Get your motor running! Come on, dance with me… And Shasta Beast! Joining the ranks of the Doom Chart Contributors in October 2019 was Stoner HiVe’s dirty little Shasta Beast aka Shasta Beest. But after starting to handle the Instagram page of the Doom Charts, and dancing with all sorts of Heavy Rock Legends at festivals, he sort of changed his name up or back into, Kyle. Referencing his Shasta Beast moniker with the SB behind his name… His list of favorite albums already appeared on Stoner HiVe. But we definitely wanted it featured on the Doom Charts, cause these albums all deserve to get as much attention as possible! And therefor he also wrote some blurbs for each and everone of those twenty albums! So, turn on, tune in and keep on dancing!
Scathing doom that’s dark and epic, with plenty of sludge and some melodicism to boot. It’s criminal this album isn’t bigger than it is.
This debut from Poland is massive, not only in weight but songwriting and atmosphere. Doom, sludge, and post metal combine to crushing effect.
I’ve been following the prolific Baton Rouge sludgers for a while, and am more of a super fan with every release. Fatalismo is the latest and best yet, throwing their crunchy and darkly playful take on the genre in your face with skill and nuance.
Absolute filth. Chicago’s Bones deal in gross, crusty death ‘n roll and it’s been one of my favorite listens of the year for how damn fun it is. Clean out your speakers after playing this.
Greenbeard have been in my ears since their debut, but these Texas boys really hit it out of the park on their latest. Finely crafted, groovy, good old fashioned rock ‘n roll with attitude to spare. And RIFFS.
15. Mammoth Volume – The Cursed Who Perform The Larvagod Rites
Maybe the weirdest on the list, and all the better for it. Stoner godfathers Mammoth Volume returned with a bonkers album of stoner, desert, and oodles of quirky prog that’s groovy as all get out. Then they have the balls to throw in “A Lullaby of Doom” that’s practically the definition of OG desert rock.
14. The Grand Mal – The Grand Mal II
These British lads knocked me for a loop with their debut, coming out of nowhere to lay down one of the finest modern hard rock records today. Suffice to say, round two is no different. Top notch, boogying rock that’s got more than a little stoner heft to it.
This record is pure bliss. Beautiful psych rock that glides along and wraps you up in a sonic hug with vocals to match.
No record said “dance your pants off” more than these Parisian’s latest. Event Horizon oozes style and fun, moving your hips with shimmering keys before slamming a ten-tonne guitar riff into your ear holes.
The weird heroes this weird-ass year deserved. Rising from the Montana wilderness like some tripped out bigfoot, The Grey Goo blow minds with their heady mix of stoner, doom, prog, funk, fusion, jazz, etc etc. It’s crazy that it works, and it’s even crazier how good it is.
Play “Dark Waves” and NOT shake your booty, I dare you. Baltimore’s Black Lung make sinister, psychedelic stoner maddeningly fun, without losing any of the heavy.
German heavy stalwarts Samavayo somehow distilled the best parts of stoner rock and high octane heavy into one no-killer, all-filler album. Payan is a rip-roaring good time with crunchy riffs out the wazoo and a who’s who of guest vocalists, making for a very much welcome embarrassment of riches.
8. Sky Pig – It Thrives In Darkness
I’ll continue to sing Sky Pig’s praises, these guys are at the filthy top of the mountain that is modern sludge. Dark, atmospheric, and obscenely heavy, their latest takes everything their amazing Hell Is Inside You was and completely one-ups it. Hot damn.
Psych rock with soul, afrobeat, sax, trumpet, and more. This amalgamation of Toronto musicians came out of nowhere and won me over on first play. Easy listening in the best sense, this is one-of-a-kind sonic bliss that’s more than a one-off outing if there’s anything good and just left in the world.
6. Kurokuma – Born of Obsidian
Holy shit. Fancy reviewer words can’t do justice to the visceral reaction these lads’ sludge attack induce. Primal, brutal drums and shrieks over walls of sound that leave you on the floor. There’s some kind of dark magic happening with that drumming too, like it’s soundtracking some ancient bloody sacrifice. Crank the bass up to 11 on this one.
Though only two songs, the EP-length split from Gondhawa is too good to not rave about. This is wild, up tempo, bonkers-groovy prog rock with psychedelic touches akin to King Gizzard. The vocals are a particular standout, mixing melody, shouts, and even spoken word/rap into the carnival of sound that is Mäanthagorï. Do not stop, do not pass Go, do nothing but smash the play button.
4. Perennial – In The Midnight Hour
Vicious noise-punk efficiency from Connecticut. This duo waste no time with 2 minute cuts that rip through you like razor wire, but somehow with an infectious joy entwined in all that sonic violence. An addictive mix that demanded re-listens maybe more than any other album on this list.
3. The Swell Fellas – Novaturia
No other album this year gave me the same spooky, creepy-crawly, straight up cryptic vibes as these fellas’ latest. Dark, otherworldly psych rock that sounds like nothing else and lays down some mean, mean grooves.
16 have always been on my radar as solid, punishing sludge, but their latest blew the roof off my expectations. As grinding and caustic as always, a melodicism is injected into the beatdown to offset the paint-peeling screeches that’s catchy as hell while beating the sonic snot out you. Brutal and brilliant.
Another band that snuck up on me with their latest. After seeing them kill at Saint Vitus this year at Desert Fest NYC, I immediately jumped into Shadow Work and never looked back. This is proggy sludge that’s otherworldly in its rhythms, innovative drumming, and loads of atmosphere. Mind-melting and heavy in equal measure, this was an easy pick for #1.
Doom Charts 
Haven’t seen Black Lung on many lists, and I think that’s a bummer. They were one of my favorite albums last year so I’m glad to see it here!
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