“So what do you need? Besides a miracle.”
“Doom. Lots of doom.”

~ The Matrix (probably misheard quote)

Down below you find 31 albums that received a ton of love from the various Doom Charts Contributors. Maybe they already wrote about it for their own personal sites, maybe they wrote it and hoped it would reach the published edition of the Doom Charts or maybe the album made it to the published edition, but not to the top 25 that receive blurbs… Or yes, maybe it received too many blurbs to publish on the regular edition. Whatever the reason, the Contributor that wrote about it, loved it thoroughly and wants all of you to hear it as well. And since most of us will agree on the fact that there’s a lot, a whole freaking lot, of good and heavy rock out there, every little push in the right direction is welcome… So here’s that little push… Press play and fly!

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 and metal 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…

AXAMENTA – SPIRES
Cinematic, progressive, blackened melodeath
Antwerp, Belgium
Self-released

Power packed with massive breakdowns and samurai sharp techinallity, Spires by AXAMENTA seems to check all of the boxes a heavy music fan could want.

As the music slowly works its way in, it may seem like this is going in the direction of a popular rock record. Once the initial welcoming has taken place, they open the door for an absolute assault that could rival most modern technical death bands. The main foundation is more balanced in the breakdown lane as the music evolves and also delivers a mix of clean and cookie monster style vocals. All of which are performed at peak levels. One mastery they achieve is the dynamic shift. At any given corner you could experience an operatic movement or an insanely intense batch of orchestral heavy metal.

Proceed with a willingness to shapeshift. There is no master genre holding court over this release. 
~ Bobby Rayfield (Monuments In Ruin)

BLACK CAPRICORN – SACRIFICE DARKNESS AND … FIRE
Doom, Psychedelic Rock
Sardinia, Italy
Majestic Mountain Records

Sacrifice Darkness and … Fire sees BLACK CAPRICORN delving back into the occult rock-heavy doom sound utilized on their 2022 album Cult of Blood, while wiping away just a bit of the scuzz. The album offers up a more sophisticated sound, rich with layers, variety, and a plethora of dark psychedelic groove. Its flow is often hypnotically low and slow, trippy, groovy in many places, and always sinister. In addition, vocals deliver their best performance yet, and we hear a lot more of them. BLACK CAPRICORN are true maestros of the characteristic acidic, occult doom sound arising from Italy, and it’s safe to say Sacrifice Darkness and … Fire is their finest work to date.
~ Stephanie Zalta (DoomCakes, Screaming From The Heavy Underground)

BLACK LAVA – THE SAVAGE WINDS TO WISDOM
Metal, black, death
Melbourne, Australia
Season of Mist

BLACK LAVA conjures darkness within every note on The Savage Winds To Wisdom.

Riff after riff, chug after chug, these songs bleed with strength and perseverance. Black Lava have sharpened their blades for the ultimate slaughter as they blast through levels of blackened metal and double bass driven thrash that should excite the ear of any fan of the genres. The production is crisp and clean, leaving no doubt the level of precision in the songwriting attack. Their message is clearly written as the vocals scream out for something sinister to come.

Prepare as Season of Mist unleashes the dominion of this Australian black metal monster.
~ Bobby Rayfield (Monuments In Ruin)

BOOZEWA – BON VIVANT
Grunge, Noise Rock, Sludge
Coatesville, Pennsylvania
Deep Rest Records

Accurately describing themselves as “the Valium version of The Pixies and Sonic Youth, BOOZEWA is a trio who grew from the seeds of another band you may know, Backwoods Payback. Their sound resides somewhere among the realms of grunge, noise rock, and sludge for the most part, but there are plenty of nods to doom, punk, and alternative rock lurking about as well. BOOZEWA has a knack for creating music that, while erring on the darker side, offers a realistic look at the world and life. In fact, their music inevitably feels familiar, calling to mind very specific moods and experiences for the listener. This holds true for both their instrumental and lyrical songs. On their first full-length album, Bon Vivant, BOOZEWA digs deeper than ever before, delivering a raw, candid, heavy portrait of the human experience and psyche.
~ Stephanie Zalta (DoomCakes, Screaming From The Heavy Underground)

A ferocious rumble calls out from the northeast as Bon Vivant by BOOZEWA delivers a specific brand of sludge drenched noise rock to your stereo.

There is a thick fog of brutality rolling from the Appalachian area. As it reverberates through the valleys, the listener can imagine stones cracking loose from mother nature’s monoliths, built with her loving hands over years of careful construction. The pounding rhythms of drum and bass feel thick, like molasses dripping in mid summer. Sweet, ominously flowing and cannot be ignored by anything it touches. The guitars are equally swaddled in low end thunder as the clean vocal style articulates a type of Buzzo-esq presentation.

Prepare to dig your friends out from under the rubble because this thing is going to bring down the mountain.
~ Bobby Rayfield (Monuments In Ruin)

CRACKED MACHINE – WORMWOOD
Heavy Psych, Instrumental
England, UK
Kozmik Artifactz

Get ready for a ride and a journey to the other side, or wherever you want to go. Trippy heavy psyche that takes you away from whatever is troubling you. Let the fuzz wash over you and cleanse that dirty dirty soul. An excellent listen for fans of beautifully structured hymns and wanting something more than your everyday Stoner Rock. I’ve been over this album a few times in the last couple days and hear more and more with every pass.
~ Eric “AsthmaGoat” Crowe (Doomsayer Records / Halo Of The Goat Radio)

DÉHÀ – AVERSES III
Atmospheric Black Metal
Brussels, Belgium
Déhà

Blackened and moody in the best possible way. Haunted and anguished reverberated, blackened and clean vocals seething their way through the mix of unrelenting guitars and melodic verses. Definitely for fans of Unreqvited.
~ Eric “AsthmaGoat” Crowe (Doomsayer Records / Halo Of The Goat Radio)

ESPECTRO DE LA CONCIENCIA – FIN DEL TIEMPO
Stoner, Doom
Guadalajara, Mexico
Self-released

ESPECTRO DE LA CONCIENCIA swings a mighty heavy hammer, from beginning to end, for this slab of Stoner Doom goodness. Hailing from Mexico, and bringing a great mix of sounds to the point of perfection. Gruff throaty vocals mixed seamlessly with power filled drums and stellar guitar / bass tones. I have had this one on repeat for days on end.
~ Eric “AsthmaGoat” Crowe (Doomsayer Records / Halo Of The Goat Radio)

FEAR THE BEARDS – SPACE WHALE
Stoner Rock, Alternative Rock
Chiavari, Italy
Argonauta Records

Italian stoner rockers FEAR THE BEARDS make a massively strong entrance with their debut EP, Space Whale. The five tracks featured here are the polar opposite of flat or one-note. Gritty yet melodic vocals mingle with the colorful dimensions of psychedelia and the rugged but soaring tones of stoner/desert rock. The sound of Space Whale mirrors the peaks and valleys as the Sonoran Desert; as cool and refreshing as a lone mountain spring that is all too aware of its unforgiving, sunbaked surroundings.
~ Stephanie Zalta (DoomCakes, Screaming From The Heavy Underground)

THE FREAK FOLK OF MANGROVIA – TALES FROM BEYOND THE FIRMAMENT
Rock, space rock, psych, experimental, stoner, desert, stoner metal
Croatia
No Profit Recordings

Space rock at its best. This exciting new project from Croatia will instantly grab you and transport you to a land full of psychedelic hills, metal mountains and sprawling desert (rock) deserts. Well paced, exciting throughout, Tales from Beyond the Firmament is a stunning first effort. Well written and conceived this is a surprising gem from a most curiously named band. A must listen!
~ S Patrick Brooks (The Heavy Underground Farm Report, Outlaws of the Sun)

GAVIAL HAZE – GAVIAL HAZE
Rock, fuzz, psychedelic, stoner
La Chaux De Fonds, Switzerland
Self-released

The album Gavial Haze has an overall post apocalyptic feel, and it definitely feels like a story. The record is spacey psych rock in parts, metal in other places and just pure hard rock wailing in other sections. As a band, GAVIAL HAZE is never boring, that’s for sure. A varied landscape of guitar driven madness, this album is infinitely enjoyable.
~ S Patrick Brooks (The Heavy Underground Farm Report, Outlaws of the Sun)

Half way through the first track I knew this album was for me. This is kick ass instrumental psychedelic stoner rock and these dudes are tight. They obviously have honed their craft and are very talented. Each instrument sounds great and the album has a nice flow to it. Highly recommended if that’s your thing.
~ Andy Kovalcik (Bandcamp-NYP-Hard&Heavy)

GRID – THE WORLD BEFORE US
Post-metal, progressive, sludge
New York, New York
Self-released

Looking within our human instincts, The World Before Us by GRID calls out with the screams of an aging man who now sees terror in their life choices.

With the backdrop of ambience and spacey tones casually mixed into the writing, this post-metal trip carries its weight in a manner distant from their peers. Blending elements of mellow, post/prog guitar leads and large passages that allow for deep reflection and a calm before the storm, GRID walks us through our environment and what it means to be here in this moment of time.

To open your eyes or stare into a future void is a choice. Mankind can neglect history but Mother Earth will reveal our truth in her own time.
~ Bobby Rayfield (Monuments In Ruin)

INTOLERANCE – WAKING NIGHTMARES OF AN ENDLESS VOID
Black, death, extreme metal
Zaragoza, Spain
Memento Mori / Godz Ov War Productions

INTOLERANCE takes us deep into the dark world of gruesome death metal with Waking Nightmares of an Endless Void.

Shrouded beasts manifest, double bass drums thunder, blast beats fire and guttural voices growl from the ever darkening edges of these death metal crypts. Crushing with the weight of all that goes bump in the night, these songs manifest visions of rotting sugarplums. Molding and decay stricken, the riffs are relentless with time changes. Jumping forward with hyper speed and suddenly shifting to slower paced brutality.

Prepare for a crushing blow of death metal as it is meant to exist. In the dingy, the web covered darkness.
~ Bobby Rayfield (Monuments In Ruin)

KRYPTICY – THE NON-RETURN
Death Metal
Málaga, Spain
Memento Mori

Make no mistake, The Non-Return by KRYPTICY upholds the traditions of extreme, brutal death metal with a take no prisoners approach.

Machine gun snare assaults, guttural groans from a spike wielding cookie monster and high speed, blistering riff after riff is exactly what is in store for anyone brave enough to bring KRYPTICY into their homes. When it comes to death metal, there is little deviation from the classic model. It is done with the utmost discipline and is sure to slice the flesh of all who dare walk too close to their blade.

Racking in bonus points with a straight up, “Blech”, my favorite lyric, featured in multiple places throughout the album so you know this party is gonna get ripped!
~ Bobby Rayfield (Monuments In Ruin)

KVELE – FROSTBITTEN APOCALYPSE
Black Metal
Athens, Greece
Metal Throne Productions

Gripping and unforgiving Black Metal, the way it was intended to be. Mid-throaty scowls and blistering guitars combine to a fever pitch dripping with scathing anger. There are a lot of BM projects out there, but these guys have and give just a bit more of themselves, and it shows in this album.
~ Eric “AsthmaGoat” Crowe (Doomsayer Records / Halo Of The Goat Radio)

LORDS OF FORM – HYPNOTISE THE WORLD
Space Rock, Heavy Psych
Brighton, UK
The Bare Bones Corporation

Psychedelic Warlords load your orgone accumulators onto your silver machines and set your controls for the Hall of the Mountain Grill for you are in for some Hawkwind-esque excellence, which is not surprising given that the man behind this excellent mind-fuck of an album once played for them.
~ Frazer Jones (Desert Psychlist)

MAGMAKAMMER – BEFORE I BURN
Stoner, Doom, Psych, Rock
Oslo, Norway
Evil Noise Recordings / Kozmik Artifactz

Every release by MAGMAKAMMER has further solidified them as an all time favorite band of mine. This is a perfect blend of raw garage rock and proto-doom that I hope to hear more of soon. 10/10
~ Ryan Hilton (Black Throne Productions)

MAGMAKAMMER’s highly-anticipated album Before I Burn has a seamless, serpentine flow that fills each of its eight tracks with smoke, catchy hooks, disembodied spirits, and a delicious sense of apprehension. Utilizing their signature blend of scuzzy, proto-doomy psychedelic grooves with the raw, vintage sound of garage and occult rock, MAGMAKAMMER delivers something altogether haunting, retro, impassioned, and addictive.
~ Stephanie Zalta (DoomCakes, Screaming From The Heavy Underground)

MAGMAKAMMER’s new album, Before I Burn, masterfully channels old-school metal with their unique psychedelic garage stoner doom. The Norwegian trio’s evolution from 2018’s raw Mindtripper to this album showcases their growth in sound, production, and songwriting. Tracks like “Doom Jive” and “Cyanide Fever” highlight their diverse influences and abilities, blending doom, upbeat rhythms, and haunting vocals. Immersed in their craft, MAGMAKAMMER delivers a powerful, engaging tribute to classic metal while making it distinctly their own.
~ Ryan Foster (Slightly Fuzzed)

MEIFU – HAUNTED DREAMS
Heavy Psych, Stoner Rock, Doom
Florence, Italy
Argonauta Records

Some out there will stand bewildered and a little bemused by MEIFU‘s mix of eastern and western flavoured grooves and some may visibly pale when they hear the outlandish array of vocal tones that decorate those grooves but there will also be just as many out there transfixed and amazed that there are still bands like MEIFU willing to make music this dangerous, this risky and this good.
~ Frazer Jones (Desert Psychlist)

MOTHMAN AND THE THUNDERBIRDS – PORTAL HOPPER
Prog, Psych, Heavy Metal
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Mothman Records

Alex Parkinson is the mad genius behind the always fun and always a tad crazy project MOTHMAN AND THE THUNDERBIRDS, and he is back with the most complete and fully realized output to date in the form of the new album, Portal Hopper. The band’s sophomore full length is all over the place in the best sort of way, leveraging everything from prog, to shoegaze, to dream pop, to metal, and lots of stuff in between, but it’s never too much for the listener to digest and is an overall delightfully weird and fun listening experience.
~ Rich Piva (Musipedia of Metal, FuzzDoomRip)

MOTHMAN AND THE THUNDERBIRDS is an experimental and ever-evolving project by Alex Parkinson. With the help of a few talented friends and family members, Alex has orchestrated a real adventure in sound that captures the purest elements of progressive rock, heavy metal and pop-punk in the form of a true concept album, Portal Hopper.

This album is by far one of the purest concept albums I’ve hear in a long time! The story that leaps across each track is an exciting sci-fi journey filled with high action moments that have the feel of a medieval hero’s tale. With the blend of prog-rock, pop-punk, doom-metal, and classic rock, this album appeals to a wide range of listeners.

Portal Hopper is fun, meaningful, heavy, and sparkling!
~ Jipsy Froud (CleanAndSoberStoner)

NEL BUIO – NEL BUIO
Blackened Death Metal, Darkwave
Milan, Italy
Avantgarde Music

Very interesting blend of Blackened Death Metal and Dark / Blackwave, straight out the gate. Powerful and commanding the listener through dense layers of dread and immense hatred, mixed with the bittersweet melancholia that secretly and sometimes overwhelmingly dwells within us all.
~ Eric “AsthmaGoat” Crowe (Doomsayer Records / Halo Of The Goat Radio)

OCTOPLOID – BEYOND THE AEONS
Death, melodic, progressive
Helsinki, Finland
Reigning Phoenix Music

If Bolt Thrower is the album you want to take into battle, Beyond The Aeons by OCTOPLOID is the triumphant soundtrack to your return.

Undeniably top notch production, monstrous death metal roots and a massive soft spot for all things victorious, OCTOPLOID brings all of the classic elements and aggression of angry Amorphis blending it with a touch of early era Anathema for a batch of jams that consistently requests the volume keep getting louder. Around every turn, the listener sinks into the pure and precise attack. Moderate pace, clean transitions and head nods for days.

Raise those glasses because this album is fit for the unvanquished and thirsty metal fan.
~ Bobby Rayfield (Monuments In Ruin)

OLD HORN TOOTH – MOURNING LIGHT
Heavy, doom
London, UK
London Doom Collective

OLD HORN TOOTH accomplishes something with Mourning Light that not just anyone can, bringing the perfect balance of heavy crushing doom cradled by sorrow while being deceptively beautiful at the same time. The soaring vocals and lyrics of positive reflection produce a triumphant feel over the void of the despairing doom dusted riffs and slow trudging tempos. The spaces in between vocals are filled with rises and falls, from a slowed stillness to epic builds guiding your ears from anticipation to elation.

The title track sounds like it could be on an early Spirit Adrift album and has a tone of melancholy but forever optimistic with a sense of hope buried beneath the anguish. With their most cohesive and polished work to date, OLD HORN TOOTH continues carving their own path and have reached new heights with Mourning Light.
~ Jon McGough

Open up the doors and windows to welcome the neighborhood with the tsunami of psychedelic doom known as Mourning Light by OLD HORN TOOTH.

As the tempo is steady with a slow, leisurely pace through the album, the song lengths allow the listener to sink deep into the riffs. There is a nice arc with the songs that allow a bit of breath and reflection. The consistent flow tends to create a type of hypnotic meditation. Opening the mind to wander a bit while not getting worn out by the main theme, added low and drifting segments indulge the thought process to restore harmony. The songs are absolutely crushing with a steady thunder pushing every chord. Fans will need to be patient in listening but the reward is well received.

Doom fiends who prefer clean vocals should take note. These riffs are massive and the vocal style is very mellow and easy to digest.
~ Bobby Rayfield (Monuments In Ruin)

PARTHOLÓN – THE OCEAN POURS IN
Progressive Sludge
Ireland
Ripcord Records / Fiadh Productions

PARTHOLÓN creates superb Post-Metal with a pinch of hardcore vocals that make for a killer mix. Tone-wise, very much in the Neurosis neighborhood, which is fine by me, seeing how they are probably finished anyways. Anyone into Amenra or Neurosis should gives these guys from Ireland a go, they would appreciate you for it.
~ Eric “AsthmaGoat” Crowe (Doomsayer Records / Halo Of The Goat Radio)

PATRIARCHS IN BLACK – VISIONING
Doom metal, Heavy metal
New Jersey/New York
Metalville Records

Their sound is best described as a hybrid of doom and more traditional forms of metal but it’s dynamic enough to include twists to the formula while keeping their core sound intact. I will say the use of viola, performed by JONATHAN ENG on “Entry,” and “Birth” are two of those said twists and a very welcomed respite among the heavier hitting songs. “Birth” also includes keys and acoustic guitar…it’s a short but very well written instrumental piece. I hope in future releases, Dan and Johnny can incorporate these elements even further, perhaps into full length songs that take advantage of everything the two have to offer.

Hell, there is even blues mixed in with all this, as showcased wonderfully in “Whiskey On My Mind.” That main riff is fan-fucking-tastic, totally nails the link between blues and old school bands like SABBATH and PENTAGRAM. Vocalist Frankie and bassist Sal complete the package, each of them offering a huge emotive impact. “Welcome To Hell Again,” and “A Few Good Men,” are two more killer songs, incorporating non-traditional elements into the band’s doomy sound. Both songs are absolute bangers and feature rapping and a hip-hop energy that is hard to ignore. The songs still have massive, thick riffs and strong rhythm sections; the combining of the styles lend the songs a crossover/hardcore feel as well.
~ Justin Wittenmeier (Metal Temple, DoomedForMetal)

SACRI MONTI – RETRIEVAL
25922 Points
Psychedelic rock, stoner rock, hard rock, rock
San Diego, CA, USA
Tee Pee Records

San Diego psychedelic/progressive quintet SACRI MONTI is back with their third studio album, Retrieval. This beautiful album is packed full of some of the most legitimate retro sound you’ll ever hear from start to finish. Not only that, but its lyrical storytelling dances with its instrumental progressions in such an immersive way that you’ll be gleefully transported to another time and place, one that you’ll be reluctant to leave.
~ Stephanie Zalta (DoomCakes, Screaming From The Heavy Underground)

SACRI MONTI has become one of my favorite contemporary bands in a very short time. How could they not? They play crazy and wonderful 70s soaked psych prog with organ and a sound that is right out of a 1974 recording session. Checks pretty much every box for me. You like Hawkwind but prefer more Hammond? Got you here. You like Deep Purple but want them to step it up and freak out more? Got you here, too. There is even a little bit of Grand Funk in these guys. The production on their albums to date is exactly how the San Diego, CA band should sound. Never, however, does the band ever sound anything except new and fresh, and this point is proven to be 100% true on their new record, Retrieval, which reconfirms the status of the band as in my top tier and then some. Retrieval makes me somehow love SACRI MONTI even more, which is a pretty big feat. Retrieval is six tracks of heavy prog psych perfection.
~ Rich Piva (Musipedia of Metal, FuzzDoomRip)

SARAJAH – SARAJAH
2915 Points
Proto Doom, Traditional Doom
Finland
Argonauta Records

SARAJAH is a doom metal band from Finland who formed in 2010. This self-titled album is their full-length debut; they also released a demo in 2017.

The band’s sound is a more traditional style of doom, a stark contrast to the other members’ bands. Both vocalist Magus and drummer H.Wizzard are from Fimir. Guitarist J.H. is the musician behind Shades of Deep Water and In Depths of Winter.

Still, while SARAJAH may lack the extreme elements of the aforementioned bands, they are still doom and just as heavy in their own way. J.H. and bassist/second guitarist Jeff Pekkilä bring riffs for days. Each song captures the classic feel of old school Doom through the worshiping of thick, fat riffs that go on for days. H. Wizzard’s drums are as impenetrable as the guitars, offering a meaty approach that is powerful and vibrant.

Traditional doom isn’t usually known for its vocal prowess but Magus is an absolute beast. He doesn’t use filtered vocals, an overly gruff speaking voice, high pitched wails, or any other doom trope. Simply put, he sings his ass off with an expressive, deep voice that sounds convincing.

Ultimately, the individual performances are something to behold. Concentrating on listening to just any one instrument will provide a highly engaging trip—just really killer instrumental prowess here. So much traditional doom ventures too far into stoner and becomes blinded by its own fog. Not this album; it doesn’t sound sleepy, hazy but instead vigorous and hungry.

The production is solid–nothing flashy but that’s not what this style needs. The important thing is the low end is mixed in perfectly and none of the instruments drown out each other. It has an open sound, a lot less confined than what some other traditional doom bands bring to the table. In essence, although it’s obviously influenced by the legends of old, it has a modern sound to it.

The songs are, of course, centered around the power of the almighty riff but every instrument gets equal time to shine. I’d say despite how good each individual performance is, everyone is on board with making the songs whole. This is without a doubt an album that can be enjoyed either on a piecemeal basis or straight through. The 37 minute runtime, across eight songs, certainly helps with that.
~ Justin Wittenmeier (Metal Temple, DoomedForMetal)

SEASON OF THE WITCH – VOL. 2
Stoner, Doom, Blues, Psych
Norton, Virginia
Self-released

There is something going on in the mountains of Virginia, something special, SEASON OF THE WITCH aren’t your typical run-of-the-mill stoner doom. No, there’s something there, something lurking beneath, like a presence you feel hiding deep within the shadows just waiting to pounce out at you and rip your throat out. Maybe it’s the echo of the vocals hauntingly calling out to you? Or the lyrics that candidly speak to you of spooky things that go bump in the night? Perhaps the wicked power of the riff that compels you to listen to the devil’s music?

The pale moonlight bathes the Sabbatical boogie of ‘Coffin 4 Two’ with its eerie glow, highlighting the walking bass lines, the drum fills and crashes, and the reverberating vocals that play such a vital part in SEASON OF THE WITCH’s sound. My favorite track, the unforgettable ‘Mulberry Street’ with its gothic styled blues doom and shuddering vocals reads like an old southern ghost story, one you will not want to put down. SEASON OF THE WITCH are bewitching and enchanting, with their psychedelic blues-doom style on full display and Vol. 2 demands your attention with the specters of the dead and their stories now told.
~ Jon McGough

SHIPYARD – SWING BRIDGE
Stoner, Sludge, Doom
Geelong, Australia
Self-released

Amongst towering ocean monoliths, those creaking vessels slowly decaying at dock, you will find the massive weight of SHIPYARD‘s doom soaked undercurrent at play.

As slowly as the tide rises and returns to the depths, SHIPYARD brings low end rumblings forward from the depths. Rippled wavelets shimmer acoss what was once glasslike waters as sound waves break loose the sediment disguised platelets. As they shift and grind, it is a somber and monstrous sea creature that Swing Bridge brings to the surface. We now see the kraken rise and instantaneously behold its waking spoliation.
As if floating through a trancelike state, the somber tones connect with the surge of power to emit a tsunami of destruction.
~ Bobby Rayfield (Monuments In Ruin)

THOUSAND LIMBS – THE AUROCHS
Doom, sludge, instrumental
Auckland, New Zealand
Azathoth Records

Infused with uplifting emotion, The Aurochs by THOUSAND LIMBS has delivered a new path for the post-metal fan.
At times this feels like we are blasting into a progressive metal album. Blazing through riffs and high tide triumphant vibes. Then before we dive off of that cliff the direction changes to an extremely dark, gloom drenched powerhouse of slow monster sauce. The riff machine does not stop, either path we are taking. Take this mix of sounds, attach it to a post-metal undertone and the recipe has been set.

Fans of instrumental metal will be happy to read a report of no vocals present or accounted for.
~ Bobby Rayfield (Monuments In Ruin)

THUNDERDOPE – MOTORSATAN
Stoner Rock, Desert Rock, Heavy Psych
Berlin, Germany
Stonify Records

MOTORSATAN, my favorite Satan and Motor mashup since Cake released Satan is My Motor back in the late 90s. This song is decidedly HARDER, FASTER, and contains 1000% more Satan and at least 2000% more MOTOR. This album is a scorcher, non-stop heavy riffing all the way through! A super hard rocking EP that will leave you wanting more from this exciting new Dave Dinsmore project.
~ S Patrick Brooks (The Heavy Underground Farm Report, Outlaws of the Sun)

ÜGA BÜGA – YEAR OF THE HOG
Heavy Metal
Virginia, USA
Self-released

Simply put, I love this album! I’m horrified that someone looking for prime, raw, contemporary Heavy Metal might miss Year of the Hog. Anyone who complains that today’s music sucks simply hasn’t listened to this, especially if they have an ear for Traditional Heavy Metal. Listening to this reminds me of the first time I heard Savatage: it just feels so authentic and heavy while always being a good time. It’s all there: the leads, the insane drumming, the killer bass flying all over the place, and the vocals that sound like the band is having a blast. Stellar debut!
~ Scott Spiers (CleanAndSoberStoner)

WIZARD TATTOO – LIVING JUST FOR DYING
Progressive Metal/Rock
Indianapolis, Indiana
Garage Fire Recordings

WIZARD TATTOO is an Indianapolis-based progressive metal project from multi-instrumentalist Bram the Bard. The project blends in a ton of different styles….doom, progressive, black metal, jazz, and even grunge all find a place in this project’s highly unique approach.

Their latest release is their EP Living Just For Dying, a follow up to their debut full-length “Fables of the Damned.” With four tracks across a runtime of 20 minutes, this short but sweet mini-adventure packs a lot of interesting and highly engaging material.

I’m a firm believer that unique music needs to be promoted. Is this outside my wheelhouse? Definitely. Hell, it’s probably outside most people’s wheelhouse. But even if I didn’t like it (which I do!), I’d still be writing this because something this different needs to be exposed. I’ve always heard (and said it myself quite a few times) there is nothing new under the sun. For the most part, that still holds true, for better or for worse.
But every now and then…an exception rears its multifaceted head to prove me wrong. What I find most impressive about Living Just For Dying, is how cohesive it sounds! Each of the four songs sound different from each other but all fit into the overall atmosphere together.

The album opens with the title track and its acoustic leanings. The tones are deep and dense, providing a heavy factor in a stripped down way. The vocals are amazing–deep, Gothic overtones with a folky feel to them. The entire song has a singer-songwriter vibe to it but it works so well. A cello or violin (its hard for me to tell, sorry) is thrown in the mix too because, fuck it, why not at this point? But, again, it works. Bram’s songwriting and composition skills are obviously too on point to allow any one element to NOT work.

“The Wizard Who Loved Me,” is up next and brings more acoustic elements with it but in a much different approach. This is more of a prog-rock approach, featuring the vocals of Djinnifer. Her vocals are unique as well—lithe and ethereal but with a rock vibe to them as well. This is a moody song, having the atmosphere of a doom song even if, musically, it isn’t. The guitars are intricate during the middle half and lead into an emotive guitar solo. The ending is surprisingly foreboding, what with the low tones and flavorful drums.

The album does a 360 and offers a blackened song for “Tomorrow Dies,” featuring the vocals of Fausto Aurelias. If I played this for someone, they would have no idea it was the same band who offered the previous two songs. With that being said, and as I previously mentioned, the tone and atmosphere remains the same so even though it walks a completely different path, it comes from the same inspiration and moves towards the same destination. The vocals are raw and powerful, pairing well with the groovy black metal riffs. The song has moments of pure speed and aggression, offering as much searing guile as any actually black metal album.

The final song, “Sanity’s Eclipse,” is a fantastic opener because it brings the album full circle, offering many of the same elements the first song offered. This one has a higher sense of urgency, a certain trepidation I can’t quite put my finger on but can definitely feel it. The middle part is a heavy acoustic passage that has a sort of shamanistic feel to it. WIZARD TATTOO’s Living Just For Dying EP is a wonderful little piece of music that fits more ideas and dynamic textures into it than a lot of full-length albums can offer. This is such a different type of music that it deserves praise and fans of music, in general, will no doubt find a something to like here.
~ Justin Wittenmeier (Metal Temple, DoomedForMetal)

The Doom Charts July 2024 – Peroration Playlist…

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, MetalUniverse); 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); Jipsy Froud (CleanAndSoberStoner); 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); 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); S Patrick Brooks (The Heavy Underground Farm Report, Outlaws of the Sun); Stephanie Zalta (DoomCakes, Screaming From The Heavy Underground); Steve Howe (Outlaws of the Sun); Steve Woodier (Anointing The Sick); The Doom Oracle (Spectral Ecstacy); 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.