Wo Fat

Wo Fat
Wo Fat
	; Wo Fat.
Background information
Origin	Dallas, Texas, USA
Genres	Hard Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Stoner Rock
Years active	2003 - Present
Labels	Nasoni Records, Small Stone Records, Ripple Music, Totem Cat Records, Red Menace, Fuzz Lab, Brainticket
Website	Wo Fat's Official Page
Current members	Kent Stump; Michael Walter; Patrick Smith; Matt Watkins

Wo Fat are a psychedelic rock band based out of Dallas, Texas. Forming in 2003, they draw elements of southern blues, stoner rock and doom metal, drawing from the likes of Black Sabbath, Jimi Hendrix, ZZ Top and other 1970s acts.^[1] To date the trio have released six studio albums among three split releases and a live album.

The band's name it derived from a villainous character from the CBS series Hawaii Five-O, portrayed by Khigh Dhiegh in the original series spanning from 1968 - 1980.

History[]

Wo Fat would be founded in 2003 by guitarist Kent Stump, along with drummer Michael Walter and bassist Tim Wilson. Their goal was to create a music that is crushingly heavy, but that stays within the paradigm forged by Black Sabbath, Jimi Hendrix, ZZ Top and the other 70's greats. A music that allows for improvisational freedom, extensive jamming and interplay between the three members yet that, at the same time, allows them to crank out monolithic, fuzzed out, downtuned riffs, all the while staying true to the haunting blues that wail and moan deep within their souls.

Sometime after forming the trio would record a debut album and release the 79-minute The Gathering Dark on 15 October 2006. A follow-up in the 71-minute Psychedelonaut would see release on 3 March 2009, gaining further buzz.^[2]^[3] Noche del Chupacabra would see release two years later via Nasoni Records on 26 January 2011. The band would host a release party on 4 February at Reno's Chop Shop in Dallas to support the album.^[4] Ultimately Noche del Chupacabra gained further critical praise from the likes of The Obelisk,^[5] Heavy Planet^[6] and Planet Fuzz^[7] just to name a few.

Wo Fat would play numerous shows in the Texas area including marquee events such as Doom in June^[8] and SXSW. Following an appearance at a Small Stone Records showcase the band would sign with the label.^[9] The band's debut with the label, The Black Code, would see release on 13 November 2012. The Black Code would attain positive reception from the likes of The Obelisk,^[10] Louder Sound,^[11] Metal Temple,^[12] and Metal Observer to name a few.^[13]

Wo Fat would tour Europe alongside Abrahma to support the album, including both bands releasing a Split 7" together and making appearances at Roadburn Festival and Desertfest London. The Conjuring would follow on 17 June 2014 surrounding a tour of Europe with Mothership, including an appearance at Freak Valley Festival (Which would later be released as a live album entitled Live Juju: Wo Fat at Freak Valley). The Conjuring would attain further critical acclaim from several publications.^[14]^[15]^[16]^[17]

Following a short European tour surrounding appearances at Desertfest London and DesertFest Berlin, Wo Fat would release their sixth studio album Midnight Cometh on 20 May 2016 via Ripple Music to critical praise.^[18]^[19]^[20]^[21] Wo Fat would largely tour Europe and appear at festivals over the next few years, including appearances at The Maryland Doom Fest, Desertfest Belgium and the band's first Australian tour in 2019.^[22]

On 4 November 2020 it would be announced that Ripple Music would re-issue Wo Fat's first three albums and that a seventh studio album was also in progress.^[23] On 22 February 2022 Wo Fat would announce their sixth album The Singularity, set for release on 6 May 2022 via Ripple Music.^[24] On 16 March the band would announce they had reverted to a quartet, with new bassist Patrick Smith and original second guitarist Matt Watkins returning to the band.^[25]

Discography[]

Albums[]

The Gathering Dark (2006, Red Menace; Fuzz Lab)
Psychedelonaut (2009, Red Menace; Fuzz Lab; Brainticket)
Noche del Chupacabra (2011, Nasoni Records)
The Black Code (2012, Small Stone Records)
The Conjuring (2014, Small Stone Records)
Midnight Cometh (2016, Ripple Music)
The Singularity (2022, Ripple Music)

Splits[]

Wo Fat / Abrahma (With Abrahma) (2013, Self-Released)
Cyclopean Riffs (With Egypt) (2013, Totem Cat Records)
Apocalypse Of A Phantom / They Say I'm Different (With The Re-Stoned) (2014, Nasoni Records)

Live Recordings[]

Live Juju: Wo Fat at Freak Valley (2015, Fuzz Lab; 2017, Ripple Music)

Members[]

Current Lineup[]

Kent Stump Guitar, Vocals (2003 - Present)
Michael Walter - Drums, Backing Vocals (2003 - Present)
Matt Watkins - Guitar (2003 - ?, 2022 - Present)
Patrick Smith - Bass (2022 - Present)

Former Members[]

Tim Wilson - Bass (2003 - 2015)
Michael Walter - Bass (February - June, 2016)
Zack Busby - Bass (July 2016 - 2021)

List of Known Tours[]

Lost Highway Across Europe (With Abrahma) (2013)^[26]
The Conjuring European Tour (With Mothership) (2014)^[27]
2015 European Tour (2015)^[28]
Midnight Cometh European Tour (With Mothership) (2016)^[29]
Fall 2018 European Tour (With Sasquatch) (2018)^[30]
Summer 2019 Australian Tour (2019)^[31]

External Links[]

References[]

[1] Metal Temple

[2] Aural Innovations

[3] Planet Fuzz Records

[4] Last.fm

[5] The Obelisk

[6] Heavy Planet

[7] Planet Fuzz

[8] Last.fm

[9] Last.fm

[10] The Obelisk

[11] Louder Sound

[12] Metal Temple

[13] Metal Observer

[14] The Obelisk

[15] Your Last Rites

[16] The Sludgelord

[17] Metal Storm

[18] The Obelisk

[19] New Noise Magazine

[20] Invisible Oranges

[21] Desert Highways

[22] Last.fm

[23] Ripple Music Official

[24] The Obelisk

[25] The Obelisk

[26] Last.fm

[27] Last.fm

[28] Last.fm

[29] Last.fm

[30] Last.fm

[31] Last.fm

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