November is Doom - the Top 10 Stoner Rock Albums of 2025

Living in Florida reminds me why I do not like reggae. It's too happy, and it all sounds the same. I am here to bring the news that you do not have to get stoned to music that sucks. In fact, here are ten examples of albums you can break out the bong to. After I sort through the top 10 albums of all the respective genres, I use those lists to compile the top 10 albums of  2025. The very fact that 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 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 Stoner Rock albums of 2025

10-Christian Mistress- "Children of Earth." 

It's been 10 years since we reviewed their last album, "To Your Death". They were heading in a more 80s metal direction then, and away from the retro-proto vibes that found them lumped in with the other female-fronted stoner rock bands at the time. The more aggressive guitar attack carries a more Judas Priest-like feel at times. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/01/christian-mistress-children-of-earth.html

9-Leafblower- "Burn Cruise." 

 This kind of sludged-out doom has been prevalent since the mid-2000s, with bands like Mastodon rising to mainstream success. This raises the question: What are these guys bringing to the table that the other bands are not? The guitar melodies are more notable, but the true selling point comes in the more frantic psych-rock, where they set themselves apart from the pack. They go into a more shuffling rock boogies and flirt a little more with stoner rock.  

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/04/leafblower-burn-cruise.html

8-Miss Lava- "Under a Black Sun." 

Melodic vocals that carry a trippy drone as they ride the bass line are a staple of their sound, while kicking up a fuzzed-out stoner rock rumble with some Sabbath infused weight behind it. This makes me think of bands in the '90s that came out after grunge who struck big, who might have been on the more metallic side of things, so they merged doom with the loud-to-soft formula that Nirvana made popular. The Portuguese band finds itself in good company in this approach. 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/04/miss-lava-under-black-sun.html

7-Bog Wife- "From Ashes." 

To hail from Denmark, this band summons up a deep friend vision of swamp rock.  It is their third album, so they have had plenty of time to perfect it. Yes, it does fall under the banner of stoner rock, so maybe it is the magic plant medicine that takes them to this blues place you might think could only come from the Southern regions of America, but they pull it off with conviction.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/11/november-is-doom-bog-wife-from-ashes.html

 

6-Castle Rat-"the Beastiary." 

 Despite the gimmick, they are capable songwriters. There are some odd production choices on this album, and the hype machine is churning even harder behind these guys as they gain more recognition."The twin guitar attack provides a respectable version of traditional metal, but with a deliberate Black Sabbath like groove. Her voice helps to avoid Sabbath comparisons. Riff-wise, they really get into more "Vol 4' sonic places during their guitar solos.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/11/november-is-doom-castle-rat-bestiary.html

5-Blackwater Holylight- 'If You Only Knew"

The Portland shoe-gazers take things in a more organically jammed direction. There is a brooding underbelly to the verse that finds them taking off in a more stoner rock direction. The dreamy vocals counterbalance when they dig and go into more aggressive riffs that steer toward a more metal direction. But one heavy riff does not make a band metal. There is a brighter, almost 90s glaze to sonic denseness this album unfolds. 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/04/blackwater-holylight-if-you-only-knew.html

4-Hollow Leg- "Dust and 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, but the overall songwriting is infectious. 

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

3-Year of the Cobra -"s/t." 

The first obvious thing about this duo's 3rd album is that Amy's voice has come a long way. Her performance on the opening track has more nuance. They lumber into a darker depth of doom than I recall from their first two albums. Her time in the Doom Slayer tribute Slower allowed her to hone her pipes further.  She creates a witchier vibe at times here that hones the hooks of these songs. 

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

 

2- 16 - Guides for the Misguided." 

This album came about during the mixing of the previous album, so it picks up where they left off with an aggressive sludge-tinged attack. Though a grunged blues shuffle similar to Corrosion of Conformity drives the bulk of this album, the vocals howl with renewed purpose. The vocals are more nuanced than even past efforts, making this album stand out. 

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

1-Dax Riggs - "7 Songs For Spiders" 

Sadly, this album slipped between the cracks, overshadowed by the reunion of his other band, leaving Dax without the chance to promote it at all. It had been 13 years since his last release. This time around, Dax is backed by a three-piece band of grooving Cajuns, who slither with a melancholy pulse that takes things back to his darker roots. Touching on 90s grunge in the bong-laden grooves, it might be mellower than Agents of Oblivion, but more rock than his other solo work, and perfect songwriting as you can expect from him..

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/12/dax-riggs-7-songs-for-spiders.html

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

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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 

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June's Top 10 Albums

It's time for June's top 10 albums. Staying abreast of the month's highlights might help casual readers see what they missed and check these artists out. I am not writing little blurbs on them; I am just linking the reviews. Inclusion here does not mean that these albums have been released this month, but it is a list of new or upcoming albums I have enjoyed the most. I have albums in my inbox that are not coming out til August, so I am normally way ahead of the curve in this regard. They are ranked in order of what I have listened to the most. This month, there tends to be a dominant theme of new wave, pop, and death metal,  so you may find your new favorite among them. Here are the Top 10 albums of June 

10-Bootblacks - "Paradise" 

New-Wave

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/05/bootblacks-paradise.html

9-Love is Noise-"To Live a Different Way" 

nu-gaze

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/06/love-is-noise-to-live-different-way.html

8-Ossuary- "Abhorrent Worship" 

Death Metal 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/06/death-is-june-ossuary-abhorrent-worship.html

7-Disembodiment- "Spiral Crypts" 

Death Metal 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/06/death-is-june-disembodiment-spiral.html

6-Hollow Leg -"Dust & Echoes"

 

Sludge

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

5-HAIM- "I quit" 

Indie-pop

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/06/haim-i-quit.html

4-Turnstile-"Never Enough" 

Pop punk

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/06/turnstile-never-enough.html

3-Deadguy- "Near-Death Travel Services" 

Hard-core

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/06/deadguy-near-death-travel-services.html

2-Miley Cyrus - "Something Beautiful" 

Pop

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/05/miley-cyrus-something-beautiful.html

1-Wu-tang Clan- "Black Samson the Bastard Swordsman 

Hip-hop

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/06/wu-tang-clan-black-samson-bastard.html

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

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Check out our Podcast below 

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

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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. The pace picks up for "Sick Days." 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. 

A heavier and darker riff powers the lurking tension of "Funeral Storms".  It has a pretty hefty sludge punch to its downtrodden stomp. "Another Day Dying" finds a greater grooving sense of motion empowering the guitars, as the drummer is one step ahead with his foot to the gas. It might remind you of early Mastodon. A higher-pitched voice seems to be in the background. I thought I might have left King Diamond on in another window of my computer, and it was bleeding over. Though I got too high for the occasion. Which is certainly the mood this album inspired. 

"Holy Water' is a little more introspective. The vocals are a hushed whisper, as the grungy guitar creates a more haunting atmosphere. This creates an Acid Bath-like vibe. There are trippy sounds coloring the edges of the song. "Last Tribe" is more of an over metal, not unlike Down in some ways."Burty Our Kings" works off a flowing rock groove, with rasped snarl of the vocals giving it more bite. "Red Skies" has more of a moodier grunge feel lurking until things pick up on the verse. "Ride the Wave Dig the Grave' lumbers in a more traditonal manner with the vocals straying from the typical lumberjack bark to solidify their identity, which is one of this band's strengths. I will give this album a 10, due to taking a familiar sound and making it their own in a powerful way, which brings the quality Bloodlet was known for into a whole new chapter for these guys.

 

Check the single out below ... and visit our  YouTube & Facebook Pages as well! Thanks for Reading  

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