‘Metal is a tribe, and you find it everywhere’ - Ó hArrachtáin

For one of the more surprising yet exciting musical crossovers of recent years, Irish sludge metal pioneers Ten Ton Slug will bring the full weight of their signature riff-heavy sound to the heart of the Kalahari Desert.

Fronted by Cornafean native Rónán Ó hArrachtáin, the band’s upcoming journey is all the more remarkable as it will almost certainly be the first time a metal song in the Irish language will be performed on Botswanan soil.

Ten Ton Slug’s 24,000-kilometre round-trip to Botswana is not just another tour stop however. It’s part cultural exchange, part genre-defying celebration of heavy metal’s global reach. To get there, the band will spend over 21 hours in the air, travelling from Dublin to Qatar, onward to Johannesburg, and finally to Botswana’s capital, Gaborone, before heading further out.

It’s an unexpected connection which came about when the band was browsing online and stumbled upon a Vice documentary showcasing fans dressed in doomsday cowboy gear - studded leather, ripped denim, skull imagery, and cowboy hats - all while worshipping classic bands like Motörhead.

“What the hell is going on here? It was amazing to see there’s this scene there in Africa, in Botswana specifically, and they’re as into the whole heavy metal thing as much as anyone,” recalls Rónán, who believes firmly that heavy metal “transcends cultures”.

“Metal is a tribe, and you find it everywhere,” he adds.

Inspired by what they saw, Ten Ton Slug reached out to Tshomarelo Mosaka, better known as ‘Vulture Thrust’- a legend of Botswana’s heavy music scene and a member of the band Overthrust. A conversation quickly turned into an invitation, and with funding secured from Culture Ireland, the band set their sights.

“Why not do it while you can?” says Rónán of the band’s bold decision.

Organised by Mosaka, this year’s Vulture Thrust: Anger Management Fest takes place in Maun on November 1, and Ten Ton Slug will be the only non-African band on the bill. The festival is held at Ko Sedibeng Bar, located in a vast Power Plant complex, and features some of southern Africa’s most respected heavy acts, including Overthrust, Skinflint, Dreamslot, and South Africa’s Hilliker.

Ten Ton Slug’s performance is preceded by a warm-up show in Ghanzi (October 31), and takes place at the legendary HillTalk Night Club - where they’ll appear alongside Obligado & Original Stars, Overthrust, and Ras Jesus. Both gigs are overnight events, running from dusk till dawn to avoid the intense desert heat.

Founded by Connemara brothers Seán and Mícheál O’Sullivan, Ten Ton Slug features Rónán on vocals, Seán Sullivan on guitars/vocals, Slovakian-born Pavol Rosa on bass, and drummer Tommy Carolan from Castleblayney. Carolan, described as “a powerhouse” by Rónán, has added renewed momentum since joining.

Even by heavy metal standards, what Ten Ton Slug plays is fairly niche, and their inclusion to the line-up speaks volumes about Botswana’s own growing global reputation for passionate and unique interpretations of the metal genre.

Rónán’s curiosity has led him to explore the region’s bands, including Hilliker, whom he praises for “doing a sort of folk thing, using traditional instruments”.

As a longtime champion of Irish-language metal through his previous work with Na Cruithne and more recently with Clagarna (which means ‘clattering’), Rónán looks forward to perform Mallacht an tSloda- translated as ‘The Curse of the Sludge’- a powerful track sung entirely in Irish that weaves Ten Ton Slug’s intensity, groove, and poetic fury into a scathing critique of societal decay.

“Irish as a language is so vivid and direct. So it lends itself to expressing intensity that’s perfect for metal,” explains Rónán.

Ten Ton Slug’s own growing international reputation is earned. Since their early days of winning Metal 2 the Masses and performing on the Main Stage at the famous Bloodstock Festival, the band has gone on to support scene icons such as the Black Label Society, Crowbar, Eyehategod, Corrosion of Conformity and more.

Phenomenal year

The upcoming African dates mark the culmination of a phenomenal year. Their debut album ‘Colossal Oppressor’- featuring guest vocals from Karl Willetts (Bolt Thrower/Memoriam)- was released in May to critical acclaim. A limited edition ‘Ooze’ coloured vinyl pressing sold out in under a week. Shortly after, the band embarked on a scorching European summer tour with Dutch trio Diggeth, playing across eight countries during a continental heatwave.

“We drove the whole way from Cork to Romania and back in a van. It definitely had its moments,” says Rónán of how the experience might prepare them for the African desert.

Before heading however, Ten Ton Slug will play two Irish warm-up shows: September 20 at Dali, Cork, and October 11 at Róisín Dubh, Galway, where they’ll be joined by Diggeth, who are returning the favour after the European tour.

As for what lies ahead for Ten Ton Slug?

“We’re planning more things, trying to go further, create new possibilities, keep moving,” says Rónán.