Fu Manchu is a San Clemente band located at the chewy center core of Southern California mystique. For fourteen years they’ve created albums filled with road rock anthems that celebrate old school skateboarding, cherry rides, and glorious pop culture obscurities. They make fine videos, toured the world playing everywhere from stateside biker bars to major European rock festivals, and still they continue to be overlooked by virtually every music magazine.

Start The Machine contains twelve menacing songs running a tight thirty-five minutes. Each has a simple, catchy, and singable chorus, and perhaps best described as Black Flag’s Damaged meets Judas Priest’s Point of Entry. “Written in Stone” is a solid first single, but it’s burners “I Wanna Be,” “Hey,” Tunnel Vision,” and “I’m Getting’ Away” that conjure listeners to plug in air guitars. However, the best surprise is the exotic instrumental “Out To Sea” which nicely changes gears from the fuzz-heavy space sludge the band was mired in years ago.

Weaned on good-time 70’s rock, but inspired by 80’s west coast punk, Fu Manchu guitarist and singer Scott Hill may have finally achieved his ultimate musical vision. Along with Hill, guitarist Bob Balch and bassist Brad Davis, no one can be happier than drummer Scott Reeder, who’s been a bonafide member for nearly three years, yet this is the first full-length studio album he’s recorded. Hard rock is all about the riff, but Reeder’s excellent drumming offers an almost danceable backdrop throughout.

A fine addition to Fu Manchu music collections, Start The Machine might actually make it onto spinning class iPods, and maybe even played at strip clubs by pole dancers looking for some pumping music to grind to. Hot damn, well all right.