Doomed Confessionary: Paul, Sam & Wil (War Club)
War Club is a three-piece band from London, UK that blends noise rock, punk, and sludge/stoner/doom. Known for their anti-war, anti-capitalist and anti-fascist attitude, War Club consists of Paul Jennings (guitar, vocals), Samuel Hockham (bass, vocals) and Wil Deering (drums, vocals).
The trio adhere to the “Big Riff Manifesto”, characterized by heavy, fuzz-laden guitar, driving bass, and intense, repetitive riffs.
Following their EPs »Ultranormal« (2022) and »Hostile Environment« (2023), War Club’s debut album »Monoplanet« was released on November 7th, 2025. Recorded, produced and mixed by Tobin Jones. Mastered by Chris Le Monde.
Can you please say a few words about your band?
We aim to be loud, fun and honest in what we do. We are vocal about the things we care about but we also like to have a laugh and make music you can feel through your whole body.
What was the biggest challenge for the band?
The biggest issue we face is that because we’re a bit doom, a bit noise rock, a bit punk, a bit psych even in places and some people even think we sound grungy at times, people who are used to organising things along very specific sub-genre lines aren’t always sure what to do with us. We like being hard to pigeonhole but I think it has sometimes stopped us getting in front of the right audience.
What can you be most proud of so far?
We released our debut album »Monoplanet« last year and it definitely felt like our most accomplished work so far. People really liked it and we were very happy with it.
What was your biggest regret?
I think our biggest regret is not promoting our album more effectively before we released it, we didn’t know what we were doing as we ended up self-releasing it. Unfortunately no labels wanted to release it for us and we didn’t have a clue what we were doing so I feel we didn’t really do it justice in terms of promotion. As a piece of art we’re very happy with it though.
What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
Not sure we can choose one best one but we’ve played some great shows in the last year around London mostly. We did an album launch show which felt special (and we played for an hour and half which we never usually get to do so that was nice). We like small cosy venues where we are allowed to still be loud and when they’re full, they really rock. We’ve been lucky to play a few of those in the last year.
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
When people come to our shows who have found us organically through internet algorithms it’s always a nice surprise. Mostly it’s word of mouth through people we know or who have seen us before but occasionally someone will have just found us through the internet and that’s always fun. Also the number of venues that remove the second rack tom from the drum kit, that annoys the hell out of Wil.
What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
Chat Pile released an album with Hayden Pedigo last year that I’m obsessed with. We really love Smote as well, they’re amazing live. Sam is really loving recent music from Sumac and Chained To The Bottom Of The Ocean. Kowloon Walled City have been getting a lot of play recently from him and we both also absolutely love Gnod and Part Chimp and always eagerly await new music from them – they’ve got some new stuff coming out. Wil is rinsing WSTR’s »Live Laugh Toaster Bath« and Grandson’s »Brainrot«.
What was the best advice you’ve ever been given as a musician?
Play what you want to play, not what you think will be popular. People appreciate authenticity. Or the alternative version “Do what you love, fuck the rest.”
What are your guilty pleasures?
French house, nu-metal, jazz fusion, cheap pedals, Wil loves screamo and nightcore as well lol.
Can you say something more about the current music scene in London?
We are based in London and there is a thriving heavy scene but it is often a bit fragmented and “siloed” as there is just so much constantly happening it can be difficult to be aware of all the cool stuff going on!
Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
We’ve got a few London gigs coming up and we’re working on venturing further afield in the summer!
What are your plans for the future as a band?
We’re hoping to get back in the studio this year and record album number 2, we’ve got a lot of stuff in the works and it is exciting for us at the moment. We would also love to play a festival or two but haven’t got any bookings yet!
How can people best support your band?
Come and see us play and come and say hi, we love talking to people at shows. Also if you like us, spread the word and drag your friends down to see us too, thanks.
Do you have any message for your listeners?
Thanks so much for all your love and support, we really appreciate it and feel blessed that we have any listeners at all!
Links:
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify | YouTube
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well