October's Top 10 Albums

October falls behind us, and it's now time to catch up on the month's best new releases. This might help you, casual readers, see what you missed.  I am not doing little blurbs on them, just linking the reviews. This helps me organize my end-of-year lists by including each album's genre. This does not mean these albums were released this month; it is a list of new or upcoming albums I have enjoyed most. I have albums in my in-box that won't come out until March of next year, so I am normally way ahead of the curve in this regard. They are ranked in order of how much I have listened to them. This month, it runs the gamut from Americana to black metal, so perhaps you will find your new favorite among them. Here are the Top 10 albums for October of 2026.

10--WAYFARER- "Riders of the Setting Sun" 

Dark Americana 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/10/wayfarer-riders-of-setting-sun.html

9-Ductape-"Faded Flowers"

 

Darkwave

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/10/gothtober-ductape-faded-flowers.html

8-Wolves in the Throne Room-"Estuary" 

Black Metal 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/10/wolves-in-throne-room-estuary.html

7- Bleached Cross- "Wrath" 

Industrial

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/10/gothtober-bleached-cross-wrath.html

6-Iommi- "From the Dark"

Epic Doom Metal

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/10/tony-iommi-from-dark.html

5-Pain of Truth -"S/T"

Hardcore 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/10/pain-of-truth-st.html

 4-Ghostemane-"AM: FM" 

ALT HIP-HOP

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/10/ghostemane-amfm.html

3-LOR3L3I="Peace By Proxy"\

Ethereal Darkwave 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/10/gothtober-lor3l3i-peace-by-proxy.html

2-Theodor Bastard - "▽"\

Dark Electronic  Goth

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/10/gothtober-theodor-bastard.html\

1-Fontaines DC- "Dopamine Chamber" 

Brit Pop 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/10/fontaines-dc-dopamine-chamber.html

November is Doom- Cult of Luna : "In the Shadow of Your Shadow"

 This Swedish band has evolved a great deal over the years. At the core is a form of post-sludge that traces its roots back to Neurosis. The stormy chords and thundering drums present a gloomy attack. The vocals are at a coarse rasps with the guitar carrying the bulk of the melody. It swells to the kind of apocalyptic proportions that sludge is known for before breaking down into a melodic guitar section. It floats along before predictably building up. Joe from Gojira shows up for "Sadness Will Reign" ,which is another song that leans heavilly into the  Neurosis influence with it's sonic sprawl. Joe's voice sits back in the mix.

"Laby" is more of an interlude, while the over 12-minute "Breach'  has more interesting sounds being introduced that are not sitting as neatly into the expectations of the genre, something that worked really well for Portrayal of Guilt this year.  Portrayal of Guilt's new album went in a more sludge direction this time around, so there is more common ground than you might think. This song finds more ofa slow burn in places as things move at a much more deliberate pace. Atmosphere is used really well to build the mood. The guitar solo contributes to the song rather than just being wanking. Over half the album is made up of long sprawling songs. Not uncommon for this genre. It is not the most dynamic song, as it works around one darkly clouded mood.

"The Rift" floats on a more post-rock abstraction until hitting the two-minute mark. The growled vocals this band uses have typically felt like a dynamic killer; this time around, the guitar is in control of that, and it is just an obligatory motion to go through. It ebbs down into a more simmering post-rock jam. There is, however, more build than payoff. The six-minute "A Way Back"  is carried by the sung vocals. Eugene Edwards from Wovenhand joins them for "One More Day". It starts off with the deliberate crunch sludge is known for that carries with it a sullen atmosphere. Edwards' voice chimes in and carries a very Swans-like vibe with it. He is also on the new Wayfarer album, which carries a similar vibe to what they are doing on this song. 

There is a more aggressive sludge chug to "From Grey to Black" with a guitar melody that hangs in the background. Less progressive andd more aggressive it sounds more like their earlier work, which should please a segment of their fan base. There is enough dynamic ebb andd flow on this one to keep you engaged. Just under 12 minutes, "Burial" closes the album with a more doomy tone. t much longer. Three minutes in, it feels like they have already taken this lumbering riff as far as it can go, but they drag it out. I like how dark this album is but the growl vocals are kind of boring,  with only moments like unless Edwards'  singing redeeming them so I will give this one an 8.5

pst537

November is Doom 2026

 

I have been doing this doom-dedicated month for a few years;  it makes sense, as we head into the gloom of the year. First and foremost, when it comes to bands I am looking to cover this month, I am not seeking out bands that worship Black Sabbath. Thi year I am reviewing every single Trouble album this month to see how they have held up over time. My favorite sub-genre is Funeral Doom, so we will have our fair share of that, but also sludge, stoner rock, darker psych, death doom, and more. More is the variation of traditional forms of doom. 

However, despite the twists and turns the genre might make, there may be doom-adjacent artists or two, we are going to be very clear about what is doom and what is not. It is not just about playing slowly. Sludge most commonly makes this mistake as it is often slow to pass through a metal filter. Sludge is about aggression, which is more tormented than hateful. Doom is about sorrow, loss a foreboding fear of what is to come, not unlike horror movies in this regard. While darkness is the driving force behind black metal, it should also be a pervading theme of doom. There are a few bands, one of whom I review this month, who confuse power metal for doom, and that does not work for me. 

The month will end with me revealing the best lists for doom, sludge, and stoner metal. One reason I keep doing this every November is it gives me the time to catch up on bands that might have flown under my radar the rest of the year, or catchy bands who have released their album late in the year. I think releasing an album after October is pointless. There used to be a trend of holding out until November so it could be sold for Xmas, but how often are physical pressings of music given as gifts these days? Not much, and not enough to have release schedules delayed. Anyway, here comes a parade of sonic despair for the month.   

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WAYFARER : "RIDERS OF THE SETTING SUN"

Gone are the last vestiges of metal as they have crossed over into dark Americana. They have also invited a few other musicians to help celebrate the occasion. There is post-punk influence without veering off into the genre.  More of a rambling strum holding the tension here than any taut bass line owing its existence to Joy Division. The first song has a bit of a Wovenhand feel so it is not surprising that David Eugene Edwards appears on the second song. The trembling anxiety of his voice is what separates him from their singer's similar baritone croon. They bring in stormy dynamics that swell up. 

Ben Chisholm from Chelsea Wolfe's band produces this album. "Black Waves & Early Graves" drifts out of the smoke from the previous song, as things begin to hold a more uniform feel. There is a heavier dynamic in play that does not build into metal. Keylly from Dreanought leans her voice to the album on "Casey's Last Ride". There is more of a Johnny Cash sound here to the main vocal, andd she just adds in a more atmospheric bridge. It does provide a more haunting color; 'Fell Spur' carries more western twang, and a touch of blues. It is not unlike something Kris Kristofferson might have done in the 70s. 

Jay Munly shows up on "Grey Country". It is one of the more sullen moments so far on the album, more depressing than your typical Wovenhand song. Munly's voice is the lowest on the album thus far. "Hollow Hearts on the Way to Eden" coasts along smoothly adn the vocals work well with it, so it is not like I'm asking a great deal here. The last song that finds Midwife joining them drones with a swirling, almost shoegaze-like atmosphere that is dense but not hooky. Overall, this album sounds great and taps into some wonderful moods, I will give it a 9.

pst535

Gothtober- the American Jobs : "Carne Levare"

 

This Ohio-based band was recommended to me by one of the guys from Swan Wash, who has been pretty obsessed with this album the past decade, and now their 2014 is being reissued, so let's get into it.  It's intersting how ahead of their time they were and shows how fragile the spinning wheel of music trends is. These guys delve into a dark, smoky New Orleans back Alley to bring you simmering, slinky post-punk that is not too far removed from what bands like Crippling Alcoholism and Protomartyr are doing now. There is the percussive churn of a voodoo ritual, crooned over as a sax while it sings its sorrows from the shadows.

 The first two songs establish that they have a sound they are confident in; the rest of the album is going to tell me if they are writing songs with that same swagger."Black Tar" finds a creepier atmosphere slithering in, with femal vocals echoing from the distance. If this came out of New Orleans, I would be less surprised by how this is unfolding. "Grace" is the first song where the ambiance breaks down into more free-form jazz, like Nick Cave getting stoned and jamming out. More traditional goth leanins peek out a bit on "King of the Lake". It is pretty effective at keeping the album's dynamics varied.

"Jail House" creeps around in a more jammed fashion; the vocals are noncommittal and lurk in the background with a spectral croon. The sax seeps up from under it all.  Marginally trip-hoppy. "Two or One" is a little more abstract and finds the jazz elements being more dominant. The last song also goes off in this jazz direction, making it more  Nick Cave-leaning with its murky noir shadows. I will givve this a 9, if you like dark music with jazz undercurrents, this is worth your time   

pst534

Coilguns : "Everything We Love, We Destroy"

This might be the band's 5th album, but it is my first time giving them a shot . They strike me as a punk band with broader depth of 90s indie rock influences, with the Pixies being the most prominent. It is mixed by Tom Dlagety, who has worked with the Pixies, so this choice was not accidental. I am aware they have a hardcore past, so that explains some of the more emotionally explosive dynamics. There is also a darker Murder City Devils type vibe, though I am not getting the same whiskey-soaked suicidal vibe. "Peace Trader" has a moodier almsot Dinosaur Jr. tinge to it. Perhaps they self-identify as noise-rock, but I would say they are not as unhinged, more like an aggressive Modest Mouse. The fact is highlighted in this song. 

"Repliation Crisis" has a burly bass line and a big guitar riff for the vocals to collide with. It's also nuanced and makes the most of the vocal melodies that are draped around it rather than having the vocals just be obligatory howling. Not to say they are not capable of outbursts it is just a dynamic color rather than being the sole narrative. This was sent to me by Ghost Cult Magazine, so I think they understand that vocals are important to me, and if they are an afterthought, it is going to make me less than enthusiastic.  "Platform Decay' is both tense and anthemic at the same time. The vocals are metaphoric politcal nonsense, but come across as just word soup being puked from an overexcited stomach. 

"Punisher Disclaimer" is more of a frantic punk song. But it does not play to their true strengths. "Days Before the War" is more of a strummed intelude than a complete thought of a song. "Teach Ourselves" finds the vocals pulling the weight to give the song the needed dynamics to make it more memorable than just yelling. "Carbon Magic" is more angular , and less focused. The last tow songs show you how the Pixies might sound as a hardcore band, though the second to las is more screamo. This brings them closer to the status quo of screamo than where they started, which was more unique, but for what this is, it works. I will give it a 9, as the melody it does offer makes it worthwhile. Out November 8th on Humus Records.

pst533

Hatebreed : "Fatal Paradox"

 

The band's 9th album, and they are now full circle back to what hardcore is, which is something different than when they started in 94. It feels more like thrash here, and "The Carrion Choir" makes this more noticeable despite the groove of the more breakdown-like riff. Jasta's voice has lowered with age and is pretty one-dimensional. They could have spiced it up more in post-production. They do have a huge guitar sound. The previous albums I've heard by these guys scored a 7 and an 8, with the 2020 being the higher-scoring of the two. The reason for this can be heard in the boring riff driving "Decisions Become Destinies," though not so much that I am totally bored with it. Thankfully, all these songs are compact and sit around the three-minute mark. 

The boredom does begin to itch until midway into "Total Invincible" . The riffs are kinda Slayer-like, so not a total waste just the one-dimensional vocals are wearing on me. The title track is powered by a more deliberate riff andd the vocals carry more of a Biohazard-like cadence. It has the hookiest chorus yet."Still a Threat" is where things begin to blur and sound the same; I knew the moment was coming, and it guess it was delayed more than some of their albums. Then John Tardy helps them out with "Sacrifice Season". Obituary is clearly the better band; it felt like he was dumbing it down. 

"Truth is Lion" is more Slayer-like. I have not really been paying attention to the lyrics up to this point; I am sure it's macho-socio-mish-mash. "Make the Demons Obey" finds them pulling out every trope in the kitchen sink. "None to Save" has an effective refrain that helps the song find its footing. "Poison Planet" finds them trying to be a hardcore punk bandd again, and it does not work that well; it feels like going through the motions. I will give this album an 8.5, putting it above the others I have reviewed, but not aggressive enough to measure up to the hardcore of today.But it sounds good for what it is.

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