This fifth album from Polish deep psych merchants Weedpecker had a long gestation period. The material started taking shape in 2023, and the original demos had all been recorded by the end of that year. With so much doom, sludge and deep psych taking on a raw, live in the studio feel, you might wonder how different the material sounded back then, since ‘V’ didn’t actually reach the public until the beginning of 2026, but no matter what changes were made in the interim, the record sounds superb.

Following a slow intro where a blanket of synths weaves a gradual drone smothered in some very Euro sounding, wibbling keys (the self explanatory ‘Intro’), ‘Fading Whispers’ arrives with a world of lightly reverbed guitar, dropping some very assured chords against a steady bassline. Within seconds, Weedpecker hit upon a perfect blend of desert rock and contemporary prog, setting a dreamlike atmosphere in place that brings out the very best in the five musicians. With the aid of an echoing vocal, almost playing out like extra instrumentation despite some great harmonies, the band present a great sound that falls somewhere between early, proggy Gazpacho and the desert rock vibes of Yawning Man. It’s absolutely gorgeous. It takes approximately three minutes before Weedpecker make anything resembling a huge impact, though, and the arrival of a heavier riff, coupled with an almost Porcupine Tree-esque lead guitar sound, shares a perfect blend of stoner vibes and modern prog. With a mid tempo groove that’s perfect for the layered sound, things actually sound even better once a blanket of very retro keys arrives to create an extra layer of melody. The prog/psych/desert blend has a certain haziness despite the heavy edge, and in keeping with some of the band’s prior works, doesn’t resort to psychedelic clichés. A late arrival of a few twin lead guitars adds an unexpected nod to a melodic metal past, and more of a definite “groove” creates something that might appeal to the more adventurous fan of A Perfect Circle, helping to form the perfect opening track.

‘Ash’ is similarly in no real hurry to make a statement. Instead, the number opens with a soaring lead guitar placed over a waltzing rhythm in a way that fuses classic desert rock tones with a classic 70s prog heart, again working as if the band were an extension of Yawning Man. Even though the melody doesn’t move far from its original source, the gradual addition of fuzzier guitars and a rockier drum part definitely lends the extended instrumental introduction a feeling of movement. After a couple of minutes, heavier riffs emerge, first sharing a classic stoner infused crunch, then intercutting that with a cleaner sounding, almost trad metal-like lead. The contrasting styles work brilliantly, and as before, the addition of a blanket of keys brings a much fuller sound. A heavily treated vocal weaves in and out of the heavier sounds, and is perfectly judged to bring a psych-y edge to the performance and provide a link with the album’s intro. At the track’s peak, Weedpecker sound like a riff laden force, and with the heavier moments sounding like a cross between A Perfect Circle and Acid Mammoth coupled with filtered voices, entertainment for stoner/deep psych fans is pretty much guaranteed.

The album’s highlight ‘In The Dark We Shine’ doesn’t actually rely on any heavier moments at all. Nor does it change mood after the introductory bars. Setting a classic psych feel in place immediately, the track spends four minutes sharing a world of phased vocals against a semi-acoustic riff and groove oriented basslines, only really subsiding to make room for descending keyboard lines that share an obvious love of Rick Wright before sharing a really prominent lead guitar break that’s an obvious lift from The Floyd’s ‘Wish You Were Here’. It’s definitely less original sounding than the bulk of Weedpecker’s work, but there’s a huge sense of love cutting through the core of this obvious homage, creating a track that fans and first time listeners will love.

In a complete change of mood, ‘Mirrors’ opens with a very 70s inspired riff that shows Weedpecker in more of a groove-centric mood, working drummer Zbignew Prominski rather hard, while the fuzzier sounding guitars supplied by Weedpecker main man Piotr Dobry share a superb stoner tone. Balancing the heaviness of a classic stoner band and the groove of a proto metal act, the musicians sound really enthused, and once a layer of synths arrives to give more of a classic Weedpecker vibe, this track really hits its stride. Chorus wise, there’s a love of atmospherics over immediate hooks, but from a melodic perspective, there’s something at play that sounds like a psych fuelled, Euro cousin to ‘Fear of A Dead Planet’ era Porcupine Tree. All of that would be enough to make this another album highlight, but in some ways, the closing section of this number is even more impresssive since the musicians go all out for a massive climax where the gears are cranked and a speed driven riff finds Weedpecker really rocking out, which shows a very different side to the band.

In closing ‘The Last Summer of Youth’ reinstates a dream-like quality and the six minute workout centres around a swooning psychedelic vocal, acoustic guitars and floating synths that create something that sounds like a jam between a twenty first century stoner band invoking Spiritualized, a 90s desert rock band who never found their way out of a cloud of soft drugs and a modern prog act dropping in for a few huge, soaring solos. In many ways, it doesn’t break new ground for Weedpecker, but with a perfectly produced sound, a world of riffs that pull in their audience very slowly and some genuinely lovely (if a little more understated) bass work courtesy of Piotr Kuks, it feels like the perfect way for the album to bow out.

Five albums in, and Weedpecker have created a recording that deserves to secure a place as an underground masterpiece. It’s definitely a release that gains most of its strength during the second half, but between the dreamier qualities of ‘In The Dark We Shine’ and ‘The Last Summer of Youth, and the heavier elements of ‘Mirrors’, its best material is rich in texture and big on a variety of great riffs. For lovers of contemporary prog (circa 2020-2025), deep psych and great desert rock, ‘V’ will be a genuine treat.

February 2026