Discover Top Posts Tagged with #dust lord

Bog Wizard & Dust Lord Split The Difference on ‘Four Tales of the Strange’

~By Tom Hanno~

Album art by Marinko Milosevski

Here we are, ready to talk about one of my personal favorite underground groups, BOG WIZARD. However, we also get the opportunity to talk about DUST LORD, a band that I was previously unaware of, that changed for the better with the split album, 'Four Tales of the Strange' (2021).

Harlen, the drummer of Bog Wizard, sent me a Bandcamp code for this album back in December, so I have had plenty of time to digest these four tracks; all of which are excellent examples of the talents of each group. I was taken aback immediately upon hearing the full record, and it has quickly become one of my favorite releases from March 2021.

Dust Lord opens this up with two crushingly heavy tracks, "Not Men, Not Women, Not Beats," and "Career Opportunities," while Bog Wizard closes the album with an equally devastating sound via "Paladin of Death" and "Gelatinous Cube."

Dust Lord's "Career Opportunities" is one of my two favorite tracks on this split, and it is an extension of their debut album, "Machine Cult." I'll let their singer, Spike Whirley, explain, "Machine Cult was the name of our debut. It was like an apocalyptic cult themed, and "Career Opportunities" is about a cultist that finds a junk starship and leaves earth to be a scavenger but is killed immediately by something."

This one bad mother of a track, and while it doesn't get too quick in terms of tempo, it is still very heavy. The sludge filled guitar riffs trudge along like a brontosaurus meandering its way through a landscape of death, and that's exactly why I love this song.

"Career Opportunities" does gain a bit of momentum as it proceeds, which is noticeable after the bass gets a short spotlight; and even more so just before the vocals enter. This section is also where I detect the obligatory Black Sabbath influence, but it's still obviously Dust Lord applying everything they love to their songwriting.

The lyrical content is also amusing to me; I mean, can you imagine going out to get rich only to die shortly after attaining said riches? I especially enjoy the second verse, which may not be exactly as heard on the recording, but from what Spike shared with me, is the final draft for the track anyway:

Breathing in the dark, the thing sounds like the end All out of range, coms silent and dead Look at all that loot, all that could be mine If only those boneheads from the machine cult could save me right now.

I'm a bit of a space nerd, so these lyrics help me envision a space cruiser with cargo space, not unlike Han Solo's fabled Millennium Falcon; did you know that ship made the Kessel Run in 12 parsecs? Anyway, in the cargo hold my mind's eye creates a scared man, hiding from his certain death, softly repeating those words over and over again while waiting to die.

Next up is "Paladin of Death" and "Gelatinous Cube" from Bog Wizard, a group that uses Dungeons and Dragons mythology to fuel their lyrical content. They are also responsible for this writer not retiring from reviewing, their From the Mire album inspired me to review it, and many more afterwards.

As with Dust Lord's contributions, Bog Wizard brings the heavy sludge in a big way, and offers up a bit of diversity as well. The dynamic shift that is created when they head into the clean section is incredible, and really adds a respite from the heaviness before sliding effortlessly back into distorted, sludgy guitars.

Sadly, I'm not up on Dungeon and Dragons as I've never played the game, but I do enjoy the lyrics to this song without that knowledge. This is the last couple of verses:

Sightless terror Sensing prey Wordless hunger Devour life

Left unblemished Sword and shield Nutritious flesh From bones be peeled

This track gives me visions of some kind of nameless creature, complete with massive fangs, claws designed for rending the flesh from its prey with speed and brute force, and an unending hunger for flesh.

Four Tales of the Strange is a journey into the imaginations of both bands, and, at least in my case, will inspire the imaginations of the listener, as well. Enjoy now the entire album as Doomed & Stoned brings you its worldwide debut, ahead of the general release on March 5th (pre-order here)!

Four Tales of the Strange by Bog Wizard, Dust Lord

#D&S Reviews #Bog Wizard #Dust Lord #doom metal #sludge #fantasy #doom #metal #Tom Hanno #Doomed and Stoned