“All I know is that first you’ve got to get mad.
You’ve got to say, ‘I’m a HUMAN BEING, God damn it!
My life has VALUE!’ So I want you to get up now.
I want all of you to get up out of your chairs.
I want you to get up right now and go to the window.
Open it, and stick your head out, and yell,
‘I’M AS MAD AS HELL, AND I’M NOT GOING
TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!’ “
(Howard Beale, Network)
Welcome to this months Doom Charts….. but don’t be fooled by the name. This embraces all and everything heavy that comes out from the swampy underground that we call our music scene. We embrace psychedelic fuzz blues rubbing shoulders with Satan worshiping doom fiends, classic hard rock banging heads with weed inspired stoner grooves that pay a visit to the down-tuned world of sludge and despair. This is our sonic temple of guitar worship and all religions are welcome……can you dig it?
The Doom Charts represent 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. VULVA – PATH OF VIRTUE / NEW!
(Aschaffenburg, Germany)
Vulva take a “ virtuous path “ down organ driven retro rock lane . Virtuous Path is very authentic and true to the sounds of the heavy underground hard/krautrock scene of the early seventies.
~‘Papa’ Paul Rote (Doomed & Stoned)
24. SABEL – RE-GENERATION / NEW!
(Halland County, Sweden)
As the hypnotic riffs and heavy doom mesmerize you with wicked tales of interstellar travelers, green priestesses, women of voodoo and journeys into the sun these Swedes confirms that the New Wave Of Swedish Doom is still raging on a global scale. There is no escape. World domination is imminent and Sabel is in the absolute front line with “Re-generation.”
~Magnus Tannergren (Into The Void Radio)
23. WINDHAND / SATAN’S SATYRS – SPLIT / NEW!
Windhand and Satan’s Satyrs is a sinister pair of bands with some impressive releases under their belts, so it’s no surprise that when they come together the union is not only monumental but also bewitchingly evil. What makes their split album so good though is that each band expresses their wicked nature in totally different ways. Windhand plays slow, solemn, smoky doom metal swirling with pentagrams and burning candles, but Satan’s Satyrs is jamming some sleazy, nasty rock ‘n’ roll that’s dripping with sin. You’re getting the best of both sides of the underworld and maybe the best work from each band yet!
(Richmond, Virginia)
~Brandon Collins (Super Dank Metal Jams)
22. AGAINST THE GRAIN – CHEATED DEATH / NEW!
(Detroit, Michigan)
Combining the brute force and energy of Motorhead with the dual guitar bluesy swagger of Thin Lizzy, Against the Grain cut a killer groove, well, against the grain of elementary stoner rock and lacquer a melodic sheen on the contemporary high velocity punk n roll scene.
~Bucky Brown (The Ripple Effect)
21. MARIJANNAH – TILL MARIJANNAH / NEW!
(Singapore)
Marijannah are a fairly new band from Singapore but consists of seasoned veterans from Wormrot and The Caulfield Cult. So there’s plenty of experiences on hand which shows so well in the four tracks on ‘Till Marijannah’. What’s on offer is super-fuzzed out heavy psych/stoner rock with enough sharp riffs to take down Mount Everest, and played in a way you’ve never heard before. It’s perhaps nothing new per se, but what makes this album stand out and sound different, in better words, is the approach to the music and the sheer talent on hand.
20. PYRAWEED – GREEN JINN / NEW!
(Baku, Azerbaijan)
Pyraweed from Azerbaijan have been prolific and consistent, delivering 6 damn solid studio albums as well as a live album since forming in 2015. Across their latest release ‘Green Jinn’ you’ll hear elements of Sleep, Melvins, and Om amongst the heavy bass and drum rhythms. The lineup and setup of Pyraweed has changed pretty much on every album, with multi-instrumentalist Nijat Hasanzadeh being the mainstay throughout. Green Jinn is their first outing stripped back to heavy bass and drums (and some samples), and it feels slower, lower and all round heavier than anything they’ve done to this point. Brilliant album which made me listen back to their previous albums and buy the entire discography without hesitation. Stoner doom gold right here folks.
~Clint (Hand of Doom Radio)
19. THAL – REACH FOR THE DRAGON’S EYE / NEW!
(Columbus, Ohio)
Be afraid, be very afraid cos this album is gonna bring down tall buildings, cause random cases of spontaneous combustion and generally fuck this world up…..all in a good way of course \m/ Full review here
~Frazer Jones (Desert Psychlist)
18. THE ATOMIC BITCHWAX – FORCE FIELD
(Neptune, New Jersey)
In an age where tracks seem to be getting longer and longer, this album is a blast through riff an’ roll territory – 12 songs in 35 minutes show that The Atomic Bitchwax are here to deliver some short, sharp shocks of 70’s groove, punky aggression and insanely catchy stoner anthems that will make your day light up.
~Tony Maim (Black Insect Laughter, Stoner HiVe)
17. WOLFTOOTH – WOLFTOOTH
(Richmond, Indiana)
On their debut full-length, Wolftooth borrows nothing but the best from their musical idols and leaves the rest on the cutting room floor. Strong song writing, bluesy grooves, thrashy riffs, and southern harmonies make this one a real winner. Whether it’s the bouncing mid-tempo beat of “Aegaeon” or the slower paced rocker “Season of the Witch,” there’s a lot here to enjoy. I recommend listening while LARPing with your friends in an open field, or maybe something more low-key like an imaginary battle with your six-year-old son in the comfort of your living room.
~Bryan Coffey (Indy Metal Vault)
16. CORROSION OF CONFORMITY – NO CROSS NO CROWN
(Raleigh, North Carolina)
COC are back! And with Pepper Keenan this time. The band has taken their time with creating No Cross No Crown. The result is an very focused album that could have been the successor of Deliverance and Wiseblood in the nineties. Everything you loved about those records is here on this new album. The songs are raw, catchy, chaotic and have that signature COC-sound. A must for fans of Keenan era COC.
~Hugo Hulleman (Metalfan.nl)
15. GRAJO – SLOWGOD II
(Spain)
For a few moments there I thought I’d hit play on a new Conan album… . Then those stellar Grajo vocals scythe through the low, low riffage. Slowgod II is the bands much anticipated second outing and it has been worth the wait. Grajo deliver the gravity from a variety of angles: prehistoric slow and low (Altares, ER) , more upbeat paced stoner riffs that bristle with hooks and maintain the weight (Queen Cobra, Horror and Pleasure), and exotic heavy mesmerisation (Melmuerta, Malstr0m). The debut album was no slouch whatsoever (check out the incredible ‘I am the Sea’), but the songs overall have more density and impact. An excellent outing from Grajo, don’t sleep on this one!
~Clint (Hand of Doom Radio)
14. SOMALI YACHT CLUB – THE SEA
(Львов, Ukraine)
Only magic that becomes one of the best sensations and purges for your everyday stress. More experienced and more skilled musicians, but also more ambitious on their ideals. exceeding expectations
~Roberto Fuentes (La Habitación 235)
13. THE WATCHERS – BLACK ABYSS / NEW!
(San Francisco, CA)
Heavy metal thunder! That’s the only way to describe the first full length effort from these Bay Area metal warriors. With the mindset of early 80’s metal and the soul of Seattle in the 90’s The Watchers forges a new breed of steel made heavy with great riffs and howling vocals. Get your spikes, bullet belts, denim and leather and lets bang these heads people!
~Magnus Tannergren (Into The Void Radio)
12. HAZEMAZE – HAZEMAZE / NEW!
(Stockholm, Sweden)
Sometimes I think I’m burning out on doom. But then something like this comes out and I realize I will never burn out on doom! This is quite excellent . It’s all about the quality of the music and songs.
~‘Papa’ Paul Rote (Doomed & Stoned)
11. MERLIN – THE WIZARD
(Kansas City, Missouri)
Kansas City riff conjurers Merlin have gifted us with yet another new record, ‘The Wizard’ (2018). If you think this is just doom as usual, think again. In fact, give this a listen right now. The first thing you’ll notice is the prominence of the saxophone, something Merlin have been experimenting with off and on for some time, but now have incorporated into their compositions in a way I find quite convincing.
“It’s been four long years since Merlin’s last conceptual album, ‘Christ Killer’, was released,” frontman Jordan Knorr tells us. “In that time of chaos, band members have come and gone, the cast has changed, equipment has broken, alliances were created, and a whole lot of rituals have been performed…Merlin have twisted our sound even further into the realms of the mystic unknown and unfamiliar territory.” All things considered, ‘The Wizard’ is a joyous celebration of doom, psychedelia, and magick.
~Billy Goate (Doomed & Stoned)
10. SUNDRIFTER – VISITATIONS / NEW!
(Boston, Massachusetts)
This one steals your soul straight out of the gate. At Name Your Price you’d be a fool not to add this to your collection. The fuzz tones shine, the Doom-born vocals haunt, and the riffs circulate like a dust devil through stoner-baked sand.
~Bucky Brown (The Ripple Effect)
9. KING BUFFALO – REPEATER
(Rochester, NY)
This EP is the next step that King Buffalo started with their debut album “Orion”. These three songs were developed in their studio space, honed down by being performed live and have finally been recorded. Big grooves are order of the day here, giving the songs room to breathe while the band weave their spell of fuzzed up psychedelic hymns dedicated to the worship of mind altering music.
~Tony Maim (Black Insect Laughter, Stoner HiVe)
8. RIVER CULT – HALCYON DAZE / NEW!
(Brooklyn, New York)
River Cult have produced a monstrously heavy sounding album that starts off in the deserts and then blasts off into outer space. Sounding like free-flowing jams but with the precision of a well drilled unit, these guys give you fat massive tones, songs that shift from drifting to crushing, a killer fuzz sound and riffs born in space that end up crashing in the swamps which combine to give you the feeling of losing yourself in the music.
~Tony Maim (Black Insect Laughter, Stoner HiVe)
7. DEATHBELL – WITH THE BEYOND / NEW!
(Toulouse, France)
Holy goat! Doom is back, baby! I don’t mean an adulterated mix of doomed this or that, I’m talking the real thing: slow, low, and damning. Meet DEATHBELL, a fantastic fem-fronted foursome from France! Toulouse, to be exact. How many ways can I say this? I LOVE THIS BAND…. For fans of Cough, Windhand, and those in similar vein.
~Billy Goate (Doomed & Stoned)
6. GREEN LUNG – FREE THE WITCH / NEW!
(London, UK)
“Free The Witch” sees Green Lung considerably upping their game and adding to their armoury a deeper, fuller dynamic. If the band’s demo “Green Man Rising” whetted your appetites for their brand of classy, fuzz drenched intelligent occult rock then “Free The Witch” is gonna blow you taste buds to smithereens.Breath in the heady aroma of exotic smelling smoke, spin these grooves of fuzz drenched refrains and get yourself some Green Lung! Full review here
~Frazer Jones (Desert Psychlist)
5. CRYPT TRIP – ROOTSTOCK
(San Marcos, Texas)
Even better than their debut. The TX power trio has unleashed a hazy jam-ridden leviathan of heavy blues. There is an underlying southern rock vibe ringing in the background melding with a groovy, dusty funk unmatched by most in the current scene. Fantastic!! This is good enough to go to the top of the albums of the year poll for now.
~Bucky Brown (The Ripple Effect)
4. WEEDPECKER – III
(Warszawa, Poland)
III takes the already amazing elements and effects of earlier albums and augments them to an unbelievable state of tranquil psychedelic euphoria. With an incredible influx of more progressive flavoring, what results here is nothing short of musically miraculous. The listener is immersed within these streams and rivers of otherworldly liquidity as their soul is awash with the lysergic baptism of WEEDPECKER ‘III’.
~Pat ‘Riot’ Whitaker (Riff Relevant)
3. APOSTLE OF SOLITUDE – FROM GOLD TO ASH
(Indianapolis, Indiana)
After four years, Apostle of Solitude is back with new music for the downtrodden and broken people of the world. From Gold to Ash is their heaviest and most somber outing to date, and you won’t find any up-tempo songs like on their previous efforts. What you will find are slow burning, complex songs with intricate vocal harmonies courtesy of Chuck Brown and Steve Janiak. The seven tracks perfectly encapsulate the feelings of being trapped beneath the cloud covered grey skies of Indianapolis during the dreary winter months. Highlights include the sleepy melodies of “Autumn Moon” and the solemn heartfelt vibes of “My Heart is Leaving Here.” Highly recommended!
~Bryan Coffey (Indy Metal Vault)
2. BLACKWULF – SINISTER SIDES / NEW!
(Oakland, CA)
Pure Vintage Rock and Roll. Blackwulf’s new album is packed full of classic style riffing and hooks to keep you indulged for many future streams, spins, or whatever have you. Moments of this banger are straight up Stoner infused Doom, but Blackwulf managed to nail the vibes of several variations of rock and roll that can’t be pinpointed to just one band. Sinister Sides is a powerful collection of tracks that is probably considered their best release yet. Consider this a “must have” for Riff lovers!
Jason Roach (Indy Metal Vault)
1. FU MANCHU – CLONE OF THE UNIVERSE
(San Clemente, CA)
Fu Manchu has consistently played to their strengths on this album. While the album is rocking and fun on one hand it is a little dark and pessimistic in spots, kind of like a good monster movie. The record hits on all the sweet spots of classic Fu Manchu, astral planes, monsters, speed and a little bit of paranoia (not sure what would be causing that…..)
~Steve Howe (Outlaws of the Sun)
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); Bryan Coffey (Indy Metal Vault); 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); Hugo Hulleman (Metalfan.nl); Ken Elliott (Heavy Planet); Leanne Ridgeway (Riff Relevant); Lucas ‘LK Ultra’ Klaukein (Stoner HiVe, You May Be Dead & Dreaming); Jason Roach (Indy Metal Vault); 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); Melissa Spence, (Stoner Witch Radio); Pat Harrington (Electric Beard Of Doom); Pat ‘Riot’ Whitaker (Riff Relevant); ‘Papa’ Paul 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).
Feel free to send in your albums to stonerdoomcharts@gmail.com where they’ll be delegated to the crew above to determine their thoughts and gather the votes at the end of the month.
This February 2018 edition of the Doom Chart was tallied and edited by Bucky Brown. Intro blurb by Tony Maim.
Doom Charts 
‘You’ve just sold me an LP by a band called Vulva’ – things you never thoguht you’d write!
Wonderful, keep up the good work folks!
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