“A good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain…”

Bob Marley

The May 2022 edition of the Doom Charts is here! Only two entries carried over from the Forty we published back in April. I’m sure you can do the math, but that means, 38 new albums listed! Of a total of 255 that received votes. Although that wild ECSTATIC VISION album carried over from that post of pure adoration called Peroration. Madman Tony Maim wrote back then:

“ECSTATIC VISION have a heavy, sun-drenched psychedelic/stoner sound that pays tribute to 70’s hard rock. Vocals are clean and put through reverb for a great trippy effect. Riffs are plentiful and the dirty fuzzed sound is perfect to get your head moving. But – before you start to get too comfortable, ECSTATIC VISION throw in passages that start to pile on the intensity with meatier playing which morph Hawkwind with The Stooges! This is the good shit.“

And he was right! It might be the final post from Tony for a while, for he is taking a breather. Catch you on the flipside Madman! But, we’re also welcoming back Tom Hanno and the join-up of Monster Riff founder Pat Schober. Welcome on board, let’s set sail for uncharted waters and listen to some good and heavy stuff!

Welcome to Doom Charts, representing some of the finest bloggers, journalists, radio, podcasters and 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…

40. RED SUN ATACAMA – DARWIN /NEW!

39. KADAVERMARCH – INTO OBLIVION /NEW!

38. FAMYNE – II: THE GROUND BELOW /NEW!

37. SLOW WAKE – FALLING FATHOMS /NEW!

36. TERROR CÓSMICO – MIASMA /NEW!

35. RUMOURS – THE LOWER WE SINK, THE LESS WE CARE /NEW!

34. HELMS ALEE – KEEP THIS BE THE WAY

33. CHURCH OF THE COSMIC SKULL – THERE IS NO TIME /NEW!

32. ULTIMA RADIO – SLEEP PANIC REPEAT /NEW!

31. FATIMA – FOSSIL /NEW!

30. WOORMS – FATALISMO /NEW!

29. WUCAN – HERETIC TONGUES /NEW!

28. REDWHORE – REDWHORE /NEW!

27. ASTRAL PIGS – OUR GOLDEN TWILIGHT /NEW!

26. BIRDSTONE – LOSS /NEW!

25. WOMACK – III – SONGS OF DOWNFALL & DELIVERANCE / NEW!
Stoner, Metal, Classic, Proto, Seventies
Finland
1232 Points

They hail from Finland and on their third album III-Songs Of Downfall & Deliverance they give us ten tracks that do that stoner metal thing with a heavy dose of classic, seventies and proto rock. Guitarwork that dances with grace as much as it aims for ingenuity. Some moments you have the inkling you’re listening to traditional hardrock by way of the blues, at other times WOMACK surprises with some more sleaze or intense metal. It’s good. And in case you go the way of album opener Back On The Hooch… Kippis!
~ Joop Konraad

24. GRAMMA VEDETTA – THE HUM OF THE MACHINE /NEW!
Stoner, Psych Rock, Progressive Rock, Hard Rock
London, United Kingdom
1239 Points

After 2 EPs, The Hum Of The Machine is GRAMMA VEDETTA‘s first full-length album, it’s a delicious evolution towards a very inventive stoner/psych/progressive. This album is full of great riffs, creativity, viral melodies and lots of great surprises. This album tastes like a Black Sabbath candy filled with a Rush ganache, seasoned with metallic spices. To be enjoyed without moderation!
~ Thierry ‘Humming-T’ Francois

23. SAGENESS – TR3S /NEW!
Instrumental, Stoner Rock, Heavy Psych
Spain
1440 Points

The definitive confirmation of a band that exudes quality and exudes beauty in its compositions. Crossing sensory barriers, the trio invites us on a beautiful journey into their particular world of sound. A therapeutic album in which heavy psychedelia and Stoner riffs reach a higher stratum for any mortal. At a crossroads where the COLOUR HAZE sound meets YAWNING MAN, its four long songs are a gift for lovers of heavy psychedelia. A journey takes us through cosmic dunes, powerful riffs, and beautiful guitar developments, creating one of the best heavy psychedelic Spanish albums of recent times.
~ Roberto Lucas

22. CAUCHEMAR – ROSA MYSTICA /NEW!
Doom, Traditional Metal, Proto-metal
Papineau Regional County Municip, Quebec, Canada
1944 Points

From some dark witch’s hut in Quebec emerge CAUCHEMAR for their third full-length, steeped in the heavy vibes of yore. Traditional and proto-metal riffs drive forward epic tracks that chug and churn under haunting vocals, conjuring dark atmospheres for an immersive listen. Give yourself over to the spell of CAUCHEMAR‘s “Rosa Mystica“, you won’t regret it.
~ Kyle SB / Shasta Beast

21. STÖNER – TOTALLY… /NEW!
Rock, Desert Rock, Stoner Rock
Palm Springs, California, USA
2256 Points

Unlike last year’s debut this album really grabbed me by the sack. It’s Nick and Brant rockin out, having fun, letting loose and letting the freak flag fly. This isn’t Kyuss or even Vista Chino, nor is it meant to be. What it is though is some good, flavorful, tasty, hard rockin tunes. Party March is my song of the summer. Party on guys.
~ Andy Kovalcik

20. ARBITER – AMBROSIA /NEW!
Stoner, Prog, Psych
Austin, Texas, USA
2364 Points

Texan trio ARBITER proffer up a Heavy Psych, Prog-tinged tour-de-force on their latest release “Ambrosia” and it is indeed manna from the Heavens: eleven powerful, trippy and hard-rocking tunes that will entertain you for years.
~ Reek of STOOM

19. THE SAME RIVER – WEIGHT OF THE WORLD /NEW!
Stoner, Grunge
Athens, Greece
2421 Points

The planet’s most densely heavy rock saturated spot delivers yet again. Hailing from Greece, THE SAME RIVER meld intensely alluring music rife with hypnotic elements and nuances galore. At times over-the-top, other times reserved and precise… riffs, rhythms, and The (Same) River will wash one away with the sheer “Weight Of The World“!
~ Pat ‘Riot’ Whitaker

18. DEEPSHADE – GLOAMING /NEW!
Grunge, Heavy Psych, Stoner Rock
Hull, UK
2541 Points

Gloaming is not your usual riffs over riffs over rhythms affair, although there is plenty of that sort of thing to be found here too, this is has a little more melody and finesse. DEEPSHADE are a band who can be counted on to bring songs to the party, yes you heard me right actual SONGS with choruses, verses and bridges and everything, and some of those songs even feature a saxophone. The world’s gone MAD!
~ Frazer Jones

17. UFOMAMMUT – FENICE /NEW!
Sludge, Doom
Italy
3108 Points

I’m still fuming about two recent histories of doom and heavy music that failed to mention Italian cosmic doom psych sludge behemoths UFOMAMMUT even in passing. I won’t even mention the titles of the books because they’re garbage for their omissions. Their ninth (if you only count the majestic installments of 2012’s Oro: Opus Alter & Priumum as a double album) album vindicates my outrage, sealing their status as one of the most important heavy bands of the 21st century. Coming in at a succinct six songs in just over 38 minutes (despite “Duat” breaking the 10 minute barrier), Fenice is a change of pace from the sprawling, sometimes bordering on unwieldy albums. There’s also a shift in the production, with more dynamics and space in the tracks, so when the densely packed sludge overdrive switches on, it’s impact is all the more visceral. Five years is a pretty common gap between albums these days, but apparently the band was on hiatus for a bit, after losing drummer Vita. With new stickman Levre in place, they do a great job in approximating the aural equivalent of a phoenix, a flaming space phoenix, of course, emerging from the sun and directing it’s baleful gaze at the doomed Earth.
~ Tony Van Dorston

16. MOURA – AXEXAN, ESPREITAN /NEW!
Heavy Psych, Folk, Stoner Rock, Prog
Galicia, Spain
3289 Points

Together with Saturna, MOURA are officially my favourite Spanish band in the broader genre of psychedelic rock. Following up their excellent debut, their second album is literally a masterpiece that takes me back to an era with sounds that range all the way from the mighty Jethro Tull to the melodies of Skyclad. Their attention to the detail in melody is remarkable, producing psychedelic rock tunes of unique beauty and filled with hooks. Most likely one of the contenders for an AOTY for 2022. Do not miss out on this one, check it out today!
~ Ioannis Valiakos

15. CITIES OF MARS – CITIES OF MARS /NEW!
Conceptual Scifi Doom, Sludge, Stoner
Gothenburg, Sweden
3376 Points

CITIES OF MARS present a conceptual, generally sci-fi themed epic with their latest self-titled album. An engaging listen, though one which requires a little focus, the highlights are many and include a collaborative vocal effort from all three members, where we’re given some truly engaging clean and more harsh expressions in addition to well-placed and explored harmonization. Great atmospherics, meaty low end and rhythm, effortless riffing, this album has it all and then some with interesting and lush textural soundscapes throughout. Highly recommended for fans of rich, sludgy heft ala Mastodon, The Sword and Baroness.
~ The Doom Oracle

14. KALEIDOBOLT – THIS ONE SIMPLE TRICK /NEW!
Proto-Metal, Progressive Rock
Helsinki, Finland
3380 Points

KALEIDOBOLT is undeniably one of the most exciting acts in the rock realms of Finland and Scandinavia, and with ‘This One Simple Trick‘ they hit the ranks with catching posture and a charmingly tongue-in-cheek playfulness in theme and sound, elevating them to a chromatic parallel-world that listeners are eager to immerse themselves in. So, just follow ‘This One Simple Trick‘ and experience the rainbow.
~ Crypt Guard

13. RED MOON SHAMAN – CHAPTER ONE /NEW!
Rock, Doom, Metal, Stoner, Psych
La Spezia, Italy
3525 Points

Man, this is an incredible album!! Everything about it is stellar, the riffs, the songwriting, the vocals, all of it. ALL OF IT! You should definitely be checking them out as soon as possible!
~ Tom Hanno

12. ELECTRIC MOUNTAIN – VALLEY GIANT /NEW!
Stoner Rock, Fuzz Rock
Mexico City, Mexico
3570 Points

Valley Giant just might be the most exciting album to come out of Mexico City’s intoxicating stoner scene in recent years. The follow-up to ELECTRIC MOUNTAIN’s 2017 self-titled debut, Valley Giant is an energetic stoner rock romp packed with fuzzy guitar riffs, thundering bass lines, crashing drums, and those distinctive vocals we came to love on ELECTRIC MOUNTAIN. Don’t miss standout tracks like “A Fistful of Grass” and “The Man”—these will surely have you singing (and headbanging) along.
~ Pat Schober

11. GREENSEEKER – THE WISH /NEW!
Heavy Psych, Stoner Rock, Proto
Portland, Oregon, USA
3893 Points

On their new album The Wish, the four from Portland, Oregon that listen to the name GREENSEEKER sound like one of those lost diamonds from the golden era of rock. The seven tracks on their newest release give you proto metal, seventies rock and all those luscious sounds that remind you of a time when the wave had not yet rolled back. Great guitarwork and scrumptious keys, guide you towards a magical land of yore, dark magic and mysterious characters provided courtesy of the two excellent vocalists… Now where did I leave my mescaline?
~ Joop Konraad

10. BLUE HERON – EPHEMERAL /NEW!
Desert Rock, Stoner, Heavy Psych
Albuquerque, New Mexico
5670 Points

The word “Ephemeral” in Greek means lasting for a very short time, and after listening to this album you will agree with me that it is anything but. What we have here is a brilliant specimen of groovy desert rock, combining lysergic guitars, thunderous drums and hearty vocals. The build-up from one tune to the other is exemplary, making it one of those rare albums that you have to listen as a whole. Friends of The Age of Truth, King Buffalo and Kyuss will find here another classic that cannot be missing from their collection!
~ Ioannis Valiakos

9. GNOME – KING /NEW!
Prog-Metal, Stoner, Alternative
Antwerp, Belgium
5778 Points

Three hairy Belgians in pointy red hats playing a mixture of complex prog and heavy stoner rock themed around mythical bulls, Australian mammals and bitchy Kings might sound kind of bizarre and in a way it is but don’t let that put you off giving this superb album a spin, these guys can really play and although they approach their art with their tongues pushed firmly into their cheeks they ROCK!
~ Frazer Jones

8. PETH – MERCHANT OF DEATH /NEW!
Heavy Psych, Proto-Metal, Doom
Lago Vista, Texas, USA
5955 Points

Four weirdos from Texas take the cake this month and finish first. Armed with the madness of a Roky Erickson and the musical heritage of Black Sabbath, Pentagram and Thin Lizzy, they’re second to none. They take us on a journey through time into the magical past that never existed. Madness has a name: PETH!
~ Rod Reinhardt

7. GEEZER – STONED BLUES MACHINE
Stoner Rock, Psych
New York, USA
6060 Points

Their last album, ‘Groovy’, was my favourite album of 2020. It came out just as we were all starting our pandemic journeys and was a very welcome relief. Fast forward 2 years and GEEZER are back with ‘Stoned Blues Machine‘ and their trajectory just keeps heading up. Heavier than ‘Groovy’ but with plenty of groove to boot, GEEZER are really benefiting from the more compact tunes and they have the knack of knowing when to take you out on an extended jam. Will it be my favourite of 2022? Hard to say, as I feel this year is stronger than 2020 already but it might just be my new favourite GEEZER record.
~ Jonny Pirie

6. CAVE IN – HEAVY PENDULUM /NEW!
Heavy, Prog, Psych, Grunge, Sludge
Boston, USA
6240 Points

There have been few albums in the last few years that I was really looking forward to, that I was really excited about. After the death of their bassist Caleb Scofield in 2018, CAVE IN only released a demo compilation in 2019. Now in 2022 the band is back with a new album and bassist Nate Newton (Converge). What the band has conjured up here on “Heavy Pendulum” is just divine. The new long player with its 14 tracks lasts 70 minutes and offers a collection of diverse genres. Whether heavy progressive, grunge, modern rock, sludge or even psych, the band simply destroys everything and is still very accessible despite all the complexity. The choruses are reminiscent of the 90’s, with a lot of feeling and fragility and also the music, catapults you back 20 years. Each song is a force in its own right and as such it’s very hard to single out any numbers, but check out the driving ‘Careless Offering’ (what awesome guitars) or the psychedelic ‘Nightmare Eyes’ (beautiful vocals and loving chorus) – just to kneel down. Those are just two check out tips from the existing 14 tracks, each of which is actually a potential check out tip. This album will hardly be topped this year and every music freak who can appreciate the already mentioned genre can’t avoid “Heavy Pendulum” – what a monster!!
~ Tom Schmahl

5. BLACK LUNG – DARK WAVES /NEW!
Sludge, Stoner Rock, Stoner Metal
Boston, USA
6240 Points

Thrumming bass and guitar tones, tight solid rhythms and superbly pitched clean vocal melodies combine to create a sound that is nothing short of mind-blowing.
~ Frazer Jones

4. ECSTATIC VISION – ELUSIVE MOJO /NEW!
Heavy Psych, Space Rock, Retro
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA
6960 Points

ECSTATIC VISION‘s fourth album is loaded with a diffuse and stunning sound executed at the speed of light, maintaining some canons of the heavy sounds of the 70’s. These new space psychonauts steer their ship to the far reaches of the cosmos regardless of the tortuous bumps along the way. Feedback fed by tons of psychotropic substances, its sound manages to penetrate the nerve endings of the listener, producing a disturbing effect on it. A whole sonic frenzy in which space rock mixes with the rawest vibrations of the 70’s in a marriage that works. Buckle up and get ready for takeoff.
~ Roberto Lucas

3. GYPSYBYRD – VISIONS /NEW!
Heavy Psych, Desert Rock
Texas, USA
8690 Points

Mr. Jake W Lewis (BURN RITUAL, KING EARTH) is back with his friend Freddy Allen (SUN OF GREY) for a new retro psycho-sabbathean piece of psych! I have rarely heard such extremism in the hippie and electric mushrooms revival. The GYPSYBYRD’s Visions took me so high that you can’t see me now. Can you? Look up, I am that little dot next to the moon whose head is still beating time.
~ Thierry ‘Beatin-T’ Francois

2. BESVÄRJELSEN – ATLAS /NEW!
Progressive Rock, Stoner Rock
Stockholm, Sweden
13062 Points

BESVÄRJELSEN achieve in Atlas that the atmospheric and progressive doom acquires heights never seen before. With songs destined to become hymns, and heavy rock hooks, the Swedes manage to trap the listener in a spectacular album that you will never want to leave. Their melancholic melodies, the bewitching voices, a good handful of riffs, and the echoes of the desert are enough incentives to fall at their feet. A heavy yet sophisticated album that is running for ‘Album of the Year!
~ Roberto Lucas

1. WO FAT – THE SINGULARITY /NEW!
Stoner Rock, Psych, Metal
Dallas, TX
20200 Points

WO FAT shares some of Ufomammut’s cosmic psych sludge DNA, but adds elements from regions surrounding their Dallas, TX homebase, including the swamplands that extend from East Texas into Louisiana, and the blues boogie that extends from ZZ Top all the way back to Dallas native T-Bone Walker in the 1940s. Kicking off with the nearly 14 minute long “Orphans of the Singe,” and then “The Snows of Banquo IV,” it’s no surprise that they do get a bit more progressive this time around. This is a good thing. Ever wonder what ZZ Top would sound like if they circled back to their origins as psychedelic band The Moving Sidewalks and mixed in some prog chops? It probably wouldn’t quite resemble “The Unraveling,” but if they were lucky it would be just as amazing. With WO FAT, you don’t have to wish they’d have explored more interesting sounds, because they’re already there, and between the engaging, multi-part composition of “Overworlder” and the epic 16:32 instrumental “The Oracle,” they’ve nearly perfected their craft.
~ Tony Van Dorston

If you listen, it will doom…

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); Andy Kovalcik (Bandcamp-NYP-Hard&Heavy); Bill Goodman (The Evil Engineer); Billy Goate (Doomed & Stoned); Bob “Mr. Weird Beard” Baker (More Fuzz Podcast); Bobby Rayfield (Monuments In Ruin); 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); Gravitoyd HM (Gravitoyd Heavy Music); Gruby (Doomsmoker); Günther “Doktor420” (Stoner HiVe); Héctor “Mr. Heavyhead” Hurtado (More Fuzz); Hugo Hulleman (Metalfan.nl,Orange Maze); Ioannis Valiakos (Desert Vulture); 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);  Kyle SB / Shasta Beast (Stoner HiVe)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); Martin Doomed Desbois (Le Mellow Man, Metal Alliance Magazine) 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);  Mr Stone (More Fuzz); Pat Schober (Monster Riff); Pat ‘Riot’ Whitaker (The Ripple Effect);  ‘Papa’ Paul Rote (Doomed & Stoned); Reek of STOOM (Doomed&Stoned, Stoner HiVe); Remi VL (Remi Post Too Many Links); Roberto Lucas (Denpa Fuzz); Roberto Fuentes (La Habitación 235); Robert Pannell (Doom Loom); Rod Reinhardt (Captain Beyond Zen); Roman Tamayo (Doomed & Stoned); Steve Howe (Outlaws of the Sun); Steve Rodger (God’s Holy Trousers); Steve Woodier (Deathrattle Podcast); Tanguy ‘Mr Fuzz’ Dupré (More Fuzz); Thierry “Pumpkin-T“ François (Metal Intégral); Tom Hanno (Tom’s 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.