“The doom lies in yourself, not in your name.” ~ J.R.R. Tolkien (The Children of Húrin)

It doesn’t matter where you wander, you always take you with you. Change your name, change your clothes, change your city. Broken, bent, torn, shattered, doomed… it all goes with you. Remember though, so do the smiles, laughter, those loud sounds of doom. For some, when the music is loud enough, heavy or powerful enough, it can fill in the splintered, spiderweb cracks. Sonically shudder the broken back to whole. Compel you to smile, laugh, or gaze in amazement at how insanely talented some humans are. Those who create such powerful sounds that let you forget for even a moment the doomed state of things in or surrounding us all.

We find that dark, lung-melting beauty and present it all math-pretty in a list for you to pluck out, tune in, and zone on. Compiling newer music we’ve found, heard, and loved, a tallied collection of 25 heavy music options are shared for you to discover here each month on the Doom Charts.

A cool, crisp list is here for September, as this month there are ELEVEN new albums in their debut appearance, and quite a bit of movement on the charts! All these incredible releases to peruse, listen to, and share with like-minded, music-hoarding lunatics such as yourselves. Go on and get your soul whole.

~ Leanne

Welcome to Doom Charts, representing some of the finest bloggers, journalists, radio and podcasters, and album reviewers from the doom-stoner-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…

25. WAR CLOUD – WAR CLOUD / NEW!

(Oakland, California, USA)

War Cloud expertly navigates through the dirty waters of heavy rock and early metal. Never colliding with either one and staying their very own course the entire length of the way. It makes you want to join their merry band of pirates, because every one of those eight tracks on the record is killer! Killer to a fault!

~ Joop Konraad (Stoner HiVe)

GET IT HERE

24. MOTHER ENGINE – HANGAR / NEW!



(Plauen, Saxony, Germany)

This album continues Mother Engine‘s loose theme of cosmic journeying that formed the band’s first two albums. With four songs split into movements that flow seamlessly into each other, a shifting of gears through a smorgasbord of differing dynamics, tempos and dramatics using not only melody as the basis for their grooves, but also dissonance and atonality. ‘Hangar‘ moves from harmonious and pleasant to discordant and ugly in a heartbeat, stunning!

~ Frazer Jones (Desert Psychlist)

GET IT HERE

23. SANHEDRIN – A FUNERAL FOR THE WORLD / NEW!

(Brooklyn, New York, USA)

Power! That’s the word for this album. Pure, unadulterated power in every song, fueled by powerful female vocals. A true standout in the genre.

~ Paul ‘Papa’ Rote (Doomed & Stoned)

GET IT HERE

22. BLUES FUNERAL – AWAKENING



(Houston, Texas, USA)

What about “Awakening”, the new lifeblood of this Texas quartet? The key word is MELODY. Strong, solid, reverberating and abrasive melodies whip our ears, while wrapping us in a warm embrace. Blues Funeral’s creative and emotional ability to play the melodic factor is something grand and stony, serving as a pillar to sustain the quartet’s main power as its other gifts are gathered and unveiled throughout the listening of their songs. Peeling layers of an onion. In 2017, the band skillfully takes back from past decades’ electrifying and generous musical layers to form their revivalist and passionate sonority, with a respectful service of homage paid to the great names of the past in an apparently worn-out genre that was worn to exhaustion.

~ Matheus Jacques (October Doom)



GET IT HERE

21. KAL-EL – ASTRODOOMEDA



(Stavanger, Norway)

Stoner Metal with Doom vibes make this a must for any Monster Magnet or Sabbath worshipers. With a thick, heavy sound and riffs that get my head nodding, the sci-fi lyrics complete this trip into deepest space with impressive results. Buckle up kids, this is a cosmic trip with fuzz-boxes set to kill and a spaceship powered by amps cranked up high.

~ Tony Maim (Black Insect Laughter, Stoner HiVe)

GET IT HERE

20. DEMON EYE – PROPHECIES AND LIES



(Raleigh, North Carolina, USA)

As much as I dug ‘Tempora Infernalia‘, this record is a big step forward. Fans of Pentagram, Deep Purple and fuzz-drenched 70’s riff rock will have a hard time finding something not to love on this Carolina quartet’s third album.

~ Gruesome Greg (Hellbound)



GET IT HERE

19. KADAVAR – ROUGH TIMES / NEW!

(Berlin, Germany)

Kadavar show no signs of slowing down on their fourth release. They continue with their signature sound, but seem to have perfected it. Immense bass lines overladen with seventies style melodies are a tonic for the soul during these ‘Rough Times‘.

~ Paul ‘Papa’ Rote (Doomed & Stoned)

GET IT HERE

18. HOWLING GIANT – BLACK HOLE SPACE WIZARD: PART 2



(Nashville, Tennessee, USA)

After a very solid debut EP, Howling Giant delivers riffs for days on the second ‘Black Hole Space Wizard’. It’s kinda like taking a space capsule back in time to 1999 and mainlining the MeteorCity and Man’s Ruin back catalogues… all in one sitting!

~ Gruesome Greg (Hellbound)

GET IT HERE

17. CITIES OF MARS – TEMPORAL RIFTS



(Gothenburg, Sweden)

So, the Swedes are dominating the Doom / Stoner Metal spectrum again. Cities Of Mars, with their excellent new album. Heavy, spaced out tunes that draw influence from Kyuss, Mastodon and Monster Magnet. Songs, such as Envoy Of Murder and Children Of The Red Sea, perhaps bring their spaced out moments to the forefront of the action. With heavy, progressive, stoner sounds adding a sense of urgency that will last an eternity. Science Fiction is a big theme with this album. Though, let’s stick with real life facts. It’s because of albums like this why Sweden rules the world in the realm of Doom / Stoner Metal.

~ Steve Howe (Outlaws of the Sun)

GET IT HERE

16. SASQUATCH – MANEUVERS



(Los Angeles, California, USA)

On June 20th, 2017 numerous reports of a loud, earth rumbling noise came across the scanners, platelets shifted and clouds parted. The crushing sonic boom revealed itself later that morning as it crested the far reaches of the planet, rumors of Sasquatch plagued the airwaves and ‘Maneuvers‘ was exposed as a fifth wave invasion. Sasquatch successfully maneuvers, indeed, through a perilous flat spin of grandiose fuzz. Powered by progressive, stoner distortion and state of the art vocal delivery, the bearded beast of the desert engages its target and deploys a massive assault of absolute riffage. The pilot was the only survivor. He’s got the need. The need for speed!

~ Bucky Brown (The Ripple Effect)



GET IT HERE

15. GREENBEARD – LÖDARÖDBÖL



(Austin, Texas, USA)

They say the third time is the charm and Greenbeard have proven that statement with their latest offering. The Texas trio have taken their blistering stoner riffage to new heights melting faces with bluesy psychedelia, precision vocal tones and a radiant progression of song craft. The artwork continues on the theme of badassery with another example of supremacy. You can’t afford not to grab the first press on vinyl…

~ Bucky Brown (The Ripple Effect)



GET IT HERE

14. OLDE – TEMPLE



(Toronto, Ontario, Canada)

With ‘Temple’, Olde have picked up exactly where they left off with their hammering 2014 debut “I”, except this time around they have increased the damage levels right across the board. This is a tough, menacing outing with no reprieve. Doug McLarty’s aggressive vocals hit the mark with a hardcore style reminiscent of those in Pro-Pain, a cathartic bludgeoning over the sledgehammer drumming (those drums really do sound like they’re right in your lounge room at times, so good!). Cannot recommend this album highly enough – give the title track ‘Temple’ a listen and you’ll be instantly hooked. Vinyl available on STB records, don’t sleep on this one…

~ Clint (Hand of Doom Radio)

GET IT HERE

13. WARFARING STRANGERS – ACID NIGHTMARES (COMPILATION) / NEW!

Sometimes an album comes along at just the right time and blows you away unexpectedly. For me, the latest album to do that is the Warfaring Strangers: ‘Acid Nightmares‘ compilation (Numero Group). I had already started on a kick of seventies “downer rock” through the latest installment of Riding Easy Records’ ‘Brown Acid’ series, as well as digging into bands like Cactus, Dust and Granicus. I had only begun to scratch the surface when this compilation of obscure 70’s bands was recommended to me by a friend.

The first tune drew me in… the second, the third… a seemingly never-ending cascade of hallucinatory sound waves washed over me. By the time the vinyl arrived at my house and I got to see the cover and gatefold first hand (the most glorious album cover and packaging of all time), I was reaching for the quaaludes while snorting weed through a rusty exhaust pipe and began harassing people on the street with a switch blade in a dirty, bootleg Blue Cheer tie-dye shirt, while babbling on about how Jesus was following me around in a black helicopter and how he was going to kill me once I led him to my secret stash of velvet Elvis posters…

Yeah, this album is that good. Dig.

~ Pat Harrington (Electric Beard Of Doom)

GET IT HERE

12. WOLFTOOTH – WOLFTOOTH / NEW!

(Richmond, Indiana, USA)

Some bands need a whole career to make an impression. Wolftooth only needs three tracks to impress on an epic scale. With a unique blend of stoner, 90’s alternative rock and some goddamned heavy riffs, it makes this band worth all of our attention.

~ Magnus Tannergren (Into The Void Radio)

GET IT HERE

11. THE FLYING EYES – BURNING OF THE SEASON / NEW!

(Baltimore, Maryland, USA)

‘Burning Of The Season‘ is the most dynamic work of the quartet. The Flying Eyes have created a work full of quality. The balance offered by the album is perfect, knowing how to take the most incisive moments with others for reflection. A memorable heavy / blues record from start to finish.

~ Roberto Fuentes (La Habitación 235)

GET IT HERE

10. WITH THE DEAD – LOVE FROM WITH THE DEAD / NEW!

(United Kingdom)

Eight tracks, heavier, darker and more evil than before. The first release was evil and dark, with this definite love for occult sounding doom. Well, ‘Love From With The Dead‘ adds to this a level of devastation and soul crushing gloom. Sludgy in nature, they drag and push you towards the edge of a massive quagmire.

~ Joop Konraad (Stoner HiVe)

GET IT HERE

9. TAIGA WOODS – TAIGA WOODS / NEW!



(Oslo, Norway)

The singable choruses may be what immediately grabs your attention, but it’s the superior musicianship from Taiga Woods that will keep you coming back for more. Percussive riffs, fluid solos, and unique arrangements make this one of the more memorable releases of the year. This Oslo outfit have put together a highly addictive offering of 70s hard rock with progressive and psych elements that’s best enjoyed cranked up in your car with the windows down. Highly recommended!

~ Bryan Coffey (Indy Metal Vault)

GET IT HERE

8. THE JUDGE – TELL IT TO THE JUDGE



(St. Louis, Missouri, USA)

Magnificent return of The Judge, heavy psych / blues and the crudity of that heavy sound that was born in the 70’s. The Judge shows us its analogical spirit, remembering the greatest of the genre. Like going back to the time of the great “Disraeli Gears” and seeing together Bruce, Baker and Clapton. One of the most explosive releases of the year.

~ Roberto Fuentes (La Habitación 235)



GET IT HERE

7. UFOMAMMUT – 8 / NEW!



(Tortona, Italy)

Ufomammut’s eighth studio offering is an immersive experience where each consecutive track embellishes on the previous one. Sinister, heavy grooves mixed with synth sounds create a sonic landscape that engulfs the listener, drawing them in deeper and deeper with every song. Undoubtedly their most cohesive and stunning release to date, ‘8‘ demands your undivided attention to fully appreciate it, and is best listened to uninterruptedly while sitting in complete darkness on some good quality headphones.

~ Bryan Coffey (Indy Metal Vault)



GET IT HERE

6. RED MOUNTAINS – SLOW WANDER



(Trondheim, Norway)

There aren’t that many albums that truly seem to open a door into a different universe. ‘Slow Wander‘ by the Norwegian Red Mountains is one of those albums. It shows you majestic vistas of ocher colored mountainous terrain, filled with large, tumbling, gravel hills and rolling valleys of mellow, psilocybin-rich flowers, ready for plucking. It’s psychedelic rock with this dark edge, progressive at heart and teeming with stoner inspirations, that never becomes oppressive, but shines in its wide and open landscapes. It inspires and leaves you longing for lone adventures through the wastelands…



~ Joop Konraad (Stoner HiVe)

GET IT HERE

5. THE BLACK WIZARDS – WHAT THE FUZZ! / NEW!



(Portugal)

Back with their second album, The Black Wizards play Classic Rock and Stoner with authority and power. Add some Proto-Doom and all is well. The riffs are as Sabbathy as you like without being too obvious, which of course means they rock like an out of control avalanche. Mid-paced songs morph into slow hymns of despair, but the melodic and fuzzed solos stop any signs of wrist slashing – instead you have the uncontrollable urge to start nodding and foot stomping. In a crowded genre of female-involved occult rock bands, The Black Wizards have cast their spell over me.

~ Tony Maim (Black Insect Laughter, Stoner HiVe)

GET IT HERE

4. THE NECROMANCERS – SERVANTS OF THE SALEM GIRL



(Poitiers, France)

Let’s be honest here, when Ripple Music signed French riff purveyors The Necromancers, most of us thought, Who? Well no one is asking that question now! The quartet from Poitiers, France seemingly arrived from nowhere to suddenly be the band everyone involved in the “underground” is talking about, due to the power and sonic impact of their debut release. “Servants of the Salem Girl” is a stunning six song opus packed with progressive-tinted metal grooves, sprinkled with a modicum of hard rock / stoner fuzz and a soupcon of psych and post-rock texturing, believe me when I say it doesn’t get much better than this!



~ Frazer Jones (Desert Psychlist)

GET IT HERE

3. RUBY THE HATCHET – PLANETARY SPACE CHILD



(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA)

Ruby the Hatchet return with another twinkling gem, defining their place in the top-tier of modern heavy rock. The psych factor showers us with retro glimmer, as the voyage of heavy madness pummels through smoking hot vocal fantasia and gravity defying groove. The band is firing on all rocket launchers with its most ambitious work to date. Go see them live and leave a transformed heather of outer worldly rock n roll.



~ Bucky Brown (The Ripple Effect)

GET IT HERE

2. YOUNGBLOOD SUPERCULT – THE GREAT AMERICAN DEATH RATTLE



(Topeka, Kansas, USA)

As expected, the new album by Topeka’s Youngblood Supercult is a total ripper. The blues are as heavy as ever, the psych factor overflowing with dusty fuzz, vocals grizzling with dreamy rigor, and mountains of riffs that rattle the stage like a wild mustang bucking through the Americana spirit world.

~ Bucky Brown (The Ripple Effect)



GET IT HERE

1. MONOLORD – RUST



(Gothenburg, Sweden)

Monolord comes back and do not fail, one of today’s most indestructible battleships. ‘Rust‘ takes the best of ‘Empress Rising‘ and ‘Vænir‘ and takes them to the highest levels of doom and psychedelia, embraced within a thick cloud of space rock, executions and progressions that show that Swedes have no rivals. Few can boast three discs of such high level and in constant evolution. Monolord spits in our face, without doubts, the best records to date.​

~ Roberto Fuentes (La Habitación 235)



GET IT HERE

Special thanks to the ongoing contributors to the monthly Doom Chart. You folks help give voice to the heavy underground:

A.S. Van Dorston (Fast n’ Bulbous); Bryan Coffey (Indy Metal Vault); Bill Goodman (The Evil Engineer); Billy Goate (Doomed & Stoned); Bucky Brown (The Ripple Effect); Clint (Hand of Doom Radio); Doktor420 (Stoner HiVe); Doombeard (DoomBeardZine); Frazer Jones (Desert Psychlist); Gram ‘Son of Sam’ Pola (Dirty Denim); Gruesome Greg (Hellbound); Ken Elliott (Heavy Planet); Leanne Ridgeway (Riff Relevant); Lucas ‘LK Ultra’ Klaukein (Stoner HiVe, You May Be Dead & Dreaming); Joop Konraad (Stoner HiVe); Lyk (Phantasmagoria); Magnus Tannergren (Into The Void Radio); Mari Knox Knox (Doomed & Stoned); Martin Petrov (Rawk’n’Roll); Matthew Thomas (Taste Nation); Matheus Jacques (October Doom); Mathieu Van Der Hert (Dutch European Stoner Rock); Melissa Marie (Doomed & Stoned); MeteorJadd (The Ripple Effect); Pat Harrington (Electric Beard Of Doom); Pat ‘Riot’ Whitaker (Riff Relevant); Paul ‘Papa’ Rote (Doomed & Stoned); Roberto Fuentes (La Habitación 235); Rod Reinhardt (Captain Beyond Zen); Samir Asfahani (Super Dank Metal Jams); Skip (The Burning Beard); Steve Howe (Outlaws of the Sun); Steve Miller (Vertical Chamber Apparatus); Steve Woodier (Shrieks From Below); Tanguy ‘Mr Fuzz’ Dupré (More Fuzz); Tony Maim (Black Insect Laughter, Stoner HiVe).

This September 2017 edition of the Doom Chart was tallied by Bucky Brown and edited by Leanne Ridgeway.