Doomed Confessionary: Sal (Sluglord)
Hailing from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Sluglord is a metal band formed towards the end of 2024. Sal (guitar, vocals) and Chris (bass, vocals) originally formed the project and began the writing process. Over the course of the next few months Eddie (drums) and Brandon (lead vocals, guitar) were brought into the fold and Sluglord was spawned! The band focuses on a blend of desert rock, doom metal, and grunge that brings heavy distortion and intensity to your ears.
Sluglord’s debut EP »Comes When Called« was released on May 7th, 2025. The 3 track concept EP follows the protagonist’s search to find an ancient source of wisdom that may better the future of humanity.
Can you please say a few words about your band?
Sluglord is a four-piece stoner/doom band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We are comprised of Brandon on lead guitar and vocals, Chris on bass and backing vocals, Eddie on drums, and myself (Sal) on rhythm guitar and backing vocals. Our debut EP entitled »Comes When Called« was released on May 23rd and is available on all your favorite streaming platforms right now! I first conceptualized this band about 10 years ago. I started writing riffs on my own and life kept getting in the way of ever allowing the band to come to fruition. One day in 2023, I decided to stop making excuses and devote the necessary time to giving this project the opportunity to grow that it deserved. Now, here we are after the release of our first EP and on the brink of our first ever gigs. I truly feel so lucky to have found bandmates like these to help bring my ideas to life and to add their own unique inspirations that have helped the band grow to what it is today.
What was the biggest challenge for the band?
The biggest challenge we’ve faced so far has definitely been finding the right members for the band. Chris and I first started jamming as a part of this project in the spring of 2023. We were initially jamming with a different drummer, but it ended up not working out with them. Luckily for us, we connected with Ed shortly thereafter in the fall of 2023, but it took us countless auditions, hiring a lead guitarist who eventually left the project, and then even more auditions before we found Brandon in the summer of 2024! It’s been a slow, arduous process, but we now have such an incredible mix of influences and experiences that bring our music to life in the absolute best way.
What can you be most proud of so far?
We are totally blown away by the response we’ve received to our EP’s release. It’s been a little over a month since »Comes When Called« came out and seeing the amount of people our music has already reached is something that we never could have envisioned. Watching the amount of listeners we’ve had on Spotify and views on YouTube grow as they have literally does not compute in my brain hahaha. A joke we’ve repeatedly made is that these three songs have garnered more attention than anything all of our previous bands have ever done combined! A big part of the overwhelming response is due to support from zines like Doomed Nation, so thank you very much for your part in that!
What was your biggest regret?
It’s a small regret, but I think we would have rather gotten out and played shows a little sooner. Once we realized how strong the recordings were, we really dug into the mixing and mastering process to make the tracks sound the best that they could. We are very grateful to East Airy Recordings and Over Under Recording Co. for working with us through that process, but we’re really excited to finally hit the stage and play these songs live.
What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
Our first shows are yet to come! Our first gig is coming up on Saturday, 7/19 at Cambria House in Philadelphia, PA and our EP release show is on Saturday, 8/2 at the Rusty Nail in Ardmore, PA. We hope everyone will come out and celebrate our live debut with us!
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
One thing that has really surprised me in particular is the amount of venues my old bands would play that are no longer around. I think that it’s a testament to the places that are able to keep going, like the Rusty Nail. It’s also really encouraging to see new venues start to open up again.
What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
I’ve really gotten into Crowbar recently. The same can be said for Ed as well. This is something that makes both Chris and Brandon happy, as they have been fans for a while. As Sluglord’s resident Sabbath worshipper, I’m constantly listening to the godfathers of our beloved genre and kneeling at the altar of Iommi. I’m currently wearing my Candlemass t-shirt while answering these questions, so shoutout to those beautiful Swedish bastards and their amazing music haha.
What was the best advice you’ve ever been given as a musician?
Honestly, one of the best pieces of advice I’ve gotten was from Brandon. On one of those long, draining days while we were recording the EP, he and I got to talking about our ideas for cover art. I told Brandon about this vision I had in mind since we agreed upon the name Sluglord of people walking towards a gargantuan slug that was up on a hill, as if drawn to it. I told him that I thought it was a pretty good idea and I didn’t know if we should save it until we were ready to release a full-length album. Brandon, without hesitating, said that we shouldn’t hold anything back and that there are no guarantees in life, so why should we put that idea on a shelf when we might never get a chance to record a whole album? I’ve applied that advice to my approach with things involving the band ever since and you can see our artist’s interpretation of that vision on the cover of »Comes When Called«!
What are your guilty pleasures?
Oh, definitely sports. I think, at least for myself, the guilt stems from how much influence I allow my favorite sports teams to have over my mood hahaha. Three out of the four of us are big football and hockey fans. Ed and I both have tattoos related to our beloved Philadelphia Eagles (GO BIRDS!!!) and we are also big fans of the Flyers. Chris also follows both sports closely, but is a 49ers and Penguins fan. Despite these major character flaws, we still keep him around haha. Poor Brandon is forced to sit through our sports debates and would probably rather we didn’t use rehearsal time for them hahaha.
Can you say something more about the current music scene in Philadelphia?
Even though Sluglord is a new band, all of us have experience playing live around Philly with previous projects. It’s really heartening to see the local bands we have known for years and played shows with in the past that have persisted and are still making music. The dedication that those bands show to their art is very inspiring.
Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
We hope to see all of our friends, new and old alike, at Cambria House on July 19th and the Rusty Nail on August 2nd! Check out our social media for more information on both shows and future gigs.
What are your plans for the future as a band?
Since recording has finished, we’ve completed three new songs, with plenty more in various stages of the writing process on the way. We are definitely looking to play more shows in the more immediate future, but I think we will be back in the studio to record our new material sooner rather than later. We’ve had some discussions about whether we would want to do another EP or a full-length album next time around, but I think we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, we’ll continue booking gigs and writing tunes.
How can people best support your band?
We would love it if people would follow us on social media! We are on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. More information about upcoming shows and what the band is up to is there. You’ll also find a link to our Linktree, which is where we’ll post a link to our online store that’s set to launch shortly, so everyone can grab some crispy Sluglord merch. We’ll have t-shirts, stickers, CDs, and tote bags available. If you’re local to the Philadelphia area, come out to a show, do some headbanging, and say what’s up!
Do you have any message for your listeners?
First and foremost, thank you so much for your incredible support so far. It is truly humbling to see people engage with and share kind words about our music. We in Sluglord are just getting started, so stay tuned for more slimey, nasty riffs!
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well