“Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.” ~Thomas Merton

It’s amazing what is happening in the heavy underground scene right now. The artistic endeavor involved in all aspects of music is what makes it so immersive as a total experience both physical and mental. Yes, most of us our mental. Take a look at these album covers, most of them available in physical format on vinyl, CD, cassette, poster, patch, etc…. One of the defining elements of a complete package is the artwork to go along with the musical aspect. It’s downright amazing. This month the charts see more diversity across the planet with new albums from Poland, USA, France, Finland, Romania, and of course Sweden just to name a few. You can always count on Sweden. 18 new entries and 7 repeats keeping the trend going with over 300 different albums voted upon within our teams members’ top 25 individual lists.

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.  DJIIN – THE FREAK / NEW!

192 POINTS

(Rennes, France)

Striking, mesmerizing and in places pulverizing, DJIIN trawl the psychedelic oceans with hooks of heavy blues and astounding vocals as bait, and unearth the treasures from the depths.

~Reek of STOOM (Stoner HiVe)

GET IT HERE

24. METHADONE SKIES – DIFFERENT LAYERS OF FEAR / NEW!

216 POINTS

(Timișoara, Romania)

An album from a band born from stoner vibes and that has been adopting, more and more, traits from post-metal, post rock or, even, progressive rock. Fat sounds are the foundations of monolithic constructions with a common denominator: a shroud of darkness. Grey overtones prevail among the lysergic structures that, at some points, show some space rock overtones.

Ornamented with post and progressive flourishes at some points, that are both hypnotic and astounding, they put the correct symphonic dosage in songs layered over heavy sounds.

~Roberto Lucas (Denpa Fuzz)

GET IT HERE

23. MONOCLUSTER – OCEAN 

222 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)

GET IT HERE

22. CLOUDS TASTE SATANIC – EVIL EYE

224 POINTS

(New York)

Behold your doom and gaze into the Evil Eye, the latest album from instrumental stoner/doom quartet Clouds Taste Satanic! It’s packed full of arcane secrets, sinister twists, and diabolical tones – enough have you writhing on the floor in a fit of madness as hellish visions dance delightedly through your head! As you descend into the underworld prepare to have your soul dissolved in the face of rhythmic riffs, spine-chilling atmospheres, and devilish guitar jams occasionally obscured by a wisp of eerie, psychedelic haze. This one’s wonderfully tense and foreboding – an instant classic!

~Brandon Collins(Super Dank Metal Jams)

GET IT HERE

21. DOMMENGANG – NO KEYS / NEW!

224 POINTS

(Los Angeles, California)

L.A.’s Dommengang deliver some very nice psych jams, jams that are full of groove, excellent vocals, and great guitar tones; all with an edge that makes their latest offering, No Keys, 9 tracks of awesomeness!!!

~Tom Hanno (Tom’s Album Reviews)

GET IT HERE

20. CONJURER – SIGILS / NEW!

234 POINTS

(Indianapolis, Indiana)

What Conjurer have created on their second full-length release is nothing short of a master class for the creation of a doom sludge juggernaut. Sigils oozes and burns with all the ferocity of a volcano belching hot molten lava across a desolate sonic landscape.
The low end rumble is uncompromising throughout and fiercely complimented by vocal savagery. Add to that a healthy heaping of battle tested riffs that leave scorch marks in their wake and what you have is a seasoned unit in lock step with their full creative
prowess.

~Jamey Morris (Fistful of DOOM)

GET IT HERE

19. SHOTGUN SAWYER – BURY THE HATCHET

252 POINTS

(Auburn, California)

The kind of smooth that’s too cool for school, but while we all know school sucked, Shotgun Sawyer could teach us all a thing or two about songwriting. Their second full-length Bury The Hatchet shows the band doing what they do best – taking us on a trip bound for long-distance driving along the back roads of smooth blues-based, heavy rock n’ roll from within a pristine, classically vintage pickup truck that’s chock full of head nodding riffs and sexy rhythms for swaying of hips.

~Leanne Ridgeway (Riff Relevant)

GET IT HERE

18. WORSHIPPER – LIGHT IN THE WIRE / NEW!

259 POINTS

(Boston, Massachusetts)

WORSHIPPER’s debut Shadow Hymns was a classy platter of ‘70’s hard rock/metal that drew on familiar names like UFO & THIN LIZZY. Some three years later, Light In The Wire sees this 4-piece open the jets and turn on the technicolor. The songs here offer layers of shade & melody without sacrificing heaviness, the vocals display ethereal beauty and…oh those dual lead guitars! The tune “Light In The Wires” itself has song-of-the-year potential.

~Ray Dorsey (Veteran metal head extraordinaire)

GET IT HERE

17. THERMATE – REDSHIFT CITY / NEW!

264 POINTS

(Kuopio, Finland)

THERMATE’s juggernaut through the radioactive desert continues unabated with “Redshift City”! Six delicious, dripping Stoner riff-outs with all the verve and cocksure attitude we know and love!

~Reek of STOOM (Stoner HiVe)

GET IT HERE

16. SKANSKA MORD – BLUES FROM THE TOMBS / NEW!

306 POINTS

(Örkelljunga, Sweden)

Hot damn, imagine the thrill you got when you first heard Led Zeppelin’s version of “When The Levee Breaks” and then multiply that by eight!

Sweden’s Skanska Mord return with one of the finest heavy blues albums you are likely to hear for a very long time, an album stitched together from musical threads woven way back in the golden age of 70’s rock and made ready to wear for today’s musical climate with a little doomic bluster and stoner rock pizzazz, blistering stuff!

~Frazer Jones (Desert Psychlist)

GET IT HERE

15. SPIRIT ADRIFT – DIVIDED BY DARKNESS / NEW!

346 POINTS

(Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)

The new Spirit Adrift album is generating some buzz within the scene. Since their 2016 debut, “Chained to Oblivion”, they have caught the attention of heavy metal, doom metal and stoner rock fans equally. Although with “Divided By Darkness” the band navigate more clearly thru classic heavy metal waters, with more mid to up-tempo songs full of twin guitar harmonies. The doom metal aesthetic is still very present thanks to its fat rhythm section. If you’re into bands like Khemmis, Argus and Grand Magus, I think you will enjoy this album a lot. Horns up!

~Héctor “Mr. Heavyhead” Hurtado (More Fuzz)

GET IT HERE~

14. SKUNK – STRANGE VIBRATION

440 POINTS

(Oakland, California)

The return of Skunk with Strange Vibrations is triumphant, much more diverse than the debut, an album that pulled the southern roots of the band and exploded as a great revelation within the new revival of the 21st century. In Strange Vibrations they found their best sound and a wide repertoire to go through the great names of the seventies, organic sound, fine, elegant and raw. One of the best albums of 2019.

~Roberto Fuentes (La Habitación 235)

GET IT HERE

13. GREEN LUNG – WOODLAND RITES

504 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)

GET IT HERE

12. GIN LADY – TALL SUN CROOKED MOON / NEW!

553 POINTS

(Sweden)

Stoner country rock seems to be coming a thing and can’t be ignored with albums like Tall Sun Crooked Moon. The songwriting and musicianship breath new life into the style of music recorded by The Beatles, Allman Brothers , and Neil Young. Not nearly as heavy as most albums that chart here. That speaks volumes about the quality of music.

~‘Papa’ Paul Rote (Doomed & Stoned)

GET IT HERE

11. LORD VICAR – THE BLACK POWDER

567 POINTS

(Finland)

Finnish wizards of the riff and rhythmic arts return with a new studio experiment transmuting dense metals into pure gold…. The Black Powder is a sonic substance of great value, an essential element to the most high Lord Vicar’s audio alchemy… this magical process yielding the key elixir to life itself: Doom!

~Pat ‘Riot’ Whitaker (Riff Relevant)

GET IT HERE 

10. WOLF BLOOD – II / NEW!

720 POINTS

(Minneapolis, Minnesota)

Man, this is powerful stuff. Riffs, metal, clean to shouty vocals, I could go on with all the usual cliches but I’m not doing that anymore. What you need to know is that the music and production make this album sound like it is from the future! No obvious genres ripped off, no particular band worship – just a band doing their own thing, heavy music for a heavy world.

~Tony Maim (Black Insect Laughter, Stoner HiVe)

GET IT HERE

9. BRIGHT CURSE – TIME OF THE HEALER / NEW!

792 POINTS

(France)

Bright Curse, hailing from London, dropped their latest album of smooth blues and jazz steeped space rock on the scene in May and let me tell you this is a stellar release, infused with trumpet, Peruvian Flute, a climactic percussion solo near the finish, and of course enough fuzz-filled guitar driven rock and roll to satisfy the soul. Time of the Healer’s five cuts each offer something different to the listener, but present a unified album that is worth your time to soak in in its entirety each listen. Destined to be on a more than a few end of the year lists.

~Mike Williams (I Talk to Planets)

GET IT HERE

8.  STONERROR – WIDOW IN BLACK / NEW!

946 POINTS

(Kraków, Poland)

There are just not enough faces in the world to be melted by this album. I checked.

~Andy Benson (Nerve Salad)

GET IT HERE

7. LO-PAN – SUBTLE / NEW!

1089 POINTS

(Columbus, Ohio)

Produced by James Brown (Not the Godfather of Soul obviously!) (NIN, Foo Fighters, Ghost) and mastered by Ted Jensen (Mastodon, Deftones, Alice in Chains, GNR), Subtle, Lo-Pan’s newest releases has even more catchiness and melody to it than their earlier albums. If that was even possible? It retains all of its heaviness, it has a high degree of dynamics and pushes for a mighty groove every time again. And all that with so much dirty nuance and gritty chugging, simply colossal! It’s hard rock, it’s desert rock, it’s stoner and it’s soulful!

~Joop Konraad (Stoner HiVe)

GET IT HERE

6. THE WELL – DEATH AND CONSOLATION

1133 POINTS

(Austin, Texas)

Death and Consolation is the third long-player from Austin, Texas’ doom trooper three piece The Well, and like Samsara and Pagan Science before it, the album delivers signature ghostly dual vocals from guitarist/vocalist Ian Graham and bassist/vocalist Lisa Alley. Tracks like ‘This Is How The World Ends’ and ‘Sabbah’ evoke the spirit of Black Sabbath, Blue Cheer, Joy Division and Sleep, all while staying fresh and unique in an ever more populated underground scene. The killer vocal harmonies along with the swirling guitar of Graham, the caveman thump of Jason Sullivan on drums and Alley’s ability to hold it all together with a tight bottom end make The Well one of the most exciting bands making psych/doom/stoner music today.

~Mike Williams (I Talk to Planets)

GET IT HERE

5. SAINT VITUS – SAINT VITUS / NEW!

1331 POINTS

(Los Angeles, California)

Saint Vitus is back with an extraordinary album, you can find everything you expect from the quartet of Los Angeles, raw and direct doom thanks to the wall of sound of Henry Vasquez and Pat Bruders, the dense and strident guitar of Dave Chandler and the grandiloquence vocal of an immense Scott Reagers. Magistral album of traditional and criminal doom, instant classic, time will prove us right.

~Roberto Fuentes (La Habitación 235)

GET IT HERE

4. DUEL – VALLEY OF SHADOWS / NEW!

1414 POINTS

(Austin, Texas)

Even though I walk through the Valley of Shadows, I will fear no evil, for you are with me Duel; your riffs and your high octane energy, they fuel me with an occult energy while my head gently lies on the altar of old school seventies doom.

Yes my friends, Duel know the fuck how to groove and they’re making Texas bleed through their music once again! I still remember the impression they made on me when I first discovered them back in 2015 and I can say this album stay true to their roots. Probably their best one so far! In order to cast shadows, you must let the sun filter through and this is probably why this album is a pure joy to listen! So, if you haven’t given them a shot yet, it’s time for you to get stained by that hot Austin blood!!!

~Marc-Eric Gagnon (Stonefly Effects)

GET IT HERE

3. VALLEY OF THE SUN – OLD GODS / NEW!

1513 POINTS

(Cincinnati, Ohio)

A work in which desert sounds live coexist, and better than ever, with 90’s grunge vibes. The perfect soundtrack to drive through the long, straight dusty roads crossing the American deserts, leaving a fuzz trail that astonish the static cacti in the way. Influenced and compared with bands like Corrosion of Conformity, QOTSA, Alice in Chains or Soundgarden, largely due to Ryan Ferrierm vocal registers, “OLD GODS” is filled with deep and wide-spread riffs.

Setting a new high, VALLEY OF THE SUN put the desert dust in ruts filled with good songs.

~Roberto Lucas (Denpa Fuzz)

GET IT HERE

2. DOOMSTRESS – SLEEP AMONG THE DEAD / NEW!

1568 POINTS

(Houston, TX)

After 3 years of touring EP’s and splits Doomstress has released their full length LP “Sleep Among the Dead”. The Texas Stoner/Doom band consists of bassist, and smoldering vocalist Alexis Hollada, guitarist Brandon Johnson, guitarist Matt Taylor and drummer Tomasz Scull, who have all taken their music to another level. This album releases their own style of Heavy Metal with a Godzilla sized set of killer songs that transcends the 1st to last note. It’s dark, doomy, and screams with emotion. One of the better albums this year.

~Mark Partin (The Ripple Effect)

GET IT HERE

1. SALEM’S BEND – SUPERCLUSTER / NEW!

1989 POINTS

(Los Angeles, CA)

In a world plastered by formulaic dribble and empty promises of stardom, Supercluster rides in on the night with 8 new ditties of sonic rock n’ roll, adding a tribal ring to their signature tar-laced groove and Southern CA charm. If the riffs don’t seduce you, you’ll waste away with a bad case of mustache envy. Winning either way.

~Bucky Brown (The Ripple Effect)

GET IT HERE

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); Andy Benson (Nerve Salad); 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 (Fistful 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.