Doomed Confessionary: Will Bond & Will Rayner (Iron Slug)
Formed in 2022 in Kent, a murky, anguished blight upon the so-called “Garden Of England”, Iron Slug have become an established presence on the UK’s doom scene. With a single-minded sense of intent and an array of irresistible riffs they have pounded their way into the consciousness of those drawn to the low, slow and oppressive.
After two coruscating EPs in 2024 – »Debauched And Bored« and »Unrepentant Grin« – Iron Slug are now ready to unveil their full-length debut of unrepentant doom. Featuring five mammoth tracks of backbreaking heaviness that each seem to stretch out into eternity, but at the same time never feel a second too long, »Deceit And Misery« will arrive on March 27th, 2026 via Road To Masochist.
Produced by long-term collaborator Jason Frye (Allfather, Jøtnarr, Erth Altr), »Deceit And Misery« sounds gritty and textured, tactile yet abrasive and imbued with rich depth of spirit. Iron Slug have created a raw, hard-hitting album that connects deeply with the essence of doom and when it finally hits the streets, the impact will be seismic.
Iron Slug consists of Will Rayner (guitar, lead vocals) and Will Bond (drums, backing vocals).
Can you please say a few words about your band?
Will B: We’re Iron Slug, a doom/sludge band from Kent in the UK. We were formed in 2022, out of a shared love of heavy music. Will R had written a bunch of songs and was sketching out live arrangements with our old drummer and I answered a wanted advert for a bass player. When we first met the conversation flowed immediately and after our first jam I joined the band, the rest is history.
What was the biggest challenge for the band?
Will R: Losing a drummer and becoming a 2 piece was initially a challenge, but it has worked out great. We have found our heavy, thick live sound and we sound better than ever.
Will B: Switching from bass to drums when we had a run of important shows coming up was a big challenge, and Will R also had to figure out the complexities of playing bass and guitar parts live (the secret is a Fender ABY pedal, and yes we are open to talks about sponsorship!)
What can you be most proud of so far?
Will R: Recording the album and releasing it through Road To Masochist Records, just in time for our gig at Desertfest. It feels like our hard work over the last couple of years has built up to this.
What was your biggest regret?
Will R: Not paying for a more expensive hotel in Birmingham! Scary nights sleep!!!
What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
Will R: We’ve been lucky to play with some great bands, Praetorian, Gurt, Acid Throne, Froglord.
But for me, my best gig was playing with Rustorm as I am a massive Pulkas fan.
The gig which meant a lot to us both was the Gryphon in Bristol, we hadn’t played many gigs as a 2 piece and after that gig we felt like we had moved into the next level.
Photo by Jonas Ranssøn
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
Will B: When you turn up to a show, no matter what size, you realise that there’s no big industry secret, the whole thing is run by regular people who love music. So you meet bands who you’ve been a fan of and see that they’re just the same as you, a bunch of people who started jamming together in some dingy practice room and worked hard to get their music out into the world.
What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
Will R: Darkthrone, Melvins / Napalm Death (can’t wait for the album), Godflesh, Rustorm, Bolt Thrower.
Will B: Going from my last week’s listening: Spectral Wound, Bolt Thrower, Harms Way, Aesop Rock and Homeboy Sandman (Lice), Kublai Khan TX, Ingrown, Nathan Fake, 200 Stab Wounds, Swamp Coffin.
What was the best advice you’ve ever been given as a musician?
Will B: Go into the studio fully rehearsed, money is always tight and studio time is precious so knowing exactly what you need to do when you hit the studio is so important.
What are your guilty pleasures?
Will B: Not that I feel guilty about it, but I love HIM, and I’m unashamedly emo, something that has been the source of much ridicule on long car journeys to shows!
Can you say something more about the current music scene in Kent?
Will B: We have a great heavy music seen in Kent and in the South of England in general. There’s a lot of promoters who put their hard earned time and money into the scene. Big shoutout to Liv from Hellbound Promotions in Chatham and Ian from Chinwag Promotions in Ashford, these two especially have been championing us from the start.
Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
Will B: Currently we have a couple of Festival appearances coming up, Desertfest London on May 15th and Demonhound Doomfest in Norwich on October 17th. We will be adding more dates but we’re having a chilled year as Will R and his wife are expecting their first child. The merch opportunity of Iron Slug baby grow’s has definitely crossed our minds!
What are your plans for the future as a band?
Will R: To continue to record music, play gigs and meet cool people.
Will B: We just want to keep going, try and push our writing to the next level and see how far we can take this thing. Since signing to Road to Masochist there should be more opportunities to tour with other bands from the label and hopefully get to play our first shows outside of the UK.
How can people best support your band?
Will B: Honestly, any interaction with us is so greatly appreciated. Just a like and a share on social media is amazing, streaming our music and just generally spreading the word. Obviously buying merch and music is incredible but we all know money is tight. So if you like our band just let us know, we always love talking to folk who come to ours shows.
Do you have any message for your listeners?
Will B: We really appreciate every stream, like, comment, and any interaction with us. We’re so excited that people are into what we are doing, so thank you to everyone who’s come to a show or listened to our releases, you give us the fuel to keep doing this.
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well