November is Doom -The Top 10 Doom Albums of 2025

 

I love to celebrate death and darkness. Doom is the music that should not only embrace a sense of loss and depression but sonically express it. These are the albums that did that best captured that feeling this year.   After I sort through the top 10 albums of all the respective genres, I use those lists to compile the top 10 albums of the 2025 The very fact these bands made it on the list speaks to how great these albums are, so it's not a slight that the number 8 album is above the 9th album; there is something that just gives it an edge that makes me want to listen to it more. 

After all, we can try to look cool and pick the hippest bands for a list, but at the end of the day, what makes an album the best is that it makes you want more, and you look forward to listening to it again. Perhaps you can find your next favorite on this list, and I have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out the audio on these guys. Anyway, here are the top 10 Doom albums of 2025.

10-Born of Plagues-"Dead Endings."

This is the second album from these Baltimore doomsters. They are capable of stepping on the gas to create more of a death metal feel at times, but it is just a more aggressive dynamic to the doom they churn. Where the first album was more sludge-driven, this one has a darker, more mournful, melancholic edge. That is not to say the sonic edge is gone, but it is smoothed out for a more metal sound.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/11/november-is-doom-born-of-plagues-dead.html

 

9-Oromet-"the Sinking Isle." 

The second album from this California-based duo finds that the potency of weed is not waning in the Golden State. It evokes the kind of lingering doom lethargy that earns the title of funeral doom, with the low growl of the vocals mixed in the background under the sonic procession of guitar that brings Mournful Congregation to mind. They are heavier sonically than heavy metal, with the chords sailing in the seas where shoegaze and kraut rock washed together with the dynamic scope of what they bathe your ears in. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/11/november-is-doom-oromet-sinking-isle.html

8-Patriarchs in Black-"Home." 

A project comprised by two music legends, Johnny Kelly of Type O Negative fame, and guitarist Dan Lorenzo, who played in the groundbreaking Non-Fiction.  They play blues-based doom tunes, with different singers on each track. Some of these include  Kyle Thomas of Exhorder, who belts it out in his trademark husky soulful swagger. Another noted performance comes from  Karl Agell from the "Blind" era C.O.C., taking the mic, makes me think of Tony Martin, who belts it out in a more nuanced manner than what you might expect from him.  The entire album is full of surprises that work off the more traditional metal aspects of doom. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/06/patriarchs-in-black-home.html

 

7-Drowned in Silver- "Mothers." 

This band from Poland is interesting; the exotic drowning ambiance opens the door to great darkness, leaving you unsure of which shade of it will attack you. The vocals sometimes take on an aggressive grit, as the instrumentation carries an odd dissonance, summoned with the saxophone coloring the background is almsot as noisy as what Swans ventures in at times. Even when things build into a heavier dynamic, this remains a fair point of comparison, perhaps throwing in a doom version of what Diamanda Galas does as another point of reference. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/11/november-is-doom-drowned-in-silver.html

 

 

6-Paradise Lost-"Ascension." 

The 17th album from the progenitors of death doom shuns expectations. using the tropes from both genres, while sometimes trying to grab the goth metal throne that Type O Negative left vacant. They go from straightforward death metal to the grandiose pagentry of morose doomy rock that lends itself to the Type O comparisons. He sings most of the song, then things become more split in equal portions when it comes to his delivery.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/09/paradise-lost-ascension.html

 

5-November's Doom-"Major Arcana." 

The 12th album from this band highlights who they are. Sometimes stepping on the gas to deliver a more heavily chugged death doom assault, before flowing into melodic metal power ballads, though generally more of the aggressive side both lyrically and sonically. Paul Kur has fully perfected the dynamic of his vocal style, nailing clean vocals with the same fluid ease he belted out the more powerful growls. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/09/novembers-doom-major-arcana.html

4-Cold in Berlin- "Wounds." 

 The lines between goth and doom are blurred even further on this album as the songs carry a darker, more pulsating beat. Maya continues to belt things out with the expected intensity. The hypnotic pulse of "12 Crosses" shares some common ground with grunge from the '90s, while also employing more exotic flourishes of atmosphere. Even amid the deliberate rumble, they leave plenty of room for Maya to express herself as the bass line lurks. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/10/gothtober-cold-in-berlin-wounds.html

3-Shedfrombody- "Whisper and Wane." 

This is her fourth album, so she knows how to head in the darkest direction for marrying sound to songs, proving you do not have to have a groove as long as you cause the throbbing of said sounds. It is not the album to put on when you are drinking coffee and getting ready to start your day, but more of its getting dark, smoking some pot music. The precision begins to build and create a distant heaviness that is emotive, 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/01/shedfromthebody-whisper-and-wane.html

       2-Evoken-"Mendacium" 

 It's been 7 years since New Jersey's doom masters blessed us with an album. The same lineup played on "Atra Mors" is all that matters to me, as they deliver something even darker and more dismal here. There is a great deal of space in the mix. Everything echoes out into it. This does not find the sound converging in lush layers, but isolated, which sonically captures a lonelier mood. Great guitar works rip out from things that are driven by the slow funeral doom march. While this album is compelling and one of the most impressive doom albums you have heard in some time, it was edged out by the number one spot that was taken by a band that transcended all limitations of the genre. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/09/evoken-mendacium.html

 

 

1-Hangman's Chair- "Saddiction" 

The modern kings of gloom bring a sonic pounding counterbalanced by the trademark passion of the vocals, things ebb down into a more depressive introspection as the rollercoaster of the album's dynamic sets in motion. Some interesting production choices in this often reverb-heavy recording are best appreciated when played loudly through headphones. It's a band whose songwriting continues to exceed expectations and put them at the top of the heap, not just when it comes to doom or metal, but all artists making music today. Which is why they captured the number one spot here. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/02/hangmans-chair-saddiction.html

Thanks for reading. Please "like" and share on social media to give music a voice 

https://www.facebook.com/abysmalhymns

Check out our Podcast here ... https://www.youtube.com/@abysmalhymns666

The Top 10 Doom / Sludge Albums of 2025... so far

Since I have split up the larger metal list into sub-genres, sludge and doom are getting lumped together, as let's face it, with many of these albums it is hard to fnds the line between the two.  These lists serve as a decent snapshot of where the year is heading in terms of music. I have already received promos for albums dropping as far out as August in my inbox, so they are really going to need to bring it to compete with the top five albums on this list. No matter the genre,  darkness trumps speed when it comes to heavy, so these bands reflect that sentiment. These albums provide a fitting soundtrack to the demise of the US.  I have included links to full reviews if you want to check these out, and with all that said, here are the top 10 Doom / Sludge albums of 2025 so far. 

10-False Gods-"Lost in Darkness and Distance" 

 Both of their previous albums impressed us here as this band continues to blend hardcore with sludge in an emotionally visceral manner. However, the hard-core side of the equation is not as prevalent as the band's more metal leanings this time around. The songwriting has continued to mature, often  higher energy with a darker tension running through it that brings earlier Neurosis to mind

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/05/false-gods-lost-in-darkness-and-distance.html

9-Patriarchs in Black - "Home" 

This is a project featuring two music legends, Johnny Kelly of Type O Negative fame, and guitarist Dan Lorenzo, who played in the groundbreaking Non-Fiction.  A cast of rotating bass players and vocalist lends the songs their own touches, while most bring the classic doom feel with them, offering surprises that invoke the best metal memories of the 90s. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/06/patriarchs-in-black-home.html

8-Mares of Thrace-"Loss" 

The fourth album from this Canadian band. They play a fairly caustic version of sludge that snarls with a more brooding, angular desperation than Eyehategod, but more introspective and not as entrenched in punk, as there are moody melodic sections. The theme of this album is the stages of grief. "The First Stage, Shock" is more deliberate and shows some deliberate plays that hold elements of noise rock, even in how things ring out with dissonant melancholy. The drumming on this album is very solid. I also enjoy the fact that they employ different vocal colors from singing to a snarl.  

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/05/mares-of-thrace-loss.html

 

7-Katla -"Scandinavian Pain" 

The grit and the grime of this band have more in common with sludge than doom. There is a hint of black metal, but they are of the same venomous ilk as, say, Fistula. Not expecting this sort of thing to crawl out of Denmark, but here we are. Their overdriven lumber is a great deal of fun. They have a nasty attitude, which is where a lot of their charm comes from.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/03/katla-scandinavian-pain.html

6-Hollow Leg - "Dust & Echoes" 

This band is made up of former Bloodlet members, with the exception being guitarist Brent Lynch. Scott's vocals are what have changed the most, as he sings more the the guttural hardcore bark that commanded their old band. It's still pretty gruff, but capable of at least holding a Clutch-level melody at times. The riffs are less pounding and have some rock swagger to them.  Things are not at a boogie shuffle, but sometimes heading in that direction, but with more overt metal chugs to get them there. My best guess is they started smoking a ton of weed, as that is what I imagine might take a hardcore band in this direction. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/06/hollow-leg-dust-echoes.html

5-Kazea- "I Ancestral" 

This unique trio from Sweden quickly held my attention. The vocals are somewhat Pink Floyd-like in their breathy execution. They go from an experimental, neo-folk to a more sludge-influenced stomp. They employ an underlying melancholy that feels like they are speculating over in a manner that is detached from the darkness of their souls, causing it to cast an even more curious shadow over the sound. This gives it more in common with post-punk than post-rock. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/03/kazea-i-ancestral.html

 

4 - Years of the Cobra- "s/t" 

The first obvious thing about this duo's 3 albums is that Amy's voice has come a long way. Her performance this time around is more nuanced. They lumber into a darker depth of doom than I recall from their first two albums. It seems that her time in the Doom Slayer tribute Slower allowed her to hone her pipes further, as she creates a witchier vibe at times here. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/02/year-of-cobra-st.html

3- Rwake - "The Return of Magik" 

Perhaps the collapse of society is going to find sludge returning as the dominant force in metal. This Arkansas-based band is back after 13 years. A more melodic expanse of sound brings elements of Southern rock to the forefront of the opening track as guitar solos cascade around it. Brittany Fugate's scathing vocals provide a counterpoint to the lower, ominous vocal tones of Chris Terry.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/02/rwake-return-of-magik.html

 

2-(16) -"Guides For the Misguided" 

 This band's past two albums were in the Top 5 of the Top 10 Metal albums for 2022 and 2020. They continue to deliver with their 10th full-length. This album came about during the mixing of the previous album, so it picks up where they left off with an aggressive sludge attack. Though grunge-tinged melody prevades as the album progresses. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/01/16-guides-for-misguided.html

1-Hangman's Chair - "Saddiction" 

From the very start, this album opens with a sonic pounding, counterbalanced by the trademark passion of the vocals. Things ebb down into a more depressive introspection as the rollercoaster of the album's dynamic sets in motion. Some interesting production choices in this often reverb-heavy recording are best appreciated when played loudly through headphones, allowing the album to take effect with maximum impact

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/02/hangmans-chair-saddiction.html

Thanks for reading, please "like" and share on social media to give music a voice 

https://www.facebook.com/abysmalhymns

Check out our Podcast below 

https://www.youtube.com/@abysmalhymns666

pst300

Patriarchs in Black : "Home"

We are venturing into the project with two music legends, Johnny Kelly of Type O Negative fame, and guitarist Dan Lorenzo, who played in the groundbreaking Non-Fiction.  The first two songs are blues-based doom tunes, the opening track featuring Kyle Thomas of Exhorder, who belts it out in his trademark husky soulful swagger. This is a strong song that only holds marginal Sabbath influence in the verse riff. "The Call" which finds Karl Agell from "Blind" era C.O.C., taking the mic, makes me think of Tony Martin; he belts it out in a more nuanced manner than what you might expect from him. Midway into the song, he picks up more of Dio's snarl, as the pace picks up.

Mark Sunshine brings a more unique vocal color to "Burn Through Time". It's higher, making me think a little of the '90s band Collision.  "Frisson" is a more delicate interlude with strings moving the melody. "Kaos" finds things getting much heavier with a more nu-metal groove, as the vocals take on a harsher bark. Joe Ferrarra sings his ass off on 'Storm King" which is back in the more traditional metal style of doom. Things get darker and more melodic on "Celestial Yard" which finds Mark Sunshine returning to delivery an even more nuanced performance. 

"Where Do You Think You're Going" features DMC from rap legends Run DMC, taking the verses, as operatic vocals hover in the background amid many sonic layers to create a rich tapestry of sound. John Kosco from Revel at Dusk, lends his voice to " Beline" which finds itself at the sorrowful intersection of grunge and doom. Mark Sunshine, who is one of the album's main vocalists, now with three songs on this album, returns to a vocal delivery similar to his first appearance on "Pointed Fire."  They take a slight turn to a more rock n roll feel for the blues-based"Enough of You" with Frankie Diaz on vocals. Then they go into a more old-school Biohazard style of NYHC for "Ready To Die"  that has Kelly Abe from "Kaos" on the track. 

"Shadow Grasp" is the song that comes closest to Kelly's Type O Negative past, though I can hear at other points in the album where Non-Fiction's groundbreaking work is referenced, thanks to Dan's forward-thinking playing. Mark Sunshine returns to close the album with the doomier boogie of "Sweet Blood". I will give this album a 9.5, and see how it continues to grow on me, but would say it's one of the year's best doom-minded albums without finding itself too confined to the genre. 

To see my interview with the band, click the link below... as well as "like" and subscribe to stay current on when other interviews with your favorite artists and paranormal / geek culture experts!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBWoOWEqFPI&t=31s

pst286