Iron Slug – Deceit and Misery
Release Date: 27th March 2026
Label: Road to Masochist
Bandcamp
Genre: Doom, Sludge Metal.
FFO: Black Sabbath, Goatsnake, Saint Vitus, Electric Wizard.
Review By: Pete Wall
Iron Slug’s debut Deceit and Misery lands with a level of assurance that makes a concussive impact and shakes your bones from the get-go. Its release through burgeoning label and promoter Road to Masochist brings with it a rubber stamp of quality for those familiar with the calibre of the roster both on record and in live settings up and down the UK. From releasing records for the likes of Ba’al, Bile Caster, Gorgonchrist, and Cattle Hammer to putting on some of the most stacked bills on the underground scene, this is the kind of backing that demands proper attention.
Since forming in 2022, the Kent three-piece Iron Slug have carved out a presence within the UK doom scene built on density, force, and no shortage of flair. On the tail of two hefty EPs, their debut full-length Deceit And Misery sharpens that identity and allows the band to truly flex their muscles. Across five extended tracks, the band lock into the slow, oppressive core of their sound with real conviction, drawing on familiar textures and infusing them with a plethora of filthy riffs.
Opening track A Calming Turmoil coils in on itself before dropping into a crushing, methodical groove that feels immovable once it establishes itself. The vocals are shot through with purpose and confidence and give the track further momentum. Love Retires Under Night drags things deeper, its riffs thick with the DNA of classic doom but pushed into harsher, more corrosive territory, while driving home a meaty vocal hook. There’s a feeling of slow collapse running through these earlier passages, as if the music is grinding itself down under its own weight.
As the record pulls you deeper, Graceless Bodies and Die The Same are driven by vocal performances that balance melody with a raw, unvarnished menace. The guitars churn and twist beneath both tracks, shifting just enough to maintain the malevolent tension without ever loosening their grip. Even at its most drawn-out, the album never stagnates. There’s a constant sense of forward pressure, with each section feeding the next, with a bowel-loosening low end underpinning the suffering.
By the time Ritualistic Feeding closes the record, the full weight of Deceit And Misery has settled in. The track is a lumbering beast that acts as a suitably crushing final march for an album that packs a massive amount into its runtime. Jason Frye’s production leans into grit and abrasion, giving the sound a physical presence that deftly avoids smoothing out its rough edges. At the same time this is a soulful and melodic doom record that seems clear-eyed in its intent and delivery. On Deceit And Misery, Iron Slug plant their feet and drive downward into the darkness, but their trajectory looks set to move in the opposite direction.
(4 / 5)
