“I heard it on the radio
I saw it in the video
I played it on my stereo
I read it on the Doom Charts
And I loved it…”

~ (probably misheard) lyrics from Masters Of Reality

And I love it… A big thanks to all the Contributors and all those other bloggers, journalists, podcasters, radio dj’s, reviewers and spreaders of all that good and heavy stuff from around the globe! The fans that post about their new favorite album. Thank you all for your next ‘you need to check this out‘ post! We are lucky to have such a vibrant and embracing scene. Check out the albums below, find the next album you love. Check out all those personal sites listed below, they are good people, doing good work, for good music! And I love it…

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 in love with that one album, that multiple blurbs were written, and only the one got published… Well, you can peruse that love here…

BOTTENHAVET – LJUD I TYSTA RUM
Stoner, Fuzz, Rock, Blues
Stockholm, Sweden
Fuzzorama Records

WOW, what a great debut album! The Swedes BOTTENHAVET have released their first long player and have already delivered a good contender for the Best Of 2024, which will be released at the end of the year. The work has a fantastic sound and, with its 8 numbers, has a playing time of just under 40 minutes. Songs like the equally cool opener ‘Väg’, a rather quieter ‘Talar Miljon’ (what a great catchy chorus) and the beautifully straight ‘Bränn Broar’ should be enough to whet your appetite. If you’re still looking for a great rock record and don’t have a problem with Swedish lyrics, you can’t go wrong with the band BOTTENHAVET.
~ Tom Schmahl (Rock Circuz)

DÄTCHA MANDALA – KODA
Stoner rock, Hard rock, Heavy blues, Brit pop 
Bordeaux, France
DM Prod, Take It Easy, Discos Macarras

Koda (with a K) is not the end point of a career as it was for LED ZEPPELIN. Here, Koda highlights an evolution in the music of DÄTCHA MANDALA. Indeed, without denying their admiration for the heavy rock of the 70s, the band adds a Brit Pop touch to its songs. It’s surprising, it’s very well played and superbly produced. Lovers of big riffs and fuzzed guitars will still find their pleasure and the band will expand its fan base by adding catchy melodies and magnificent vocal harmonies. Isn’t the ability to evolve the sign of true artists?
~ Thierry “Pumpkin-T“ François (Metal Intégral)

DVNE – VOIDKIND
Doom, Sludge, Progressive Metal
Edinburgh, UK
Metal Blade Records

The intricacies and complexities of prog combined with the raw feral drive of sludge and the dankness and darkness of doom, DVNE‘s “Voidkind” is not the type of album you can put on in the background while you read a book or tidy up a bedroom this is an album of music that demands your full attention from its opening note to its last, an album that will leave you slack-jawed with wonder while also feeling like you’ve just been hit by a truck.
~ Frazer Jones (Desert Psychlist)

DVNE’s music is as sprawling as their sci-fi subject matter and their talent is near alien because it is damn near unbelievable. This album has staggering depth and there is a lot to unpack across the ten songs and 58 minute runtime. Their brand of sludge includes other influences as well, including doom and psychedelic.  All these sounds are fused together and presented in music that is rich in texture and complicated.  Despite that, their sound isn’t pretentious nor bloated with unnecessary details.  In essence, even though it includes every idea ever, it remains a highly focused album that flat out rocks.ross the ten songs. All in all, DVNE’s “Voidking” is a utterly impressive album.  Fans of any type of abrasive music and/or progressive structures must put this on their radar.  It is simply one of the best albums I’ve heard this month.
~ Justin Wittenmeier (Metal Temple, DoomedForMetal)

FREEWAYS – DARK SKY SANCTUARY
Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, NWOBHM
Brampton, Ontario, Canada
Dying Victims Productions

Canada’s FREEWAYS return bursting out of the gate, squalling tires, and accelerating that old Ford onto the open road with hysteria, finesse, and precision. Buckle up for the ride. There are alot of classic influences here with nods to Wishbone, Lizzy, and Blue Oyster. Once I heard the track ‘Can’t Deny Destiny’ I couldn’t help but hear the influence of Blue Oyster Cult throughout the rest of the album. The guitars are amazing, from the dualing guitars to the lead riffs between the vocal parts, to those scorching leads! Hard rock, Heavy metal, NWOBHM, you could place FREEWAYS in some of these subgenres and you wouldn’t be wrong as they’re all prevalant within FREEWAYS sound but they’re so much more. They’ve captured that classic sound we adore with expertise and swagger. Now give “Dark Sky Sanctuary” a listen!
~ Jon McGough

HARVESTMAN – TRIPTYCH: PART ONE
Experimental, Folk, Psych
Coeur D’Alene, Idaho, USA
Neurot Recordings

Taking us on a journey deeper within ourselves while opening our soul to nature, the cycles of our universe and beyond, HARVESTMAN is a continuous evolution of sound experimentation. This feels like it connects with an unseen force swirling around us at all times. The album allows the listener to drift softly from track to track in a seamless and welcoming way. It brings to mind a spirit carried upon a light fog. It is a mysterious, dark curiosity. One the listener can not resist following into the shadows. 
~ Bobby Rayfield (Monuments In Ruin)

HAUNTED – STARE AT NOTHING
Doom
Catania, Italy
Ripple Music

Their first album practically redefined Doom for me on a personal level. Dayburner kept it going. Stare at Nothing not only redefines HAUNTED but moves the genre forward in quality and execution. Never mind all the “dark” and sinister marketing. The real hype for this band is their musicianship and ability to craft well-honed songs with skill and focus. Christina may be the centerpiece, but this band seems to push her even harder. Breathtaking stuff, indeed!
~ Scott Spiers (CleanAndSoberStoner)

HEATH – ISAAK’S MARBLE
Rock, Seventies, Prog, Psych, Blues, Classic
The Hague, Netherlands
Suburban Records

This five piece hails from The Hague, Netherlands. Or well, they reside there, for HEATH has members from Sweden, Australia and the Netherlands. And on their debut album Isaak’s Marble they not only traverse the globe looking for the right kind of sonic inclusions for their sound, they also travel through space and time to take everything in that has been done before. This is that early prog, the psych of yore, the sixties and seventies approach to the right kind of Kool-Aid for you to guzzle and enjoy. The atmospheric parts are as colorful as a flowery meadow, the harmonica induces zealous energy and the guitar solos will have you dancing around like a flower power love child.
~ Joop Konraad (Stoner HiVe)

HOMECOMING – THOSE WE KNEW
Post-metal, Stoner, Sludge, Prog metal, Alt metal, Shoegaze, Grunge 
Paris, France
Copper Feast Records

HOMECOMING is a melting pot in which many genres merge together. Here, rock and metal in fusion bubble up and flow in a delicious burning stream of sound. Their sophomore album – Those We Knew – is just mind-blowing. It is made up of 7 tracks ranging from 7’30 to 11’30 and each song go through very contrasting phases, like twisting and turning roads slaloming between ethereal landscapes and brutal avalanches. The skill of the musicians, the gift of the singer, the sound dynamics are of a high level and magnify the overall quality of the work. So, stay aware and let yourself be shaken by the musical whirlwind of HOMECOMING!
~ Thierry “Pumpkin-T“ François (Metal Intégral)

HOLY TEARS – HOLY TEARS
Instrumental, Rock, Metal, Post, Prog
San Diego, California, USA
Self-released

The HOLY TEARS album will be moving you along at the speed of a sonic current, bursting, electricity sparks flying everywhere. For thirty-two minutes your world will become this revolving flux, zooming around and booming of the walls. The opening track, one and half minute long, Deter feels like an in medias res approach to introducing their sound. Offering up all their instrumental metal, with progressive, post rock, post hardcore and a touch of noise. This has the benefit of HOLY TEARS showing their colors early and preparing you for the rest of the prog and post metal blizzard to follow.
~ Joop Konraad (Stoner HiVe)

IRON MONKEY – SPLEEN & GOAD
Doom Metal, Sludge
Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England
Relapse Records

As with any good sludge album, this album is built up on riffs, riffs, and more riffs.  From beginning to end, each song offers one thick slab of concrete after the next.  The other part of a good sludge record is the rhythm section.  This album has that in spades, both the drums and bass offering one of the heaviest, most dense performances you are going to find. This is sick music for sick people.  The entire album is brash, abrasive, and does give one iota of care who it offends or if anyone even likes it.  With “Spleen & Goad,” IRON MONKEY have released a mountainous album of sickening sludge and abrasive doom that is a special form of brutal.  If you like riffs, intense music, or just stuff that goes against the grain for the hell of it, this is definitely one album you need.
~ Justin Wittenmeier (Metal Temple, DoomedForMetal)

JAMES ROMIG – RING
Experimental, Modern Composition
Illinois, USA
Self-released

While as far removed from “metal” as I’ve ever covered, this is definitely the most psychoactive/psychedelic album I’ve ever written about.  Over 5 hours of pulsating metal, via vibraphone and the deft skills of Tony Oliver. Experimental music like this tends to bleed into unexpected genres, and the Heavy Underground is fertile soil for this to land on. JAMES ROMIG may be the harbinger of what we’ll hear over the next decade.
~ Scott Spiers (CleanAndSoberStoner)

KYLE – SEIZE THE LIGHT
Stoner rock, Noise, Grunge 
Bordeaux, France
Platinum Records

Guys from SLEEPPERS, ES LO QUE HAY, THE TWIN STONERS get together and bring KYLE to life. Basically, Seize The Light is a mix of stoner rock and noise but there are flavors of grunge, electro and pop. The sound is clear and powerful, the songs are hyper-rhythmic and very catchy. With hindsight, I think KYLE’s realm is the kingdom of the bass’n’drums section – a pure delight! What a brilliant and full-pleasure debut album! I do like KYLE!
~ Thierry “Pumpkin-T“ François (Metal Intégral)

LIKE WIRES – COLD MATTER
Punk, Hardcore
Clermont Ferrand, France
Les Disques Bleus Enregistrements

High energy, oppressive, crowd crushing, punk driven, post-hardcore from France. Screamy vocals that resonate from deep within to match the strength and brutality of the band. Loud amps, unapologetic riffs and extreme weight that rolls in from the total presence of the band. There are some nice mellow breaks that help to remind us exactly how massive the songwriting truly is.
~ Bobby Rayfield (Monuments In Ruin)

THE LUMBERJACK FEEDBACK – THE STRONGHOLD
Instrumental, Rock, Metal, Post, Hardcore, Doom, Sludge
Lille, France
Argonauta Records

Opening track Kings And Servants immediately setting that solemn mood; yet riddled with so much suspense. Exploding into a prog metal, sludge toned and machinal middle piece, which keeps on pushing and subjugating the listener, until one bows before the almighty tone. And then and only then, will the track train on, like a massive steamroller. With this hallowed choir like sound lifting the entire compilation up to heavenly proportions. Praised The Lord For A Brighter Future is the following track, thunders through its opening, until the guitars get to pick up the groove, the flow and that circling melody, and an epic proportion of heaviness that feels like they are chiseling out an entire universe with the music they create. Building seems the operative word for this track. And the result is huge, breathtaking and worthy of every bit of your imagination. As is every little detail that follows on the new The Stronghold album by THE LUMBERJACK FEEDBACK…
~ Joop Konraad (Stoner HiVe)

MYCENA – SERENDISARRAY
Experimental, Psych Rock
Croatia
Olde Scratch Records

Psychedelic progressive space rock that keeps you guessing and waiting for the next surprise. A great album to lay back, close your eyes and get lost in. Solid production and artistry all around.
~ Ryan Hilton (Black Throne Productions)

NOTHING IS REAL – ACTS OF DESPAIR AND FAITH
Avantgarde, Black, Doom
USA
Self-released

Nicholas Turner, the twisted genius behind NOTHING IS REAL returns with yet another magnificent display of dizzying, genre-morphing metal: “Acts Of Despair And Faith” highlights his signature guitar wizardry and ability to juxtapose elements of Raw Black Metal, Doom and Avantgarde compositions that simultaneously suck the listener into the void whilst propelling them into the star-filled Heavens! A triumph!
~ Stevie Reek (Howls from The Hollows, Stoner HiVe)

STONERHEAD – RUNNING HIGH 
Stoner Rock, Psychedelic Rock
Bielefeld, Germany
Self-released

STONERHEAD delivers a very developed, polished, and refined version of stoner music. Not only that, but they do it while tapping into various styles, including stoner rock, psychedelic rock, progressive rock, doom metal, and stoner metal. Vocals and instrumentals alike deliver a powerful, emotive performance that seamlessly moves from clean and melodic to heavy and riffing to trippy and psychedelic. RUNNING HIGH indubitably proves that stoner music can be incredibly sophisticated with an intricate, thoughtful composition. STONERHEAD is a band made up of legitimate musicians whose hard work, creativity, and meticulous attention to detail are palpable throughout this album. 
~ Stephanie Zalta (Screaming From The Heavy Underground)

STONERHEAD’s brand of stoner doom metal is an absolute blast.  “Running High” is an album that has a ton more energy than most bands of this style.  Of course, there are riffs for days as well—just a metric ton of groove is laden across the album like a blanket of hot lead. What is most impressive about the album is the atmosphere they generate. This band is super confident in their sound and it really can be heard—there is a definite swagger to everything they do and they back it up tenfold.
~ Justin Wittenmeier (Metal Temple, DoomedForMetal)

SUNFACE – CLOUD CASTLES
Heavy psych, Stoner, Space. Doom
Oslo, Norway
Apollen Records

Santana brought the blending of rock guitar and Afro/Latin percussion to the classic/heavy rock massess while T.Rex did the same for pop audiences now Norway’s SUNFACE are, with their new release “Cloud Castles“. bringing that same blending to the darkened recesses of the underground but whereas both Santana and T.Rex also employed a traditional rock drummer SUNFACE have decided they don’t need one ….. and they don’t.
~ Frazer Jones (Desert Psychlist)

The Doom Charts April 2024 – 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:

Adam Walsh (Earmunchies); Andy Kovalcik (Bandcamp-NYP-Hard&Heavy); A.S. Van Dorston (Fast n Bulbous); Ben Bellum (The Greatest Thing You’ve Never Heard); 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); Chris Beck (Doom Tomb Podcast); Chris Tighe (The Mighty Decibel); Clint Willis (Hand of Doom Radio); Damien Regnauld (Stoner Freaks Anthology); ‘The General’ (Stoner Rock Army); Edouard Dubuisson (Les chroniques d’Eddy); Eric Crowe (Doomsayer Records / Halo Of The Goat Radio); Frazer Jones (Desert Psychlist); Günther “Doktor420” (Stoner HiVe); Ioannis Valiakos (Desert Vulture); James Sweetlove (CaveDwellerMusic); 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); Jon McGough; Jonny Pirie (Hour of the Riff); Joop Konraad (Stoner HiVe); Justin Wittenmeier (Metal Temple, DoomedForMetal); Kyle SB (Good Boy PR, Stoner HiVe); Lee Edwards (The Sleeping Shaman); Marc-Eric Gagnon (Stonefly Effects); Mats Florstam (Ozium Records); Matthew Thomas (Taste Nation); Matthew Hartnett (Heavy Galaxy); Mel Lie (Sunday’s Heavy Tunes); Mitch Kline (DoomyRiffs.com); Mr Stone (More Fuzz); Nick Pipitone (The Third Eye, Monster Riff); Pat ‘Riot’ Whitaker (The Ripple Effect); Stevie Reek (Howls from The Hollows, Doomed&Stoned, Stoner HiVe); Remi VL (Remi Post Too Many Links); Rich Piva (Musipedia of Metal, FuzzDoomRip, Rich & Turbo’s Heavy Half Hour); Roberto Lucas (Denpa Fuzz); Roberto Fuentes (La Habitación 235); Rod Reinhardt (Captain Beyond Zen); Ryan Foster (Slightly Fuzzed); Ryan Hilton (Black Throne Productions); Scott Spiers (CleanAndSoberStoner); Stephanie Zalta (DoomCakes, Screaming From The Heavy Underground); Steve Howe (Outlaws of the Sun); Steve Woodier (Anointing The Sick); 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).

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.