West Michigan sludge purveyors Bog Wizard will release their admirably filthy second full-length, Miasmic Purple Smoke, on Dec. 3 through The Dregs Records. The band lurch into action in following up their earlier-2021 split with Dust Lord (discussed here) and their Summer 2020 debut, From the Mire, as well as 2018’s tellingly-titled Campaign EP, with a collection of six tracks that runs 41 minutes pulling together willful gruel and a guttural sense of the epic.

To wit, “Barbaria” — premiering below — leads the murky dirge procession with eight minutes that find guitarist/vocalist Ben Lombard, drummer/synthesist/vocalist Harlen Linke and bassist Colby Lowman playing howls of its title lyric off of grim, throaty growls, riffs born of the school of Electric Wizard, Windhand, Monolord, etc., readily plodding in raw tones reminiscent of the great history of underrated Midwestern dirt sludge — consider Fistula and the many branches of their dysfunctional family tree, but more doom-informed than punk in the realization.

Though one says that and has to acknowledge Miasmic Purple Smoke‘s tempo outlier in the penultimate “Stuck in the Muck.” So yeah, dudes can play fast when they want to. They can also Sabbath swing like madmen on the title-track or harness cosmic destruction on 12-minute finale “The Void Beckons” — if you’re wondering where the synth is at, there it be — or churn with early-metal ferocity that they just let fall apart like a rehearsal room jam on “The Rogue” (with Linke and Lowman keeping it going; brilliant) or dare some ambience in the interlude “Grimdark” just ahead of the boogie reset at the start of side B, with its “woo!”s and all.

Fuckery abounds amid stylistic shifts, and that shouldn’t be terribly surprising for a band who’ve branded themselves ‘nerd doom’ and tout their love of Dungeons and Dragons, and so on — context for that Campaign EP — but while they’re having a good time in their D&D-meets-ADHD-doom, Bog Wizard‘s sophomore long-player subtly melds sounds and purposes. Whether it’s in the buried-in-mud riffery of “The Rogue” or the somehow-deeper low end that pervades throughout “The Void Beckons,” their passion for what they’re doing is infectious, and the barebones recording becomes an aesthetic unto itself that, again, is part of a long tradition.

You can see in the quote under the track the band talking about the escapist aspects of a song like “Barbaria,” and Bog Wizard are hardly the first to embrace storytelling as a mode of transporting oneself to another world. That they do so in such delightfully gruesome fashion serves to make Miasmic Purple Smoke even more charming in its dungeon-esque atmosphere. Dungeon doom. Cave doom.

Max experience points for those who listen.

Enjoy:

Bog Wizard, “Barbaria” track premiere

Barbaria, the first single off Miasmic Purple Smoke, Bog Wizard’s sophomore full length release, out Dec 3rd 2021.

What the band has to say about the track:

“The album Miasmic Purple Smoke was written and recorded over the course of the last year. The process of this and playing the music itself has been our bit of escapism to keep sane. Much as we have done in the past with our D&D characters and the stories we put ourselves into, and often write our songs about. Using escapism and fantasy in tumultuous times.

“The song Barbaria is embracing this escapism, and allowing our inner barbarian rage to bubble over a bit. It represents the anger and frustration felt over the last year and a half, and provides a way to vent those darker thoughts. And of course, as is our method of operation, channeling the barbarian characters we have played over the years. Gotta keep the nerd in our nerd doom.”

Bog Wizard is a Doom/ Sludge/ Stoner metal band riffing off the satanic panic era with heavy fantasy/ D&D themes. NERD DOOM.

Track Listing for Miasmic Purple Smoke
1. Barbaria [8:30]
2. The Rogue [10:08]
3. Grimdark [1:46]
4. Miasmic Purple Smoke [7:16]
5. Stuck In The Muck [1:19]
6. The Void Beckons [12:26]

Run time: 41:25

Bog Wizard is:
Ben Lombard (guitar/vox)
Harlen Linke (percussion, synth, vox)
Colby Lowman (bass)

Bog Wizard on Facebook

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The Dregs Records on Facebook

The Dregs Records on Instagram

The Dregs Records on Twitter

The Dregs Records webstore

Calgary, Alberta, two-piece Drug Sauna allegedly recorded their late-2020 three-song EP, 2% Saunic, in their van. Is that true? Does it matter? Maybe, and no, in that order. The resultant in-your-head claustrophobia of the eponymous “Drug Sauna” brings enough ultra-stoned consciousness consumption that, wherever it was made, it was made well to suit its purposes. Likewise, opener “Space Druggin'” (get it?) and the closing take on Nazareth‘s “Razamanaz” are no less nod-melting, the twisted low end of bassist Deano and the raw drums of Cory hypnotic despite their lo-fi presentation even on the uptempo finale.

The Dregs Records, who it would seem have an affinity for that which may have emerged from an especially dank humidor, has signed the band to release 2% Saunic on tape, which, yes, should fit its fuckall nicely. Preorders are open as of today and run until March 15, and to be on the safe side an April 1 release date has been set.

The announcement follows here. I leave you to it and wish you well:

Drug Sauna – The Dregs Records

The Dregs Records is stoked to welcomes Calgary’s dirtiest duo, Drug Sauna, to the family. After seeing a one-minute video in 2019 of these pasty party animals Shane (of TDR) fell head over heels for what the band was all about. They truly capture the sense of freedom of the hesher lifestyle.

We have a few projects lined up for 2021. First up is getting 2% Saunic on cassette tapes. With boogie vans pre loaded with them suckers, it seems like a total no brainer. There will also be a special “doom” edit of their Nazareth cover Razamanaz exclusive to the tapes. This run is limited to 100 units and will be split between the band and label and will be released on April 1.

Are they using that date as a joke just in case there are delays due to covid? You’ll have to wait and see!

Pre orders start today and will ship once they are received. By their calculations this could be mid March (wink wink). Pre Orders end March 15th and the fashionably late will have to wait to party till the actual release date in April.

For US orders hit thedregsrecords.bigcartel.com for Canada drugsauna.bigcartel.com and Europe flip a coin heads TDR tails Drug Sauna. Can’t wait till we all can hit the road, till then stay stoned!

Drug Sauna are:
Deano: Bass/Vox
Cory: Drumbs

https://www.facebook.com/drugsauna/
http://instagram.com/drug_sauna
http://drugsauna.bandcamp.com/
drugsauna.bigcartel.com
https://linktr.ee/thedregsrecords

Drug Sauna, 2% Saunic (2020)

Fresh off the announcement of their impending split with Dust Lord, and even fresher off doing a livestream a couple days ago, Michigan’s Bog Wizard have signed to newcomer Boston-based imprint The Dregs Records. It’s not yet known what they’ll be putting out through the label, but the band’s debut long-player, From the Mire, came out in 2020, and a reissue of that or some pressing of a follow-up doesn’t seem out of the question, considering a long lockdown Michigan winter of writing new material and/or playing D&D, if it needs to be one or the other. And I’m not sure it does when it comes to these guys.

Anyhoozle, even without specific word of what’s coming, the fact that Bog Wizard will mark the first release for The Dregs Records brings an added level of intrigue, as it’s one of two planned offerings for the label in 2021. Whatever it is. Sometimes you see it’s kind of rough to go without info, but if all you take away from this is band-gets-signed and maybe listen to the album or check out the livestream below, I frankly wouldn’t consider that a loss.

The label posted the following on thee social medias:

Bog Wizard – The Dregs Records

“This is no ordinary mire, these wetlands are home to the Bog Wizard!”

Somewhere between a snort and a laugh your companion proclaims “Those are just local tales, to spook the-” You spin around feverishly. The lantern in hand gradually illuminating three shadowy figures where none had once been. The center and tallest of the three cricks it’s neck back to let out a banshee’s wail!! And that was the last that your memory can serve you.

I am super excited to announce that West Michigan’s Bog Wizard will be the first to join us at The Dregs Records. Last Sunday they were able to put down the dice and pick up the pen, binding us together to release some sludge soaked and doom covered riffage.
This was an incredibly easy decision to collaborate together. I have a long lasting love for D&D and tales of fantasy. Tied with their ability to combine sludge, doom, and stoner metal in fresh yet familiar ways.

“We’re excited to announce that we have officially signed with The Dregs Records and are looking forward to growing together with this partnership!” says the band. “Our fondness of both fantasy tabletop roleplaying games and doomy sludgy music made it an easy decision! We’ve got some big stuff planned with them for later this year, and we’ll be announcing it soon. Be sure to follow them to keep an eye out on future news!”

I can not wait till we can release more information to you all about this project. Make sure to follow the page so you don’t miss anything!

Bog Wizard is Ben Lombard (guitar/vox), Harlen Linke (percussion, synth, vox), and Colby Lowman (bass)

https://bogwizard.bandcamp.com/
https://twitter.com/bogwizardband/
https://www.facebook.com/BogWizardBand/
https://www.instagram.com/bogwizardband/
https://www.youtube.com/bogwizard
https://bogwizard.bigcartel.com/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0mooueq4AqCcD9cZ6yfV2B
https://linktr.ee/thedregsrecords

Bog Wizard, From the Mire (2020)