Froglord, Lung & Thrakian, Fuel Rock Club, 06.07.23
After almost turning Bristol M2TM 2023 into their own personal swamp, amphibian stoner metal band Froglord looked to expand their worship of frogs to wider places. One such place was Cardiff's premier (read: only) metal venue Fuel Rock Club.
Before that though it was time for two more bands to show off their skills as the raging sludge of Thrakian (7). With NOLA sludge/post metal influences as the major part of their sound, it was a noisy way to begin, with slow, deliberate riffs caked in reverb and distortion, ringing out through the PA of Fuel, the partly cloaked figures headbanging in unison as they played to a very active crowd.
Thrakian had the largest crowd of the night as it happens but that didn't deter the expansive psych doom of Lung (7), this trio wrapping their more traditional doom sound with the fuzzy mind melting noise of bands such as Electric Wizard evoking the acid tinged rhythms of London's finest. A lot of instrumental sections where they jammed together without the need for vocals, made sure that the heads were banging in unison as the Cardiff band made their way through their set.
With the support having warmed the room up, taking to the stage in a school night were the regal amphibian metal sound of Froglord (8) in a similar vein to Goblinsmoker (but of course they are toad worshippers) Froglord, take their inspiration from the titular Froglord and his adventures. This was also the release show of their new album (review coming soon) and they came down to win over the Cardiff crowd to their way if thinking.
Dressed in hoods and frog masks, Froglord play classic stoner riffage that's fuzzy, biting and bring motion. Faster than the two previous bands it was often wild and frenzied the vocals especially passionate as the singer threw himself around the stage. The frog-lore was welcomed, to the point that when they played something not frog related their was boos, luckily the frogs came back and all was right with the world before a cover of Black Sabbath's N.I.B sealed this selection of Sabbath Worship.
Three top class bands from the Wales/South West deserving of your time and oozing talent. It's what Thursday's were made for.