“Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me some HEAVY FREAKING RIFFS”
~ (Probably misheard quote from a trick or treater)
And such doom we have! 40 new albums, and many more voted on by the Doom Charts crew, are here to make you squirm with dark delight this spooky season. Don your blackest t-shirt, load up the candy bowl, and dim the lights, for doom is upon us!
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. SONOLITH – III / NEW!
39. ASTRODOME – SEASCAPES / NEW!
38. PEACH MELBA – MELTING FACE / NEW!
37. WIZZERD – SATURNALIA / NEW!
36. METHADONE SKIES – SPECTRES AT DAWN / NEW!
35. OLD BLOOD – MIDNIGHT CLIMAX / NEW!
34. CRIPTA BLUE – NO RETURN / NEW!
33. GOAT – GOAT / NEW!
32. EIGHT FOOT MANCHILD – DO SPIRITS RETURN? / NEW!
31. BOG WIZARD – JOURNEY THROUGH THE DYING LANDS / NEW!
30. CHAT PILE – COOL WORLD / NEW!
29. SANTA PLANTA – FROM THE TRAILS OF DESIRE / NEW!
28. HELL VALLEY HIGH – WELCOME TO HELL VALLEY / NEW!
27. KOSMODOME – AD UNDAS / NEW!
26. GRAND MAGUS – SUNRAVEN / NEW!
25. EYE OF THE GOLEM – NIGREDO / NEW!
1668 Points
Stoner metal, Doom metal, Sludge, Post-metal
Bologna, Italy
Argonauta Records
Ladies and Gentlemen, EYE OF THE GOLEM are happy to present themselves as a stoner band. Why not? But I must warn that this Italian band evolves at the darkest and gloomy frontier of stoner metal. The screamed or growled vocals come from the Sludge trend. The non-linear architecture of the compositions can be called post-metal modality. Nigredo reaches the critical mass of horror combined with darkness – probably the darkest album I have heard in 2024. It is a centipede from hell that insinuates itself into your ears, burrows down to the nearest artery and climbs up it to nestle in your heart that it will necrotize just for the sake of it. One of those scary pieces of metal that I dig so much!
~ Thierry “Pumpkin-Golem“ François (Metal Intégral)
24. BOZOO – BOZOO / NEW!
1680 Points
Stoner Rock, Grunge, Alternative Rock
Italy
Argonauta Records
Grungy stoner rockers BOZOO have made a remarkably strong entrance with their first full-length album. Providing ample variety, this album explores many styles such as punk, alternative, grunge, stoner/desert rock, a hint of progressive and 70s heavy rock, and a few surprises in between. However, I think the most compelling aspect of BOZOO’s full-length debut is the way it adheres to the theme of good versus evil, diving deep into the concept. The band makes very clever use of contrast to illustrate this idea, resulting in an involving yet mesmeric atmosphere that really draws you in, hooks you, and fully captivates. In this way, BOZOO succeeds in gaining the attention of both your ears and your brain, inspiring deeper reflection.
~ Stephanie Zalta (Screaming From The Heavy Underground)
23. CERTAIN DEATH – STRANGE GARDEN / NEW!
1860 Points
Proto Metal
Brooklyn, New York, USA
Self-released
Strange Garden by CERTAIN DEATH leans into a raw, rock-driven sound of proto-metal’s earliest influences. With gritty, organic riffs and a dark atmospheric edge, the album offers a refreshing homage to the foundations of heavy rock. A powerful, vintage-inspired experience!
~ Michael D’Amato (Playgroundz Rocks, D’Amato Production)
22. HERMANO – WHEN THE MOON WAS HIGH / NEW!
2259 Points
Heavy Blues, Desert Rock, Stoner Rock
California, USA
Ripple Music
There are many reasons why you need to get your hands on HERMANO’s when the moon was high…, but I’ll give you three…
1.) when the moon was high includes the first new HERMANO music released in almost two decades, in the form of two brand new singles.
2.) The album also includes four high energy live tracks with phenomenal audio quality that will make you feel like you’re right there in the crowd.
3.) It’s an HERMANO album.
Enough said.
~ Stephanie Zalta (Screaming From The Heavy Underground)
21. DEMONIO – ACID RAIN / NEW!
2288 Points
Psych, Acid Rock, Fuzz, Retro
Italy
Dark Hedonistic Union Records
I’m sure the readers of the Doom Charts are aware of this band but if not you’re in for a treat! DEMONIO has a fuzzy acid rock sound channeling the late 60’s and early 70’s with a Jimi Hendrix swagger combined with the psychedelic-blues sound of acts such as Sonic Flower. Creating a fuzzed-out retro feel on guitar while the vocals lay towards the back of the mix in a distorted haze, Acid Rain isn’t a doom and gloom occult album but rather an upbeat getting high with Satan and hitting the open road on your Harley type of album. Hit the throttle and let the road take you where it may, DEMONIO has your tunes covered for all your highway excursions.
~ Jon McGough (Stoner Rock Army, Stoner HiVe, Outlaws Of The Sun)
20. ORANSSI PAZUZU – MUUNTAUTUJA / NEW!
2313 Points
Psychedelic Black Metal
Finland
Nuclear Blast Records
ORANSSI PAZUZU‘s sound is akin to a dark-tentacled Kraken ascending from the depths of the Mariana Trench to ensnare and terrify the unsuspecting voyager. As with all OP releases, they deftly defy convention and constantly reinvent themselves and Muuntautuja is no exception: Huge swathes of fearsome riffs with an Industrial edge which unfurl, capture and squeeze the essence from your soul. Magnificent!
~ Stevie Reek (Howls from The Hollows, Doomed&Stoned, Stoner HiVe)
19. THE ELECTRIC MUD – ASHES AND BONE / NEW!
2352 Points
Stoner, blues rock, alternative, progressive
Fort Meyers, Florida, USA
Small Stone Records
The description from their FB page says “Hard charging rock and roll fused with elements of stoner and prog rock”. Although very accurate it leaves out the Blues element that they also have which is truly the icing on the cake for me on this very well written, executed and produced album. Those licks just rip through that thick af bottom end. This is the good stuff.
~ Andy Kovalcik (Bandcamp-NYP-Hard&Heavy)
18. SUN AND SAIL CLUB – SHIPWRECKED / NEW!
2610 Points
Punk, Stoner
Southern California, USA
Heavy Psych Sounds
SUN AND SAIL CLUB is the perfect intersection of stoner rock and punk rock. Back after nine years and coming at you from Heavy Psych Sounds, the new record, Shipwrecked, just rips it up non stop for twenty-three quick minutes. It doesn’t get much more supergroup on the stoner side, with Bob Balch of Fu Manchu on guitar, Scott Thomas Reeder of Kyuss/The Obsessed/Fireball Ministry on bass, and and Fu Manchu drummer Scott Reeder, combining for what you would expect some stoner riffs and desert grooves be generated from. What you get, however, when you add Tony Adolescent from his namesake band on vocals, is a straight-ahead punk as fuck record that starts the circle pit and doesn’t let up the entire time.
~ Rich Piva (Musipedia of Metal, FuzzDoomRip)
17. ACID ROOSTER – HALL OF MIRRORS / NEW!
2619 Points
Krautrock, Psychedelic Rock, Space Rock
Leipzig, Germany
Tonzonen Records
Psychedelic Krautrockers ACID ROOSTER have returned with their highly-anticipated album Hall of Mirrors. There’s an entire album’s worth of mind-bending goodness within the four tracks of this album, as well as four very specific vibes. Beginning with the pulsating acidic funk and surf rock undertones of Automat, Hall of Mirrors truly evokes the kosmische spirit. The remaining three tracks are longer and more atmospheric, painting soundscapes reminiscent of the vastness of space, the windswept desert, and daydream reveries. Whether you’re a seasoned Krautrock fan or are more of a casual listener, I’m sure you’ll adore the sophistication of Hall of Mirrors and the undeniable creativity this trio of musicians harnesses to bring their visions to life.
~ Stephanie Zalta (Screaming From The Heavy Underground)
16. DESERTS OF MARS – DEAD PLANET EXODUS / NEW!
2784 Points
Grunge, Stoner, Doom
Austin, Texas, USA
Self-released
Mars metal? How about Cosmic Grunge? Intergalactic Heavy Fuzz? Whatever you call it, the new record from DESERTS OF MARS is another big step up in the progression album to album for the Texas based band and is their best work yet. Dead Planet Exodus is a concept record that has a bit of everything you may want in your heavy rock, including a cool narrative to go along with all of those killer riffs and solos. Don your spacesuit and get ready for a heavy take off.
~ Rich Piva (Musipedia of Metal, FuzzDoomRip)
15. PLANET OF ZEUS – AFTERLIFE / NEW!
3055 Points
Stoner Rock, Stoner Metal, Heavy Rock
Athens, Greece
Ihaveadrum Records
Not all the best live bands make great studio albums and not all the best studio bands are great live so thank god we have PLANET OF ZEUS who excel in both the studio and on the stage. This, the band’s sixth studio album, may lack some of the raucousness of their earlier output but these guys can still kick ass when they want to and on Afterlife they kick A LOT of ASS!
~ Frazer Jones (Desert Psychlist)
14. DEER LORD – DARK MATTER PT. 2 / NEW!
3312 Points
Stoner rock, Doom metal, Heavy psych
Santa Rosa, California, USA
Self-released
DEER LORD is a stoner/doom band that delves deep into psychedelia and space rock atmospheres and Dark Matter Pt. 2 is one of the rare albums where every track is important. From the first song the quality is at its best and stays at its best until the last song. The sound is how we would idealize late 60s early 70s psychedelic proto-metal. Energy, groove, mastery, creativity explain why this brilliant album is #1 on my vote list.
~ Thierry “Pumpkin-Matter“ François (Metal Intégral)
13. SMOKE / DOOMSDAY PROFIT – SPLIT ALBUM / NEW!
3597 Points
Doom
Lynchburg, Virginia and Durham, North Carolina, USA
Olde Magick Records
New tracks on a split LP from SMOKE and DOOMSDAY PROFIT? Where do I sign up? How about on the Olde Magick Records Bandcamp page where the label is nice enough to offer you these slabs of heavy doom in multiple formats. I love split albums and I love them even more when they are as good as the songs that SMOKE and DOOMSDAY PROFIT bring to the table. Excellent heavy goodness from some of the best the U.S. has to offer on the doom front. Three each of all of the heavy and fuzzy doom that you could ever ask for.
~ Rich Piva (Musipedia of Metal, FuzzDoomRip)
12. BLACK ELEPHANT – THE FALL OF THE GODS / NEW!
5535 Points
Heavy Psych, Stoner Rock
Savona, Italy
Small Stone Records
BLACK ELEPHANT returns with a roar in 2024 following up their 1st album since 2020. These guys take the heavier side of heavy psych and turbo charge it with blazing guitar work by frontman Alessio Caravelli. The album leans a little more on the instrumental side of things on this release, but it never gets boring. Having witnessed these cats live at Planet Desert Rock Weekend IV this year, I can attest this is one damn good live band as well. If you dig action packed tunes with ripping guitar action then this is an album to tune into! If you are new to this band then you may have just discovered a new band to follow down the rabbit hole!
~ John Gist, (Vegas Rock Revolution / The Doomed & Stoned Show)
11. INCHE KAI CHE – TRANSMUTACIÓN / NEW!
5634 Points
Heavy Psych, Stoner Rock
Curico, Chile
Self-released
Chile when said in English sounds like “chilly” but there is nothing chilly about the South American country’s underground rock scene at the moment, in fact it is probably at its hottest! The hottest of the hot Chilean bands vying for our attention at the moment seems to be Curico’s INCHE KAI CHE and rightly so, they have not only released, in Transmutación, one of the best heavy psych albums to come out of the southern hemisphere this year, they have released one of the best albums to come out worldwide!
~ Frazer Jones (Desert Psychlist)
10. LOWEN – DO NOT GO TO WAR WITH THE DEMONS OF MAZANDARAN / NEW!
5642 Points
Doom
London, UK
Church Road Records
This is unquestionably my album of the month! LOWEN‘s sound is unlike anything I’ve ever heard before. Nina and Shem have created an album that will resonate through Time, Culture and Metal Music – A powerful and apropos narration of Persian Folklore that fans of Doom, Stoner and World Music alike should embrace! Nina is in the form of her life here: The Metal equivalent of Ofra Haza!
~ Stevie Reek (Howls from The Hollows, Doomed&Stoned, Stoner HiVe)
9. YOUR HIGHNESS – UNDER THE WEIGHT / NEW!
5850 Points
Sludge, Stoner Metal, Metal
Antwerp, Belgium
Polderrecords
Wow, the weight is heavy with this one! From the weight of the world carried upon Atlas, to the weightlessness of a single pinion, YOUR HIGHNESS embraces crushing attributes and beautiful melodies alike. Thick, de-tuned riffs occupy the entirety of the album, along with the chugging bass and the massive sound of the drums constantly hacking away at the skins, create an all-out assault. From groove-metal nods to faster tempos, no time signature is safe. Under The Weight isn’t just strictly a heavy sludge album though, there’s more going on than just that, the band sneaks in surprises and perhaps even some unconventional parts for bands that fall under the genre. Just listen to my favorite track ‘Celestial Burst’ and you’ll understand the complexities YOUR HIGHNESS brings to the table, throwing in acoustics, harmony guitar parts, and even a whistling part, all the while remaining true to their quest of heaviness.
~ Jon McGough (Stoner Rock Army, Stoner HiVe, Outlaws Of The Sun)
8. ODA – BLOODSTAINED / NEW!
6868 Points
Heavy, doom, psychedelic
Paris, France
Self-released
France is the brand-new land of heavy psych doom, period! We have cheese, we have wine, we have castles and now, we also have amazing and tremendous doom bands! Occult Hand Order, Witchfinder, Brüle and now, you can add the band ODA, from Paris. Bloodstained is their first album and their first masterpiece. Gritty riffs, end-of-the-world atmosphere, a beyond the grave voice… The guys completely understood what a psych doom album must be. Totally addictive and terribly gripping.
~ Damien Regnauld (Stoner Freaks Anthology)
7. RUFF MAJIK – MOTH EATER (THE LORE KEEPER’S BIBLE) / NEW!
7686 Points
Heavy Rock, Stoner Rock
South Africa
Sound of Liberation Records
Where many bands trading in heavy riffs would be content to limit their scope to just that, RUFF MAJIK have made careful song craft and thematic construction their calling card. Sure, there’s the ever present QOTSA influence, but if that’s all you see, you’re missing the damn point. With Moth Eater, RUFF MAJIK have once again managed to craft an album that begs to be listened to on repeat, that worms its way into your skull. The very opposite of disposable stoner; a memorable diamond amid the bloated Sabbathian glut.
~ Ben Bellum (The Greatest Thing You’ve Never Heard)
6. CORTEZ – THIEVES AND CHARLATANS / NEW!
7980 Points
Stoner, Doom
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Ripple Music
Boston’s CORTEZ have been bringing the stoner doom heavy since 2006, but now, in 2024, the band has created their best work with their new record, Thieves and Charlatans, brought to us via Ripple Music. The band has always kicked ass and has been one of the top tier outfits of the genre, but Thieves and Charlatans brings a complexity and a variability in styles that has not been as prevalent on their previous four other full lengths. Add that, with some next level songwriting and their usual killer playing, and you get the best CORTEZ record till date and an album of the year candidate.
~ Rich Piva (Musipedia of Metal, FuzzDoomRip)
5. VOKONIS – TRANSITIONS / NEW!
10848 Points
Progressive sludge metal
Borås, Sweden
Majestic Mountain Records
Transitions is a triumphant and deeply multifaceted expression of resilience, determination and unflinching bravery and this utterly massive new release from Sweden’s ever evolving VOKONIS is nothing short of stunning in its conception, performance and delivery. Transitions quite simply demands space, time and attention and submitting to its sheer power is a true and rewarding joy unlocked on the spectrum of modern, heavy rock. A must listen for fans of Mastodon, Baroness, and walls of chugging tone or anyone with a soul geared towards blindingly emotive progressive sludge with both incredibly harsh and melodic vocals. What a bloody masterpiece.
~ The Doom Oracle (Spectral Ecstacy)
4. HIGH REEPER – RENEWED BY DEATH / NEW!
10978 Points
Heavy Metal, Stoner, Thrash, Doom
Wilmington, Delaware, USA
Heavy Psych Sounds
Heavy Metal is alive and well and is delivered in its purest form by HIGH REEPER on Renewed By Death. Heavy Psych Sounds is not just stoner/psych/doom stuff, as they have tapped the metal vein for us here, pushing HIGH REEPER to give us our fix. The band has taken a huge step forward with their new record that has a very fitting title, as there is something in the eight tracks on the record that have a different spark and show a new lease on life for the band, as everything about Renewed By Death takes the Delaware four piece to the next level.
~ Rich Piva (Musipedia of Metal, FuzzDoomRip)
3. SANDVEISS – STANDING IN THE FIRE / NEW!
13880 Points
Stoner, Hard Rock
Quebec City, Québec, Canada
Folivora Records
This third album is simply a massive magic roller coaster ride, heavily inspired by all the things we truly love in music, some 80’s vibe here and there, on repeat for me since day one. This album in my book is their best work to date, I just love it musically and lyrically. If you really love hard rock then this one is for you, without hesitation will seriously become a cult classic.
~ ‘The General’ (Stoner Rock Army)
2. ROBOT GOD – SUBCONSCIOUS AWAKENING / NEW!
14340 Points
Heavy Psych, Stoner, Space Rock
Sydney, Australia
Kozmik Artifactz
If it seems to you that ROBOT GOD may have just released an album, don’t worry your mind isn’t slipping, the band did put out the album ‘Portal Within’ just this past April. You have to love it when a band’s creative juices are flowing so well that they drop two monster albums in just a year’s time, especially a high caliber band like ROBOT GOD. Whereas ‘Portal Within’ was spacey and ethereal, Subconscious Awakening is a heavier, more rock and riff-oriented album. It’s filled with explosive time changes, an intense vocal delivery, and mind melting lead guitar with the shortest song coming in at over eight and a half minutes. ROBOT GOD continue along their path of inventiveness and ambition creating an album that will expand your cerebral, unlock your subconscious, and awaken you from this mundane existence and the physical world that holds you in chains.
~ Jon McGough (Stoner Rock Army, Stoner HiVe, Outlaws Of The Sun)
1. ELEPHANT TREE / LOWRIDER – THE LONG FOREVER / NEW!
27054 Points
Stoner rock, Progressive, Doom
UK/Sweden
Blues Funeral Recordings
Fuzzed out, desert-drenched groove from Swedish heavy psych legends LOWRIDER merges with haunting psychedelic doom from London-based ELEPHANT TREE on their intense and emotional seven song split, The Long Forever. These two bands are in peak form, and their contrasting sounds come together perfectly on the intoxicating collaborative closer “Long Forever.” This is the split that broke my “no splits” rule.
~ Mitch Kline (DoomyRiffs.com)
Let us suck honey from the flowers, from the clusters in our hands. I am not necessarily a big fan of split albums, but there are always a few that are so perfect they become this holy grail of demonstration. Of showing off the most beautiful sides of the bands involved. Both LOWRIDER and ELEPHANT TREE have done this on The Long Forever. Sprouting into different territories, wildly blossoming and turning it into one of the most gorgeous releases both bands have ever done.
~ Joop Konraad (Stoner HiVe)
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, Inherent Records, Mystery Pick); 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 Doom Oracle (Spectral Ecstacy); Edouard Dubuisson (Les chroniques d’Eddy, MetalUniverse); Eric Crowe (Doomsayer Records / Halo Of The Goat Radio); Frazer Jones (Desert Psychlist); ‘The General’ (Stoner Rock Army) 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 (Stoner Rock Army, Stoner HiVe, Outlaws Of The Sun); 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); Michael D’Amato (Playgroundz Rocks, D’Amato Production); 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); Ronny Dijksterhuis (Stoner HiVe); Ryan Foster (Slightly Fuzzed); Ryan Hilton (Black Throne Productions); S Patrick Brooks (The Heavy Underground Farm Report, Outlaws of the Sun); Scott Spiers (CleanAndSoberStoner, Monster Riff); 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.
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