Wo Fat

“Midnight Cometh”

Album review by Vicky Jackson-Milne

8/10

 When you think of Texas, USA, a vision of everything ten times the size of normality springs to mind.  You can certainly say the same for this album that sludge lords Wo Fat have recently thrown in the faces of metal fans across the world.  ‘Midnight Cometh’ is massive and the sixth offering from these heavyweights.

You know when a ‘full length’ has only 6 tracks that you are about to embark on a fairly thick, sludge laiden, psychedelic feast for your ear holes.  From the very start of this album you are instantly grabbed by your undercarriage and pulled into a storm of heavy distorted riffs, ‘There’s Something Sinister In The Wind’ is so blues and groove filled, it’s jammier than a Krispy Kreme donut.

The same can’t be said for ‘Riffborn’ and ‘Of Smoke and Fog’ which are much faster paced tracks that cram in everything this band can do with their instruments, although the latter’s intro being more like something off of a Pink Floyd record until it kicks in to 5^th gear, during which you can definitely hear the Sabbath influence.  Again it has that classic fuzz guitar and bass sound that every sludge, doom and stoner fan love, right the way through each track and simple yet effective drum rhythms that just set each song off perfectly.

‘Le Dilemme de Detenu’ is very much a teasing little number, making you want to settle back down into your seat to see how it unfolds.  After two minutes it really takes off with intensity and definitely brings your interest back into sticking around for the next two tracks.  Next on the ‘Midnight Cometh’ train is ‘Three Minutes To Midnight’.  I wondered if this was in homage to the Maiden track, but it couldn’t be further from it if it tried.  The tempo has increased and the guitars are even crunchier.  Definitely a track to get you rocking hard.  Rounding off this riff ravaged punch of an album is ‘Nightcomer’, a song that is slinkier than a serpent in syrup.  It wades through the medium tempo and chugs along nicely.  I think this probably has the crunchiest riff of the whole record and is a great finisher.

This album is chock full of blues, and such heavy fuzzed up riffs that it will leave you feeling filthy when you’re finished with it. Definitely a fantastic offering from Wo Fat who have clearly shown with this that they are still up there with the best.  If you can stay still while you listen to this then there is something very wrong with you!

LISTEN FOR:  Riffborn, Le Dilemme de Detenu, Nightcomer

TRACK LIST:

1.    There’s Something Sinister In The Wind

2.    Riffborn

3.    Of Smoke and Fog

4.    Le Dilemme de Detenu

5.    Three Minutes To Midnight

6.    Nightcomer

CHECK THEM OUT:

http://wofat.net/index.shtml

https://www.facebook.com/wofatriffage/

LINEUP:

 Vocals/Guitar: Kent Stump

Bass: Zack Busby (2016-present)

Drums: Michael Walter

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