“God’s creatures who cried themselves to sleep stirred to cry again.”~ Thomas Harris, The Silence of the Lambs
As November turns into December and the weather worsens by the minute. Judging from the mushrooms popping up everywhere, this could turn wetter and colder very fast. (On the North European side of the globe, that is) We already look forward to the end of the year. Not because we desperately want to blow stuff up with fireworks. Although we do. And not just because we want to drink copious amounts of Champagne and other assorted alcoholic beverages. Although we do. But becaue it is just that. The end of the year. Approaching ever faster. And with it comes those nasty little things called End Of Year Lists. They do them for everything. But the music lists still holds something special. And just like those mushrooms those End Of Year Lists are popping up everywhere as well. The freaks who can be counted on for the Doom Charts for instance all do something with them. Just visit their individual websites and blogs listed below. And ofcourse we pay hommage to the one hosted by the honorable JJ Koczan on The Obelisk. I like’m. Those lists. Not because it necessarily grades all of my favorite albums. But because you it grands you the opportunity again to revisit all those amazing albums of the past year. And you can be sure that the Doom Charts will also do an unholy counting of the numbers. Adding all those lists of the past year up to one final tally…
But now, we give you the November edition of the Doom Charts. A tallied assortment of twenty-five heavy rock albums that bring something special to the table. ELEVEN new albums entered the list and all of them deserve to be listened to on repeat. So. Enough chit chat. Check’m out! Check’m all out!
~ Joop Konraad (Stoner HiVe)
Welcome to Doom Charts, representing some of the finest bloggers, journalists, radio and podcasters, and album reviewers from the doom-stoner-heavy underground around the globe. Each month, our critics submit their picks for the best new doom, sludge metal, stoner-psychedelic and heavy rock albums. The results are compiled and tabulated into the chart below. This is a one-stop shop for the best new albums in the world…
25. SPACELORD – SPACELORD
(Buffalo, New York, USA)
Soaring vocals and groovy riffs define this debut album from Buffalo’s Spacelord. Like an unexpected transmission from outer space, this album stopped me in my tracks! I came for the killer album cover, I stayed for the tasty licks and I kept coming back for the infectious hooks. Even my kid started singing along to ‘Warlike‘ after the first listen.
You know what? These cats bring it! Album rules top to bottom. I said it on my last podcast, people are gonna go nuts for Spacelord and now they’re on the Doom Charts! Here’s hoping this is only the beginning…
Spacelord man, dig it!
~ Pat Harrington (Electric Beard Of Doom)
24. ZONG – ZONG / NEW!
(Brisbane, Australia)
The alien craft lands amongst the ancient ruins. A portal slides open on its side, a sea of hazy green fog rolling forth… Three figures emerge, setting up an array of amps in the shadow of the broken colossus – Thick bass, pounding drums, electric notes blast forth awash with reverb. This is ZONG! Near on 45 minutes of instrumental heavy psych wonderment, a sensational aural blend of the otherworldly qualities of Elder and Earthless. I stumbled upon Zong when they supported Monolord and Ufomammut last year and was totally blown away by the atmospheric weight of their jams.
Interesting fact: Henry Bennett, drummer for Zong, is also the man behind some incredible artwork for WatchTower, Elder, Hobo Magic, Earthless, Telekinetic Yeti, Yanomamo and so many more bands.
~ Clint (Hand of Doom Radio)
23. WAR CLOUD – WAR CLOUD
(Oakland, California, USA)
War Cloud expertly navigates through the dirty waters of heavy rock and early metal. Never colliding with either one and staying their very own course the entire length of the way. It makes you want to join their merry band of pirates, because every one of those eight tracks on the record is killer! Killer to a fault!
~ Joop Konraad (Stoner HiVe)
22. SPECTRAL HAZE – TURNING ELECTRIC / NEW!
(Oslo, Norway)
Turning Electric is much like the turning point in the tide of undiluted psychedelia, an out of body experience where one rides the lightning of aural LSD and thought-provoking sonic escapism. The infinite journey awaits and Spectral Haze provide the ticket and the means of transportation to get there. Ride On!
~ Pat ‘Riot’ Whitaker (Riff Relevant)
21. MOON MOTHER – RIFFCRAFT
(Sweden)
Moon Mother craft their doom riffs into four psychedelic, emotional, female fronted songs. The songs are crafted from a blues rock foundation, but this is true gut-wrenching doom. Passionate vocals and intense, well-timed guitar leads seal the deal.
~ Paul ‘Papa’ Rote (Doomed & Stoned)
20. HÄLLAS – EXCERPTS FROM A FUTURE PAST
(Jönköping/Linköping Sweden)
‘Excerpts From a Future Past’ contains an imaginative blend of metal and progressive rock, wrapped around an epic concept album set in an alternate medieval reality. Galloping riffs and catchy harmonies guide you along a journey through seven dazzling storytelling tracks about seers, a knight on a quest for answers, and the fall of a once great city.
This album is an absolute treasure and a great piece of escapism for those days when you’re trapped working in an office cubicle.
~ Bryan Coffey (Indy Metal Vault)
19. WITH THE DEAD – LOVE FROM WITH THE DEAD
(United Kingdom)
Eight tracks, heavier, darker and more evil than before. The first release was evil and dark, with this definite love for occult sounding doom. Well, ‘Love From With The Dead’ adds to this a level of devastation and soul crushing gloom. Sludgy in nature, they drag and push you towards the edge of a massive quagmire.
~ Joop Konraad (Stoner HiVe)
18. KADAVAR – ROUGH TIMES
(Berlin, Germany)
Kadavar show no signs of slowing down on their fourth release. They continue with their signature sound, but seem to have perfected it. Immense bass lines overladen with seventies style melodies are a tonic for the soul during these ‘Rough Times‘.
~ Paul ‘Papa’ Rote (Doomed & Stoned)
17. DEAD QUIET – GRAND RITES / NEW!
(Vancouver, Canada)
If you thought that Dead Quit’s self-titled debut album from 2015 was a promising record than their second record Grand Rites will surely amaze you. The Vancouver based heavy rock group make huge progress on this new release. The songs are much longer (four tracks are over eight minutes), but don’t get boring or repetitive at all. The album is a perfect mix between raw and catchy. Although the entire band deserves credit for these stunning compositions, Kevin Keegan’s vocals are one of the selling points of Dead Quiet. His voice makes this album so intense and emotional. His vocals are harsh but still melodic and his lyrics from the gut make the songs even more impressive. The dueling guitar parts and atmospheric keys give the album a classic rock vibe.
Grand Rites is a perfectly balanced record. The harsher metal parts blend perfectly with the classic rock ones. The songwriting and the emotional ambience makes this is an intense but extremely satisfying listen. Well done, Dead Quiet, well done…
~ Hugo Hulleman (Metalfan.nl)
16. HEAVYDEATH – SARCOPHAGUS IN THE SKY / NEW!
(Sweden)
This album can be covered in three words – heavy as fuck! Growling vocals sit uneasily on top of bludgeoning riffs that summon up an atmosphere of doom and darkness. A claustrophobic production that surrounds the listener with the weight of these songs makes sure that when the music drops down to a single instrument, you mentally take a moment to get your breath back before the next onslaught begins.
~ Tony Maim (Black Insect Laughter, Stoner HiVe)
15. RUBY THE HATCHET – PLANETARY SPACE CHILD
(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA)
Ruby the Hatchet return with another twinkling gem, defining their place in the top-tier of modern heavy rock. The psych factor showers us with retro glimmer, as the voyage of heavy madness pummels through smoking hot vocal fantasia and gravity defying groove. The band is firing on all rocket launchers with its most ambitious work to date. Go see them live and leave a transformed heathen of outer worldly rock n roll.
~ Bucky Brown (The Ripple Effect)
14. GALACTIC GULAG – TO THE STARS BY HARD WAYS / NEW!
(Natal, Brazil)
From the northeast of Brazil, Galactic Gulag starts a tsunami that surley will reach the whole world soon and devastate everything on its way. Something unprecedented, unusual and extravagant. The result is an adventurous and sensational album, which will imprison you and lock you in this gulag of cosmic proportions.
~ Roberto Fuentes (La Habitación 235)
13. FIREBALL MINISTRY – REMEMBER THE STORY / NEW!
(California, USA)
This is classic stuff. Classic hardrock, classic metal and all executed with fuzz precision and a desert attitude. Adding a great record to the liturgy of all the riff preachers and hook evangelists. And now, let’s all pray that it will not take another seven holy years for the next album to appear!
~ Joop Konraad (Stoner HiVe)
12. UFOMAMMUT – 8
(Tortona, Italy)
Ufomammut’s eighth studio offering is an immersive experience where each consecutive track embellishes on the previous one. Sinister, heavy grooves mixed with synth sounds create a sonic landscape that engulfs the listener, drawing them in deeper and deeper with every song.
Undoubtedly their most cohesive and stunning release to date, ‘8‘ demands your undivided attention to fully appreciate it, and is best listened to uninterruptedly while sitting in complete darkness on some good quality headphones.
~ Bryan Coffey (Indy Metal Vault)
11. BLACK ROAD – BLACK ROAD (EP)
(Chicago, Illinois, USA)
Chicago doom supercouple Suzi Uzi and Tim M. form the core of Black Road. Passionate supporters of the scene, they can be spotted at nearly every significant doom show in the area. Judging from the two times I’ve seen them live, the band is maturing at warp speed, with a well-rounded mix of bluesy proto-metal, drama (single ‘Bloody Mary’), and even an eerie piano and acoustic guitar instrumental (‘Morte’).
~ A.S. Van Dorston (Fast n’ Bulbous)
10. ASTRAL MASS – ASTRAL MASS / NEW!
(Indianapolis, Indiana)
With a burst of distorted guitar, Astral Mass start their album with intent and purpose. Stoner metal via Orange Goblin vibes, these guys are travelling into the far reaches of space rock in a pleasingly aggressive way. Touches of fuzzed psych gives variation within the song compositions but the main touchstone is riff heavy tunes that make you want to drive fast and recklessly.
~ Tony Maim (Black Insect Laughter, Stoner HiVe)
9. CAUSA SUI – VIBRACIONES DORADAS / NEW!
(Denmark)
The Danish instrumentalists have 5 monster tracks to propel your mind along a path that wanders through psychedelic compositions, stoner riffs and sub-Sabbath pounding mixed with a heady brew of kraut-rock. I am would normally steer clear of this sort of band but the effortless flow and ebb of these songs combined with heart stopping climatic conclusions mean that I have been won over in a big way.
~ Tony Maim (Black Insect Laughter, Stoner HiVe)
8. PURPLE HILL WITCH – CELESTIAL CEMETERY / NEW!
(Oslo, Norway)
Sonically we are served a mixture of seventies inspired rock, stoner, hardrock, doom with tasty psychedelic and occult offerings, with a bit of prog and whole lot of freakin magic! For that is what Purple Hill Witch does, they enchant you for seven tracks straight. It sounds like days long gone, it sounds lo-fi and grimy and it sounds absolutely wonderful!
~ Joop Konraad (Stoner HiVe)
7. SNOWY DUNES – ATLANTIS / NEW!
(Stockholm, Sweden)
Just the fact that Snowy Dunes hail from Sweden and play a form of bluesy stoner rock would be reason enough for many to check out the band’s latest opus “Atlantis” but those taking the plunge would soon find out that Snowy Dunes are a lot more than a blues rock combo with a fuzz box! Snowy Dunes deliver heady grooves of atmospheric stoner and psych that although having their core firmly rooted in the swampy delta of yesteryear have their branches reaching for a rainbow coloured sky, imagine famed bluesman Robert Johnson meeting the devil at the crossroads and instead of giving him unbelievable mastery over his instrument he gives him an acid tab!
~ Frazer Jones (Desert Psychlist)
6. YEAR OF THE COBRA – BURN YOUR DEAD (EP)
(Seattle, Washington, USA)
Intensely diverse, multifaceted music that refuses to adhere to a singular styling, ‘Burn Your Dead’ reaches new heights of musical accomplishments for Year Of The Cobra. With maddening intensities of frenzied music, infernos of semi-punk rock and undeniable stoner / psych doom contents, they all combust for one bonfire of sonic immolation.
~ Pat ‘Riot’ Whitaker (Riff Relevant)
5. HELA – DEATH MAY DIE
(Elche, Spain)
It’s a brave move by any band these days to attempt to release a conceptual album, but when it’s done right it can be a beautiful thing. Spanish groovsters Hela are one band unafraid to tackle the minefield of the concept album. With new album ‘Death May Die’, a tale of one girl’s struggle against all odds to find and be herself, they have found a perfect balance between songs that can work thematically, as well as independently of that theme.
Hela was always a good band, but with the addition of Porto on second guitar and vocals they have evolved into a great band. ‘Death May Die’, with it’s darker edges, progressive leanings and conceptual theme, stands as a fitting testament to that evolution.
~ Frazer Jones (Desert Psychlist)
4. MONOLORD – RUST
(Gothenburg, Sweden)
Monolord comes back and do not fail, one of today’s most indestructible battleships. ‘Rust‘ takes the best of ‘Empress Rising‘ and ‘Vænir‘ and takes them to the highest levels of doom and psychedelia, embraced within a thick cloud of space rock, executions and progressions that show that Swedes have no rivals.
Few can boast three discs of such high level and in constant evolution. Monolord spits in our face, without doubts, the best records to date.
~ Roberto Fuentes (La Habitación 235)
3. MOTHERSLUG – THE ELECTRIC DUNES OF TITAN
(Melbourne, Australia)
Motherslug is your personal guide through barren, desert wastelands, on a horse called Doom and an interplanetary trip in a space capsule of gloom on ‘Electric Dunes of Titan’. It’s been a while in the making and the effort that has gone into the hooks, vocals and overall production is clearly evident.
Your car stereo will thank you for this one – just forward the inevitable speeding fines to the fine folk at Motherslug headquarters!
~ Clint (Hand of Doom Radio)
2. CLOUDS TASTE SATANIC – THE GLITTER OF INFINITE HELL
(Brooklyn, New York, USA)
Masterpiece is not too strong a word to describe the new record by Clouds Taste Satanic. Then again, every album the Brooklyn doomers have brought us so far has been grandiose. The new double album serves as a large canvas for the band to paint on, with four 18-minute monoliths – ‘Greed‘, ‘Treachery‘, ‘Violence‘, and ‘Wrath‘ – illustrating ‘The Glitter of Infinite Hell’ (2017).
As with their previous work, each track is sans voix – completely instrumental – which makes it feel almost like the metal version of a symphony (without becoming symphonic metal). Ready? Time to dive into the abyss and swim through the stark sonic landscape of horrors.
~ Billy Goate (Doomed & Stoned)
1. ELECTRIC WIZARD – WIZARD BLOODY WIZARD / NEW!
(Dorset, England)
They spoke of change and they did change a bit but maybe not as much as you might think. It is still Electric Wizard. Instead of a mindless drugged out sabbathian sound the wizards went into the lysergic acid world of early Alice Cooper and The Stooges for this one. The tunes are more to the point and very leathal. But it is still – without a doubt – it is the power of Iommi that rules the black magic underworld of Electric Wizard no matter what. The evil is hidden in the details.
~ Magnus Tannergren (Into The Void Radio);
Special thanks to the ongoing contributors to the monthly Doom Chart. You folks help give voice to the heavy underground:
A.S. Van Dorston (Fast n’ Bulbous); Bryan Coffey (Indy Metal Vault); Bill Goodman (The Evil Engineer); Billy Goate (Doomed & Stoned); Brandon Collins (Super Dank Metal Jams); Bucky Brown (The Ripple Effect); Clint (Hand of Doom Radio); Doktor420 (Stoner HiVe); Doombeard (DoomBeardZine); Frazer Jones (Desert Psychlist); Gram ‘Son of Sam’ Pola (Dirty Denim); Gruesome Greg (Hellbound); Hugo Hulleman (Metalfan.nl); Ken Elliott (Heavy Planet); Leanne Ridgeway (Riff Relevant); Lucas ‘LK Ultra’ Klaukein (Stoner HiVe, You May Be Dead & Dreaming); Joop Konraad (Stoner HiVe); Lyk (Phantasmagoria); Magnus Tannergren (Into The Void Radio); Mari Knox Knox (Doomed & Stoned); Martin Petrov (Rawk’n’Roll); Matthew Thomas (Taste Nation); Matheus Jacques (October Doom); Mathieu Van Der Hert (Dutch European Stoner Rock); Melissa Marie (Doomed & Stoned); MeteorJadd (The Ripple Effect); Pat Harrington (Electric Beard Of Doom); Pat ‘Riot’ Whitaker (Riff Relevant); Paul ‘Papa’ Rote (Doomed & Stoned); Roberto Fuentes (La Habitación 235); Rod Reinhardt (Captain Beyond Zen); Samir Asfahani (Super Dank Metal Jams); Skip (The Burning Beard); Steve Howe (Outlaws of the Sun); Steve Miller (Vertical Chamber Apparatus); Steve Woodier (Shrieks From Below); Tanguy ‘Mr Fuzz’ Dupré (More Fuzz); Tony Maim (Black Insect Laughter, Stoner HiVe).
This November 2017 edition of the Doom Chart was tallied by Bucky Brown and edited by Joop Konraad.
Doom Charts 
Electric wizard album is garbage galactic Gulag is an album that comes around once every few years. Superior musicianship.
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