Yes, Fu Manchu is a stoner-rock band, reliant on fuzzed-out guitars and neo-psychedelic,blissed-out melodies, but there’s no reason to fear the reefer smokers. Thoughthe smoke pouring out of the windows from these El Camino driving Orange County,California rockers would have scared you out of the parking lot in high school,there’s not too much menace from the stripped-down grooves and near-BlackSabbath sludge of the quartet’s latest batch of tunes. Let your tolerancefor the word “dude” be your guide for how many stoner rock records youneed in your collection—it’s a particularly stagnant style. Though there’smore than a hint of irony in the group’s dumber than they need to be lyricsand the repetitive, nearly chanted vocals, there’s nothing as inspired asthe band’s cover of Devo’s “Freedom of Choice” from its lastrecord. You’ve heard this before, whether in the glammed-out rock-out-with-your-cock-outegomania of Monster Magnet (with whom Crossing producer Matt Hyde worked)or in the old school stylings of Kyuss. There’s the Blue Oyster Cult cowbellcounting off both “Ampn’” and “Mongoose,” a drum soloon “The Wasteoid”… and that’s just a few of the cliches litteringthe percussion.

Look, if you like stoner rock, you’re a fan of Fu Manchu. They helped pioneerthe start of the genre more than a decade ago. But if you’re looking formore adventurous rock, put the bong down.