#froglord

[Album of the day] Froglord - Save The Frogs

Bristol, UK // 2021 // Swamp Records (later)

[Genres] stoner doom, groove metal

[Themes] SaveTheFrogs.com, Teocipactli the Divine Crocodile

[FFO] concept albums, charitable music, eco preservation

[Thoughts] This is an EP from a solo artist who's a decent guy and his whole thing is saving the frogs and preventing us from the consequences of ecological collapse. This EP is what originally caught my attention, particularly the throat singing.*

However, other releases are also good. Amphibian Ascending mythologizes the Froglord, following the deity through a narrative: the Froglord creates the Earth as a habitat for amphibians to flourish, and upon returning 10,000 years later is disgusted what the ape men have done to the biome. The Mystic Toad and Army of Frogs continues the tale; A Frog In The Bog is a split with Bog Wizard, a stoner doom battle won by Our Frogther Who Art In The Swamp. Later releases trend towards nu/groove metal, which is less my speed but still executed well.

Finally, there's a new release dropping in one week (2024.03.09), titled after the Froglord's sacred mantra: LIVE BY THE FUZZ OR DIE BY THE SLIME.

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* I was very into Tengger Cavalry at the time, still my favorite Mongolian folk metal project.

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[From the band/label]

"As a musician and a frog enthusiast, I send my thanks and respect to FROGLORD for his fabulous contributions to frog conservation, environmental education and the musical community. Long live the frogs and the ectoplasmic slime!" -- SAVE THE FROGS! Founder Dr. Kerry Kriger SaveTheFrogs.com

The mission of SAVE THE FROGS! is to protect amphibian populations and to promote a society that respects and appreciates nature and wildlife. We work in California, across the USA and around the world to create a better planet for humans and wildlife.

Frog populations have been declining worldwide at unprecedented rates, and nearly one-third of the world’s amphibian species are threatened with extinction. Since 2008, SAVE THE FROGS! has been at the forefront of worldwide amphibian conservation efforts.

~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~

By Billy Goate

Since the dawn of time, Mystics have foretold the coming of the Froglord An ancient amphibian with death ray vision and ectoplasm slime...

Behold, the mighty FROGLORD has returned! We first met the Bristol bunch in these pages when they split an album with Bog Wizard, then again for our compilation, Doomed & Stoned in England, Vol. II. Now they're back with 11 new tracks, 'Sons of Froglord' (2023), each one linked to overarching plot (the saga now spanning four records):

500 years before ascension, Froglord tires of wordly trappings and so departs into the wilderness. There, the great Wizard Gonk awaits, a mighty guide through this garden. Together they seek its forbidden fruit: the Road Raisins. Once found, the flesh is consumed, giving way to visions of a coming collapse. The sound of The Amphibian can be heard, calling to the sage, and the Froglady's embrace guides him back to earth. Returning to the world on a Wednesday, he knows he must hold on till the lord cometh. Till that time, the mind must be honed and create a swamp of its own.

The content really delivers on the storyline, too. "Wizard Gonk" is a riff-driven romp with foot-shuffling stride and deadpan, shoegazy vocals on the order of Depeche Mode. "Garden" is a dank one for sure, donning bluesy guitar, strident rhythm, and a fist-raising chorus. "Road Raisin" couples humid Kyuss guitar tone with an easy-going desert rock tempo and mysterious, doomy vox. Speaking of singing, "Collapse" features grisly pipes that remind me of Neal Fallon's early work. Many tokes will be taken, surely, early on in this album.

It's not all an anuran fantasy, however. "Wednesday" is an ultra cool rocker a la Velvet Revolver about riding through the midweek blues. And the album closes with a nod to the CCR classic, "Born On The Bayou," giving it the Froglord treatment with gutsy drumming, smooooooth bass work, stinging guitar, and crooning that tells us we're deep into marsh country now and there ain't no returning.

Sons of Froglord is an up-beat romp through the swamp, ideal for baking on your favorite lilly pad. Look for the Froglord's latest release on Friday, July 7th (pre-order here). Stick it on a playlist with Deep Purple, Clutch, Merlin, Geezer, and Forming The Void.

Give ear...

FROGLORD - Sons of Froglord

SOME BUZZ

During the pandemic as a one-man project, Froglord released their first EP in 2020, followed soon after by a full-length album 'Amphibian Ascending.' Through their infectious grooves, storytelling, and DIY music videos, Froglord quickly amassed an online cult-like following. After the release of their second album 'The Mystic Toad' a year later, Froglord developed into a full 4-piece band as live venues began to reopen.

Since then, Froglord have released a further EP, split record, a single, and two more full-length albums: 'Army of Frogs' and 'Sons of Froglord.' During this time, Froglord has quickly gained a reputation for their commanding and theatrical stage performances.

Photo by April Marie

Whilst Froglord's sound leans primarily toward stoner doom, they have been characterised for their genre-bending sound, with each album taking on it's own distinct style, taking strong influences from psychedelia, prog, sludge, grunge, groove and blues to deliver the tale of The Froglord through a concept-based discography.

Rooted also in environmentalism, Froglord has worked closely with Save The Frogs, the world's largest amphibian-based conservation charity, raising over £2500 through 'Save The Frogs' EP sales and campaigning, as well as £300 for the Human Dignity Trust through merch sales.

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OOO that's a good one! personally tho i would call it devil wifery bc julius is - (i m stoned to death)