“Well, I knocked down on your door, baby
To see if you were at home
Your shade was down
There wasn’t even a sound
But something told me you weren’t alone
What in the world can a nasty dog do
But try to get next to you?”

~ ZZ Top (Rest in peace Sir.Beard…)

His signature backbeat was crucial to ZZ Top’s sound. Groovy, dirty and funky… Bluesy by default and a shuffle that would make all the bottoms ruffle. He had style and he had class! One of kind. And for five decades long the three amigo’s delivered their pure form of laidback, raw and steady rock in perfect form. And even we’ve been spinning a lot of ZZ Top now and especially those songs that showed Frank Beard’s excellence… There are always new albums being released by other stunning bands… We’re neck deep in August, releases from every month till January slapping us in the face… But there is still so much to listen to from the past months, right? Well… Here’s the Peroration Post for July 2026! Sporting eighteen freakishly good releases! Rock in peace, Mr Beard…

The following are words of adoration from Doom Charts Contributors, devotions to albums they could not stop spinning. Each month, our writers gather to celebrate the finest in doom, sludge, metal, stoner, progressive, psychedelic, and other heavy realms. Their selections are woven into the Doom Charts, published on the first Friday of every month. But some affections run too deep for the regular edition. Some albums fall just outside the chart, or inspire so many write-ups, and only one was chosen. Here, those excesses of love remain… Unfiltered, unbound, and still echoing… A few last words which hopefully will inspire you to listen to those albums…

ACIDSLOTH – IV
Sludge Metal, Post-Metal
Kraków, Poland
Interstellar Smoke Records

Raw, filthy and utterly crushing. ACIDSLOTH deliver a bleak trip through sludge and post-metal, where massive riffs collide with dense atmosphere and uncompromising heaviness. What makes IV stand out is the impressive vocal cast—seven different vocalists bring their own character to the songs, creating a surprisingly cohesive and immersive record. A dirty, suffocating journey that keeps pulling me back.
~ Marek (Dezarbuzator)

ACRÓBATA – TÉLESMA
Post-Punk, Prog, Jazz
Puebla, Mexico
Self-released

Coming in hot like the older, angrier cousin of At the Drive in, ACRÓBATA’s sprawling debut, Télesma hits full throttle in its first 10 seconds as the progressive drum beat of Pararrayos crashes into the intro’s beguiling, angular guitar riff and refuses to relent for the span of its 53 minute runtime. There’s a lot going on here: post-punk, hardcore vocals, frenetic jazz, psychedelia but the band bring everything together with a level of confidence and ability not normally found on a debut album. One of the year’s best surprises so far!
~ Ben Bellum (The Greatest Thing You’ve Never Heard)

BLUE RUMBLE – YOU’VE BEEN RUMBLED
Heavy Psych, Progressive Rock, Seventies
Zurich, Switzerland
Self-released

Whereas the band’s last album was an all-instrumental affair, the new EP, though still leaning heavily on instrumentation, is accompanied by the blues soaked, soulful vocals of Sara Mun. The addition of her alluring vocals to the already high level of musicianship truly pushes the band into new territory. You’ve Been Rumbled is a retro rock adventure through progressive and psychedelic textures, with swirling organ parts, a groovy rhythm section, and 70’s styled hard rock guitar. Fans of Graveyard and Siena Root should love this one.
~ Jon McGough (Stoner Rock Army, Stoner HiVe, Outlaws Of The Sun)

CANNABUS – RIDE THE BUS
Stoner Rock, Heavy Psych
Welland, Ontario, Canada
Black Throne Productions/Kozmik Artifactz

Hard to believe Ride The Bus is the debut from Ontario’s CANNABUS. They’ve been dropping singles and EP’s on us for years, building anticipation for the full-length Ride the Bus. Like a massive bong rip or a collision with a literal bus, this thing hits hard. A collection of fuzzy stoner jams, highlighted by a blues-influenced style of heavy psychedelia, CANNABUS delivers a debut that makes an immediate impact. The balance of instrumental and vocal-driven songs gives the album a welcome sense of flow, creating a sonic landscape you may find yourself happily lost in.
~ Jon McGough (Stoner Rock Army, Stoner HiVe, Outlaws Of The Sun)

GODS & PUNKS – A SHRINE BY THE SEA
Psych, Progressive Rock, Stoner
Rio De Janeiro, Brazil 
Electric Valley Records

The album starts a little slow, but I promise those that wait will be greatly rewarded. The buildup is an art form, with each layer adding depth and intensity. With its two twenty-plus minute tracks, A Shrine By The Sea is a fully immersive, story-driven conceptual experience. Just when you think you’ve taken in one breathtaking moment, another one emerges, and then another. It’s an ever-evolving emotional tapestry, revealing itself through intervals of atmospheric passages, captivating beauty, and discovery.
~  Jon McGough (Stoner Rock Army, Stoner HiVe, Outlaws Of The Sun)

GODS & PUNKS is a band that has consistently delivered sophisticated and well-thought-out concepts since its debut and the release of its first LP in 2017. Each album is conceived as a cohesive whole within a discography that leaves nothing to chance. It was therefore as a discerning listener that I welcomed A SHRINE BY THE SEA, their sixth LP. This time, the album revolves around two 21-minute tracks titled “The Lighthouse” and “Poseidon,” each composed of four distinct waves. The concept invites listeners on a long sea journey with all sails set—first guided by the lighthouse’s saving light, then tossed about by Poseidon’s capricious moods. Each new wave follows the previous one, bringing its own unique vibe, as atmospheric sea spray gives way to psychedelic gusts that themselves fade away in the face of the heavy, doomy scum. A truly perilous endeavor that would have led many to shipwreck, but GODS & PUNKS has once again pulled it off with tremendous talent!
~ Jay Baner (La Capsule Stoner)

HEALER – DESOLATION
Sludge Metal, Stoner Rock, Heavy Rock
Tours, France
Fléau Records / Ace Of Wands Records

Sensitive ears, beware! HEALER’s realm clearly lies within the territory of massive, powerful, and aggressive sludge metal. Amidst the rhythmic onslaught, having two lead vocalists and a backing one opens up the possibility for interesting variations, ranging from melodic clean singing to harsh vocals. The band has a melodic sensibility capable of smoothing out the chaos. Thus, life and hope find their way through the surge of energy. Admittedly, Desolation EP is only 17 min long, but given its level of density and quality, I recommend investing in this nasty little jewel.
~ Thierry “Pumpkin-T“ François (Metal Intégral)

HECKEL & JECKEL – CORBACS IN BLACK
Noise Rock, Rock, Alternative
France
Bitume Productions / P.O.G.O. Records

HECKEL & JECKEL‘s earlier releases always showed lots of potential and had their moments of pure dark joy, but it never really had that wow factor to me, even though I liked listening to them on occasion. ‘Corbacs in Black‘ is a different beast. From the abrasive, stonerized title track to the instrumental closer ‘FI’, that’s covered in a blanket of soothing psychedelia, everything clicks. You get noise, you get ferocious rock, a punk attitude, vocal deliveries that bend but never break and a diverse and chaotically coherent record that makes you want to press play again right after the album is finished. THE highlight from July 2026.
~ Ronny Dijksterhuis (Stoner HiVe)

HOLLOW DRIFTER – COLOURS IN TIME
Psych, Folk
Amsterdamn, Netherlands
Self-released

Its meditative qualities cannot be overstated… Buddha would approve. HOLLOW DRIFTER’s Colours In Time is a hazy drift through sun-drenched, rainbow-sporting landscapes where seventies psychedelia meets warm post-rock and something strangely indie. Morning Fog opens the ritual before the magnificent fourteen-minute Seasons, Ages, Legends… slowly blossoms from acoustic waters into a hypnotic psychedelic ascent. Cradlesong brings the journey gently home. Warm, atmospheric and quietly adventurous, this three-track EP reveals a gentler side of HOLLOW DRIFTER… And leaves you wanting more of that tranquility…
~ Joop Konraad (Stoner HiVe)

HOLYSTONE – ACCEPTING OMEGA
Doom Metal, Stoner Rock, Heavy Psych, Grunge
Melbourne, Australia
Self-released

In the stoner/doom vein, HOLYSTONE is a gem of the thriving Australian heavy psych scene. Their sophomore full length album, Accepting Omega, is a collection of tracks blending the power of pachydermic rhythms with fuzz-fueled guitars. Thanks to fairly complex structures, the band doesn’t rely solely on monolithic power, they also incorporate several psych, ethereal, or dreamlike passages. I won’t spoil all the strengths of this band, I’d rather let you discover that for yourselves on this brilliant album.
~ Thierry “Pumpkin-T“ François (Metal Intégral)

ILLWIND – THE UNFOLDING AT THE END OF LIGHT
Traditional Doom Metal
Lima, Peru
Personal Records

On their debut album, The Unfolding at the End of Light, ILLWIND espouse a type of traditional doom not often played these days and is rarely ever played at such a high level. The best doom record from South America since Mortajas? Their doom is slow, melodic, and emotive. The type that grabs the listener by the labels and refuses to let go. If you liked the new Warning album, if you’ve dabbled with Revelation (R.I.P. John Brenner), if you were Born too Late, ILLWIND is for you.
~ Ben Bellum (The Greatest Thing You’ve Never Heard)

IRATA – HUMAN
Heavy Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Alternative Rock
Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
Small Stone Records

Stoney alt rock trio IRATA packs a ton of variety on their fourth album Human. Within the eight powerful tracks you’ll find the perfect balance of tranquil respites, bursts of intensity, and exciting twists and turns. Generally speaking, the more laid-back songs on Human feature soothing 90s-era grunge and alternative tones, soothing vocal harmonies, and hypnotic melodies, reminiscent of bands like Torche. Conversely, the heavier tracks have a steely, spacey, Tool-esque progressive metal sound with crawling basslines and palpably tense atmospheres. The production is noticeably polished, but the recurrent stoner buzz and crunch of the guitar remind you that, at its core, Human is a raw underground rock album, giving me no doubt that these songs would sound incredible live.
~ Stephanie Zalta (DoomCakes, Screaming From The Heavy Underground)

IRATA‘s Human is a cool breeze in a meadow bogged down with overly used superlatives. Human has all the elements that make up stoner, grunge, and post-Rock genres without bearing overuse on the tropes. Human definitely stands tall amongst its peers and shines on a platform several have believed to go stale.
~ Turbo (Rich & Turbo’s Heavy Half Hour)

IRON SLAUGHT – METALLIC TORMENTS
Heavy, Speed, Metal
Tarbes, Occitanie, France
Self-released

IRON SLAUGHT definitely have an old-school notion about them, but I’ll be damned this album isn’t a non-stop banger. Everything about this is pure energetic fury: the riffs, the vocals, the tempo….the band burns through the songs like it’s the last thing they will ever do, and it translates amazingly well. What I like most about “Metallic Torments,” is that it is an album without pretense. IRON SLAUGHT wanted to write a balls out heavy fucking metal album and that is what they did. There isn’t any ambient passage, long drawn-out soundscapes, progressive notions or a multitude of styles. I enjoy music that incorporates all these things, but I don’t need every band to do it. IRON SLAUGHT’s desire to keep it old-school actually makes it refreshing in this aspect.
~ Justin Wittenmeier (DoomedForMetal)

REEKMIND – GLINTS FROM THE CREMATORIUM
Death-doom, Sludge
Sydney, Australia
Night Terrors Records

Since their debut Mired in the Reek of Grief, I’ve been awaiting whatever new foul sounds might spill forth from Sydney’s REEKMIND, and the new EP does not disappoint. Horrid, cavernous, epic death-doom mired in sludge and a claustrophobic atmosphere from the deepest, darkest corners of hell.
~ Kyle SB (Good Boy PR, Stoner HiVe)

SOOTHSAYER – THE UNBINDING
Atmospheric Doom, Sludge Metal
Cork, Cork, Ireland
Apocalyptic Witchcraft Recordings

Honestly, in my humble opinion, “The Unbinding,” blows the previous album away (which says a lot). There is less abrasive sludge on this album—the band is leaning more into extreme, ultra heavy doom a lot more. For me, there is nothing better. And it’s my review so let me have this win and celebrate with the band. It’s also much more cohesive, focused with elements of black metal and funeral doom. These dynamics make for an album that is quite arresting and filled with energy that ebbs and flows alongside tempo changes and a good variety of vocals.
~ Justin Wittenmeier (DoomedForMetal)

SVINDEL – DRÖMFEBER
Psychedelic Rock
Sweden
Ripple Music

I don’t need to speak Swedish to understand what these proto-psych and classic rock newcomers, Svindel, are all about. I just need to know that the songs on the band’s debut sound like they are from somewhere between 1968 and 1974, and it is wonderful. Raw proggy, psych rock with organ, skipping through the meadow one minute, back in the garage next, Svindel is the language I speak now, and I have become quite fluent. 
~ Rich Piva (Musipedia of Metal, FuzzDoomRip, Rich & Turbo’s Heavy Half Hour)

THINNING THE HERD – UNSETTLED DEBT
Doom Metal
New York, USA
Self released

THINNING THE HERD (linked up with Wino!) delivers one of the year’s most rootsy doom albums! Unsettled Debt is truly charged with emotion. Through the music and the lyrics, I can feel a kind of struggle between contemplation and torment. I unconditionally love the raw vibe of this doom, tinged with blues, proto-metal, and psychedelia. If, like me, you’re sick to death of the polished, sanitized, commercial productions that strip Rock of its soul, find refuge with TTH!
~ Thierry “Pumpkin-T“ François (Metal Intégral)

TROY THE BAND – (DES)
Doomgaze, Noise Rock
London, UK
Self-released

The release of (des) is an interesting yet undeniably opportune time to stumble upon doomgazy noise rockers TROY THE BAND. After the release of their debut album Cataclysm, the London group parted ways with their original vocalist. Since then, TROY THE BAND has been working with a prime selection of guest singers including Soozi Chameleone (ex-Dead Witches) and Matt Sutton (Tayne), adding a plethora of unique and talented voices to their sophomore release (des). While TROY THE BAND certainly makes use of some bleak, atmospheric tones throughout the album, I have to implore you not to balk at the word “doomgaze” here. There are an equal or greater number of swells of stormy intensity in the mix, stirring forces summoned as much from rumbling instrumental crescendos as the unfettered expression from each and every vocalist. Undertows of doom add an additional layer of darkness while blistering stoner metal movements contribute an unrelenting harshness that effectively completes the spectrum of moods explored on (des).
~ Stephanie Zalta (DoomCakes, Screaming From The Heavy Underground)

UNDERTONG – SELF TITLED
Stoner, Psychedelic Rock, Doom
Prague, Czechia
Self-released

For me, UNDERTONG has been a great discovery this July. The Prague-based quartet has just released an awesome self-titled debut album. Without claiming to reinvent the psychedelic stoner-doom genre in which they operate and they master perfectly, they deliver a raw album that blends their musical influences and creativity with a healthy dose of sensitivity. It is the perfect recipe for a sincere, powerful result that never leaves the listener bored, yet never resorts to easy clichés. A devilishly effective debut album!
~ Jay Baner (La Capsule Stoner)

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); Ben Bellum (The Greatest Thing You’ve Never Heard); Bob “Mr. Weird Beard” Baker (More Fuzz Podcast); Bobby Rayfield (Monuments In Ruin, Inherent Records, Mystery Pick); 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); Günther “Doktor420” (Stoner HiVe); Hugh Jones (The OG Metal Prophet, The Prophet’s Heavy Underground); Jamie Laszlo (Sea of Tranquility); Jay Baner (La Capsule Stoner); John Gist (Vegas Rock Revolution / The Doomed & Stoned Show); Jon McGough (Stoner Rock Army, Stoner HiVe, Outlaws Of The Sun); Jonny Pirie (Hour of the Riff); Joop Konraad (Stoner HiVe); Jukka ‘Shrike’ Kolehmainen (Shrike’s Listens); Justin Wittenmeier (DoomedForMetal); Kyle SB (Good Boy PR, Stoner HiVe); Marc-Eric Gagnon (Stonefly Effects); Marek (Dezarbuzator); Mitch Kline (DoomyRiffs.com); Remco van Hattum (Riffsniffer); Remi VL (Remi Post Too Many Links); Rich Piva (Musipedia of Metal, FuzzDoomRip, Rich & Turbo’s Heavy Half Hour); Rob Hammer (Rob Hammer, Doom/Stoner/Sludge/Psychedelic); Rod Reinhardt (Captain Beyond Zen); Ronny Dijksterhuis (Stoner HiVe); Ryan Foster (Slightly Fuzzed); Stephanie Zalta (DoomCakes, Screaming From The Heavy Underground); Steve De Rique (Howls from The Hollows, Doomed & Stoned, Stoner HiVe); Svempa ‘Doomsday Jesus’ Alveving (Cries From The Underworld); Thierry “Pumpkin-T“ François (Metal Intégral); Tom Schmahl (Rock Circuz) & Turbo (Rich & Turbo’s Heavy Half Hour)

Feel free to send in your albums to stonerdoomcharts@gmail.com where they’ll be delegated to all the Contributors 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 and your favorite albums.