FU MANCHU: Lyric Video For 'Clone Of The Universe' Title Track

The official lyric video for the song "Clone Of The Universe" from Southern Californian hard rockers FU MANCHU can be seen below. The track is the title cut of the band's 12th studio album, which will be released on February 9 via the group's own label At The Dojo Records. The upcoming record will be their first in four years, following the 2014 release of "Gigantoid".

Speaking with Billboard, founding guitarist Scott Hill says: "Our song 'Clone Of The Universe' was the last song written for the new record. We had about 13 songs ready to to choose from, and about three weeks before we were to go into the studio, we wrote that song.

"We record all of our songs on cassette four-track and we had the first part of the song arranged/recorded but we still needed an ending to the song. On one of the final days of practice, before going into the studio at the end of practice, as we were packing up our gear, our drummer, Scott Reeder, was doing these fast drum beats/rolls and I thought it sounded great, and as soon as I got home, I still had his drumming in my head and I wrote the ending riffs to his drum beat."

"Clone Of The Universe" marks a new chapter for the "fuzz rock" pioneers as they mix the straight ahead blistering rock with unexpected time shifts, featuring tracks like the roaring cuts "Don't Panic" and "(I've Been) Hexed" and the dynamically complex "Clone Of The Universe" and "Slower Than Light". The centerpiece of the album is "Il Mostro Atomico", an 18-minute-8-second side-long epic featuring a special guest performance by Alex Lifeson, guitarist and songwriter of the legendary band RUSH. Heavier than anything they've ever done and broken into four distinct sections, it's new ground for a band that's been pushing the boundaries of "fuzz and wah" since its formation in 1990.

The band will play two album-release shows in Southern California before hitting the road in Europe in March and returning to the U.S. in May.

"We are excited to get out and play this stuff, especially 'Il Mostro Atomico'," said Scott Hill. "We think it's some the strongest music we've ever done. We really love the overall sound of the album and having Alex play on it is just incredible. It gives it that special validation for the idea that we had to try something like a side long song."

The album was recorded and produced by FU MANCHU and Jim Monroe at The Racket Room in Santa Ana, California, with additional recording by Andrew Giacumakis at Susstudio in Simi Valley, California.

"Clone Of The Universe" track listing:

01. Intelligent Worship (3:08)
02. (I've Been) Hexed (2:48)
03. Don't Panic (2:05)
04. Slower Than Light (3:26)
05. Nowhere Left To Hide (4:19)
06. Clone Of The Universe (2:58)
07. Il Mostro Atomico (18:08)

FU MANCHU is Scott Hill (vocals, guitar),Bob Balch (guitar),Brad Davis (bass) and Scott Reeder (drums and percussion).

Photo credit: John Gilhooley