I love trippy heavy music. I especially love when said music has a touch of exotic brought on by a tongue other than English. Yeah, easy criteria, I know, but I’m a man of simple tastes and MAISON DIEU although not at all simple, certainly meet the criteria with their debut album, Herbacea, a five-track EP released on March 4, 2025 via Spiltrick Records.

MAISON DIEU hails from Ancona, Italy. They call their music Mystic Doom but most would categorize them as Stoner Psych. They do have an innovative approach and there is a heavy fuzz element, combine that with Carlotta’s haunting vocals—all delivered in Italian and as compelling and evocative as they are clean and soaring—and you got a stunning combo. Herbecae held me absolutely spellbound. My only disappointment with the EP was its brevity.

Herbecae includes one short intro, aptly entitled “Intro,” which features shamanistic drums, mesmeric chanting, and some primal bass work. Haunting and folkish, the intro reminds me of NYTT LAND. The four primary tracks, however, quickly shift tempo and style from Folk to wicked and heavy. In the band’s words, the tracks are “linked together through the magic of plants. In fact, the songs tell of 4 plants in particular: Ivy (Edera), calla lily (Calla), mandrake (Mandragola) and sage (Musica, terra e salvia).”

MAISON DIEU rely more on explorative compositions than heavy riffs, so don’t expect any brutal metal here. Think ACID KING but with the vocal harmonies of CAMERATA MEDIOLANENSE.

At this point, I usually touch on standout tracks, but I’m not going to do that with this album as every track is simply intriguing. Neil Fallon from CLUTCH sang that he was a sucker for the witch. Count me as a sucker for Italian female vocals and Stoner Psych trios. Herbecae is a stunning debut. Can’t wait to see what’s next from MAISON DIEU.