And then there was a sound. Like a bootheel on a wooden floor. A fist on the lid of a coffin. Slow at first. Then speeding up. Faster and faster until the sound became a furious barrage. And with it came the pure ecstasy of perfect recognition…

Indeed. It was my honor to work out the Doom Charts this month and much of the work it entails is quite fun. Listening to one of the many records voted for by one of the contributors. One you had not even heard of before the sweating for and laboring over the chart commenced. Sure, we all listen to an unhealthy amount of music over here. But no one ever claimed that we were health nuts or all encompassing. There is simply too much great stuff out there. But that is probably why we all go completely apeshit over one of those new discoveries. One of those albums that someone mentions with a certain glimmer in his or her eye. That spark of something wild and wonderful, just waiting for the needle to be dropped. And guess what, no less than fourteen new albums entered the charts this month! Fourteen of those records that will delight and envelop the listener in a glorious rapture…

Welcome to Doom Charts, representing some of the finest bloggers, radio and podcasters and album reviewers from the doom-stoner underground around the globe. Each month, our critics submit their picks for the best new doom-sludge metal and stoner-psychedelic 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. BLACK BLACK BLACK – Altered States Of Death And Grace / NEW!

Released March 25, 2016 / Rock, Hardrock, Punk, Stoner, Garage, Sludge / US

I remember that I instantly liked this album when I quickly stepped through the songs the first time around on their Bandcamp site. Unfortunately, I did not have the time to listen to the whole thing at that moment, but kept in mind that it sounded pretty promising. Now after some more runs and some more time I know what I liked, it’s the vocalist, he formerly sang in the unforgotten Cleveland band Disengage which I dug in the late 90’s, early 2000’s, when internet was young and mp3’s were spread with Napster or AudioGalaxy. Now, nearly two decades later I’m still glued stuck to the same music and still love it. Altered States Of Death And Grace is the second album, after the self-titled debut in 2013, from the New York four-piece Black Black Black. Nine of the ten songs are unusually short for stoner- or psychedelic rock. This and the shouting singer reminds you of (post)hardcore but there is always some Kyuss’ish desert rock shining through, with a slight taste of noise and punk’n’roll. ~ Doktor420 (Stoner HiVe)

GET IT HERE

24. MERCHANT – Suzerain

Released April 18, 2016 / Doom Metal, Sludge Metal / Australia

Australian Doom/Sludge Metallers – Merchant – create a bleak blend of Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal. Merchant show huge potential on their debut album Suzerain as they create highly progressive Neurosis/YOB style sludge/doom sounds with the band injecting an almost blackened sludge metal feel to the mix.

The production is handled superbly well as the album has a rich and heavy complex sound that only adds to the highly volatile atmosphere of the album. Second track Morning Light is another progressive nightmarish track sees the band change their sound between post-metal, doom and post-black metal. It’s quite a bass heavy affair with the pounding drums leaving you in a daze at times. The vocals and lyrical content are very bleak which more than matches the harsh sonic riffs being played around you.

Merchant have created a menacing and quite frankly punishing album. It doesn’t offer any easy answer though Merchant will have you coming back for more punishment as they have created a stunning debut album that is bound to get them noticed in the Sludge/Doom Metal scene. ~ Steve Howe (Outlaws of the Sun)

GET IT HERE

23. FARFLUNG – 5 / NEW!

Released 26 May 2016 / Rock, Space, Psych, Stoner / US

We had to wait no less than eight years after the superb A Wound In Eternity album to be treated to a new full-sized album by space rock motherfuckers extraordinaire Farflung! Which has been hard on the senses and on the heart, cause we’ve been in love with these crazies since first discovering them back when The Belief Module was released. But now they’re back with an intense space rock rollercoaster ride through the universe. Recorded among others at the fabled Rancho De La Luna studio and with aid from not only hero Dave Catching, but also Nik Turner (Hawkwind) and Gene Trautman (QOTSA, EOFDM) the new record entitled 5 is a true hallucinatory headspin! A highly mesmerizing vortex that does not let up for one minute. Starting with the opening track (thank you guys!) HiVe, the longest cut on the record, the psychedelic goodness washes over you with weird effects and you feel the potential energy build up as the catapult stretches and the arc almost becomes unbearable. The release is there, with the second track Proterozoic, but it feels subdued, as if the hill flattens out and you go straight on. The real dive and rush comes on once 044MPZ hits! What a rush! You woosh and swoosh through the corners and can’t wait for the corkscrews to come. And trust me they are there. With another slow climb in 27th Sun there is no holding back the Farflung cart after that. Even though on some level there is always that feeling that you might not be in the front cart of this ride. As if you’re watching yourself go through this, like a guest standing on the outskirts of the party, just beyond the glow of the campfire. Which makes it all the more weird and trippy… ~ Joop Konraad (Stoner HiVe)

GET IT HERE

22. GRAVES AT SEA – The Curse That Is

Released April 1, 2016 / Sludge / USA

Where to start with this thunderous epic journey? The sound… Immaculate production, the clarity and depth of every aspect of this album is exceptional – scathing dry vocals, orchestral riffing, and colossal drums. Plenty of light and shade throughout the album too, though satisfyingly it’s heavy on the shade. The heavy lightens up for a few minutes at the outset of the soundscape and interwoven melody of the 15 minute+ The Ashes Make Her Beautiful, a track which opens with some melancholic quiet moments before crashing in with a surging, majestic riff. The only other real let ups from the heavy comes in the form of ‘Luna Lupus Venator’, an interesting medieval viking sea shanty sounding interlude, and the last few minutes of Dead Eyes. The word epic falls a bit short in describing this album – every track is filled with twisted rhythms, exhaustive menacing riffing and cathartic lyrics delivered with venom. This album feels like an instant classic… ~ Clint (Hand of Doom Radio)

GET IT HERE

21. BUS – The Unknown Secretary

Released March 10, 2016 / Heavy Metal, Proto-Doom / Greece

Bus rides onto the doom scene , with a retro sound that blends the roots of power metal with the roots of doom. This could easily be a tribute to the first Angel Witch album from 1980 which is considered a legendary early doom classic . This album is full of energy and emotion and demands repeated listens ~ Paul Rote (Doomed & Stoned)

GET IT HERE

20. RED SPEKTOR – Red Spektor / NEW!

Released May 1, 2016 / Rock, Blues, Psych, Stoner / UK

After the hailed EP of the same name back in 2014, Red Spektor has officially delivered their debut full length album. If you liked the blazing psychedelic blues on the EP you are in for a treat. Not only does Red Spektor give us more smoking hot riffs tripping with bluesy swagger, but the live recording session showcases their jamming skills highlighting the groovy rhythms and trippy soloing. The distorted fuzz screams with precision and groove while the vocals howl as smooth as beach sand in the tone of The Heavy Eyes. Releasing on limited vinyl and CD through Kozmik-Artifactz later this month, Red Spektor have really made an impression in the first half of 2016 in the heavy stoner blues rock section. I’m most definitely going to be getting my hands on the vinyl, you should too. ~ Bucky Brown (The Ripple Effect)

GET IT HERE

19. CAMBRIAN EXPLOSION – The Moon / NEW!

Released May 8, 2016 / Doom, Rock, Stoner, Blues, Prog, Psych / US

Cambrian Explosion’s second EP “The Moon” taps into your soul, it’s sometimes soothingly smooth, sometimes startlingly jagged grooves swirl around you like an early morning mist enveloping you with its seductive warmth, filling your being with its shifting moods and colours, swathes of sound layered on top of each other to create a whole that at times is just breathtakingly beautiful and at others crushingly brutal. ~ Frazer Jones (Desert Psychlist)

GET IT HERE

18. HOREHOUND – Horehound

Released May 15, 2016 / Stoner Metal, Doom Metal / USA

An album by a band who only formed last year (2015) should not sound this tight, this focused and this bloody good! Pittsburgh’s Horehound have, over the course of seven superb songs, proven that if your band is good enough then it should not matter whether you have been together five minutes or five years! Horehound deliver stoner doom grooves drenched distortion and fuzz underpinned with solid tight rhythms and fronted by powerful and distinctive vocals. Harder, gnarlier and downright nastier than the current crop of female fronted bands inhabiting the “underground” rock scene Horehound play it real with feel and attitude. ~ Frazer Jones (Desert Psychlist)

GET IT HERE

17. BEASTWARS – The Death of all Things / NEW!

Released April 22, 2016 / Rock, Stoner, Doom, Metal, Sludge / New Zealand

The icy howl of the vocals. The rumbling crust-laden bass and thundering drums. Epic soundscape guitar… Always wrapped up in a huge sounding mix, this has become a signature sound that Beastwars have forged across their three albums. ‘The Death of All Things’ is unfortunately the final album from this killer band as they have called it a day, but what a high quality note to finish on. The record roars into life with Call to the Mountain and never looks back, hitting another gear with the lumbering riff that lurches into Devils of Last Night. Some reprieve mid album with a brooding acoustic number in The Devil Took Her, a bit of a departure from the Beastwars norm, then it’s lift-off riffscape into that menacing riffscape that Beastwars do so well. An incredible band, especially live – Matt Hyde is an iconic frontman in both voice and presence. ~ Clint (Hand of Doom Radio)

GET IT HERE

16. CURSE THE SON – Isolator

Released March 18, 2016 / Doom / USA

Lysergic rock soundscapes are pouring out of the majestic fuzz visceras of Isolator with sluggish fury and so they stun the senses, numb the body and intoxicate the brain with their abysmal doom aura and thanks to the rich talents of Curse The Son who sprinkle their grandiose heavy sound with hazy sludge touches and almost imperceptibly grunge hues and funk timbres that accentuate their muggy stoner aesthetics, we are offered an extremely heavy and almost irresistible album of high stoner/doom quality. Wonderful ~ Lyk (Phantasmagoria)

GET IT HERE

15. MESSA – Belfry / NEW!

Released May 6, 2016 / Ambient, Doom, Metal, Drone, Industrial, Occult / Italy

Spaghetti western doom is a term not often used to describe a band, in fact I just made it up right now. But that’s what you get with Messa. Their first foray into the popular conscious, ‘Belfry‘ is a sprawling hour long affair that moves like a spectral wraith across the badlands at dawn. It’s female fronted doom from Italy with a western twinge in places, or at least that’s what I hear. It’s all-new, all-different and it’s excellent. Picture Clint Eastwood as the Man With No Name pitted against John Carpenter’s The Thing and you’ll begin to understand what’s going on here. ~ LK Ultra (Paranoid Hitsophrenic)

GET IT HERE

14. ELEPHANT TREE – Elephant Tree

Releases April 22, 2016 / Stoner, Blues / UK

There’s a reason Elephant Tree will not be driven from these charts. Actually, there are several:

1. They Swing. It’s easy for a doom band to crawl, to plod, and (assuming a decent studio tech) to crush. But swing? Not just anyone can do that. And the thing about a massive, stegosaurus-tempo band who can simultaneously swing is that all sense of time goes away. Was that a four-minute song? Seven? Ten? Who knows? Who cares? That little bit of swing erases all sense of beginning and end, as though they’ve been ladling out warm, syrupy heaviness for eons.

2. They Sing. Things are different in the heavy rock underground than they were five or ten years back, when having the right level of thunderous fuzz was enough to account for a lacking lead throat. These days, engaging vox are a desirable component (thankfully), and even some of the most titanic mountain-movers are shoehorning in talented frontpersons… though not always successfully. (side-note on this: having a female singer does not automatically yield appealing and melodic vocals, people; she’s still gotta be enjoyable to listen to.) Elephant Tree traverse this realm effortlessly. I’m not entirely sure how many guys they have stepping up to the mic – the whole band may be taking turns at various times – but what I do know is that when the melodies start flowing, I hear a mix of Dax Riggs, Dorthia Cottrell, and David Gilmour. That’s an ear-charming goddamn mix.

3. They’re British. Look, I’m not saying they’re good just because they’re from England. A shitty band doesn’t become awesome just by being from the same island that produced Sabbath, The Beatles, and Floyd. But I’d be lying if I didn’t suggest that there’s something enchanting about that fact.

4. They Crush. I said earlier that any band can do this, but not if they’re doing the other three I mentioned (although I’m not sure how much attention being British really takes). These guys have the riffs. They have the scope. They have the un-self-conscious confidence to sculpt truckloads of bombarding, suffocating fuzz into compositions that glide and pummel at the same time.

I could go on, but there’s no need. Not to be dislodged from these premises anytime soon, Elephant Tree are the whole fucking package. ~ MeteorJadd (Ripple Effect)

GET IT HERE

13. ELECTRIC CITIZEN – Higher Time

Released March 18, 2016 / Hard Rock, Stoner Rock, Psych / USA

Born only three years ago… The young Cincinnati’s quartet is giving evidence at international level, to know how to juggle with the best in the Heavy-Rock scene, as their second album proves: “Higher Time” is the worthy successor of Saaten.

Guiding us in Higher Time is the hypnotic and fascinating vocal of Laura Dolan, undisputable protagonist in these ten energetic and fresh songs. Showing us a band with an intense composition vein. A band able to ranging through hard-rock ballad full of sparkling guitars, cleverly wrapped in a mystical/magical air thanks to the use of the organ and to the special guest musician Andrew Higley at keyboard/piano. Electric Citizen have bang out an album that goes beyond all expectations. Dosing charming rhythmic, 70 years after-taste and a marked personality. An album that will surely appeals to fans and at the same time that is a good starting point for those unfamiliar with them. Listen to it on repeat and devour! ~ Mari Knox Knox (Doommabbestia)

GET IT HERE

12. NAXATRAS – II / NEW!

Released April 29, 2016 / Rock, Prog, Psych, Stoner, Space / Greece

It seems that last year was quite a productive one for Naxatras. After watching their debut record gaining a lot of attention (1,4 million listenings of the album in youtube within 13 months) the psychedelic trio from Thessaloniki, released an EP in April and their second full length album called “II” nearly a month later. Soundwise, this second full length record of the band picks up from where their first album left off: Heavy psych grooves, compositions with intense jam feeling and textures that derive directly from the late 60s and early 70s. The main difference of “II” with its predecessor though, is that all of these elements seem to have been adopted even better. For example you can still listen to “Naxatras identity” even when there’s an obvious film noir jazz theme (“Evening Star”). In addition to all of the above, the record has a great flow and the production is warm as the band chose once again a completely analog recording procedure. All in all, Naxatras have done a great job making a quick but well studied step, in order to be distinguished in the vast psych field. Check them out! ~ Vasilis Durden (Heavy Lifting CLV)

GET IT HERE

11. STONED SPIRIT – Spirits of Zos / NEW!

Released May 21, 2016 / Rock, Stoner, Hardrock, Metal / Greece

The last couple of years the Greek underground scene seems nearly unfathomed. Lots of new bands keep surprising our ears with quite interesting releases and most of them keep the bar high. Stoned Spirit from the Greek town of Arta is here to join them, providing us with their debut album called “Spirit of Zos”. A pretty straight forward stoner rock album filled with doomy vibes, accompanied by some surprisingly 80’s hard rocking vocals. The beautiful artwork and the solid production set the proper context, while tunes such as “Titos”, “Win” and “Life” easily reveal the real strength of this album: direct and honest songs that very quickly become addictive. So, if you think that you already know the soundtrack of your beer drinking sessions this summer, you just found another 34 minutes of music, under the name “Spirits of Zos”. ~ Vasilis Durden (Heavy Lifting CLV)

GET IT HERE

10. LORD VAPOUR – Mill Street Blues / NEW!

Released May 12, 2016 / Seventies, Rock, Psych, Stoner, Desert, Doom / Guernsey

2016 has seen some top releases so far and Lord Vapour’s Mill Street Blues is certainly no exception. It’s tough to really pinpoint where they’re going with this. One moment they’re playing fuzzed out desert rock ala Kyuss, the next, a low key doomy piece with plenty of blues infused. Bits of 70’s based hard rock and proto metal added to the mix give you one of thee most diverse albums around. ~ Bill Goodman (The Evil Engineer)

GET IT HERE

9. BRIGHT CURSE – Before The Shore / NEW!

Released May 13, 2016 / Rock, Metal, Space, Stoner, Psych, Doom / UK

Bright Curse have shown, with their debut album “Before The Shore”, that the art of song writing is thankfully still alive and well. The London based trio take what is essentially a 70’s classic rock blueprint and inject into it elements of psych, hard rock and good old stoner/desert grit, and not content with just stopping there they then add into these grooves old fashioned values, often omitted from modern rock music these days, melody and arrangement. Combine all this with superb musicianship and super cool vocals and you have an album that fully deserves its place not only here in the DOOM CHARTS but in any chart willing to promote good music! ~ Frazer Jones (Desert Psychlist)

GET IT HERE

8. LOOKING GLASS – Volume 4 / NEW!

Released March 14, 2016 / Stoner, Rock, Doom, Psych, Metal, Prog / Australia

“As the head monkey in charge of the Doom Charts you hear about a lot of bands that you don’t always get around to actually hearing. There’s one band out there that an entire continent was screaming for me to listen to and that’s Looking Glass from Australia…” ~ LK Ultra

“Looking through the fuzzy Glass of Volume 4 reveals a sonic landscape of heavy, groovy RAWK. The melodic riffs are tight, the magnetic solos are ethereal and the charming vocals bring it home with an atmospheric croon. Equal parts metal, psych and stoner blended to perfection!” ~ Bucky Brown

“Looking Glass smash it out of the ballpark with an album filled to overflowing with gnarly prog metal riffage, powerful complex rhythms and top notch vocals.

Mesmerising!” ~ Frazer Jones

GET IT HERE

7. LIMESTONE WHALE – Limestone Whale / NEW!

Released May 27, 2016 / Stoner, Blues, Psych, Hardrock, Doom / Germany

The German Limestone Whale show us to have full control of their sound that crosses multiple influences, without dwelling too much on them but transforming them into colorful compositions. They express it with an album that leaves you breathless, composed of seven tracks flowing like a load stream of acoustic emotions and feelings from the good karma, able to capture moments, suggestive images and sensations through bluesy components, streaked with soft psychedelia but from deep hard-rock roots, with plenty of references to bands that have made history; A successful tasty sound cocktail! enjoyable from beginning to end!! ~ Mari Knox Knox (Doommabbestia)

GET IT HERE

6. VOKONIS – Olde One Ascending / NEW!

Released May 25, 2016 / Rock, Doom, Stoner, Psych, Metal / Sweden

Sweden. One of those chosen countries. And definitely when it comes to all the heavy stuff we all love so dearly. The list of amazing bands coming from that country is simply endless, and new ones pop up every day. Some of which ofcourse stem from outfits that stopped for whatever reason at the time. One of them is Vokonis, comprised out of members from Creedsmen Arise and Ginger Trees. A power trio in every sense of that word. Powerful. Heavy. Doom. Stoner. Metal. All of it applies to a maximum and all of them fall short in telling the real story of Vokonis. For that you will have to experience the full force of the six amazing tracks on their debut effort called Olde One Ascending. They dipped deep into the pool of Iommi and drank heavily of everything Sabbath and Sleep while clashing their cups which are filled to the brim with majestic riffs and exalted repetition with fellow countrymen Monolord. Like the laugh of a man sentenced to death, their trucking sends shivers down your spine. And even though all the tracks have that hazy stoner doom edge, they all have a very own atmosphere and identity. And they are all of such a high level and transcending nature one can only expect Vokonis to rise and reach even greater heights then what was expected or the Creedsmen. Yes, that Ozium Records label knows where the truly good stuff can be found. Yes, Olde One Ascending is solid, roadworthy and amazing. Smoky tunes for gnarly beards drowning in pints of lager. We love it! ~ Joop Konraad (Stoner HiVe)

GET IT HERE

5. WO FAT – Midnight Cometh

Released May 20, 2016 / Blues, Stoner / USA

Swampedelic Rockers – Wo Fat return with their sixth album – Midnight Cometh. It sees Wo Fat return to their earlier blues rock based sounds though the heavy doomy psych stoner metal vibes from past albums are still present. With the guys now signed to Ripple Music from Small Stone Records, it’s good to see they haven’t lost their appetite for all things psychedelic.

Midnight Cometh includes the Wo Fat trademark style of epic spaced out trippy jams with doomy influences of things that go bump in the night. Kent’s vocals are strong as ever as he is in his element here. Along with the other members – Tim and Michael – Wo Fat never out-stay their welcome as they show the world who are the masters of Swampedelic Stoner Metal.

Some people may prefer their previous album – The Gathering and I will admit the music is more assessable on that album. However, Midnight Cometh has a doomier and slightly more gloomier approach to their previous albums. Midnight Cometh is perhaps their heaviest, most far-out and doomiest album to date. Believe the hype, Wo Fat have created a MONSTER ~ Steve Howe (Outlaws of the Sun)

GET IT HERE

4. GOATESS – Purgatory Under New Management

Released April 21, 2016 / Doom / Sweden

Goatess return with their second album and play stoner/doom with a classic mix of scuzzy blues and rock. I was not too keen on their self-titled 1st album – it just sounded like an obsessed 70’s hard rock cover band but this time around there is more aggression and more importantly, their own voice. Beautiful warm tones seep through the sound, giving the tracks a full, authentic sound that just sounds right – many bands try to get this but these guys have got it pegged.

Melody and groove are the keys that make the songs so strong. Riffs that are deep and heavy drive the band along, giving a solid, sonic base for the guitar solos to soar and shine.

The vocals are gruff/cleanish, meaning that passion can come through rather than just a inaudible roaring. Although Goatess are not an out and out doom band, the minor chords, vocal imagery and powerful riffage certainly will satisfy anyone into the darker side of guitar worship.

There is a whole history lesson concerning vocalist Chritus Linderson which will not be in this review!

Treading down the path set out by St Vitus and Pentagram, this band have made an impressive album that could sit nicely next to the aforementioned bands.~ Tony Maim (Black Insect Laughter)

GET IT HERE

3. RED WIZARD – Cosmosis

Released April 8, 2016 / Stoner, Classic Rock, Doom, Stoner / USA

This is bold. I mean really BOLD. Psychedelic Stoner Metal with a huge portion of Doom and Heavy Metal. I’m late listening to this album but finally I’m happy to hold this masterpiece in my hand and now I jump around with a steady grin on my face. The album starts with three catchy hits “Tides of War”, “Tinnitus”, and “Blinded”, all jam-packed with great guitar riffs and licks, excellent bass lines and awesome drum playing. But if you think Red Wizard played all their cards, you will realize that their musical universe widens up to a more complex and diverse world. The center of this album is a Psychedelic Doom trip to the Red Wizard universe called ‘Cosmosis‘, which exceeds the ten minute mark. ‘Red Wizard Suite’ in three parts is the grand finale, which I would call a Heavy Metal mini opera in the widest sense of the word. To conclude the massive, impressive vocals on this album is the real kicker – the cherry on the cream cake! Epic and dope. ~ Rod Reinhardt (Captain Beyond Zen)

GET IT HERE

2. COUGH – Still They Pray / NEW!

Released June 3, 2016 / Doom, Metal, Sludge / USA

It’s hard to believe it, but COUGH is back in action after six years of wondering whether the band was still a thing or one of those legendary acts that, whose members you half-way expected to see on the back of milk cartons and post-office bulletin boards stating, “Have You Seen Me?” The world has changed a lot since they left, not least of which is we die-hards have gotten a lot older and a whole new generation of heavy music listeners have grown up, discovering Cough years after the fact through weekend-long online music binges and those periodic Facebook group shares of ‘Crippled Wizard’ (2010), their iconic last effort. I hardly ever fall for buzz, and I’ve got next to no budget for vinyl, but when Cough’s third LP was announced out of the blue a few months back, I pre-ordered it immediately. Many of us have been craving another cathartic release from the Richmond outfit for some time. Today, Mr. Postman rang my doorbell and my heart about leaped through my chest. ‘Still They Pray‘ (2016 – Relapse Records) is finally here. Now that it is, I’m at a loss for words. Cough is a band that has always challenged me as a writer. How does one put music into words, especially when these strange sounds elicit such strong and personal emotions? Capturing the attitude and demeanor of this elusive Richmond quartet is challenging. Perhaps now is the time to simply listen. The words will flow in due time. What I can say for the time being is that you simply must soak in that stark album opener, “Haunter Of The Dark,” experience the excruciating emotion pain of “Possession,” and soak in every ounce of despair inherent in “The Wounding Hours.” Even some of the slower, softer numbers on the record (perhaps the biggest surprise of ‘Still They Pray’) have grown on me since the digital promo fell into my hands. With Jus Oborn producing, the entire record is ripe with ambience that makes every track a bone-chilling, hair-raising experience. I recommend it especially the after-dark hours (it is midnight here in Oregon as I scribe this). What more is there to say? Light a candle, take a hit, and give ear… ~ Billy Goate (Doomed and Stoned)

GET IT HERE

1. SINISTER HAZE – Laid Low In The Dust Of Death

Released May 7, 2016 / Stoner, Doom, Psych, Sludge / USA

Sinister Haze‘s debut album may sound like a disjointed and noisy effort but that’s only a rouse for the band to pound you with some insane heavy riffs. The band play a mixture of Noise, Punk. Stoner, Doom and good old fashioned Garage Rock as the vocals give these guys a seriously wicked attitude to match. It isn’t the most polished of sounds but who cares as the band deliver a thrilling spectacle of heavy rock with the band creating a few original sounds of their own. The album feels like a greatest hits collection rather than a debut album. The band fully hit their stride when they play their last epic song – A Buried Dream. A doom laiden and surreal journey the band deliver with sinister confidence. Laid Low In The Dust Of Death is a superb album for everyone to witness. ~ Steve Howe (Outlaws of the Sun)

GET IT HERE

Thanks again to everybody who contributed to the June 2016 Doom Chart list, these folks help give voice to the underground, so support them by checking out their respective sites:

A.S. Van Dorston (Fast n’ Bulbous); Billy Goate (Doomed & Stoned); Bill Goodman (The Evil Engineer); Bucky Brown (The Ripple Effect); Cam Crichton (Motherslug); Clint (Hand of Doom Radio); ‘Doktor420’ (Stoner HiVe); Doombeard (DoomBeardZine); Gram Pola, Son of Sam (Dirty Denim); Pat Harrington (Electric Beard Of Doom); Frazer Jones (Desert Psychlist); Lucas Klaukein – ‘LK Ultra’ (Stoner HiVe, You May Be Dead & Dreaming); Joop Konraad (Stoner HiVe); Lyk (Phantasmagoria); Mari Knox Knox (Doommabbestia); Martin Petrov (Rawk’n’Roll – the ‘pass-me-that-bottle’ webzine); Melissa (Doomed & Stoned); MeteorJadd (The Ripple Effect); Paul Rote (Doomed & Stoned); Rod Reinhardt (Captain Beyond Zen); Skip (The Burning Beard); Steve Howe (Outlaws of the Sun); Steve Miller (Vertical Chamber Apparatus); Tony Maim (Black Insect Laughter, Stoner HiVe); Ulla Roschat (Wicked Lady); Timon Menge (Sludge Worm Magazine); Tanguy Dupré – “Mr Fuzz” (More Fuzz); and Vasilis Durden (All the Heavy Lifting).

This June 2016 edition of The Doom Chart was edited by Joop Konraad