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IRON SLUG – DECEIT AND MISERY
RELEASE DATE: March 27 via Road To Masochist - IRON SLUG is a two-man doom outfit from Kent, England, blending heavy, sludgy riffs with the slow-burn intensity of traditional doom. Formed in 2022, the duo has already delivered a demo and a handful of shorter releases, honing their sound along the way. "Deceit and Misery" marks their full-length debut, presenting five tracks that showcase their dense, crushing approach to heavy music. Despite being a two-piece, IRON SLUG packs a formidable punch: Will Rayner commands guitars and vocals, while Will Bond anchors the sound on bass and drums, adding backing vocals to create a dense, crushing wall of heaviness. Their debut, "Deceit and Misery", spans over five colossal tracks that feel both immense and unrelenting, yet never drag-each one demanding full attention. Here’s a closer look at the record.
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'A Calming Turmoil' opens the album with a brooding intensity, its guitars crawling and seething as the track gradually tightens its grip. The rhythm slowly solidifies into a relentless, deliberate groove, each note weighed with purpose. When the vocals arrive, their deep, commanding presence adds a layer of solemnity, heightening the track’s sense of impending gravity and drawing the listener further into the band's oppressive, doom-laden world. 'Love Retires Under Night' engulfs the listener from the first crushing riff, its pulse both hypnotic and unsettling. The track weaves a trance-like descent into a landscape of shadow, where despair and melancholy fuse into something almost tangible. As the weight of the music settles, it carries you to the precipice between the waking world and the abyss of dreamless awareness, leaving a lingering sense of dark introspection long after the final note fades. Following the hypnotic depths of earlier tracks, 'Die The Same' pushes forward with commanding presence. The vocals carry a captivating, almost hypnotic melody—close your eyes, and you can imagine yourself wandering down a lonely desert road. The guitars are bone-crushingly heavy, yet there’s a strange comfort in their weight. The drums guide the composition, adding depth and cohesion as each layer moves in concert with the next. The atmosphere is utterly compelling, simultaneously drawing you in while making you ache to escape its relentless grip. The album closes with 'Ritualistic Feeding', The closer, 'Ritualistic Feeding', crushes everything in its path with a weighty, immersive sound. Heavily distorted guitar lines intertwine with cymbal-driven drumming, while the atmosphere grows increasingly chaotic yet locked into a surprisingly infectious groove. The vocals are raw and passionate, carrying a palpable sense of urgency. Clocking in at just over ten minutes, it’s the album’s longest track-and with its layered instrumentation, shifting elements, and emotional breadth, it stands as a truly worthy finale for "Deceit and Misery".
"Deceit and Misery" is a commanding debut that announces IRON SLUG as a force to be reckoned with. Across the five tracks, the duo fuses crushing sludge, doom-laden weight, and moments of hypnotic groove into a sound that feels both monumental and impressively crafted. From blistering riffs and commanding vocals to layered instrumentation and shifting moods, every element carries emotional and sonic weight. The album is at once punishing and immersive, raw yet precise, leaving no doubt that Iron Slug have arrived-bold, uncompromising, and brimming with potential for even greater heights.
SCORE 8/10
REVIEWED BY SWAMPY