Though Fu Manchu often comes up when discussing the stoner rock of Sleep, Kyuss, Queens of the Stone Age, Monster Magnet, and, the Orange County band has made the prime focus skate boarding, California vibes, and science fiction, all stuffed in a smoke-filled custom 70s van. As proponents of fuzzed-out guitar riffing, tight arrangements, catchy hooks, and finding the balance between bombast and restraint, Fu Manchu marks all our boxes. The fact they do such a good job not only writing great music, but creating an entire look and feel from album artwork to merchandise helps us look into what was once an aspirational idea of the West Coast to a pair of flat-land Ohio boys.