We want the old Rome! But a better version of Rome!” That’s just me going “you want a better version of yourself in the future”. I want to build a better version of me who’s more compassionate, more understanding, more awakened more loving. All those things that you think “I could have been but I chose not to be”. My New Rome is a place where you are a better person.
-Matt Hyde (Beastwars on the new song Storms of Mars)
I mentioned we would surprise you this month and we did something a little different. Like always, the top 25 ranked albums based on the combined tally from over 30 active contributors is featured below. This month I figured we’d share the top 30 giving just a link to the albums that barely missed the mark. The total votes yielded around 316 unique albums making the top 25 on individual lists sent in and we thought we’d give you a taste of what barely missed out. Its a slippery slope so before long we could end up with a top 300 list each month. That would just freak everyone out though. Congrats to all the bands making this months Charts. Check them all out, visit their pages, buy their vinyl, and go to their show. Its you guys keeping the scene alive. Tell your friends too.
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…
28. IAN BLURTON – SIGNALS THROUGH THE FLAMES
27. FAERIE RING – THE CLEARING
25. WOLF BLOOD – II
216 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)
24. BLACK GALAXY – WRATH OF THE VOID / NEW!
222 POINTS
(Ottawa, Ontario)
Hard rock, heavy metal, signs of proto-love and a grungy spirit. The Black Galaxy four have it all! And you could stop right there, buy the album and put it on repeat. But I just need to single out that second track: Death Monster. It will whip you into a frenzy and have you screaming along with the vocals within a few spins. It just rev’s you up like crazy and I can already see every crazy cat in the crowd going insane wherever and whenever they shall play it live! Holy hell, what a monster track!
~Joop Konraad (Stoner HiVe)
23. 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)
22. GREEN LUNG – WOODLAND RITES
259 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)
21. IRATA – TOWER / NEW!
279 POINTS
(Greensboro, NC)
Irata construct a sonic monument more ambitious than that of Babel… grasping at celestial greatness with their instrument based labors. Progressive elements, atmospheric tinges, the foundation of this ‘Tower’ is rooted crusted grunge, grainy sludge, and intense indie rock.
~Pat ‘Riot’ Whitaker (Riff Relevant)
20. DUEL – VALLEY OF SHADOWS
294 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)
19. OLD HORN TOOTH – FROM THE GHOST GREY DEPTHS / NEW!
294 POINTS
(London, UK)
From the Ghost Grey Depths is a devastatingly sludgy, monumentally massive, wall of sound. The fuzz is so thick you have to peel it from your eyes, the bass is so low that it’ll stunt your growth, and the drums hold everything together despite the slow tempos. This album wails, and brings us a new technique in effects pedal madness; a devastating piece of equipment that is called the “Griefcase”.
~Tom Hanno (Tom’s Album Reviews)
18. SAINT VITUS – SAINT VITUS
305 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)
17. LOWFLYINGHAWKS – ANXIOUS GHOSTS / NEW!
315 POINTS
(Earth, Texas)
Better duck down otherwise these LowFlyingHawks are gonna take your fucking head!
Superb!
~Frazer Jones (Desert Psychlist)
Poignant and powerful, ‘Anxious Ghosts’ explores the counterbalance of Harmony and Discord, the magnetic flux of convergent and repellent energies…sheer excellence!
~Reek of STOOM (Stoner HiVe)
16. MORASS OF MOLASSES – THE TIES THAT BIND / NEW!
336 POINTS
(Reading, UK)
English band Morass of Molasses created a tapestry of sounds on their third release. “The Ties that Bind” stitches together heavy, fuzzed-out doom riffs, with mellow and acoustic soundscapes. Keeping you on the edge of your seat, unsure what’s going to happen next. Taking the listener on a musical roller-coaster you’ll want to ride again and again. Another album that will surely be a milestone for 2019 and beyond.
~Adam Walsh (Earmunchies)
15. MAMMOTH STORM – ALRUNA / NEW!
364 POINTS
(Sweden)
I know what you are thinking. You’re thinking, “I wonder just how massive Mammoth Storm’s sound is?” Well, ladies and gentlemen, I am here to tell you that it is really, really massive. Enormous. YUGE! In fact, if you listen closely enough, I believe that you can hear the fibers of space and time being altered. So go ahead and immerse yourself
in the cacophony that is Alruna.
~Jamey Morris (Fistful of DOOM)
14. DOOMSTRESS – SLEEP AMONG THE DEAD
369 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)
13. EL SUPREMO – CLARITY THROUGH DISTORTION / NEW!
378 POINTS
(Fargo, North Dakota)
El Supremo are an instrumental band from Fargo, North Dakota. What I like about this particular form of music is the freedom of interpretation it gives to the listener. The artist gives you a guide through the album title and the artwork, the song titles are the sign posts along the way but what you get out of the journey is down to your own overall listening experience and imagination. Clarity Through Distortion is fuzzy and heavy but also wonderfully calming and melodic, additionally the organ/keys give the album a warm psychedelic glow. Where will this supreme trip take you?
~Bob “Mr. Weird Beard” Baker (More Fuzz Podcast)
12. KALEIDOBOLT – BITTER / NEW!
448 POINTS
(Helsinki, Finland)
Helsinki’s Hellions light the litmus and launch a seven-track sledgehammer blow of Heavy Prog, Math Rock and Hard Metal that is wondrous in scope and unflinching in its delivery..musically tight and adventurous – an absolute Bomb!
~Reek of STOOM (Stoner HiVe)
11. LO-PAN – SUBTLE
460 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)
10. FLESH OF THE STARS – MERCY / NEW!
462 POINTS
(Chicago, Illinois)
Chicago’s eclectic Doom collective Flesh of the Stars deliver an organic, fluid and modern Doom album that draws on Psychedelic and Pastoral Folk influences, interwoven with crushing tomes of quaking Heaviness. Beautiful, Ethereal and Essential.
~Reek of STOOM (Stoner HiVe)
9. VALLEY OF THE SUN – OLD GODS
504 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)
8. ETERNAL BLACK – SLOW BURN SUICIDE / NEW!
517 POINTS
(Brooklyn, New York)
The heavy groove seers deep burning with wicked riffs, gritty yet melodic vocals, and an overwhelming volume of molten guitar tone, burly fuzz and bluesy solos. This is an old school doom inspired modern metal assault of epic proportions. There’s definitely a raw, live sort of production that sounds great and fits the overall mood. Certainly on par with their glorious debut Bleed For Days and perhaps more refined without losing any sort of weight.
~Bucky Brown (The Ripple Effect)
7. THE RED WIDOWS – FUZZIFIXION / NEW!
801 POINTS
(London, UK)
Five epic tomes of monolithic groove dwell beneath the Jesus Christ pose that graces the artwork of The Red Widows latest release “Fuzzifixion”, an album that sees the band moving away from the slightly retro proto-metal/hard rock of their debut EP “Rising” and embracing a heavier more doomic approach. Huge monotonic, almost monastic vocal tones weave majestically over and around thick syrupy low slow guitar refrains , growling bass lines and thundering percussion to create a sound that is menacingly dank, beautifully dark and hugely atmospheric.
~Frazer Jones (Desert Psychlist)
6. SALEM’S BEND – SUPERCLUSTER
814 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)
5. LIGHTNING BORN – LIGHTNING BORN / NEW!
873 POINTS
(America)
I saw Lightning Born live at the Maryland Doom Fest last summer and I was hugely impressed by them. There’s an old adage that says ‘’Good things come to those who wait,’’ well Lightning Born are one of those things and they fucking delivered the goods with this album. It already sounds like a classic!!! The whole album is like a candy jar; a jar full of tasty, catchy and groovy riffs. It’s a jar you won’t leave alone until it’s empty. The sweetest thing in this jar is probably Brenna Leath’s vocals: powerful and soulful. So, if you like your rock ‘’retro’’, you’re in for a treat with Lightning Born!!!
~Marc-Eric Gagnon (Stonefly Effects)
4. ROADSAW – TINNITUS THE NIGHT / NEW!
975 POINTS
(Boston, MA)
It’s been eight long years since we’ve heard anything from the mighty Roadsaw, that’s when they last released 2011’s kick-ass self-titled album. Well, Craig Riggs (drums and vocals), Tim Catz (bass) and Ian Ross (guitars) are back with a blistering new slab of boogie that’ll set your ear holes ablaze, Tinnitus the Night. The band dropped “Shake” on its fans prior to the album’s release to give listeners a taste of the new hotness. There’s a hell of a lot more where that came from, from the opening salvo of “Along For the Ride,” to the smooth operating outro of “Silence.” Eight years – it’s been worth the wait for an album this damn good.
~Mike Williams (I Talk to Planets)
3. NEBULA – HOLY SHIT / NEW!
1034 POINTS
(Los Angeles, CA)
Such an aptly title for Nebula’s comeback album. These eight energetic tracks show that Nebula have found their inspiration once again. An album full of heavy psych greatness. If that wasn’t enough, Eddie Glass en Co. even add some tasty Spanish acoustic guitar parts and Ennio Morricone-esque elements to the overwhelming fuzzy melting pot. Holy Shit indeed!
~Hugo Hulleman (Metalfan.nl)
2. BEASTWARS – IV / NEW!
1364 POINTS
(Wellington, New Zealand)
The highly anticipated 4th album from the mighty Beastwars has landed. Its a lumbering, monstrous beast too – drums that feel like they’re being pummeled to oblivion right there in the room with you… Guitar and bass forming a meteoric mile thick crust… And topping it all off, the iconic, icy howls of Matt Hyde who is arguably one of the very best frontmen out there right now. Slow to mid pace riff driven heaviness with a melodious heartbeat. Its a strong album start to finish, however the highlights for me after repeated listens are Sound of the Grave, Like Dried Blood, Omens, and the hulking opener Raise the Sword. All of this said about the album, there is a special quality about Beastwars that few bands have, that being the compelling magnetism they bring live. I’ve only witnessed one other band impact an audience in the unique way that Yob can, and that is Beastwars. Completely different animals, sonically speaking, but they both fill the room with the same overwhelming joy and good vibes. Catch them if you can and you’ll feel what I mean 😉
PS – Brilliant album cover art once again from repeat Beastwars offender Nick Keller!
~Clint Willis (Hand of Doom Radio)
1. SLOMATICS – CANYONS / NEW!
1562 POINTS
(Belfast, UK)
Slomatics new album Canyons sees the band with a new adventurous, progressive and heavier sound. After completing a trilogy of similar themed albums with A Hocht, Estron and Future Echo Returns. ‘Canyons’ allow Slomatics to re-invent themselves with a different style of music. Though the music played on Canyons does allow the band to play their classic sounding and trademark FUZZ Drenched Heavy Doomed Out Sounds.
The album is brilliantly produced and is one of the best sounding albums Slomatics have released to date. Canyons is simply, without a doubt, my favorite album this year and the odds are looking good that it will end up my favorite album of the year.
The album is a mighty step forward for Slomatics with its bold and unique heavy sound. Canyons is a must have and unmissable album.
~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:
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.
Doom Charts 
Irata has really done it again! Excellent!
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