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For the uninitiated, Wo Fat are Dallas Texas 3-piece riff-lords whose sound is buried deep in desert rock, under the influence of bluesy doomy psychedelia, who've been tripping to Sabbath, Hendrix and Kyuss records for years. They return with their latest long-player 'Midnight Cometh' out on 20th May 2016 - and first on Ripple Music - that features 6 tracks that entrenches their signature sound beyond 2014's The Conjuring (review here). As firm favourites over here at Heavy Planet, Wo Fat's records have regularly been featured in 'top album of the year' review posts... so it's safe to say our collective expectation has been set pretty high in recent years... Have I just jinxed it?
Well, whoever hears the first 30 seconds of opener 'There's Something Sinister In The Wind' and is not stomping their feet, has cold blood in their veins. This record grabs you by the balls from the outset and there’s little let-up. The first two tracks are a frenetic 'Friday night' groove before stepping off the gas for the more expansive and standout track 'Of Smoke And Fog', clocking in at over 11 minutes, but who's counting? Album closer “Nightcomer’ is a majestic mid-tempo groove that slinks like a desert snake, with a sneaky sting in the tail as the record combusts in on itself only drowned out by your screams of MORE MORE!! There are huge moments peppered throughout this record that surprise you which you only pick up on further listens, that compels you to hit the repeat button. And rising those waves of tempo throughout the record never feels self-indulgent on the bands part - just great riffs that get you high and bring you down again. You can already hear how ‘Riffborn’ and ‘Three Minutes To Midnight’ will be making their way straight into Wo Fat's live sets.
Production-wise Midnight Cometh is everything we've come to expect from a WoFat record - ear bleeding levels of fuzz, sweat-drenched Bluesy lead guitar, relentlessly pounding drums, and riffs for days. Is there a greater guitar virtuoso than Kent Stump in the stoner rock world right now? Wo Fat have certainly honed their craft over a six album career to today where the band are embarking on a second European tour that includes appearances at Desertfest (London, UK) and Hellfest (Clisson, France).
The band and album are epitomized by the lyric on Riffborn - ‘We live by the old ways, we know what came before. Build ourselves a purple haze. We are the Riffborn’ - and it's a statement of intent which holds true throughout. Wo Fat are a melting pot of influences, taking the best bits from the stoner rock pantheon through the ages and melding them together to forge their own style. They continue to work their voodoo, keeping us captivated under their sonic spell. You need this record in your collection...
Band Name: Space Ape Genre: Stoner Rock/Metal Location: Dallas, TX
Brief Bio/Description: We are a three piece Indie Rock/Stoner Rock/Metal band from Dallas, TX. We've been regularly playing in the Dallas, Denton & Austin, TX. areas since 2014. We've just recorded our debut album at Crystal Clear Studios and the album was produced by Kent Stump of the band Wo-Fat.
We will release on all digital outlets on May 3rd and also have our album available on CD and Vinyl in May. Band Members:
James Duffer (Drums/Vocals on tracks 2, 5 & 7)
Joseph Martin (Guitar/Vocals on tracks 3, 4, 6 & 8)
Nick Stanley (Bass) Links:Bandcamp | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud | YouTube
There isn't a whole lot of information out there about this threesome from Dallas, so all we can do is let their music do the talking. Which it does quite sufficiently. Crypt Trip include all the best elements of stoner, doom, psych, and retro rock into this 5 song EP. It's heavy, it burns, it hits all the right primal chords. Uptempo scorchers like "Phantasm", measured gloom like "Mrs. Absinthe", stoner fuzziness like "Wraiths" all rock your face off. So, turn it up and enjoy.
Summer is fun season, it goes without saying. Warmth and sunshine give way to an unending array of pleasurable things to do, only one of which I will mention here. Hell, I don't even have to mention it, you already know what it is. It's why you came to heavyplanet.net today, just as you came yesterday, and why you likely will come tomorrow. It's not for my writing, I'm aware of that, but perhaps it is for what I write about and what my fellow reviewers, awesome dudes one and all, write about. You came to immerse yourself in the soul fortifying power of stoner rock, doom metal, and psychedelic grooviness, because it's FUN! The array of merriment on hand today is unique and deeply satisfying for we will get to plunge into a deep, classic avalanche of gargantuan guitar, while pummeling down a mountainside of sound, just as we will steep ourselves in the koolaid of ingenuity with a clever, cunning cascade of brilliance in metal form. So cast your brilliant smile, if you will, to the sun and soak up the sonic wave of summertime splendor on tap this incredibly fun day. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
POLKADOT CADAVER - "LAST CALL IN JONESTOWN"
Inventiveness, cleverness, carefully crafted melodies, rhythms in perfect time, lyrics of depth and substance, harmoniousness in deep degree, all couched within gargantuan, low tuned riffs, dexterous solo runs, savvy drums, and a tightness borne of ability and sweat. Gawd this album is chock full of magic and spice. And that's not counting the surprise appearance of a bonified rock legend on the penultimate track. Don't miss Track 11, "Transistors of Mercy", for a guest monkey in the Polkadot barrel.
Polkadot Cadaver aren't really a conventional metal band, crafting unique, intriguing, and savvy melodies bursting at the seams with alluring, arousing components cobbed together in such a way as to provide an experience like no other. There will be interludes of beauty, light and airy, deft and nimble, segueing into avenues of power and volume. Various and multifarious keyboards are used throughout the album, but there isn't a taste of electronica to be had, only blood thick metal measures and compositions borne of inspiration and insight.
These rockers hail from Rockville, Maryland, a fitting moniker for home base. Their ranks include the members:
Todd Smith - Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards
Jasan Stepp - Guitar, Keyboards, Programming, Cello
David Cullen - Bass, Keyboards
Scott Radway - Live Drums
The title track opens the album and delivers a memorable melody of tight metal mayhem, fast and sharp, in your face brutality, that thrills with its razor sharp hooks and vicious melody. This song will find its way onto favorite playlists for ages to come. "Phantasmagoria" follows with a thrilling, soaring journey of spice and danger. "Touch You Like Caligula" is a labyrinthine, dark tale of smoldering power. Intricate, ascending movements, soaring in and out of sweetness and rancor, both thrilling and emotional, are hallmarks of the series from "Sheer Madness" through "Animal Kingdom". And then comes "Transistors of Mercy", a song of incredible joy, not the least of which is due to the infallible, indefatigable Neil Fallon of Clutch fame providing his legendary vocals to this treasured track. Fallon's voice is a beacon in the murk, deep, dark, and delicious in its delivery.
Polkadot Cadaver are currently on tour promoting their recent masterpiece, so with any luck you can make it to a show and be overwhelmed with one of this summer's finest, funnest experiences, but even if all you can manage is a download from iTunes or Amazon your summer will still be merrily, memorably metal.
What can be more fun that an all out sortie from two of doom metal's premier bands? Egypt and Wo Fat have teamed together for a split EP, two blistering, smoldering, smoking hot tracks each, for half an hour of deep dive immersion into the intoxicatingly murky depths of guitar madness.
Egypt are known both for the brilliant 'Valley of the Kings' EP of 2003 (re-released in 2009) and the recently released monster "Become the Sun", with the former holding a special place in the hearts of many on it's haunting, hooky metal melodies, and the latter a slight change of direction that has pulled in multitudes of doom loving metal heads to its deep, dark deliciousness. The 2 tracks chosen for "Cyclopean Riffs" follow the recent rumbling formula of the January 2013 release, unloading stygian volleys of staggering power and force, each on a decagonal trajectory of immersion and deep, biding experiences.
"Blood Temple Hymn" kicks off the low tuned expedition with measured intent, steady and true in power and force, slowly, surely, inexorably portaging your consciousness away from the light and into the deepest recesses of an internal subconscious universe. Moving directly through the dark territory attained on the previous track, "Ancient Enemy" dives ever deeper into the black recesses of a bottomless cognizance, evincing hypnotizing dexterity on mesmerizing riffs of murky, dark power.
The Fargo, North Dakota threesome are quickly establishing themselves as a phenomenon of doom, opening deep, dark portals of distortion and grace with their latest releases. Aaron Esterby on vocals and bass, Chad Heille on drums, and Neal Stein on guitar meld incredibly rich, authoritative metal narratives that take their place among the best doom metal of the decade.
Joining the Fargo boys on the split are the boys from Dallas, Wo Fat, who have relentlessly unleashed onslaught after onslaught of stoner doom treasures over the last few years onto the thirsty masses of lo-fi fuzz lovers the world over. Just as Egypt has recently released a full sized LP, Wo Fat topped the stoner/doom charts of 2012 with the phenomenal "Black Code". On "Cyclopean Riffs" there is no skimping on quality and euphoria as the dual delivery of mutant metal matches anything released in recent years in quality and enchantment.
Nearly a quarter of an hour of primal enrapture kicks off the deep, dark duo from Wo Fat as "Nameless Cults" opens with the heavy impact of tribal rhythms, merging effortlessly with white hot poker brand solos and large caliber cannon fire of exquisite doom licks and forays of melting lava metal. "Electric Hellhound" slowly breeds its brand of mudslide magic, growling, grumbling, roaring, and rolling along in a resounding roar of low fuzz and distorted power, thrashing powerlines along the way in flashes of white heat and released electrical fury.
Wo Fat have become a recognizable ambassador of stoner rock and doom metal in the underground world of guitar laden nirvana, and rightfully so. Any release that includes their music immediately becomes a must have item. Kent Stump on vocals and guitar, Tim Wilson on bass, and Michael Walter on drums combine once again to put forth mammoth magical metal. Adding the doomslayers from Fargo, Egypt, to the mix only enhances that maniacal quality. This is an EP for the ages and likely the only source for the four quality tracks chosen to embody the sound and experience that only high caliber bands such as these two can provide.
Today we have the second second coming of Kyuss from Wraclow, Poland in the guise of Palm Desert, who Zac compared magnificently to the high desert sound of "Welcome to Sky Valley" on their first release, "Falls of the Wasteland" back in April of 2011. Now they've upped the ante a bit with their second release "Rotten Village Sessions" so we get to see if they were a one album wonder or not. The second offering today is a 3 piece in which 2 are brothers, hailing from Texas, with a deep, resonant groove borne of hours listening to their father's cache of 70s rock. Mothership are a mother lode of hard driving, fuzzy, melodious guitar soaked deliciousness mined from the depths of Earth's finest veins of rich metal. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PALM DESERT - "ROTTEN VILLAGE SESSIONS"
Since the 2011 release of "Falls of the Wasteland", Palm Desert have now come out with another collection of songs seemingly written in the high deserts crispness of the Mojave Desert air titled "Rotten Village Sessions". The 2011 release was credited, as mentioned above, with a sound similar to the kings of the high desert, Kyuss, so the anticipation, if not expectation, for "Rotten Village Sessions" will be 'can they do it again'? Or would they even want to do it again. What will it be like?
As it turns out, Palm Desert stick to the formula, perhaps working on crafting an even finer collection of stoner rock tunes than before, something certainly not easy to do, something not many bands, regardless of location, would want to attempt, but Palm Desert have not only made the attempt, they have pulled off another solid collection of songs that fit perfectly in the pantheon of the high desert stoner sound perpetuated by Kyuss in the 90s.
Is the music on this album original in style? Does it break new ground or reveal anything new at all? Perhaps not, at least not in style or genre, but who the fuck cares? Is it good stoner rock? No. It's GREAT stoner rock, and I, for one, am very appreciative of this foursome from Wraclow, Poland taking a sound they obviously love, and that I happen to love as well, and whipping out 9 fresh, healthy versions of a rock sound that is becoming rare. There is no direct copying of anything here of which I can tell, just new songs brilliantly written to a style that is quite rightly one of the best rock has ever produced, one that came and went in relative obscurity for most, but luckily not for us.
Band members for Palm Desert are:
Kamil Ziotkowski - drums
Jan Rutka - bass
Piotr Lacny - guitar
Wojciech Gatuszka - vocals
Within the stoner rock style that Palm Desert employ are brilliant and gifted vocals, crucial to the high desert sound as set by John Garcia of Kyuss, eminent and energetic bass, never simply blended and relegated to the background as so often happens in many rock bands regardless of style, guitar that riffs and hooks, solos and scorches with the best of them, crucial to making memorable, enjoyable melodies, and drums, like the bass, that powerfully carve out their own space on these songs, not simply relegated to providing tempo and beat, but creating wonderful, vibrant music within the tapestry of Palm Desert's music.
The opening song, "Down the Odyssey" sets the tone, an eight minute intercontinental ballistic ride over the tops of saguaro and joshua, hooking from the outset, both in memorable melody and powerful blows to your stoner rock loving head. This is the kind of song you fall right into the middle of and ride for all its worth.
I love the echoey drum sound on track #3, "Ghulassa Saloon", that quickly leads into track #4, "Mani" where the musical threads here are trippy, catchy, and just plain groovy. It's a unique and incredibly enjoyable song that successfully employs unusual execution in instrumentation.
Palm Desert close out the album with a couple of classic sounding stoner songs, "Acid Phantom" and "White Wolf". The guitar work on "Acid Phantom" is pure and beautiful stoner rock, enjoyable for its effort as well as its dead on sound. "White Wolf" is ten minutes of sheer music brilliance, with a haunting, pitch perfect guitar weaving a tale of wonder and excitement, building up along the way with ever broadening drumwork, bass riffs, and vocal intensity. After ten minutes is a hidden little guitar ditty that adds a dash of flavor. It is there, I'm sure, just as a little thank you for those of us that made it to the end and enjoyed the trip along the way.
Brothers Kelley, or Kells, and Kyle Juett team with Judge Smith to create a powerhouse rock trio that have no problem leaving the stratosphere of Earth for music that is cosmically and universally righteous. Hailing from Dallas, Texas, a heavy southern, bluesy influence is infused throughout their music, giving it a home base from which to blast off, but never constraining it to the small confines of our little solar system. Mothership know how to make their music soar, how to trip across the cosmos at the speed of sound, how to escape the gravity of the biggest black holes, and how to generate the force of the largest, most monstrous supernovas. Mothership may have been crafted in the backyard and garage of Daddy's house, but their vessel is one of the finest in the universe.
When first starting out, Mothership were 3 Juetts as father John flayed the skin as older brother Kyle cranked bass and younger brother Kells played guitar, with both brothers sharing vocal duties. Dad knew his time was limited, but can you imagine how much fun that had to be, playing some of the finest new rock crafted in recent years with your progeny? I can only imagine John enjoyed it immensely before turning the sticks over to Judge.
Judge, for his part, has stepped in admirably, providing high quality drumwork that never hides behind the roar and rumble of the high energy engines of the Juett brothers' strings. Judge's energy combines with a physical quality that permeates and punctuates perfectly and powerfully throughout the album.
Guitar work by the younger Kells is quite definitely a cut above standard rock guitar. Stoner / retro rock is all about guitar, and Mothership take that to heart, delivering loads of driven, cogent, quality guitar that takes its cues from old blues rock, rock guitar from the 70s, and embellishing upon that with volume and vigor, fuzzing out the edges with a satisfying dollop of distortion, boring out huge swathes of earth below the surface while simultaneously blasting away at outerspace in starburst, supernova, cosmic blasts of laser cannon riffs and string theory precision.
Kyle mans the bass in such a way as to grab your attention quite quickly when listening through Mothership's songs for the first time. There is a whole lot of gusto with his playing, just downright kick the door in with my Red Wing steel tips, watch how easy it is for me, and as he's kicking it in you notice a beautiful rhythm to the whole event despite the brutality of it, despite the unmitigated release of testosterone and thermite.
The brothers share vocal duties, and I, for one, can't tell much of a difference as both bring a decent rock voice to the party, blending well with the music they play, never yelling the lyrics, something increasingly rare, but never putting themselves in positions that would compromise their capabilities, which when you think about it, shows quite a bit of intelligence in song writing. That intelligence is much more evident on the songs themselves as each one of the eight on this self titled album are well written, well executed, and full of melody, hooks, riffs, memorable stretches with and without the vocals, just all around excellence in craftsmanship.
The opener is five minutes of instrumental, apparently stressing what to them is the more important part to their music and providing to us some monstrous riffage in tribal rhythmic packaging. It leads easily into "Cosmic Rain", a simple bluesy and catchy tune that will be one of those you find yourself singing to long after electricity has been shut off for the night.
Next up is "City Nights", where the melody is tighter and the hooks are contagious. The solos blister and burn, but the basswork, the rhythm guitar, and the energetic skin pounding on the refrains go straight to your blues rock receptors, firing off nerves that get your body moving in time to this incredible song.
It seems like each song kicks up the hookage a notch from its predecessor, and "Angel of Death" is no exception. After a nice extended intro, the blues fuzz kicks in, and musical satisfaction melts warmly through your body as the song unfolds and progresses. This is just pleasurable rock music listening, like biscuits, real butter, and honey. Chased down with a Real Ale Full Moon Pale Rye Ale, of course.
"Win or Lose" changes up the tempo, slowing it down, tuning it down, but kicking the intensity up a couple of notches to go along with a memorable and well crafted melody that will stay with you for days, I have no doubt. The guitar work on this song is exquisite, tremendous, just totally enjoyable.
"Eagle Soars", the penultimate song, continues the trend. The brothers spend time singing together on this one, which adds a nice flavor to what is already a boiling, frothy, batch of guitar stew, chock full of meat, and more meat, and just lots of meaty goodness.
The closer is "Lunar Master". It's a Lunar Masterpiece. Eight minutes of galloping headlong on your space stallion passing planets, comets, asteroids, and black holes at the speed of Mothership. Pretty awesome.
Mothership, in keeping with their celestial sci-fi name have conjured 8 tales of cosmic bliss played out in 70s Texas blues rock guitar, none of which sounds like it would fit, but when given to genetically superior beings, awesomeness is the byproduct of using what you know, on what you have at hand, with the enthusiasm of constructing what you love best. It's quite wonderful to behold.
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