Wo Fat

Wo Fat

Wo Fat is a US stoner rock band from Dallas, active since 2005. The group consists of Kent Stump, Michael Walter and Tim Wilson. Its music sits across doom metal, heavy psych, metal, psychedelic, stoner metal and stoner rock, with a strong emphasis on blues-infused, Southern-style riffing and extended jamming.

Formation and style

Guitarist Kent Stump forms the band with drummer Michael Walter and bassist Tim Wilson around 2003, and the trio develops a sound rooted in the heavy rock of Black Sabbath, Jimi Hendrix and ZZ Top. The band aims for music that is very heavy but still leaves space for improvisation, interplay and long instrumental passages, while drawing on haunting blues elements.

Releases

Wo Fat's 2006 release The Gathering Dark establishes the band's approach, combining dark Mississippi Hill Country blues, extended acid-guitar passages and Sabbath-style riffing. The band follows it with Psychedelonaut in 2009 and Noche del Chupacabra in 2011. The latter is described as the group's most adventurous release and continues its mix of dense riffs and spaced-out sections. Psychedelonaut and Noche del Chupacabra both help build the band's profile and critical reputation.

Label affiliation

Wo Fat later joins the Small Stone roster.

Sound and imagery

The band's imagery and lyrical atmosphere centre on swampy, cosmic and occult themes, including hoodoo, undead figures, hell hounds, Lovecraftian cults and other supernatural settings. Its overall style combines psychedelic doom with a southern-fried, blues-based approach.