Fuzz Manta “Smoke Rings”, 2009
The band’s chosen handle and the orange album cover with the girl holding what appears to be a musician’s cigarette surrounded by swirling circles gives a good indication that Denmark’s Fuzz Manta have their feet placed firmly in the psychedelic/stoner rock camp. Unlike a lot of their contemporaries, in Lene Kjær Hvillum, they have a female singer who has a strong voice reminiscent of the L7 front woman that punches through the smoke clouds demanding to be heard. The rest of the band plays workmanlike hard rock with tasty guitar solos breathing through now and again. Strangely the title track is a slow ballad and is weakened compared to a number of the other tracks. Its follower “Mysterious Thoughts” is a much stronger track with a punchy chorus and guitar licks flowing in and out. “The Killer” builds up slowly and like a number of the Fuzz Manta songs has a definite rock radio single potential but really that’s where the problems of this album lie. The band’s sound blasts through the speakers clearly but there’s an absense of grittiness and a lack of willingness to bask in filth.
2.5/5
Fuzz Manta's official site
Fuzz Manta have released two more albums since this one the Ripple Effect recently reviewed their second one, Opus II.
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