Herbcraft: Wot Oz

It’s best to just sit back and let the trip carry you along. Do not fight it and whatever you do, don’t freak out when you start hearing the soul-bending, psychedelic jams of Herbcraft work their way into your ears. For half a decade and counting Hebrcraft has been producing some pretty crazy music that finds a way to dig right into your mind and expand. Their latest album Wot Oz is like a tribute to deep vibes and nodding off –sitting on a couch and being washed away by melodic heaven.

The album kicks off with an atmospheric drifting, a series of highly distorted auditory hallucinations screaming through the airwaves. Building layer after layer, the band eases you into the Herbcraft experience. Wot Oz really kicks off with the second track, “Fit Ur-Head,” which creates a hectic, high pressure slew of guitar chords and hypnotic drum beats. The vocalist howls and shouts, trapped in another reality. When the album moves onward into “Au’s Nation,” and then “Push Thru The Veil,” Herbcraft gains a funkier sound.

Maybe we’re overdoing it with the drug references and so a different interpretation is necessary. To be perfectly clear, Herbcraft’s Wot Oz feels like a throwback to the days of Spacemen 3. There’s something very concise about the melodies and style behind Herbcraft yet at the same time psychedelic in the raw. Unfortunately Wot Oz doesn’t have that much meat on the bones. The album sends several great tunes your way, completely sucks your attention away, and then disappears –leaving you yearning for more.

Wot Oz comes to a close with a wild end –“Bread Don’t Rise.” A nearly twelve minute jam filled with clever guitar lines and thunderous drums that’ll make your speakers quake. The song will shift between various melodies, rhythmic lines, and effects. It’s the perfect way to wrap the experience up.

We only wish there was more. Regardless, Wot Oz is an excellent addition to the acid rock fan’s collection. With a mixture of mind transforming guitar lines and some smoothed out melodies to chill out to, Herbcraft did an excellent job of building a really great album.

Rating: 8.0/10


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