Fu Manchu is an American

stoner rock Stoner rock, also known as stoner metal or stoner doom, is a rock music fusion genre that combines elements of doom metal with psychedelic rock and acid rock. The genre emerged during the early 1990s and was pioneered foremost by Kyuss and Sl ...

band formed in

Orange County, California Orange County (officially the County of Orange; often initialized O.C.) is a county (United States), county located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area in Southern California, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population ...

in 1985. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout the 80s and 90s, but has remained consistent since 2001. The band currently consists of founding guitarist turned lead vocalist Scott Hill, bassist Brad Davis, lead guitarist Bob Balch and drummer Scott Reeder. Fu Manchu have been long associated with the

Palm Desert Scene The Palm Desert Scene is a group of related bands and musicians from Palm Desert, California. Their hard rock sound – sometimes described as desert rock – contains elements of heavy metal, psychedelia, blues, punk, alternative, grunge, an ...

, alongside bands such as

Queens of the Stone Age Queens of the Stone Age (commonly abbreviated as QOTSA or QotSA) is an American rock band formed in Seattle in 1996. The band was founded by vocalist and guitarist Josh Homme shortly before he returned to his native Palm Desert, California. ...

Kyuss Kyuss ( ) was an American stoner rock band formed in Palm Desert, California, in 1987, and considered one of the pioneers of the genre. After disbanding in 1995, a number of band members have gone on to form or play in several notable bands in ...

and

Mondo Generator Mondo Generator (also known as Nick Oliveri and the Mondo Generator) is an American rock band founded in 1997 by Nick Oliveri. The band has released seven studio albums, four EPs, one live album and one video album. History Formation and '' ...

. ''Monster Riff'' has described the band as "one of the most loved and revered... bands in the stoner rock world."

History

Fu Manchu originally formed in 1985 as a

hardcore punk Hardcore punk (commonly abbreviated to hardcore or hXc) is a punk rock music genre#subtypes, subgenre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots ...

band called Virulence. The lineup was vocalist Ken Pucci, guitarist Scott Hill, bassist Mark Abshire, and drummer Ruben Romano. In 1987, Abshire left the band and was replaced by Greg McCaughey. They recorded their debut LP ''If This Isn't a Dream...'' in 1988, which was released on Alchemy Records (1989). In 1990, Pucci left the band and was replaced by vocalist Glenn Chivens, and they changed their name to Fu Manchu. Soon after, they released the "Kept Between Trees"

7 inch single In music, a single is a type of release of a song recording of fewer tracks than an album ( LP), typically one or two tracks. A single can be released for sale to the public in a variety of physical or digital formats. Singles may be standal ...

Slap-a-Ham Records Slap a Ham Records was an independent record label, label from San Francisco owned and operated by Chris Dodge. The label lasted for about 13 years, officially shutting down in 2002. According to Dodge, this was due because of the September 11 atta ...

. McCaughey was replaced by Mark Abshire. Chivens also left the band around this time for unknown reasons. Rather than search for a new vocalist, Scott Hill became lead singer, and Scott Votaw was recruited as lead guitarist. In 1992, Fu Manchu released three 7 inch singles: "Senioritis", "Pick Up Summer", and "Don't Bother Knockin' (If This Vans Rockin')". In 1993, Votaw left the band and was replaced by lead guitarist

Eddie Glass Edward Glass (born December 19, 1970) is an American rock musician best known as the frontman of the stoner rock band Nebula. Glass was formerly the drummer for the punk rock band Olivelawn, as well as a guitarist of Fu Manchu. Nebula has been ...

, who had previously played drums in the band

Olivelawn Olivelawn was an American punk rock band from San Diego, California, that released two albums in the early 1990s. History Olivelawn was composed of singer Mike Olson, guitarist O. (a.k.a. Otis Barthoulameu) and the rhythm section of drummer Ed ...

. Fu Manchu's first album, ''

No One Rides for Free ''No One Rides for Free'' is the debut album by the stoner rock band Fu Manchu. The album was produced by former Kyuss member Brant Bjork, who would eventually become Fu Manchu's drummer for a short tenure. It was the band's only album to feature ...

'' (1994), was released by

Bong Load Custom Records Bong Load Records is an independent record label originally based in Los Angeles which was founded by producers Tom Rothrock and Rob Schnapf and partner Bradshaw Lambert. Much of the Bong Load Records catalog is released in small quantities. Se ...

, an independent label. ''No One Rides for Free'' marked the beginning of the band's heavy focus on

muscle car A muscle car is an American-made two-door sports coupe with a powerful engine, marketed for its performance. In 1949, General Motors introduced its 88 with the company's OHV Rocket V8 engine, which was previously available only in its lux ...

s and

drag racing Drag racing is a type of motor racing in which automobiles or motorcycles compete, usually two at a time, to be first to cross a set finish line. The race follows a short, straight course from a standing start over a measured distance, mos ...

, common themes in the stoner rock genre. Abshire left Fu Manchu before they recorded their second album, ''Daredevil'', in 1995. He was replaced by Brad Davis. The band promoted ''Daredevil'' with extensive touring throughout the US and Canada, and reached a wider audience thanks to an opening slot with

Monster Magnet Monster Magnet is an American rock music, rock band formed in Red Bank, New Jersey, in 1989 by Dave Wyndorf (vocals and guitar), John McBain (musician), John McBain (guitar), and Tim Cronin (vocals and drums). The band has since undergone severa ...

, who at the time were the commercial darlings of the stoner rock genre. Romano and Glass left shortly after the release of Fu Manchu's third album, '' In Search of...'' (1996), citing personal and musical differences with Hill. They were replaced by

Brant Bjork Brant Bjork (born March 19, 1973) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the drummer and founder of the influential Californian stoner rock band Kyuss. Bjork has also been a member of Fu Manchu, Mo ...

and Bob Balch, respectively. Glass, Romano and Abshire soon regrouped to form

Nebula A nebula (; or nebulas) is a distinct luminescent part of interstellar medium, which can consist of ionized, neutral, or molecular hydrogen and also cosmic dust. Nebulae are often star-forming regions, such as in the Pillars of Creation in ...

, a

power trio A power trio is a rock band format having a lineup of electric guitar, bass guitar and drum kit, leaving out a dedicated vocalist or an additional rhythm guitar or keyboard instrument that are often used in other rock music bands that are quart ...

that took the

jam Fruit preserves are preparations of fruits whose main preserving agent is sugar and sometimes acid, often stored in glass jars and used as a condiment or spread. There are many varieties of fruit preserves globally, distinguished by the meth ...

-influenced side of Fu Manchu and expanded on it. Members of Nebula have commented that "we're all family" to fans wearing Fu Manchu shirts at their concerts. Fu Manchu went on to release several successful albums, including ''

The Action Is Go ''The Action Is Go'' is the fourth studio album by American stoner rock band Fu Manchu. It features new drummer Brant Bjork ( Kyuss) and new lead guitarist Bob Balch, replacing Eddie Glass and Ruben Romano, who left to form the band Nebula. The ...

'' (1997), '' Godzilla's/Eatin' Dust'' (1999), and '' King of the Road'' (2000), all while continuing to reinforce their reputation as a powerful live act. The band had gained this reputation over the years due to their performance when touring with notable bands such as

Marilyn Manson Brian Hugh Warner (born January 5, 1969), known professionally as Marilyn Manson, is an American rock musician. He is the lead singer and the only original member remaining of the Marilyn Manson (band), same-titled band he founded in 1989. Th ...

Clutch A clutch is a mechanical device that allows an output shaft to be disconnected from a rotating input shaft. The clutch's input shaft is typically attached to a motor, while the clutch's output shaft is connected to the mechanism that does th ...

Corrosion of Conformity Corrosion of Conformity (often abbreviated as C.O.C.) is an American heavy metal band from Raleigh, North Carolina, formed in 1982. The band has undergone multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with lead guitarist Woody Weatherman a ...

, White Zombie,

Sevendust Sevendust is an American Rock music, rock band from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 1994 by bassist Vinnie Hornsby, drummer Morgan Rose and guitarist John Connolly (musician), John Connolly. After their first demo, lead vocalist Lajon Witherspoon an ...

, and

P.O.D. P.O.D. (an initialism for Payable on Death) is an American nu metal band formed in 1992 and based in San Diego, California. The band's line-up consists of vocalist Paul Joshua "Sonny" Sandoval, bassist Mark "Traa" Daniels, lead guitarist Mar ...

, among others. In 2001, the band released their seventh album, ''

California Crossing ''California Crossing'' is the seventh studio album by the American stoner rock band Fu Manchu It was released on October 23, 2001, by Mammoth Records. Production The album was produced by Matt Hyde, who encouraged Fu Manchu to spend more time o ...

''.

left the band soon after to pursue a solo career and was replaced by former Sunshine and

Smile A smile is a facial expression formed primarily by flexing the muscles at the sides of the mouth. Some smiles include a contraction of the muscles at the corner of the eyes, an action known as a Duchenne smile. Among humans, a smile expresses d ...

drummer Scott Reeder (often confused with bassist Scott Reeder, of

Unida Unida () is an American stoner rock band formed in 1998. The band's current line-up consists of John Garcia, Arthur Seay, Miguel Cancino and Collyn McCoy. Their debut album, '' Coping with the Urban Coyote'', was released in 1999. A follow-up ...

, and

Goatsnake Goatsnake is an American stoner/doom metal band from Los Angeles. They have released three studio albums, the first being 1999's '' Goatsnake Vol. 1''. History Goatsnake was formed in 1996 after the disbanding of The Obsessed. After The O ...

fame). In 2004, Fu Manchu released their eighth album, '' Start the Machine''. Fu Manchu's ninth album ''

We Must Obey ''We Must Obey'' is the ninth studio album by the southern California stoner rock band Fu Manchu. It was released on February 19, 2007, and features a cover of the Cars' "Moving in Stereo "Moving in Stereo" is a song by the American rock band T ...

'' was released on February 19, 2007. The band spent most of 2007 and 2008 on tour, playing several shows in North America and Europe. In February 2008, the track "Mongoose" (from the ''California Crossing'' album) was featured in a Super Bowl ad for the

Toyota Sequoia The Toyota Sequoia is a full-size SUV manufactured by Toyota mainly for the North American market since 2000 for the 2001 model year, being derived from the Toyota Tundra, Tundra pickup truck. It is the second largest SUV ever produced under th ...

. Their tenth album '' Signs of Infinite Power'' was released on October 19, 2009 in Europe and on October 20 in North America. On March 10, 2010, it was announced that Scott Reeder would play drums for

Social Distortion Social Distortion is an American punk rock band formed in 1978 in Fullerton, California. It consists of Mike Ness (vocals, guitar), Jonny Wickersham (guitar), Brent Harding (bass), David Hidalgo Jr. (drums), and David Kalish (keyboards). Emerg ...

for the South American tour dates in April. In June 2012, the band stated they had begun writing for a new record. In 2014, the band released its eleventh album, '' Gigantoid''. In December 2017, they announced their twelfth album, ''

Clone of the Universe ''Clone of the Universe'' is the twelfth studio album by American stoner rock band Fu Manchu, released on February 9, 2018, by At The Dojo Records. The album features a guest appearance by Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson on its closing track, the 1 ...

'', which was released on February 9, 2018. In March 2024, Fu Manchu announced their thirteenth studio album, ''The Return of Tomorrow'', a

double album A double album (or double record) is an audio album that spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically either records or compact disc. A double album is usually, though not always, released as such because the recording ...

which was released on June 14. The single "Hands of the Zodiac" was released the same day. Hill commented on the band's choice to record a double album, saying "we should do a double record with 7 heavy fuzzy songs on one record and the other record 6 mellow(er) songs..."

Members

Current members

*Scott Hill – guitar (1985–present), lead vocals (1990–present), backing vocals (1985–1990) *Brad Davis – bass, backing vocals (1994–present) *Bob Balch – guitar (1996–present) * Scott Reeder – drums, backing vocals (2001–present)

Former members

*Ruben Romano – drums, backing vocals (1985–1996) *Ken Pucci – lead vocals (1985–1990) *Mark Abshire – bass, backing vocals (1985–1987, 1990–1994) *Greg McCaughey – bass (1987–1990) *Glenn Chivens – lead vocals (1990) *Scott Votaw – guitar (1990–1993) *

– guitar (1993–1996) *

– drums (1996–2001)

Timeline

ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:20 PlotArea = left:95 bottom:95 top:10 right:0 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1985 till:09/30/2024 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Legend = orientation:horizontal position:bottom ScaleMajor = increment:4 start:1985 ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1985 Colors = id:vocals value:red legend:Lead_vocals id:vocals2 value:pink legend:Backing_vocals id:guitar value:green legend:Guitar id:bass value:blue legend:Bass id:drums value:orange legend:Drums id:lines value:black legend:Studio_album id:bars value:gray(0.95) BackgroundColors = bars:bars LineData = at:01/01/1994 color:black layer:back at:01/01/1995 color:black layer:back at:02/27/1996 color:black layer:back at:10/07/1997 color:black layer:back at:02/19/1999 color:black layer:back at:02/15/2000 color:black layer:back at:10/23/2001 color:black layer:back at:09/14/2004 color:black layer:back at:05/08/2007 color:black layer:back at:10/20/2009 color:black layer:back at:04/25/2014 color:black layer:back at:02/09/2018 color:black layer:back at:06/14/2024 color:black layer:back BarData = bar:Ken text:"Ken Pucci" bar:Glenn text:"Glenn Chivens" bar:Scott text:"Scott Hill" bar:Votaw text:"Scott Votaw" bar:Eddie text:"Eddie Glass" bar:Bob text:"Bob Balch" bar:Mark text:"Mark Abshire" bar:Greg text:"Greg McCaughey" bar:Brad text:"Brad Davis" bar:Ruben text:"Ruben Romano" bar:Brant text:"Brant Bjork" bar:Reeder text:"Scott Reeder" PlotData = width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4) bar:Ken from:01/01/1985 till:01/01/1990 color:vocals bar:Glenn from:01/02/1990 till:02/28/1990 color:vocals bar:Scott from:01/01/1985 till:02/28/1990 color:guitar bar:Scott from:01/01/1985 till:02/20/1990 color:vocals2 width:3 bar:Scott from:03/01/1990 till:end color:vocals bar:Scott from:03/01/1990 till:end color:guitar width:3 bar:Votaw from:03/01/1990 till:01/01/1993 color:guitar bar:Eddie from:01/02/1993 till:08/01/1996 color:guitar bar:Bob from:08/02/1996 till:end color:guitar bar:Mark from:01/01/1985 till:01/01/1987 color:bass bar:Mark from:01/01/1985 till:01/01/1987 color:vocals2 width:3 bar:Greg from:01/02/1987 till:02/28/1990 color:bass bar:Mark from:03/01/1990 till:06/01/1994 color:bass bar:Mark from:03/01/1990 till:06/01/1994 color:vocals2 width:3 bar:Brad from:06/02/1994 till:end color:bass bar:Brad from:06/02/1994 till:end color:vocals2 width:3 bar:Ruben from:01/01/1985 till:08/01/1996 color:drums bar:Ruben from:01/01/1985 till:08/01/1996 color:vocals2 width:3 bar:Brant from:08/02/1996 till:03/02/2002 color:drums bar:Reeder from:03/02/2002 till:end color:drums bar:Reeder from:03/02/2002 till:end color:vocals2 width:3

Discography

Albums

* ''

'' LP/CD (1994 Bong Load) * '' Daredevil'' LP/CD (1995 Bong Load) * '' In Search of...'' LP/CD (1996

Mammoth A mammoth is any species of the extinct elephantid genus ''Mammuthus.'' They lived from the late Miocene epoch (from around 6.2 million years ago) into the Holocene until about 4,000 years ago, with mammoth species at various times inhabi ...

) * ''

'' LP/CD (1997 Mammoth) * '' Godzilla's/Eatin' Dust'' (1999 Man's Ruin) * '' King of the Road'' LP/CD (2000 Mammoth) * ''

'' LP/CD (2001 Mammoth) * '' Start the Machine'' CD (2004

DRT Entertainment DRT Entertainment was a New York City based independent record label founded in March 2004 by Derek Shulman, Ron Urban, and Theodore "Ted" Green. The label is defunct. The label advertised itself as an "artist friendly hard rock music company f ...

) * ''

'' LP/CD (2007

Century Media A century is a period of 100 years or 10 decades. Centuries are numbered ordinally in English and many other languages. The word ''century'' comes from the Latin ''centum'', meaning ''one hundred''. ''Century'' is sometimes abbreviated as c. A ...

/ Liquor and Poker) * '' Signs of Infinite Power'' LP/CD (2009 Century Media) * '' Gigantoid'' LP/CD (2014 At the Dojo) * ''

'' LP/CD (2018 At the Dojo) * ''The Return of Tomorrow'' LP/CD (2024 At the Dojo)

Singles and EPs

* "Kept Between Trees" 7-inch (1990 Slap-a-Ham Records) * "Senioritis" 7-inch (1992 Zuma Records) * "Pick-Up Summer" 7-inch (1992 Elastic Records) * "Don't Bother Knockin' (If This Van's Rockin)" 7-inch (1992 Elastic Records) * "Missing Link" 7-inch (1996

) * " Asphalt Risin'" 7-inch (1996

) * "

Godzilla is a fictional monster, or ''kaiju'', that debuted in the eponymous 1954 film, directed and co-written by Ishirō Honda. The character has since become an international pop culture icon, appearing in various media: 33 Japanese films p ...

" 10-inch (1997 Man's Ruin) * "

Jailbreak A prison escape (also referred to as a bust out, breakout, jailbreak, jail escape or prison break) is the act of an inmate leaving prison through unofficial or illegal ways. Normally, when this occurs, an effort is made on the part of authorit ...

" CD/split 7-inch with

Fatso Jetson Fatso Jetson is an American desert rock band from Palm Desert, California, formed in 1994 by Yawning Man members Mario Lalli and Larry Lalli, along with Tony Tornay. They are often credited as the fathers of the desert strain of stoner roc ...

(1998 Sessions Records) * "

Eatin' Dust ''Godzilla's/Eatin' Dust'' (alternatively titled ''(Godzilla's) Eatin' Dust'' or simply ''Eatin' Dust'') is the fifth studio album by American stoner rock band Fu Manchu, released on February 19, 1999, on the now defunct Man's Ruin label. The al ...

" 10-inch (1999 Man's Ruin) * "Ride to Live (Live to Ride)" Twisted Forever Comp. (2001

Koch Koch may refer to: People * Koch (surname), people with this surname * Koch dynasty, a dynasty in Assam and Bengal, north east India * Koch family * Koch people (or Koche), an ethnic group originally from the ancient Koch kingdom in north east In ...

) * " Something Beyond" CD/7" (2003 Elastic Records) * "Hung Out to Dry" CD/7" (2006

) * "Knew It All Along" 7-inch (2007 At the Dojo) * "Beach Blanket Bongout" 7-inch (2009 At the Dojo) * "Slow Ride / Future Transmitter" 7-inch (2016 At the Dojo) * "Fu30, Pt. 1" 10-inch (2020 At the Dojo) * "Fu30, Pt. 2" 10-inch (2022 At the Dojo) * "Fu30, Pt. 3" 10-inch (2023 At the Dojo)

Compilation and live albums

* ''

Return to Earth 91–93 ''Return to Earth 91–93'' is a compilation album by California stoner rock band Fu Manchu, released in 1998 on Elastic Records. The album is a collection of three early singles released in 1992, along with two bonus songs. The band features Sco ...

'' LP/CD - 1998 - Elastic Records * '' Go for It... Live!'' LP/CD - 2003 - Steamhammer * ''

Live at Roadburn 2003 ''Live at Roadburn 2003'' is a live album by American stoner rock band Fu Manchu. It documents their performance at the Roadburn Festival 2003 edition which was held at the Effenaar music venue located in Eindhoven, Netherlands. Also playing the ...

'' LP/CD - 2019 - At The Dojo * ''A Look Back: Dogtown & Z-Boys'' - 2021 - At The Dojo (soundtrack for short documentary movie)

Singles and music videos

* "Tilt" (1995) * "Asphalt Risin'" (1996) * "Evil Eye" (1997) * "King of the Road" (2001) * "Squash That Fly" (2001) * "Written in Stone" (2004) * "Hung Out to Dry" (2007)

References

External links

Official website
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Fu Manchu American stoner rock musical groups Century Media Records artists Musical groups established in 1985 DRT Entertainment artists Mammoth Records artists Liquor and Poker Music artists Man's Ruin Records artists 1985 establishments in California