Wo Fat - Descent Into The Maelstrom
Leave it to a little band from Texas to name a record after a mythological Mexican monster. While the multilinguist in me wonders whether the Chupacabra is of the masculine or feminine gender, the heavy-riff enthusiast is really digging this five-track package, served with a hearty helping of downtuned doom.
“Bayou Juju” serves up some river-deep southern grooves, with a slight southern twang in the vocals, which seem a bit buried in the profound riffage. “Descent Into the Maelstorm”goes down like a knife into butter, its wah-fuzz attack assaulting the senses at a casual, deliberate pace. “Common Ground” lets off the clutch a bit, with a fuzzy southern blues that sounds like SRV after a coupla bong hits, and “Phantasmagoria” continues with the laid-back, heavy blues vibe.
The title track is a swirling 15-minute epic with some jazzy drumming and spaced-out guitars. It serves as a showcase for the heavy blues soloing heard throughout, while ending the album on a HIGH note.
For those who like their doom of the dirty, southern variety, this album's well worth a listen.
Reviewed by Gruesome Greg
Tracklist
01 Bayou Juju
02 Descent Into The Maelstrom
03 Common Ground
04 Phantasmagoria
05 Noche del Chupacabra
