Doomed Confessionary: Stephen, Valerio & Jacopo (Slugg)
Photos by David La Pietra
Slugg is a post-metal trio formed in Rome, Italy in early 2019. The band is inspired by several genres, most of all they are influenced by doom and progressive metal, which both drive them to channel their energy, giving to it all the shades and the attributes, allowing them to shape this energy into the form of music. Apart from these influences, each member has his own individuality, fights for it and ultimately intertwines it with the other’s, finding a place in the middle of their respective visions.
After the first single »Yonder« in 2021, the full-length debut »Orichalcum« was released on May 5th, 2023 and is currently available on all major digital platforms. The band returned with a brand new single »Morningstar« on October 16th, 2024.
Slugg consists of Jacopo Cautela (guitar, vocals), Stephen Drive (bass) and Valerio Libera (drums, guitar, vocals).
Can you say a few words about your band?
We are Slugg, a sludge/post-metal band formed in Rome in 2019. We started as a stoner/doom trio then we added a second guitar and moved to the sludge/post side which allowed us to express all our musical influences at their best. With this new line-up we released the self-produced album »Orichalcum« in 2023 and the single »Morningstar« in 2024.
What was the biggest challenge for the band?
The biggest challenge was (and still is) to be able to blend all the different musical influences of each one of us to achieve something that sounded personal and original, while also trying to experiment new solutions with each new release and still maintaining the same basic identity.
What can you be most proud of so far?
We’re especially proud of people’s response to our album »Orichalcum«. We have received very good reviews and many positive comments,but perhaps the greatest satisfaction was seeing the people at our concerts truly involved and taken by our music.
What was your biggest regret?
Currently we don’t have regrets as a band.
Jacopo: I think missed opportunities are one of the band’s biggest regrets. We’ve taken every chance we could so far, and that gives us a lot of confidence for the future. As a musician, my biggest regret is not trusting my instincts when it came to drumming as a kid and instead picking up the guitar, so I grew up as a guitarist. I love both instruments, but there’s always been a feeling that one of them, like an autopilot, was pulling me in a certain direction. I should have trusted that inner voice.
What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
A few years ago we were contacted at the last minute to play at a venue in our town. In theory we should not have participated: we were not ready, we had just changed lineup (the current one) and we had not rehearsed enough, however we accepted without thinking about it. We were going to play with longer-lived and certainly more seasoned bands than us, nevertheless for some strange reason the organization decided to let us play as headliners and this only increased our uncertainties: We really didn’t know what to expect. Getting on the stage of the almost full venue and realizing that the audience was really there for us was just great and finding out after the live show that many people had come even from far away just to see this strange young new band live made us really grateful.
Was that our best or most prestigious concert? Certainly not, but it was the one in which our awareness as a band was cemented.
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
Valerio: A great surprise was seeing very young people at concerts of bands belonging to the heavy/hardcore/noise scene. It’s nice to see that there is a generational change.
Stephen: See how quickly in recent years several bands have gone from the status of local underground bands to that of world-class artists. This gives some hope to all those who continue to make original music with passion and dedication.
Jacopo: If you’re talking about the Italian doom/stoner music scene, I’m not easily surprised. Aside from a few exceptions, I don’t think we have anything that feels truly original at the moment. There are many good bands, but not as many groundbreaking ideas. If we widen the perspective, I think death and black metal are showing more growth in terms of originality, with many lesser-known bands releasing an impressive amount of really exciting material.
What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
Valerio: I’m actually not listening to really heavy music these days. Except for »Mariner« by Cult Of Luna, on which I’ve closed myself again in the last month, my current listening ranges between Squid, IDLES, Cani Dei Portici, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Soft Play and the latest album by David Gilmour (which is precisely the antithesis of heavy).
Stephen: My musical tastes are constantly evolving, I never listen to the same bands or artists for too long, at the moment I am mainly into post-metal, doom metal, post-black, blackgaze, post-rock, shoegaze, sludge, psych stoner, jazz, while continuing to explore the huge sea of underground bands.
Jacopo: Right now, I’m really into Blood Incantation’s new release »Absolute Elsewhere«, definitely one of the best things I’ve heard lately. I’m also enjoying the new Inter Arma album, »New Heaven«. A track that’s constantly in my heavy musical rotation is Opeth’s single »Width Of A Circle«. It’s not as well-known, but for me, it contains one of the best solos by Fredrik Åkesson.
What was the best advice you’ve ever been given as a musician?
Stephen: I know it sounds strange, but I don’t think I ever received any advice as a musician (or maybe just useless advices that I quickly forgot)… anyway, I think I wouldn’t have followed them and would have continued to do things on my own way, experimenting to find what was right for me.
Valerio: I don’t think I’ve ever received advice on the musical/compositional side. In the underground music scene I think the less you follow advice the better. As a drummer, one piece of technical advice that really impacted me was from a guy who told me to try even bigger sticks. I got 2B sticks and it actually changed my way of playing a lot, making it much more physical (I came from a jazz background where the maximum dynamics is low because you basically use chopsticks).
Jacopo: Can’t say I’ve received any truly enlightening advice, but I’d like to mention the little pieces of guidance and impressions I’ve gotten from Elisa, my girlfriend, who has always believed in what I do. She has an incredible taste in music and is always able to help me focus my efforts in the right direction.
What are your guilty pleasures?
Valerio: Sex and peanuts.
Stephen: Placing stickers of my bands in club toilets, picking up girls in club toilets, even the two at the same time.
Jacopo: Sniffing my cat, Lana.
Can you say something more about current music scene in Rome?
Stephen: In our city there are some world-class bands and literally tons of really interesting underground bands. Despite the many closures in recent years, many venues of various types and levels still survive. All this is positive, and the underground scene is quite lively despite some obvious difficulties, first and foremost the predisposition of the public, whose attention is mostly focused on the big names, making it difficult for emerging bands (local or not) to get noticed and emerge, and also because unfortunately there is a lack of real and deep support and true collaboration between the artists themselves.
Valerio: Our city has done everything to destroy the live music scene. The closure of many venues where even important groups played left a mark on all those who found themselves in the same place to play and listen to music of a certain level. Currently there are clubs and a scene made up of many underground bands, but I think there is a lack of more stable and strong aggregation centers for particularly heavy music.
Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
Beginning at the end of this year and continuing into the next, we have an exciting series of shows planned across Italy, which we’ll be unveiling gradually through our social media channels. Stay tuned for updates as we share more details in the coming months.
What are your plans for the future as a band?
We’re eager to create new music as it seems that we’re all leaning towards an even more intense, aggressive, and direct sound lately. Additionally, it would be amazing to organize some tours outside of Italy.
How can people best support your band?
Following our social pages, supporting us on Bandcamp and spreading our music. Also, we look forward to meeting you at our concerts.
Do you have any message for your listeners?
Valerio: Be passionate about art, work less in offices, do what you like.
Stephen: Be positive and put passion into everything you do and, of course, come and see us live if you get the chance.
Jacopo: Take the time to listen to your music with intention. In a world driven by impulse and instant gratification, where we’re told that just five seconds are enough to judge a song, a movie, or a piece of art, it’s easy to lose sight of the deeper experience. Slow down, immerse yourself fully in what you’re hearing, and you’ll realize that it’s not just about listening, it’s about engaging in a dialogue. By doing so, you’ll be able to experience truly amazing music.
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well