ninehertz

At what points does reverence and influence become too close to its source inspiration to be uncomfortable and detract from its own worth? It's a subjective question, and many of us in stoner and doom have had to make our own peace with the question over the decades. But is there a point where it goes so far, so clearly in debt to a single band - where doubt is removed or point of debate is pointless - that it counter intuitively allows you to just settle in and enjoy it not only regardless but with that knowledge front and centre?

Be ready to have that hypothesis tested. Any chance depends on (1) the quality of the offering and (2) your opinion on the evidently singular source of divine inspiration. This is everything that went through my head on my first run through of Sweden's Caboose and their Majestic Mountain Records released album Left for Dust. By the end, the first point is not up for debate, this is thrilling stoner rock. On the second, well... what's your thoughts on Fu Manchu?

I'd love to litter this review with an array of stoner rock calling points, but the line to the Californian skaters is clear and deeply ploughed and coloured over in highlighters. There's a car on the cover, but that's the least of it. For the majority of the album you could close your eyes, forget what you know and pretend this is a long lost record from between No One Rides for Free and (especially) Daredevil - it is of those early days that this pulls most frequently. Only occasionally will it move from there, and only to reminders of the same band a decade or so later, more California Crossing era (such as on the asphalt smeared, wonderfully catchy Concrete Surfer).

And for all this, despite the ease which it would be to wail on the album for its obviousness, I can't help but love it. Maybe its me harking back to a band I adored for so many years, to an era of stoner rock lost to us. But it is more than that. Whether this is an ode or love letter to Scott Hill and co or not, it doesn't actually matter because it is rammed with such good songs, stoner rock invigorated unlike the genre has seen for too long. The fuzzy riffs, drag strip lyrics and energy they throw into the music is infectious. For once, talking up the positives in a review isn't the easy option. For Fu Manchu fans, this will as a minimum take you back, and may well provide you with a familiar excitement for the modern day.