Midwestern heavy doom act Bog Wizard roll the dice on a new record, Miasmic Purple Smoke.

Bog Wizard is a stoner trio from Michigan. And not Detroit but up in hinterlands of Ludington – north, west, and cold. Ben Lombard (vocals, guitar), Harlen Linke (percussion, vocals, synth), and Colby Lowman (bass) channel their own interests in heroic fantasy and Dungeons and Dragons into smoky musical doom. Their Campaign EP came out in 2018, followed two years later by From The Mire and then a split with Dust Lord, Four Tales of the Strange. The new one is the band’s second longplayer.

There are four meaty tracks and two bite-sized ones. “Barbaria” fronts the set with deliciously clodding doom riffs. Slow, heavy, and whimsical, the simplicity of the music allows for quick absorption. “The Rogue” follows like a gliding galley loaded with menace and bad intentions. It has a faster tempo and more of a grinding sense to it, and a long, welcome cool-down. “Grim Dark” is one of the short pieces that puts a nice unsettling bump on side one.

The title track leads the second triplet, kicking off with an Iommi-inspired riff and an excellent vocal pairing. Truly, the voices are the telling remark throughout this song, with a couple of extra-fuzzy divergences. “Stuck in the Muck” is a transitory tantrum that is a lot fun heading toward the closer, “The Void Beckons.” Synths and a funeral doom guitar welcome you in to a mystical world dripping with deep dark dankness. It is the longest trip on the album and it is a thoroughly satisfying journey.

You don’t have to be a D&D fan to enjoy this music. It is great slow, old school doom with some keys mixed in and just the right attitude. Recommended.

Miasmic Purple Smoke is out now. Take a deep drag at Bandcamp.

Links.

Bandcamp, https://bogwizard.bandcamp.com/

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/BogWizardBand/

The Dregs Records, https://thedregsrecords.bigcartel.com/