddie Glass added on guitar. After the release Brad Davis and Brant Bjork (ex-Kyuss) replaced Abshire and Romano respectively.

In Search Of... (1996) saw them taking their retro fetish to a wider market while The Action is Go (1998), produced by White Zombie's Y Yuenger, proved to be another solid set. Bob Balch would replace the departing Glass shortly later, Glass would later show up in stoner rock act Nebula with fellow ex-pats Romano and Abshire. Their King of the Road (2000) followed with a cover of Devo's Freedom Of Choice among its numbers, with California Crossing (2001), the live set Go For It ... Live! (2CD; 2003) and Start the Machine (2004) would follow. Scott Reeder (ex-Kyuss/ex-Obsessed) would soon after take over the drum slot.