“Outside the dawn is breaking,
But inside in the dark I’m aching to be free…” ~ Freddie Mercury
The show must go on… And so it does… Should we say a few words to mark the occasion? Or should we stick to what it’s all about, those heavy albums featured below? Let’s do just that! Here it is, the brand new Doom Charts. It’s the September 2021 edition and it once again heralds a truckload of great albums. We’ve got fourteen spanking new albums rolling into the Top 25 and a brand new Number One jumping in. There’s also the entry of the youngest fuzz cat to ever enter the charts and in total no less than 185 albums were voted for…
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…
30. THE ANGELUS – WHY WE NEVER DIE
28. GOATFATHER – MONSTER TRUCK
27. SEUM – LIVE FROM THE SEUM-CAVE
25. CANYYN – CANYYN / NEW!
(Rock, Metal, Desert, Doom, Psych, Stoner)
484 Points
(Chicago, Illinois, USA)
CANYYN (pronounced Canyon) is an authentic powerful heavy blues rock, or stoner/doommetal trio from Chicago. First of all, I do enjoy the sound quality of this self-titledEP – it’s very immersive and it seems to me the musicians are playing by myside, in the same room. I can hear and “see” each one. There are only 5 longtracks (from 5’20 to 9’20) but never boring because the jam sections are succulentand thrilling, and each song has his own musical genre: a stoner track, then apure bluesy piece, a heavy psych rock song, then a mostly heavy metal one, andfinally a heavy Hendrix-like rock. CANYYN is a diverse and “ear cleaning” albumobviously built for live experience but most of all, this EP is 35 minutes of happiness.
~Thierry ‘Pumpkin-T’ François
24. SONOLITH – VOIDSCAPES / NEW!
(Metal, Doom, Instrumental, Stoner)
623 Points
(Las Vegas, Nevada, USA)
A breach of light opens right in the middle of the intersidereal space and SONOLITH are there emerging from hyperspace with their galloping space riff full of doom. Almost cinematographic, I envision really well that Deep Space Leviathan that is stationed over a world threatening it with an untold menace. I also visualize an epic fight occurring over that planet. Voidscpape is a superb blend of Space Doom and Stoner Rock; an instrumental EP done right! Forget the words, you don’t need em, the story unfolds by itself in your brain!!!
~Marc-Eric Gagnon
23. SOLARIUS – UNIVERSAL TRIAL / NEW!
(Stoner, Rock, Psych, Seventies, Vintage, Retro)
624 Points
(Gothenburg, Sweden)
This EP is a small collector’s piece that contains four songs (a pity that they are not more) in which the analog sounds of the 70’s immerse us in a groovy vintage of blues, hard-rock and psychedelia. Retro sounds full of vitality with rough moments, but also with soft passages, with which the listener will fall asleep. Capturing us with their magic, SOLARIUS compose four fascinating songs in which we can find vibrations typical of pioneers like Leafhound, Samuel Prody or May Bitz, as well as part of the sound that we later find in the most glorious albums of Graveyard.
~Roberto Lucas
(Rock, Alternative, Noir, Psych)
640 Points
(Washington DC, USA / Bristol, UK)
This Anglo-American combo invent intriguing and exciting blends of Gothic Noir, Dark Psychedelia and Progressive Metal that sparkled at every turn. Magnificent!
~Reek of STOOM
21. STRAYTONES – MAGIC GREEN RIVER SWIMMIN’ & STUNNING TARZANKA EXPERIENCE / NEW!
(Rock, Alternative, Garage, Surf, Psych)
720 Points
(Kiyv, Ukraine)
“Where did this band come from?” was the first question that came to mind when I first checked out STRAYTONES’ new album. I was not expecting “Ukraine” to be the answer, and that they’ve been putting out a steady stream of releases for nearly 10 years obviously puts me behind on what turns out to be one of the best psych-garage bands going. Is there a killer psych scene happening over there that I don’t know about? It would be easy to pick up a few similarities with the bigger psych/garage bands like Thee Oh Sees and King Gizzard, but this power trio alternates between chilled-out, drawn out psych jams, and fuzz filled, pedal to the metal, full speed rockers to create a distinct sound, enough to keep the surprises coming on your first time through, and to keep you coming back for more! Now if I can just memorize the album title…
~Remi VL
20. LAMMPING – FLASHJACKS / NEW!
(Rock, Psych, Stoner, Alternative)
740 Points
(Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
Soulful, groovy psychedelic rock straight out of Toronto! It’s the new LAMMPING album Flashjacks packing a stoner punch and alternative drum work, breaks and samples that puts LAMMPING in a totally different corner. And nobody puts LAMMPING in a corner… There also immediately for some weird and possibly insane reason came to mind that quote from the High Fidelity movie: “I will now sell five copies of “The Three EPs” by The Beta Band.” Indeed, that kind of feel…
~Joop Konraad
19. TERMINUS – THE SILENT BELL TOLL
(Hard Rock, Progressive, Metal, Noise Rock, Stoner, Heavy Fuzz)
810 Points
(Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA)
Imagine turning on the radio and instead of hearing Miley Cyrus or Ed Sheeran warbling something inane and trite you hear crunching guitar riffs and thundering percussion, not likely I hear you scream, but hold on a minute because if there is one “underground” band who could make that transition then it is TERMINUS a band who combine a blistering heavy metal attack with melodies it’s hard not to sing along with.
~Frazer Jones
(Doom, Heavy Rock, Stoner)
840 Points
(Washington DC, USA)
A Pound of Flesh dropped in my ears at the beginning of the month and stayed on heavy rotation ever since. BORRACHO delivers us a darker album which has as for backdrop our socio-political realities. While staying true to their Heavy groove Stoner/Desert Rock DNA, BORRACHO shows an evolution towards something different and fresh; maybe it’s cause they adopted a more progressive approach this time. BORRACHO triumphantly returns with another staple album to add to their legendary saga!!!
~Marc-Eric Gagnon
17. COMET CONTROL – INSIDE THE SUN
(Rock, Psych, Stoner, Space, Kraut)
845 Points
(Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
“Inside the Sun” is the return of COMET CONTROL in top form. Driving, spacey grooves with kraut rock rhythms and psychedelic detours that always keep the energy way up, these cats have put together a master class in heavy psych that demands repeat listens.
~Shasta Beast
16. LAND MAMMAL – SLOW YOUR MIND / NEW!
(Rock, Psych, Stoner, Garage, Alternative, Seventies)
856 Points
(Dallas, Texas, USA)
An eclectic album in which a wide spectrum of listeners can find their particular vein. Maintaining a heavy spirit in his compositions, bucolism and rural echoes appear in fresh and luminous songs that bring a fresh breeze to the listener. Highlighting the careful vocal melodies, LAND MAMMAL manages to embed good guitar solos and subtle organ touches that add a vintage tone to his songs. The sound of him will inevitably remind you of Led Zeppelin in his most country and colorful moments.
~Robero Lucas
15. THE WATERFALL KING – VOL. 1 / NEW!
(Doom, Metal, Rock, Stoner, Sludge, Prog)
936 Points
(Chicago, Illinois, USA)
DooooooM!!! THE WATERFALL KING makes a remarked entrance in the charts with their first album. The doom is slow (as you can expect it) but there’s also that ‘’trample effect’’ going on! The music pass from atmospheric moment to sludgier ones leaving you just enough time to clean up that mud from your face in between each parts. Add on top of these some splendid vocals that are stamped with a pure grunge energy and you end up with an album that’ll vanquish the most reticent ears!!!
~Marc-Eric Gagnon
(Stoner, Desert, Rock)
1008 Points
(Rome, Italy)
After listening to this album, I thought to myself: “Surely these guys are signed? This album is great!” Well, sorry labels, but Argonauta Records have beaten you all to the punch. From the opening riff on ‘Stone Rider’, through the Sabbath boogie of ‘Candyman’, to the closing self-titled odyssey of ‘Solar Mantra’, ‘Away’ is a stoner rock gem which should do the business for all fans of the genre!
~Jonny Pirie
13. FARFISA – GÄNGER / NEW!
(Rock, Psych, Stoner, Seventies, Space, Fuzz)
1184 Points
(Manchester, UK)
Cloudy and fuzzy vintage-tinged atmospheres envelop dirty riffs, retro vocals and a contagious rhythm of hallucinogen-soaked blues is the content of ‘GÄNGER‘. Showing the darker side of the band, FARFISA presents four vibrant and intoxicating tracks in which psychedelics walk the bridge that connects the late 1960s with the 21st century. A colorful kaleidoscope that stuns us with blurry sounds in a lysergic trance of great proportions in which both heavy riffs and echoes of the pioneers of psychedelia fit.
~Roberto Lucas
12. LUCIFER’S CHILDREN – SIGNS OF SATURN / NEW!
(Metal, Doom, Stoner, Traditional)
1188 Points
(Asunción, Paraguay)
Paraguayan doom of the old school/traditional variety, dank dark grooves that are moody and atmospheric and decorated in vocals edged with a weird but totally effective nasal grittiness, the perfect soundtrack for that sacrifice you were planning…
~Frazer Jones
11. DELCO DETENTION – FROM THE BASEMENT / NEW!
(Rock, Hard, Stoner, Blues)
1206 Points
(Delco, Pennsylvania, USA)
Adam Pomerantz got his son Tyler a set of drums at 4, inspired by Primus’s Les Claypool at age 7 he took up the bass and after seeing Clutch live took up playing guitar at 8..Covering Clutch songs got Neil Fallon’s help in crafting a song. Forming their band ‘DELCO DETENTION‘ the Father and son duo then started recording their jams sessions which had Tyler at age 9 writing the songs for their incredible hard rocking riff filled debut LP “From the Basement” You will not believe that a 9 year old could create something of this caliber… When your music at any age can get Isaiah Mitchell (Earthless), Eddie Brnabic (Hippie Death Cult), Bob Balch (Fu Manchu), Jared Collins (Mississippi Bones) and a host of other outstanding artist to contribute then you must have something special….He does Tyler is also the youngest artist to ever have an album on The Doom Charts. Do not miss out on this…
~Mark Partin
10. DUEL – IN CARNE PERSONA / NEW!
(Metal, Rock, Hard, Doom, Stoner, Psych)
1260 Points
(Austin, Texas, USA)
DUEL remain true to their roots showing that they are a band from Texas, offering a sound of pure heavy-rock with frenetic songs in which their boogie-rock looks to the past sideways to revitalize the sounds of the 70’s. Catchy choruses, thoughtful melodies and hilarious riffs that instantly win over the listener creating an album that will blow your head off with a sound that will be familiar to you. Good doses of proto-metal and psychedelia complete this attractive sound cocktail ideal for lovers of primitive rock.
~Roberto Lucas
9. TAXI CAVEMAN – TAXI CAVEMAN
(Hard Rock, 70’s Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Fuzz, Metal)
1456 Points
(Warsaw, Poland)
When Trup decided to take a break and peacefully rest for a while inside its coffin in rotting soil, Taxi Caveman was born. With only one purpose – taking you for a riff-infused ride – the Polish trio offers a 33-minute journey through the history of their inspiration – deep back to the roots of the stoner rock/metal genre. Of course, there is no good trip without a proper soundtrack and the best one has that spark of nostalgia. Taking a trip with TAXI CAVEMAN you will find yourself in the magical world inhabited by fast and fuzzed solos, red-eyed riffs burnt by the desert sun, furry and furious vocals, you will visit doomy and gloomy planets where everyone worships the ones and only gods of doom from Aston, Birmingham, and the most important thing: it will be fun as hell. This album is an eclectic tribute to masters of the stone-cutting craft from Godfathers of doom, through Californian desert surfers and instrumental stoner pioneers, to psych-trippin’ shamans.
~Gruby
8. WOLVES IN HAZE – CHAOS REIGNS
(Metal, Doom, Sludge)
2300 Points
(Gothenburg, Sweden)
Sweden’s WOLVES IN HAZE have thrown down the AOTY gauntlet. Self-described as “death metal infused rock and bloody roll”, that’s exactly what you get and it’s a winning recipe. Grinding sludge riffs thrash over sharp and vicious drums, which almost steal the show with their booming attack and breakneck pace. Give it a spin and strap in.
~Shasta Beast
(Hard Rock, Occult, Metal, Doom)
2548 Points
(London, UK)
When their highly intoxicating Woodland Rites album rose to the top of the ranks two years ago, I was still fairly new to GREEN LUNG. Not everyone had been so luck as to hear the earlier Free The Witch EP or their demo you see. The growth already displayed their held so much promise for the future. And that future, is here now. Black Harvest is darker, heavier, doomier and even more accomplished. There doesn’t seem to be one note, one sound or one idea out of place and that makes Black Harvest the best follow-up they could have made. And hell, one of the best albums of 2021 for certain…
~Joop Konraad
6. STONE CADAVER – MEMENTO MORI, MOTHERFUCKER
(Stoner, Seventies, Doom, Heavy Metal)
2601 Points
(Aarhus, Denmark)
They’ve been delivering proto metal and doom metal heaviness since 2013 and they’ve now released their best album to date. It’s called Memento Mori, Motherfucker and is the work of the three Danish Vikings called STONE CADAVER. Ten ton heavy intro tones from opening The Reckoning sets the theme and gets you all riled up for the momentous chugging that leads you into the Realm Of Darkness. With those echoed lyrics, dragging you ever further and that pounding drum preparing to turn the stoner and proto doom into something even more twisted, sludgy and a wild seventies approach by the time the next track Doom Christ arrives. And there is so much more here, with so much to discover, yes, it’s a rich and almost unfathomable universe of heavy rock!
~Joop Konraad
(Heavy Psychedelic, Doom, Heavy Metal)
2904 Points
(Stavanger, Norway)
Norwegian Noise Druids KAL-EL epitomize the Sound of Doom. Their hybrid influences of BS, EW and CM are worn like proud bandanas, and rightly so! Their new offering “Dark Majesty” encapsulates the band’s ethos: create authentic, credible and exhilarating Doom metal in time-honored fashion. Not only do they accomplish it, they surpass and raise the standard higher than ever. That classic Sabs background is there, but KAL-EL seem to have evolved it…run with it, made it something all of their own – and THAT is the beginning of Legends. No-Brainer for AOTY contention.
~Reek of STOOM
4. DOCTOR SMOKE – DREAMERS AND THE DEAD
(Metal, Heavy, Hard Rock, Occult)
3733 Points
(Ohio, USA)
DOCTOR SMOKE brings us a strange new piece of metal from Ohio. Which label can be stuck on this second album? I could call it Dark Heavy Metal, or maybe Occult Metal. From one track to another, the band jumps from sludge to doom/fuzz, from NWOBHM to modern metal but every change between songs or within a song is clever and the whole album never sounds like a musical patchwork but like a brilliant alchemy. Guitars know how to riff, drums are pounding sometimes simply, sometimes in a really more complex way, and the bass is the essential binder. The vocalist? Very expressive! Well, each musician is in his right place and the quality of the sound pays homage to their excellent work. My fave tracks are This Allowed Ground (heavy sludge mid-tempo with great rhythm and luminous solo), Dreamers And The Dead (so juicy old-school doom parts!), Out Of Time (I’m a 80s vibes nostalgic). I still don’t know which genre of Metal, but a pure Metal gem!
~Thierry ‘Pumpkin-T’ François
3. KADABRA – ULTRA / NEW!
(Hard Rock, Seventies, Blues)
5325 Points
(Spokane, Washington, USA)
With an aesthetic that approaches the psychotropic charm and energy of classic rock and a warm and sensual sound intertwines the lysergic flow, the diffuse impulse of modern psychedelia, a dizzying blues riffage and a voice drenched in magnetic reverberation, they seduce us. in every song. This debut is an album without fillers, with the legacy of the 70’s very present. The vocal register of its singer and guitarist Garret Zanol, makes it seem that we are facing a female voice, which gives a particular tone to his psychotropic songs. Knowing how to intertwine heavy moments in which the 70’s echoes appear, with acidic passages and dreamy psychedelia.
~Roberto Lucas
2. BOGWIFE – A PASSAGE DIVINE / NEW!
(Doom, Metal, Stoner, Psych)
5388 Points
(Aalborg, Denmark)
BOGWIFE stuns with ‘A Passage Divine‘ – Their highly anticipated sophomore offering. An exceptional album full of deep, dark and crunchy atmospheric heaviness with lyrics steeped richly in the mythology of Iron Age Europe. We’re all but willfully captured on a journey for the band’s organic, intrepid exploratory evolution of their magnificently bold and enthralling sound. Heavy, fuzzy and emotively melodic the album is addictively leaden, leading irrisitibly to multiple plays turned up to 11 whilst nodding rhythmically along and finding oneself making the unconscious, “hell yeah- curled lip-stank face” of heavy fuzz bliss approval. Far more sophisticated than the “stank face” and really worth noting however, is BOGWIFE’s beautifully accomplished composure and fantastically produced delivery. Total package here folks, this is one, fucking weighty, awesome album. Period.
~Doom Oracle
1. HOLY DEATH TRIO – INTRODUCING… / NEW!
(Rock, Psych, Blues, Stoner)
7126 Points
(Austin, Texas, USA)
A fiery debut album featuring a 9-track high octane rock’n’roll tornado, drenched in Texan boogie, pure heavy-rock retro beats and fast-fire hooks where blues are present. Showing his reverential love for Hendrix, Black Sabbath and with a sound that straddles Radio Moscow and his fellow countrymen ZZ TOP, ‘Introducin…’ is one of those albums that smells of smoke and roadside whiskey. Its bacchanal of fiery riffs and crushing rhythms, make the album a perfect soundtrack for a party of raw and primitive rock with a sound like the pioneers.
~Roberto Lucas
SEPTEMBER SPOTIFY PLAYLIST
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); Bill Goodman (The Evil Engineer); Billy Goate (Doomed & Stoned); Bob “Mr. Weird Beard” Baker (More Fuzz Podcast); Bobby Rayfield (Trendkill Radio); Brandon Collins (Super Dank Metal Jams); Bucky Brown (The Ripple Effect); Clint Willis (Hand of Doom Radio); Chris Beck (Doom Tomb Podcast); Chris Latta (Ghost Cult Magazine); Chris Tighe (The Mighty Decibal); The Doom Oracle (Spectral Ecstacy); Doomsday Jesus (DoomsdaysJesus); Duncan Evans (Alternative Control); Eric Varasiftsky (Stoner Rock Army); Frazer Jones (Desert Psychlist); Fuzzy Cracklins (Fuzzy Cracklins); Geoff Leppard (Atom Heart Mutha); Graur Zaur (Crypt Guard); Gruby (Doomsmoker); Günther “Doktor420” (Stoner HiVe); Héctor “Mr. Heavyhead” Hurtado (More Fuzz); Hugo Hulleman (Metalfan.nl,Orange Maze); Jamey Morris (Fistful of DOOM); Jay Morgan (High Desert Valley Radio); Jim Thompson (Heavy in the Hills); JJ “HP Taskmaster”Koczan (The Obelisk); John Gist, (Vegas Rock Revolution); Jonny Pirie (Hour of the Riff); Joop Konraad (Stoner HiVe); Ken Elliott (Heavy Planet); Leanne Ridgeway (Riff Relevant); Magnus Tannergren (Into The Void Radio); Marc-Eric Gagnon (Stonefly Effects); Marc C. Pietrek (Vitriol INC / A Dark United Front); Mark Partin (The Ripple Effect); Matt Slighter (Cheeto) (Hwy 420, Core of Destruction Radio) Matthew Thomas (Taste Nation); Mathieu Van Der Hert (Dutch European Stoner Rock); Mel Lie (Sunday’s Heavy Tunes); Mike Williams (I Talk to Planets); Pat ‘Riot’ Whitaker (The Ripple Effect); ‘Papa’ Paul Rote (Doomed & Stoned); Reek of STOOM (Doomed&Stoned, Stoner HiVe); Remi (Remi VL); Roberto Lucas (Denpa Fuzz); Roberto Fuentes (La Habitación 235); Robert Pannell (Doom Loom); Rod Reinhardt (Captain Beyond Zen); Roman Tamayo (Doomed & Stoned); Shasta Beast (Stoner HiVe); Steve Howe (Outlaws of the Sun); Steve Rodger (God’s Holy Trousers); Steve Woodier (Shrieks From Below); Tanguy ‘Mr Fuzz’ Dupré (More Fuzz); Thierry “Pumpkin-T“ François (Metal Intégral); Tom Hanno (Tom’s Album Reviews); Tom Schmahl (Rock Circuz); Tony Maim (Black Insect Laughter, Stoner HiVe); Tony Van Dorston (Fast n Bulbous); Wombat Tarantino (Wombat Cult)
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 
Good week! Go Remi!
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