“Let us be thankful for the fools. But for them the rest of us could not succeed.” ~ Mark Twain
March sure came in like a lion and out like a god damn lion in terms of the heavy underground. Being April Fools day on this glorious day of the March 2019 Doom Charts list reminds us that we are all fools in some shape of form. Without fools like us, or them, none of us would succeed. Okay now onto the chart. Sorry for the dorky intro, but lets not fool ourselves, we are here for the music and the music of March and beyond is charted below. Enjoy.
Welcome to Doom Charts, representing some of the finest bloggers, journalists, radio, podcasters and album reviewers from the 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. KINGS DESTROY – FANTASMA NERA / NEW!
216 POINTS
(New York City)
New York’s darkest, melo-doom / alt. rock band return with latest album based reinvention of themselves, one that contains signature elements of their past but with a monumental stylistic evolution light years ahead of anything in the contemporary mainstream. Rife with Gothic, new wave nuances upon melancholic undercurrents, the impassioned intensity of this music will make you rock – and feel – right along with it!
~Pat ‘Riot’ Whitaker (Riff Relevant)
24. BLACK LUNG – ANCIENTS / NEW!
275 POINTS
(Baltimore, MD)
Blues infused, fuzz laden grooves that touch upon Sabbath worship done the right way. Epic riffs that build and hold the tension until ready to burst into your brain, forcing the head to nod and feet stomp. This is the good shit!
~Tony Maim (Black Insect Laughter, Stoner HiVe)
23. ENFIRE – JUNIPER LANDING / NEW!
282 POINTS
(Christchurch, New Zealand)
The Heavenly cathartic riffs fueled by interstellar bass runs and beautifully brutal vocals have me forgetting which planet I belong to. The unrelenting psych suffocates with angular fuzz and gravitational groove.
~Bucky Brown (The Ripple Effect)
22. RED BEARD WALL – THE FIGHT NEEDS US ALL
282 POINTS
(Texas)
The Texas twosome Red Beard Wall return for Round 2, expanding further on their distinctly unique audio… The Fight Needs Us All is a heavy, hook-laden melding of fuzz rich grunge, alt. metal, and psych-rock possessed with angst and crunch..simultaneously melodic and disarming, yet mercurially explosive.
~Pat ‘Riot’ Whitaker (Riff Relevant)
21. PALACE IN THUNDERLAND – THE KING OF THE EMPTY AEON
290 POINTS
(Northampton, MA)
The King of the Empty Aeon is a musical interpretation that can be listened to as one song divided into distinct parts or as an ensemble of diverse songs united to create a great album. Palace in Thunderland is an alluring album with its heavy-prog vibes; with post-rock, psychedelic, melodic metal, and stoner combining to create something very few groups can. Short, dense takes where the melodies play and extremely important role. With voices that seem to come straight from 80s, the words dominate the heavy and fuzz-filled instrumental voyage, always with the special dynamic this group gives us.
~Roberto Lucas (Denpa Fuzz)
20. BUS – NEVER DECIDE
304 POINTS
(Athens, Greece)
BUS is offering us a crazy ride through the rabbit hole of doom with their new album. Never Decide is a psychedelic occult circus with many influences like Jefferson Airplane, the early acts of NWOBHM or even Uncle Acid. Despite this, BUS have a sound of their own; a sound almost cinematic incorporating progressive elements perfectly blended with the aforementioned styles making it a unique record. The album is so strong in my heart that it’ll surely end up among my top 3 albums of the year! Don’t’ take my word for it and make up your own mind asap!!!
~Marc-Eric Gagnon (Stonefly Effects)
19. HIGH PRIEST – SANCTUM EP / NEW!
315 POINTS
(Chicago, Illinois)
Sanctum‘s 4 tracks contain a wide array of influences, all of which are an homage to those who came before. Included within are N.W.O.B.H.M vibes, some Glen Danzig in the vocals, a touch of Alice in Chains, a little Maiden, and a doomy overtone that adds the perfect sound to these killer tunes!
~Tom Hanno (Tom’s Album Reviews)
18. SACRED MONSTER – WORSHIP THE WEIRD
322 POINTS
(Chicago, Illinois)
The way the vocals grate against the sublime riffs and solos makes those little hairs on your neck stand on end then chop them apart with their metallic edge. Sounds as if these dudes were raised by Dixie Dave and King Diamond in some weird rock and roll fantasia.
~Bucky Brown (The Ripple Effect)
17. RED EYE – TALES FROM THE DAYS OF YORE
364 POINTS
(Antequera, Spain)
Simply stunning new album from Red Eye, Tales From Days Of Yore perfectly blends all of our favorite ingredients into a heady brew of doomy stoner-psych. Come and get drunk … Favorite track: Waves.
~Steve Rodger (God’s Holy Trousers)
16. THE LUNAR EFFECT – CALM BEFORE THE CALM
432 POINTS
(London, England)
This UK based quartet came from nowhere for me. They released an EP, Strange Lands in 2016 and now they are under the wings of the German label Kozmic Artifacts. The label has spoiled us many times with many epic releases and this is no exception.
For the listener it’s obvious how much the quartet has grown since their latest effort. The band has strengthened their sound of fuzzy desert grooves, richly flavored vintage psychedelia, post grunge and the classic hard blues oriented rock a lot. You will be served influences from a wide palette including Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath but also a little bit of Cream.
The album exhibits a truly stunning vocal performance from Josh Gosling both, powerful, with a rich body and grungy at the same time. This album push the listener into new and uncharted waters.
~Svempa Alveving (Into The Void Radio)
15. BIRDSTONE – SEER
441 POINTS
(Tours, France)
The artwork had me before even listening. I am a sucker for those bronze colors and style of artistry. There is something truly special going on here. The bluesy licks have a golden sheen shadowed with vintage psych and etched in occult. SEER would make an excellent vinyl package. I want inserts, posters, and actual snakes to go with the annihilating aura of proggy fuzz… Favorite track: Alquézar.
~Bucky Brown (The Ripple Effect)
14. THE DEVIL AND THE ALMIGHTY BLUES – TRE / NEW!
480 POINTS
(Oslo, Norway)
This is a band that draws influences from a multitude of sounds with a measured cadence. The music is a parsimony that doesn’t get tiresome, with a strength that doesn’t quite scratch metal. With some slow tempos that the listener will love, this EP maintains the rawness of Arnt O. Andersen’s voice and haunting songs that seem calm, but always carry a grand force behind them. The magic makes these songs, with the spirit of blues coursing through its veins and the psychedelia always present. A psychotropic tour de force that never delivers bad trips, raw feelings that are never cloying, and a careful execution that puts them at the forefront of some of the most notable bands in this alternative scene. With hits that could be seen as monotonous, but aren’t, and with a voice that is never louder than necessary, Tre never loses its main essence. These attributes that possess an innate form are sure to make Devil and The Almighty Blues one of the greats.
~Roberto Lucas (Denpa Fuzz)
13. MAGIC CIRCLE – DEPARTED SOULS / NEW!
504 POINTS
(Boston, Massachusetts)
On the long-awaited third album Departed Souls, Magic Circle delves into psychedelia and prog — there’s even a mellotron and tablas on the trippy “A Day Will Dawn Without Nightmares.” Many bands lean toward a more polished, lush production when they mess with progressive elements. However, Magic Circle are made up of hardcore punk veterans who may have started this as a side gig, and remain busy with a wide variety of projects (including recently Sumerlands and Pagan Altar), but it feels that in their heart of hearts, metal is king, and it’s edges remain rough and frayed. While there’s plenty of singers heavily influenced by Ozzy and Robert, few can draw on both Ozzy’s timbre and Plant’s range and power like magic weapon Brendan Radigan. The band are also masters of balancing swing and dynamics with the heavy, case in point the gloriously soulful slow-burner “Gone Again.” One of the best albums of the year so far of any genre!
~Tony Van Dorston (Fast n Bulbous)
12. HEMPTRESS – ALCHEMY / NEW!
560 POINTS
(Kamloops, British Columbia)
These musical druids from British Columbia present to us mere mortals an elixir of sounds guaranteed to induce a euphoric state of mind. Combining the base elements of Stoner, Doom and Metal, listen in wonder as these aural delights transmute into an album of pure gold.
~Bob “Mr. Weird Beard” Baker (More Fuzz Podcast)
11. PESTA – FAITH BATHED IN BLOOD / NEW!
650 POINTS
(Belo Horizonte, Brazil)
Brazilian quintet Pesta walk proudly down the pathways of proto-doom yet do so without falling into the obvious trap of Sabbath worship. There is a keen intelligence to be found amidst the crunching doomic riffage and pounding percussion Pesta serve up over the course of these eight songs and it presents itself not only in the album’s musical execution but also in its clever and thought provoking lyrical content.
~Frazer Jones (Desert Psychlist)
10. SAVER – THEY CAME WITH SUNLIGHT / NEW!
763 POINTS
(Oslo, Norway)
‘They Came With Sunlight’ from Norway’s Sâver is effectively a schooling on musically induced emotional tension. A floating, monstrously black eternity of tormenting elation is contained within its aural canvas, all in less than one hour. With each listen, I’m entirely ruined in a freshly sludgeoned encounter.
~Leanne Ridgeway (Riff Relevant)
9. WITCHERS CREED – AWAKENED FROM THE TOMB
770 POINTS
(Katrineholm, Sweden)
Witchers Creed make no secret of their love for 70’s Doom and dude, these Swedes make the most of it. Heavy riffs but with a groove, carry the tunes along the highway entitled Proto-Metal. Thick sounding production by Tony Reed combined with a punk snottiness makes this album a killer. With a slew of doom bands emerging every day, it is rare to hear such authentic sounds coming out of your speakers. Distortion is lovingly used (hey kids, you know how much I dig it) but all the instruments shine out.
~Tony Maim (Black Insect Laughter, Stoner HiVe)
8. OBSIDIAN SEA – STRANGERS / NEW!
858 POINTS
(Sofia, Bulgaria)
Classic doom and proto metal with a highly grandiose and august atmosphere. There is something regal and proud about the six compositions on the Strangers release. It also comes across as very meticulous and exact record; cause even if Obsidian Sea clearly loves it’s languid approach to everything proto it does not slack off or sound perfunctory. The opposite is true and it makes the entire release sound serious, perfectly balanced and stunningly executed. What a wonderful release!
~Joop Konraad (Stoner HiVe)
7. WIZZERD – WIZZERD / NEW!
860 POINTS
(Kalispell, Montana)
A High-Octane, Fuzz-Fuelled, Rompin’ Stompin’ Monster! A brilliant follow-up to 2016’s “Doomchild”
~Reek of STOOM (Stoner HiVe)
Wizzerd‘s stoner/doom juggernaut is back on the road and burning up serious rubber.
~Frazer Jones (Desert Psychlist)
6. MAMMOTH WEED WIZARD BASTARD – YN OL I ANNWN / NEW!
1428 POINTS
(Wrexham, UK)
Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard take listeners on an psychedelic interstellar trip with their third long-player, concluding their half-decade long trilogy of releases, with Yn Ol I Annwn (“back to go”). The Wrexham, UK quintet, consisting of vocalist Jessica Bell, guitarists Paul Michael Davies and Wes Leon, bassist Stuart Sinclair and drummer James Carrington, have a penchant for embellishment, utilizing strings (The Majestic Clockwork), keyboard pulses (Tralfamadore), and swirls of synth (Spaceships of Ezekiel) to wondrous effect. But don’t be mislead, even though Bell’s ethereal voice is layered on top of it all, the wash of effects only compliments the thundering bottom and crushing riffs laid down by Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard.
~Mike Williams (I Talk to Planets)
5. TEMPLE OF THE FUZZ WITCH – TEMPLE OF THE FUZZ WITCH / NEW!
1430 POINTS
(Detroit, Michigan)
After what felt like an eternity, Detroit’s Temple Of The Fuzz Witch emerged this year under Seeing Red Records rendering a collection of tunes under a self-titled that’s straight to the point doom. With ‘Bathsheba’ being the only morsel fed to us during 2018, the now opening track is the gateway to a seven song pilgrimage to fuzzed out occult stoner doom. Thematically there’s something for all levels sorcery, spectatorship, and overall fuzz worship. The recording itself is spotless, flawlessly rounding up every fuzzed soaked note. Vocally we’re in place that’s somber and pleasing, the universal motif I’m getting from all this. This album is exactly what Temple Of The Fuzz Witch are sonically and interpretively. A delightful way to spend forty-two minutes of your life.
~Melissa Spence (Stoner Witch Radio)
4. MONOCLUSTER – OCEAN / NEW!
1515 POINTS
(Cologne, Germany)
Like waves crashing upon the shore, it can be tranquil at times and violent at others. All the while never losing focus and remaining grounded and captivating. Shifting between the psychedelic headiness of Colour Haze and the pummeling doom-blues of Kyuss, vocals that sound like a more melodic version of Jello Biafra, with lyrics that are thought provoking and deep. Not only is it one of the best records I’ve heard this year, “Ocean” will go down as one of my favorites of all time.
~Adam Walsh (Earmunchies)
3. HIGH REEPER – HIGHER REEPER / NEW!
1976 POINTS
(Wilmington, Delaware)
The debut album from High Reeper was self-titled. This sophomore is called Higher Reeper. And it is Higher! Same riff centric old school doom metal with unique twin guitar chops. But every thing is better. Which I wouldn’t think possible. Great songs and vocals highlight this incredible album. One of my favorite bands. Check them out!
~‘Papa’ Paul Rote (Doomed & Stoned)
2. CRYPT TRIP – HAZE COUNTY
2715 POINTS
(San Marcos, Texas)
Resonating exploration that echos the music of America in the seventies while staying true to their southern, rural, hard rock style. Although you can see the common denominator throughout the whole album, every one of the nine songs has a life of its own. Haze County gives a new twist to the music a lot of us grew up on and that so many groups have mimicked.
~Roberto Lucas (Denpa Fuzz)
1.GREEN LUNG – WOODLAND RITES / NEW!
4862 POINTS
(London, UK)
Dryads danced, Satyrs squirmed… Maids made merry as the Wicker burned…. All the while the Green Lung breathed as the woodlands writhed and the mountains heaved… Favorite track: Call of the Coven.
~Reek of STOOM (Stoner HiVe)
What else can I say that hasn’t already be said? Woodland Rites has claimed its right as one of 2019s top contenders in the realm of the heavy underground. The grandiose harmony between the sweeping guitar leads, occultish vocals, sophisticated use of the organ and bluesy squeal of the solos keep you on edge throughout. The groove is melodic, atmosphere crisp and the songwriting landing somewhere between Elder and Uncle Acid.
~Bucky Brown (The Ripple Effect)
Special thanks to the ongoing contributors to the monthly Doom Chart. You folks help give voice to the heavy underground:
Aaron Pickford (The Sludgelord); Adam Walsh (Earmunchies); A.S. Van Dorston (Fast n’ Bulbous); Bryan Coffey (Indy Metal Vault); Bill Goodman (The Evil Engineer); Billy Goate (Doomed & Stoned); Rob Blasko (VolumeForever.com); Bob “Mr. Weird Beard” Baker (More Fuzz Podcast); Bobby Rayfield (Trendkill Radio); Brandon Collins(Super Dank Metal Jams); Bryan Coffey (Indy Metal Vault); Bucky Brown (The Ripple Effect); Clint Willis (Hand of Doom Radio); Chris Beck (Doom Tomb Podcast); Chris Latta (Indy Metal Vault); Doktor420 (Stoner HiVe); Doombeard (DoomBeardZine); Frazer Jones (Desert Psychlist); Geoff Leapord (Atom Heart Mutha); Gram ‘Son of Sam’ Pola (Dirty Denim); Héctor “Mr. Heavyhead” Hurtado (More Fuzz); Hugo Hulleman (Metalfan.nl); Jamey Morris (Fistfull of DOOM); Jason Roach (Indy Metal Vault); Jay Morgan (High Desert Valley Radio); Jim Thompson (Heavy in the Hills); Joe Eldridge (Shadebeast Records); John Gist, (Vegas Rock Revolution); Joop Konraad (Stoner HiVe); Ken Elliott (Heavy Planet); Leanne Ridgeway (Riff Relevant); Lucas Klaukien (Outlaws of the Sun); Lyk (Phantasmagoria); Magnus Tannergren (Into The Void Radio); Marc-Eric Gagnon (Stonefly Effects); Marc C. Pietrek (VITRIOL, INC / A DARK UNITED FRONT); Marcus Greybeard (FuzzHeavy Podcast); Mari Knox Knox (Doomed & Stoned); Mark Partin (The Ripple Effect); Martin Petrov (Rawk’n’Roll); Matt Slighter (Cheeto) (Hwy 420, Core of Destruction Radio) 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); Mike Williams (I Talk to Planets); Pat Harrington (Electric Beard Of Doom); Pat ‘Riot’ Whitaker (Riff Relevant); ‘Papa’ Paul Rote (Doomed & Stoned); Reek of STOOM (Stoner HiVe); Roberto Lucas (Denpa Fuzz); Roberto Fuentes (La Habitación 235); Rod Reinhardt (Captain Beyond Zen); Samir Asfahani (Super Dank Metal Jams); Steve Howe (Outlaws of the Sun); Steve Miller (Vertical Chamber Apparatus); Steve Rodger (God’s Holy Trousers); Steve Woodier (Shrieks From Below); Svempa Alveving (Into The Void Radio); Tanguy ‘Mr Fuzz’ Dupré (More Fuzz); Tom Hanno (Tom’s Album Reviews); Tony Maim (Black Insect Laughter, Stoner HiVe); Tony Van Dorston (Fast n Bulbous)
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. Leave us comments below and let us know what you think about the Charts.
Doom Charts 
I’ve been obsessed with Green Lung the last couple weeks. EnFire is a crazy surprise too, can’t wait to check out the rest of the list!
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Wahoo – I have found the doomcharts! I now feel complete -‘littlerascal’
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