Bog Wizard vs. Froglord - A Frog in the Bog EP (2022)

Can we start with how awesome the cover art for this split release is? I'm getting total vibes of primitive PC graphics, and by primitive I mean the PEAK. If we saw something like this on a Commodore 64 game's title screen, my bros and I might have creamed our collective corduroys. No surprise then that it is another tripped out recording from Michigan's psychedelic sledgehammer Bog Wizard, this time paired out with the equally outrageous Froglord out of England. There is no scenario in which the two of these groups collide and dungeon level mischief does NOT ensue, so make sure up front that you've run some clean bong water, written your wills, put on your space helmets and whatever random pieces of armor you can sling together to defend yourself from the trudging, sludging and drudging you are about to receive.

Bog Wizard's portion of the split definitely feels in the same wheelhouse as their recent Miasmic Purple Smoke album, that is to say a steady, slow, crush of distorted swill playing out thick, oozing, repetitive grooves that will devolve you into your respective reptilian or amphibious DNA. The vocal tracks are delivered with a barbaric hypnotism, but the band also breaks the heaviness down into some simple bass lines and percussion here. Froglord's contributions, "The Bog" and "The Wizard", both references to their partners in crime (much as "Reptilian Death Squad" did for them), are slightly more robust, accessible stoner metal jams with great tones, and a cool vocal that sounds like Rob Zombie got punched square in the gut, but gets a little more hoarse when they get to a chorus part. To be honest, both sides of this equation do complement each other well, they're both well within that wheelhouse of savage, simple doom and sludge that was undoubtedly inspired by Robert E. Howard's Conan fiction and dangerous degrees of hashish consumption. The Brits go for a brighter tone whereas Bog Wizard sounds more dreary, raw and repressed by design.

What's even cooler, is that in addition to how their individual contributions celebrate one another, there are two directly collaborative tracks named for one another, and these are some of its funnest moments, with the "The Frog Lord" mantra being repeated against some sizzling synth effects, and the aforementioned vocals attacking you from all angles as the tripping turns paranoiac. "The Bog Wizard" sounds like Clutch on a bad bender after listening to some Conan or Buzz*oven records, and it's just kind of cool to see a split recording taken this far...in general, the bands can remain a bit disparate and then the whole experience feels forced, but here it's all quite balanced. The songs are all really simple, and I wouldn't mind either band getting a little more riffy, complex or experimental for some added depth, but it seems like a good time was had by all, and if you're a fan of their individual records, then there is no reason to skip this one.

Verdict: Win [7/10]

https://bogwizard.bandcamp.com/releases
https://froglord.bandcamp.com/

Bog Wizard - From the Mire (2020)

When an album starts off with a sample from the good old Moral Panic era of the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, you know it's dialing my number, and yet the hits keep on coming throughout the first Bog Wizard full-length record, an effort that attempts to not only serve as a paean to the trio's fantastical die-rolling inspirations, but also to live up to the band's handle, the title, and the wonderful comic book-like cover artwork. From the Mire sounds like a slow journey through a wilderness sump, slowing down the movement rate of the party considerably and snuffing out your light sources while swarming you with insects, reptiles, and things danker still. It's an exceedingly simple record which goes all in on volume and bong-swill atmosphere, and takes its time to club the listener into submission. But hey, when you're stoned and tied to the tracks, it doesn't matter so much if the train's coming slower...it's still going to roll over you.

As with a lot of comparable bands, the key here is just to lull you in with some enormous, Sabbath-school groove and the hazy vocal patterns, but Bog Wizard isn't afraid to interchange their multi tracked hippie death chants with more extreme growls and snarls, and the latter don't really sound bad at all; in fact I wouldn't have scoffed at having more of them, as you'll hear in "Shapeshifter" where they sound ferocious and have an incredible sustain on some of the lines. That said, the cleaner vocals certainly fit in better with monolithic cuts like "City in the Mountain" or their lumbering ode to that unkillable mountain of teeth, claws and flesh known as the "Tarrasque". The guitars are minimalistic, chunky and heavy, a good counter to the more atmospheric effect of the vocals, although I wasn't a huge fan of their production, which was a bit too thick and syrupy on the heavier parts, with the bass getting a bit in the way of the rhythm guitar. It reminded me a little of some of Bongripper's material, in fact the sound overall reminds me of them, only there's a major difference in theme, whereas one is more focused on the drugs and suffering, this trio has the more structured traits of traditional epic doom, and for a DM and player like me, more compelling lyrical themes.

There's also a greater dynamic range across the substantial track-list, from proggier psychedelic escapism like the instrumental "Gnarled Cane", to the use of clean guitars and atmospheric leads throughout that prevent any sort of repetitive ennui from setting in. "The Orange Goblin" is another one which is different, almost a sludgy post-hardcore vibe to the riffs which are a little faster than usual and work well with the nastier vocals. Alas, it didn't turn out to be a cover of that band's eponymous tune on Frequencies from Planet Ten, but I like to think it's some sort of spiritual nod. I found the drums throughout pretty solid, although as with the guitars, the mix isn't quite rounded out yet, the snares in particular were a little thin and felt weak against the guitars, and some of the lower pitched drums also got lost at times. There's a little padding later on in the track list, I liked the idea of the "Fireside" instrumental more than its execution, and the howling ambient short "(And Stay Out)" seemed unnecessary. One other gripe is that they also front loaded one of the least interesting tunes in "Submission in Defiance", it chugs along ala Cathedral but there really isn't a terribly strong riff in there. Cuts like "The Wizard in the Bog", "Tarrasque" or the massive "Swamp Golem" are much more effective and really brought me into the album...

But that's the key, they DID bring me into the album, and while there is certainly some tweaking to be done, further room for growth in production and the layout of the tracks, I enjoyed the blend of crushing riffs, chant-like vocals, growling, marshland molasses pacing and fantasy themes. Fans of Witch Mountain, Dopethrone, Belzebong, Windhand, Acid Witch and Demon Lung might want to get these guys on the radar and track their sinking steps through the muddy slough of doom.

Verdict: Win [7.5/10]
https://www.facebook.com/BogWizardBand/

Kraków - Minus (2018)

Kraków is often branded as 'stoner metal', but they don't really have all that much in common with the sound typical of that niche. Sure, I'll assume their music sounds as good stoned as without, but in reality these Norwegians have evolved into a happy place in the midst of the sludge, doom and melancholic rock, but peaceful to the extent that they rarely ever bring 'metal' into the picture, at least on this record. Minus is a calming experience for the most part, which occasionally boils over into something more extreme, but retains a level of focus and passion even when it's at its most mellow. It's a blend of pure escapism and inward psychedelia that is likely to appeal to a large crossroads of metalheads who enjoy works of deceitful simplicity across a number of sub-genres.

The beats are very pensive, tribal, almost like a drum circle of hungover people outside their dorm when a serious mood snags them throughout the air. The guitar tones are usually set to clean, and offer these sparse, beautiful string passages that flow alongside the percussion as they eventually contort themselves into some form of climactic sludge-lite or rock part where the vocalist wails on like a guy afraid to walk straight during a DUI screen. Once in a while you'll get some jilty little dissonant spike of melody which borders on math rock, but without the frenzied rhythmic spasms thta usually accompany such a lick. Or maybe a loosely snarled vocal to show they can still hang with all their corpse-painted neighbors. In general, their music is like a tide, ebbing and flowing from the sea to the shore and back outwards, each heavier section a mere intensification of those waters. When they offer up the group vocals, it returns to those feelings of a communal musician brotherhood sitting on some dim evening beach, or in some trodden field, musing at the stars, and as much as I am painting this out to be some hippy bore-fest, it's actually very striking, very effective, and very good.

I think I'd recommend this to fans of groups like Iceland's Sólstafir (2009 on) and Kontinuum in a split second, in fact they're almost like a Norse counterpart to that very style, so if you like vegging out to that this is a no brainer. However, anyone from the sludge fan, to the Gothic rocker, to the indie rock crowd might find a lot to like here. Do you dig modern [b]Katatonia[/b]? Check them out. Any artists on the Indie Recordings label? While Kraków might not have a style to common on that roster, they've got the same artsy, intellectual vibe about them that Enslaved and all their peers do, and they've even covered Enslaved on a tribute album, not to mention sharing the same country of origin. Really impressive album here, it's perhaps not the easiest to describe, but will stay with you for hours after the fire dies down, after the shore is left abandoned and you've made your way back to the smell and rush of civilization.

Verdict: Win [8.5/10]

https://krakow.bandcamp.com/

Tombstone Highway - Ruralizer (2013)

I'm going to make an assumption that most readers of my reviews are at least partial cinephiles, and might have come across a 1968 spaghetti Western flick directed by Sergio Leone and titled Once Upon a Time in the West (with Charles Bronson and Henry Fonda). It's one of my all time favorite films, due in no small part to the stunning photography, both the landscapes and the gritty closeups of the actors, no dirt and sweat spared in its broiling, sun-caked intensity. Here we had an acclaimed Italian director, who probably had no right in creating an iconic glimpse into the idealized American Wild West, that proved unforgettable. When I caught my first glimpse of Tombstone Highway's logo, and skimmed the band's information, I had to admit my curiosity was piqued. An Italian band, performing a mix of stoner and Southern doom?! I could taste the blood, smell the gun smoke, and hear the harmonicas on the wind...

Unfortunately, the Italians' debut did not turn out quite as fascinating as I presumed, but not for lack of trying. For one, this is more or less a record full of garden variety Sabbath-style riffing sequences sauced in a more contemporary, massive guitar tone. Painfully few such stoner/doom oriented acts are capable of evolving this influence into new and interesting ways, so derivation has long proven a monkey on the niche's back. It also doesn't help that the tone, the guitar squeals and the writing in general reminded quite a lot of Zakk Wylde's Black Label Society, a group I consider to be one of the nadirs of American heavy music. Front man and multi-instrumentalist H.M. Outlaw is not incompetent at these sorts of monstrous, blues heavy grooves and making them stick, but the fact is they all feel too damn familiar. For instance the chugging bottom end riff that fuels "Acid Overlord" sounds a lot like Cathedral's "Ride", and the opening sequence of "Graveyard Blues" sounds like an attempt to chop up Kiss's "War Machine" into something sludgier and heavier. The drums do a decent job of complementing the grooves with steady rock beats, and the bass guitar creates a springy support for the axe work, but the rhythm guitar riffs are just too similar to what we've heard in decades of Sabbath, Trouble, Pentagram, Down, and are too rarely inventive or fresh.

Vocally, the band is a little more interesting, since Outlaw has an acidic melody to his timbre that inflates the emotional impact of the record. Almost like a mix of Blackie Lawless, Gene Simmons and Wylde's voice from BLS, but it manages to avoid the pitfall of sounding too much like Ozzy Osbourne (which only a few bands can really pull off). It gets a little old after a few tracks, but the guy clearly has some conviction. The richness of the guitar mix and the syllabic meter of the vocals actually reminded me quite a lot of a few Swedish groups like Terra Firma and Hellfueled, though nowhere near as uptempo and hooky as the latter. The Western theme reminded me of another European cowboy posse, Germany's Desperadoz, but where they throw it straight into your face with all manner of cheesy cover tunes and cliches, coming off like a hybrid of Alice in Chains and Clint of Eastwood, Ruralizer is possessed of a more curvaceous, Southern slang, and some clear psychedelic/doom influences to the lyrics and subject material.

No, apart from some clever banjo plucking in a few spots, most notably the opener "Old Blood" where it is well entwined to the rhythm guitar; or some of the song titles, Ruralizer doesn't feel too specifically as if it were a Western tribute, but more the American South as a whole. This is reinforced with the inclusion of the Mountain cover "Mississippi Queen", which is simply too safe and expected a cover to make much of a difference. I might have preferred some Molly Hatchet or Lynyrd Skynard, but this one has simply been done to death already, and even though Tombstone Highway make it their own well enough, it's just not a highlight for me, among a batch of originals that...well...aren't highlights in of themselves. As hard as I'm coming across, I will say I do like the 'idea' behind this band, just not the execution of these particular songs. The notion of an Italian hybrid of Black Sabbath and Raging Slab (an obscure US group who put out a killer debut of metal-injected Skynyrd) is an interesting one, so I hope as the duo evolves they'll pen up a more convincing riff-set and start to branch out into their own territory. For now, this is most likely to appeal to diehards of BLS, Down or perhaps fans of vivacious burning doom-blues like Trouble's eponymous 1990 record, or its follow-up Manic Frustration. But I wasn't feeling it, and thus I'll have to hang my spurs up elsewhere.

Verdict: Indifference [5/10]

http://www.facebook.com/Tombstone.Highway

Enormicon - Storm of Swords (2011)

It's hard not to see the words 'Storm of Swords' and not think upon the George R.R. Martin novel from A Song of Fire and Ice, so of course I thought the Texan band Enormicon's debut might revolve around the subject. Turns out not to be the case, but they do in fact seem to use mythic and historical concepts in the lyrics, not unlike the bands they bear much in common with. I was pretty heavily reminded of listening to Mastodon, at least in the level of variation they write with, but you'll hear all sorts of sludge, grunge and stoner influences here being shuffled into a manic, hardcore foundation with multiple, angst-ridden vocals. However, while the band feels as if their material might be prone to jamming in the live setting, the contents of this album are quite solidly structured.

Thick, flowing bass lines, chords and mutes are used to anchor the omnipresent grooves of "Slaghammer", slowly building towards climax, almost as if The Sword had written the Alice in Chains sophomore Dirt. Here you get the first taste of Clayton 'The Abomination' Davis' cutting, clear vocals, which are redolent to some of the higher pitched Clutch lines. The next few tunes are a bit heavier on the guitars, but they also introduce small flights of dissonant atmosphere, even a bass interlude in "Pray for Death". "Brotherhood of the Plague" is perhaps the strongest here, for the way the organic, earthen distortion crunches up against the vocal pattern, and a spacious bridge passage with hints at hypnotic psychedelia. Another subtle influence I'm hearing would be Voivod, at last in the mechanical manufacture of the chord patterns and the strong substrate of bass in tracks like the closer "Fury". But the lyrics and themes are wildly different.

I'll give Enormicon this: they manage to stand out as an amusing hybrid of their influences, and with some polish and stronger riff writing, they could have something going for themselves. I actually do like the vocals, I only wish they were configured into more memorable patterns. The constant pump and grooves creates a constant, steady weight and velocity, and I like that the band are prone to experimentation rather than droning ever on in the same stagnant patterns. The trio plays well together, and the mix is rather honest and under-produced to give a more rehearsal room feeling to the proceedings. I like their eye for art, and their ears for attempting something slightly outside the envelope of safety, but this particular 32 minute set of songs just didn't last for me in the end. If you're of the sort that enjoys a fusion of stoner and grunge aesthetics with post-hardcore pacing and occasional fits of gut-churning intensity, give it a spin.

Verdict: Indifference [6.5/10]

http://www.enormiconmetal.com/

Om - God Is Good [2009]

God Is Good is the fourth full length from Om, the first with new drummer Emil Amos after the departure of Chris Hakius -- Al Cisneros' (vocals/bass) counterpart from landmark stoner doom outfit Sleep. Amos fits right in, unquestionably bringing percussional flair to keep things interesting in a two-man skeleton crew of a band. However, as promised by Cisneros, there are new sounds to be found on God Is Good. Curious smatterings of woodwinds, sitar, clapping, piano and flute among others.

It seems with the departure of Hakius Om has almost shed their heaviness, for only about 9 minutes of minute duration I would consider metal. Even then, it's tenuous. "Thebes," the 19 minute opener, contains that portion of pseudo-metal, Cisneros chanting over his distorted Rickenbacker, some riffs familiar from previous albums. "Meditation Is the Practice of Death" is more about what modern Om apparently is. Experimental rock, with some ambiguous desert sound, world music with an interesting twist. Steve Albini returns to produce, and God Is Good has an incredibly rich sound, and it's a pleasant fit with the music. Cisneros' bass is creamy smooth, nicely coalescent with the miscellaneous percussion and instrumentation.

"Cremation Ghat II" is the final of the four songs, and my favorite, an instrumental piece that takes me to the harsh Fremen cave-dwellings of Arakkis when I close my eyes. It features the sitar heavily, along with some wonderful interplay between Cisneros and Amos. Since Om has moved from Southern Lord to an indie label (Drag City) perhaps this more light, worldly sound is their future. It's at once disappointing and exciting to me, as I love the heavier work of Om, but at the same time I can get behind this new sound and direction. Or, maybe the next full-length will return to the rhythmic sludgy onslaught of Pilgrimage. I'll be waiting eagerly.

Verdict: Win [8/10]

http://www.omvibratory.com/

Electric Wizard - Dopethrone (2000)

With stoner doom it is often the case that bands without any real doom elements get lumped into the genre, intentionally or not, but Electric Wizard put on a veritable clinic with Dopethrone of how to infuse the essence of a certain controlled substance, lyrically and musically, with the ability to make you feel truly doomed. In 2000, they unleashed this one hour juggernaut of a bad trip upon our miserable, insignificant little world. It stands as a cornerstone of its genre, a putrescent slab of true aural darkness, capable of stripping away your outer, sociable psyche and baring your interior to this drug-altered nightmare.

Let me put the sound in words the only way I know how: this album is heavy as fuck. From the onset you are submerged in noxious sonic sludge, unable to hear yourself think. Unable to breathe. Track one, "Vinum Sabbathi," holds you under. Jus Oborn's fitting half-scream vocals herald your journey into Dopethrone:

Extracted essence of the stone
Narcotic of the faceless ones
I awake on planet black
Freezing moon, no turning back

Track two lulls you and draws you in on thin wisps of smoke with a smooth little groove before you are taken to "Funeralopolis." Oborn describes a mausoleum planet inhabited by zombies, once sacrifices to the glory of one. Slow, super-heavy Sabbathian rhythms groove and groove and groove. Gradually the music increases its pace until the frantic finish:

Nuclear warheads ready to strike
This world is so fucked, let's end it tonight

Fuck

"Weird Tales: i Electric Frod ii Golgotha iii Altar of Melektaus" is a fifteen minute exploration riddled with all things Lovecraft, capped off with a lengthy jam session with some synth worked in that sounds not unlike NASA's Voyager recordings. The following fourth song "Barbarian" continues the Weird Tales theme, a tribute to, you guessed it, Conan the Barbarian.

After the sonic miasma of "I, the Witchfinder," we are treated to a curious, nearly upbeat bluesy interlude in "The Hills Have Eyes." That punishing heaviness returns in "We Hate You," drums prominent, the rest of the band buried by crashing percussion. Last but not least, the title track. First, a short, simple, and yet awesome sample. Then, sludge. So incredibly heavy. Oborn chants around a sinister, catchy hook. One of the album's few guitar solos appears. Also appearing, one of my favorite lyrical stanzas:

Black monolith charged with unlight
Sacrifice to forever midnight
Towers, titan sonic wave
Sorcery, necromantic slaves

Dopethrone unquestionably played a part in the development of my musical palate, and if you have not heard it, by all means, seek it out. Just be careful. It is a crushing and merciless bad trip unlike any other.

Verdict: Epic Win [10/10] (death shroud existence, slave for a pittance)

http://www.myspace.com/electricwizarddorsetdoom

Trepalium - XIII (2009)

Alright, let's look at that cover art. It's terrible. Absolutely, irredeemably terrible. What kind of a band would choose something like that? Strangely, a goddamn great one. Although it's my first exposure to them, XIII is Trepalium's third album, a killer medley of technical malevolence and a fresh new argument for the richness of France's current metal scene.

Trepalium play a unique take on tech death that contains as much stoner grooviness as it does brutality. Winding riffs playfully, ominously shift their way around odd tempo changes; the guitars peer from angles of uncertain reality, beckoning violently. Thankfully, Trepalium eschew the spastic seizure approach, choosing instead to create well-balanced, flowing songs full of prog, jazz, death metal, metalcore, and grind elements. Gojira is an obvious reference point, although the style isn't that easily compared. "Addicted to Oblivion" looks into an alternate dimension where Clutch became a death metal band - Keke's filtered roaring and the buzzed, off-kilter riffing bring the smell of spacegrass instantly to mind. Melodeath is taken on an inebriated tumble down a flight of stairs with "World Plague", even pausing for a metalcore breakdown that not only isn't terrible, but actually fits naturally into the song. As a one-time occasion, "Glowing Cloud" dampens the tech elements down while it struts out some Morbid Angel brutality, much like a French version of Aeon. Trepalium cover a bewildering span of styles, made all the more sweet by their impressive ability to knit them together seamlessly. The musicianship here is extremely tight and organic feeling - there is never a dull or (unplanned) awkward moment on XIII.

A shining gem for any tech death stalwarts, XIII should prove equally entertaining for fans of more progressive metalcore acts like Between the Buried and Me. Hopefully this album garners Trepalium the attention that they deserve, because it's too damn good to be passed up.

Verdict: Epic Win [9.5/10] (half point lost for cover art)

http://www.myspace.com/trepal

Wino - Punctuated Equilibrium (2009)

Scott "Wino" Weinrich really needs no introduction, but for those who do not know, he is something of a pioneer. Back into the 1970s he has been fronting various doom metal bands such as Saint Vitus, The Obsessed, Spirit Caravan, and others. After the breakup of the latest act, The Hidden Hand, he struck out on his own with the help of Rezin's Jon Blank on bass and drummer JP Gaster of Clutch.

What we have here, unsurprisingly, is a smörgåsbord of stoner tunes. Wino's vocals are distinct and enjoyable, something close to a mixture of Lemmy Kilmister and Ozzy Osbourne. Production is clear and crisp, and in general the album is very accessible. Styles range from an extremely slow, swirling sludgy trip such as "The Eyes of the Flesh" to a much more lighthearted and catchy "Smilin' Road" with its Clutch-esque hooks. Although the album has its moments, Punctuated Equilibrium's jam session tracks often lose my attention, and there are plenty of them, which ends up being quite a good chunk of an album that clocks in at only thirty six minutes.

Honestly, it is the stoner metal connoisseur's prerogative to compare this to the rest of Wino's body of work as I am no expert in regard to that. All told it's not a bad effort, but outsite of fans of the genre I do not think it is something that will turn a lot of heads.

Verdict: Indifference

http://www.myspace.com/winoschopper

Oaks - Bravo! (2008)

Need some fresh smoke in your stoner metal playlist? Oaks have got you covered. This label-less LA-based group have started off with a bang, from the damn solid album sound (courtesy of Toshi Kasai, who also recorded all of the Melvins album in the last six years) to their repertoir of heavy, infectious riffs. Groundbreaking? Not really, it's just fucking good. It's the kind of music that demands some sort of ravishing physical attention, whether that be headbanging or full-body contact. The guitar tone is heavy and gritty, but clear, the drums are full of lively fills, and the singer's wails know their place in the music. Sure, you'll recognize a lot of the riffs, but you won't care because you'll be rocking out too hard. The last two songs, "Kix 4 Free" and "Deerhead" are most definitely the highlights of the ep, taking their time to get going and establish the mood - hopefully we'll see more along these lines on future efforts.

When a band starts off this strongly with a self-released ep, you know they're going to be worth your attention. Keep your eyes on these blokes for sure. As far as the score, I can't give this an epic win - it's just an ep, and it is derivative - but I can give this an epic check this shit out, now.

Verdict: Win [4/5]

http://www.myspace.com/oaksmusic