“More, more, more…
How do you like it? How do you like it?”

~ Andrea True

We normally did Friday Freebie’s on the third Friday, and we did a few today, and might continue to do a few on every Third Friday… But after some consideration, we thought it might be better to move the Peroration Post up a week and do the Friday Freebie’s on the fourth and/or final Friday of the month. And we therefor present to you now on this Third Friday of the month, the August 2023 Peroration Post. I know, we are still reeling from the main edition and catching up on those Forty amazing release. But below, we have another batch of the good stuff… 18 August releases! Go feast your ears!

The following are professions of love and adoration by Doom Charts Contributors for albums they could not stop spinning. Each month, the Doom Charts critics submit their picks for the best new doom, sludge, metal, stoner, psychedelic and other sorts of heavy rock albums. The results are compiled and tabulated into the chart which is published on the First Friday of the new month, monthly. However, sometimes a love is so great, but for whatever reason the album unfortunately did not make the published Doom Charts Edition or because there were so many contributors are in love with that one album, that many decided to send blurbs for it, and only one got published… Cause we only publish the one blurb… Well, you can peruse that love here…

ACID MAGUS – HOPE IS HEAVY
Doom, Stoner, Progressive, Hard Rock
Pretoria, South Africa
Mongrel Records

ACID MAGUS have come back bigger, better and weirder than ever with their new album Hope Is Heavy. Taking a more Acid Rock approach for this record and perhaps a stripped back Doom/Fuzz/Grunge sound that’s quite different to their celebrated debut. This record allows ACID MAGUS to delve into the classic lore of Psych Stoner Metal and giving it a more aggressive Doom Metal sound. Hope Is Heavy is everything you want to hear from a first rate WEEDIAN album such as this.
~ Steve Howe (Outlaws of the Sun)

ASPHODELUS – SCULPTING FROM TIME
Atmospheric Doom, Melodic Death
Finland
Hammerheart Records

After waiting (not so) patiently for the new ASPHODELUS album ‘Sculpting From Time’, I have been rewarded with an album that ups the band to the next level and will surely solidify their presence for years to come in the doom metal scene. The frighteningly depraved and desperate vocals work amazingly well with the music that combines stark depressed nightmares with Gothic textured melancholy. The songs flow extremely well, like a masterful poem reading right off the page. Their literature is music and it thrives in darkness—-being enveloped by the void never sounded so good.
~ Justin Wittenmeier (Metal Temple, DoomedForMetal)

BUNSENBURNER – RITUALS
Stoner rock, Heavy psych, Jazz, Instrumental, Alt-rock
Freiburg Im Breisgau, Germany
Self-released

Rituals is a delicious piece of instrumental and experimental doom/stoner. BUNSENBURNER is a pack of six talented musicians. Throughout the album, I can feel their pleasure in playing together and the place left for improvisation. The result is a complete enjoyment lasting more than 50 minutes during which their musical rituals are tinged with multiple colors on a very wide spectrum: from dark doom to bright smoothy jazz.
~ Thierry “Pumpkin-T“ François (Metal Intégral)

THE CIRCLE – OF AWAKENING
Symphonic Black Metal, Doom
Germany
AOP Records

The blackened part of their sound is powerful and razor sharp but it isn’t overly extreme. Their symphonic elements, which are more violin focused than actual bombastic keys, are not at all overbearing and their doom side isn’t too cavernous or funeral-like. The band plays to their strengths and knows exactly when to lean into one element more than the other. All in all, THE CIRCLE’s ‘Of Awakening’, was a very nice surprise in the way it mixed in various styles while staying in a highly emotive state.
~ Justin Wittenmeier (Metal Temple, DoomedForMetal)

THE CRAWLING – ALL OF THIS FOR NOTHING
Death, Doom
United Kingdom
Grindscene Records

Because while it is very much obviously an extreme doom metal album, it approaches the style in many ways. For a band this extreme to firmly remain committed to their style while being able to take it in different directions, is an accomplishment worthy of much praise. And on top of all that, the album is very often catchy. What? Death/Doom that is catchy? Blasphemy!? No. AMAZING! All in all, THE CRAWLING ‘All Of This For Nothing‘ is an unique take on the death doom genre while still bringing out the best elements of its style Highly recommended.
~ Justin Wittenmeier (Metal Temple, DoomedForMetal)

EYES OF THE OAK – THE STONE VORTEX
Metal, Doom, Heavy Prog
Sodermanland County, Sweden
Oak Groove Records

This album isn’t breaking any molds but it’s taking inventory of all the molds in the shop, shining them up and taking them for a spin. Stoner, doom, hard rock, prog and heavy psych are all utilized to make an album of high quality heavy music! The musicianship and vocals are top notch and the gang vocal choruses in some songs are a nice throw back. This one has something for everyone who loves Metal and/or Hard Rock.
~ Andy Kovalcik (Bandcamp-NYP-Hard&Heavy)

GARY DEL VECCHIO – BUZZIN
Proto, Seventies, Hard Rock
California via Ohio, USA
RidingEasy Records

RidingEasy Records has given us so many gifts with the Brown Acid Series and then with unearthed releases from Fraction, Brotherhood Of Peace, Edge, Randy & The Goats, and now the best of the lot from GARL DEL VECCHIO, an Ohio teenage prodigy who unleashed some killer early heavy rock starting at 16 years old back in the mid 70s but only unearthed in full just now. As influenced by Joe Walsh and James Gang as he was by early 70s prog, Buzzin gives you a glimpse into a should-have-been rock star’s musical journey over the years and across the US. Fun stuff.
~ Rich Piva (Musipedia of Metal, FuzzDoomRip)

GREENSTONE – RISE OF RYSY
Instrumental, Stoner, Metal
Arnhem, Netherlands
Self-released

Out since July, but only recently picking up speed and a rise to power, it’s Dutch trio GREENSTONE and their Rise of Rysy release. On it they continue their journey through the instrumental, stoner and metal landscape. Darker and denser than their earlier EP, the five tracks still retain that masterful groove and a bit of those psychedelic touches. Cosmic noises, reminding of krautrock attitudes propel in the background, giving rhythms a salutary amount of thrust, especially on second track Peripheral Gaze. Final track Soundscapes For The Deaf might be the most in line with their earlier release, spacey, psychedelic meandering combined with that seminal grinding sound and stomping beat like a Moloch’s dancing ground.
~ Joop Konraad (Stoner HiVe)

IGLESIA ATOMICA – LOS DEMONIOS ANDAN SUELTOS
Instrumental Heavy Psych, Stoner Rock
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Self-released

Puerto Rico’s IGLESIA ATOMICA have been at it since most of you were in short pants, if not unborn completely (1990 to be exact), and yet, somehow, they’ve managed to stay off my radar for the last 20 plus years that I’ve been paying attention. Frankly, I’m kinda pissed about it. Because now that I’ve heard their latest, Los Demonios Andan Sueltos, I can say without reservation that they absolutely slay. Instrumental stoner jams that actually rock and careen headlong from riffs to bass to solos upon solos. I’d say the vibe has a little more Seedy Jeezus nod than Earthless pyrotechnics, but you wouldn’t go wrong using either band as a reference point. Maybe just a pinch of Church of Misery’s jammier side for good measure too. Regardless, you’re in for an engaging listen and a damn good time.
~ Ben Bellum (The Greatest Thing You’ve Never Heard)

THE LESSER DEAD – THE SCRIPT OF LIFE
Doom
Sweden
Self-released

From Sundsvall, Sweden, THE LESSER DEAD offer up a debut 3-track EP that pounds and crushes with ominous Doom. Low, slow and brooding with potential, I eagerly await their full-length debut!
~ Reek of STOOM (Howls from The Hollows, Doomed&Stoned, Stoner HiVe)

MULE THROWER – CUTS
Stoner, Doom, Americanacore
Pennsylvania, USA
The Swamp Records

Jeff Gallagher, AKA MULE THROWER, takes influences as varied and fragmented as Roy Clark and Electric Wizard, throws them against a wall and makes one hell of a mess. Cuts is basically an aural Jackson Pollock painting. Like Pollock, it’s a work of art worthy of study and reflection. But to get maximum effect, I think ya gotta be willing to look at your own shit in the process…
~ Scott Spiers (CleanAndSoberStoner)

They waste no time getting into the meat of the project—deep-fried scabs. I see. I guess with a good sauce, anything and taste good. This album reminds me of a time when things were dangerous, and you didn’t know what you would experience at a live show. This album is an unequivocal gut punch. We even get a shout-out to one of the GOATs, Ric Flair. Wooooo! Take the time to absorb this release. Definite AOTY.
~ Chris Beck (Doom Tomb Podcast)

ORDO ANGUIS – LIFE GODDESS | DEATH GODDESS
Metal, Sludge, Prog, Doom
Los Angeles, California, USA
Self-released

Five tracks give you almost thirty minutes of sludge metal, with progressive and doom influences and an epic scale tale to pay homage to various serpent deities of the world’s mythological traditions. And to think this is all, the writing, the guitars, the bass, the vocals, so yes, the work of Chaim Rochester (The Metal Band Amadis, The Wristslitters). The man invited two drummers to lay down the drums on this release; and together they produced one incredibly loud beast of an album!
~ Joop Konraad (Stoner HiVe)

PLEASURE FOREVER – DISTAL
Psych, Dreamscapes
San Francisco, CA
Solid Brass Records

Formed from the ashes of synth-punk band The VSS at the turn of the century, PLEASURE FOREVER released two albums on Sub Pop before disbanding. 20 years on, they’ve return with 7 tracks and 26 minutes of new material dubbed Distal. For me, Distal marks my introduction to the band, lineage notwithstanding, and what an introduction it is. Dreamlike psychedelia blend with synth and electronics to form euphoric soundscapes. Middle eastern influences, nodding drum beats, and hushed vocals make for an enveloping listen that does more to calm my heart rate than anxiety meds ever could. Check out Sunshine Super Hits which comes out off the more psychedelic cousin of the Sneaker Pimps’ Six Underground.
~ Ben Bellum (The Greatest Thing You’ve Never Heard)

TERRATIC DIVINITY – SEPTENTRIONAL SPIRITS
Black Metal, Death Metal
Canada
Cryptid Covenant Records

A happy surprise at the end of the month was this ferocious mixture of black and death metal, infused with a roiling punk energy and haunting atmospherics that never strays too far into either genre. There’s an aura of something wild and terrible in their music, and TERRATIC DIVINITY bash your brains while keeping your ears glued to dynamic riffs and maniacal vocals, making for one of the most intriguing and memorable extreme releases of August.
~ Kyle SB / Shasta Beast (Stoner HiVe)

TURN ME ON DEAD MAN – CASSIOPEIA
Stoner Rock, Prog, Psych, Shoegaze
San Francisco, California, USA
Self-released

If you are already compiling a list of albums for your 2023 “best of” nominations then save a place for this stunning mix of psych, shoegaze, metal and prog, it is truly outstanding!
~ Frazer Jones (Desert Psychlist)

UNBLESSED DIVINE – PORTAL TO DARKNESS
Death Metal
Poland/South Africa
Massacre Records

Not on Bandcamp

Destructive, satanic death metal featuring former Malevolent Creation and Sinister members. Portal To Darkness is as dark and unforgiving as you’re likely hear in a death metal album. Bludgeoning riffs merge with gothic sounding keyboards creating an atmosphere of spiritual unease and a sense of foreboding. Each track is a ferocious onslaught forcing you to your knees, head bowed, arms raised aloft in Satanic rapture.
~ Steve Woodier (Anointing The Sick)

VELVET INSANE – HIGH HEELED MONSTER
Seventies, Glam Rock
Ostersund, Sweden
Wild Kingdom

Not on Bandcamp

I cannot stop listening to High Heeled Monster in all its glam rock glory. I listen to so much Sabbath worship (I am not complaining, bring it all on). There is a ton of Zeppelin worship (see Van Fleet, Greta). All sorts of thrash and NWOBHM love too. But when it comes to Bowie worship, there are just not enough bands playing the glam style today, and even less who do it well. That is why High Heeled Monster has clicked so hard for me. Bowie, T. Rex, Slade, ELO, Ringo…all sorts of great stuff leveraged for an excellent glam rock record in 2023.
~ Rich Piva (Musipedia of Metal, FuzzDoomRip)

WALRUS – BLACK CAT
Doom, Stoner
Toulon, France
Self-released

The Gregorian chant absorbed me right away. With a title as long as the song ‘Flaggermusmannen,’ it’s perceptible that the journey will be heavy. Max’s vocal is primal, yet in other tracks, ethereal. Jo Nesbø would be proud. The shriek in Witch Hole integrates the peregrination into the life of the wretched with a fuzzed-out ending that’ll make stoner doom hedger hounds jounce in their battle vests!
~ Chris Beck (Doom Tomb Podcast)

AUGUST 2023 PERORATION PLAYLIST

And a special thanks goes out to Günther “Doktor420” (Stoner HiVe) for the cover image…

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); Ben Bellum (The Greatest Thing You’ve Never Heard); Bill Goodman (The Evil Engineer); Billy Goate (Doomed & Stoned); Bob “Mr. Weird Beard” Baker (More Fuzz Podcast); Bobby Rayfield (Monuments In Ruin); Brandon Collins (Morbid And Miserable Records); 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 Decibel); Damien Regnauld (Stoner Freaks Anthology); The Doom Oracle (Spectral Ecstacy); Doomsday Jesus (DoomsdaysJesus); Duncan Evans (Alternative Control); ‘The General’ (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); Ioannis Valiakos (Desert Vulture); James Sweetlove (CaveDwellerMusic); Jamey Morris (Fistful of DOOM); Jasper Hesselink (Weirdo Shrine); Jay Morgan (High Desert Valley Radio); JC Cansdale-Cook (The MotorFuzzin’ Ibex); Jim Thompson (Heavy in the Hills); JJ “HP Taskmaster” Koczan (The Obelisk); John Gist, (Vegas Rock Revolution / The Doomed & Stoned Show); Jon Cosky (Gravitoyd Heavy Music); Jonny Pirie (Hour of the Riff); Joop Konraad (Stoner HiVe); Justin Wittenmeier (Metal Temple, DoomedForMetal); 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); Matt Hartnett (Heavy Galaxy); Mel Lie (Sunday’s Heavy Tunes); Mike Williams (I Talk to Planets);  Mr Stone (More Fuzz); Nick Pipitone (The Third Eye, Monster Riff);Pat Schober (Monster Riff); Pat ‘Riot’ Whitaker (The Ripple Effect); ‘Papa’ Paul Rote (Doomed & Stoned); Reek of STOOM (Howls from The Hollows, Doomed&Stoned, Stoner HiVe); Remi VL (Remi Post Too Many Links); Rich Piva (Musipedia of Metal, FuzzDoomRip); Roberto Lucas (Denpa Fuzz); Roberto Fuentes (La Habitación 235); Robert Pannell (Doom Loom); Rod Reinhardt (Captain Beyond Zen); Roman Tamayo (Doomed & Stoned); Ryan Foster (Slightly Fuzzed); Ryan Hilton (Black Throne Productions); Scott Spiers (CleanAndSoberStoner) ; Silvi Pearl (Doomed & Stoned, Electric Fire Records); Stephanie Zalta (DoomCakes, CleanAndSoberStoner); Steve Howe (Outlaws of the Sun); Steve Rodger (God’s Holy Trousers); Steve Woodier (Anointing The Sick); Tanguy ‘Mr Fuzz’ Dupré (More Fuzz); Thierry “Pumpkin-T“ François (Metal Intégral); Tom Hanno (Tom’s Reviews, The Third Eye); 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.