I'm a bit new to this beast that calls itself Wo Fat, who are Kent Stump (guitar, vocals, Fender Rhodes), Tim Wilson (bass), and Michael Walter (drums, vocals). Doom and stoner is the game they play, and Wo Fat obviously have a deep love for all things Black Sabbath, Saint Vitus, Sleep, Crowbar, and Down, so expect a boatload of crushing riffs, weed induced way-wah guitar solos, and plenty of groove laden headbanging on their recent release The Black Code. Most of the tracks on this CD are fairly lengthy, giving the trio plenty of opportunity to lay down some tremendous riffage, psychedelic solos, and drawn out, dirge encrusted passages. I mean, "Lost Highway" and the title track, the first two songs on the album, just contain some absolutely delicious old school doom riffs that will make any vintage Black Sabbath fan instantly crank out the air guitar and pump out the devil horns. The fuzz-soaked blues riffs & slide guitar of "Hurt at Bone" remind of classic ZZ Top, while the dark & creepy "The Shard of Leng" is a psych lovers dream and will have you torching up and getting set to drift into the cosmos. Of course Wo Fat saves the best for last with "Sleep of the Black Lotus", as mounds of mondo distorted riffs comes crashing down upon you, slowly bludgeoning the listener into oblivion while the drumming starts to pick up the pace and eventually drives the song into mid-paced crusty, doomy sludge. Vocals throughout are of the gruff variety, whisky soaked and full of attitude, perfectly meshing with the fuzz laden arrangements.
The Black Code is bruising, head smashing stuff, and features some of the HEAVIEST riffs I've heard in a while. If your tastes fall into the doom/stoner/sludge camp, and you haven't checked out Wo Fat, you most certainly need to.
Track Listing
1) Lost Highway
2) The Black Code
3) Hurt at Gone
4) The Shard of Leng
5) Sleep of the Black Lotus
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