The Top 10 Doom / Sludge Albums of 2026... so far

Having 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 2026 so far. 

10- Malignant Aura - "Where All of Worth Comes to Wither" 

Australian Doomsters Malignant Aura lurch into this album with the kind of dark melancholy I want from all heavy music, but expect from doom. This is the band's second album. "The Pathetic Festivals" finds them delving deeper into the death metal side of the death doom equation, with a more Morbid Angel-like feel. It features a commanding stop that emerges with a mechanical grind of the guitars.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/01/malignant-aura-where-all-of-worth-comes.html

9- Void of Liight - "Asymmetries"

Scottish sludgesters Void of Light try to label themselves as being on the more post side of things, but the vocals betray them. The band's debut full-length finds the vocals being howled with a throaty anger that overpowers some of the more ambient underpinings. But it works well for them, creating a layered approach not unlike what latter-day Neurosis used to do, but with some more overt metal riffing. With three guitars involved, there are more layers than most bands can summon. I have always stood by the fact that sludge is what happens when punks try to play metal, and this album is not proving me wrong.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/03/void-of-light-asymmetries.html

  8-Gozu-"Gozu IV"

This band's 2023 album made our top 10  Stoner Rock albums for 2023. There is less of a grunge haze this time around and more of a Queens of the Stone Age-like precision, which is not shocking considering the genre they find themselves in. There is a more deliberate metal chug in places on the opener that works well for the soulful vocals to belt it out over. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/04/gozu-gozu-vi.html

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7-Godthrymm -"Projections"

The band's last album cracked the top 5 doom albums of 2023. They have always been solid, so hopes are high for this one. It starts off with the kind of commanding chug you want from metal, with the vocals carrying both grit and brooding, while still capable of the more melodic soaring vocals that bands like Solitude Aeternus and Trouble have employed.  Two of these guys hail from My Dying Bride, yet they are not digging into that brand of dark sorrow and doing their own thing, putting more of an epic-metal foot forward. https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/04/godthrymm-projections.html

6-Monolord-"Neverending"

Sweden's doom merchants rumble out of the gates with a bigger sound this time around. Though each album has found them progressing into a more melodic direction,I like the direction they were heading on this album; the last song is a little out of character, but it retains enough of their sound. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/04/monolord-neverending.html

5-Sun Don't Shine _"From Birth to Death"

This band is one half of Type O Negative and one half of Crowbar. So as expected, it's a 90s -post-grunge collision with sludge. Kenny Hickey handles the vocals as the stoner swagger moves with monolithic grooves. It's even more impressive than you can imagine.  To their credit, it is not steeped in nostalgia but reminds me of a great time for music in the mid to late 90s when it came to this kind of post-grunge metal. Fans of both bands will appreciate it, as well as anyone looking for an awesome doomy album with stellar attention to detail when it comes to songwriting. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/04/sun-dont-shine-from-birth-to-death.html

 

4-Warning -"Rituals of Shame"

The doom band from 40 Watt Sun's main man, Patrick Walker. The most striking thing is the haunting plea of his vocals, which glide over the depressing, lingering instrumentation. Everything feels very organic; it is mixed in a manner that gives the vocals more than enough room to do their thing. The guitars are not loaded down with an overabundance of gain like most doom bands, but they ring out with despair, while the minimal patter of drums keeps things moving.It's one of the best doom albums I've heard this year so far, as it is unique in its melodic sensibilities

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/05/heavy-maytal-warning-rituals-of-shame.html

 

3-Restless Spirit- "s/t"

This band impressed me with their retro warmth in the production, rather than everything being reverbed out. The vocals are belted with a great deal of balls to them, and focused on melodies more than just swinging for the fence, trying to make each note more operatic than the last. They work off stoner grooves but often make me think of Only Living Witness with its catchier riffing.

 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/04/restless-spirit-st.html

2-Blackwater Holylight - "Not Here Not Gone"

Driven by fuzzy overdrive and the languid croon of Sunny Faris,t coasts in the middle of the bong-worshipping rumble. Sure, elements of shoegaze and psych rock come together at varied points as the song progresses, but it moves more conventionally than previous efforts. Thankfully, not abandoning the jammy flow that has characterized most of what I have heard from them before, is still very much in play to create a more organic feeling. 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/01/blackwater-holylight-not-here-not-gone.html

1-Neurosis -"An Undying Love For a Burning World"

With the official start of World War 3 underway today, how could Neurosis not reconvene to drop a new album? Aaron Turner is replacing Scott Kelly. It's pretty seamless considering this. There is a hint of rock n' roll, but both Isis and Sumac are heavily influenced by Neurosis, so it seems like a natural fit and flows very organically. It's back to the dissonant sludge heaviness with an angular crunch moving the riffs.I think it opens a new chapter that holds up well against their legacy, even in the absence of Kelly. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/03/neurosis-undying-love-for-burning-world.html

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April's Top 10 Albums

April has breezed by already, so let's get you abreast of new releases. This might help you, casual readers, with what you might have missed.  I am not doing little blurbs on them, just linking the reviews. This helps me organize my lists for the end of the year by listing the album's genre. This 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 in-box that won't come out until June, 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, leaned more on heavy stuff ranging from Hardcore to Doom, so perhaps you will find your new favorite among them. Here are the Top 10 albums for April of 2026.

10-Nine Inch Noize- "S/t" 

 

Electronic

 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/04/nine-inch-noize-st.html

9-Bad Stuff-"s/t" 

Doom- Lounge 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/04/bad-stuff-st.html

8-GODTHRYMM - "Projections" 

Doom

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/04/godthrymm-projections.html

7-Last ten seconds of life -"The Dead Ones." 

Death-Core

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/04/the-last-ten-seconds-of-life-dead-ones.html

6-Sun Don't Shine -"From Birth to Death." 

Grunge

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/04/sun-dont-shine-from-birth-to-death.html

5-Monolord- "Neverending" 

Doom 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/04/monolord-neverending.html

4-A, A Williams - "Solstice." 

Post-Pop

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/04/aa-williams-solstice.html

 3-Restless Spirit- "s/t." 

Stoner Metal 

 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/04/restless-spirit-st.html

2-Terror - "Still Suffer." 

Hardcore 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/04/terror-still-suffer.html

 1-Portrayal of Guilt- "...Beginning of the End."

 

 Power Violence 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2026/04/portrayal-of-guilt-beginning-of-end.html

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Monolord : "Neverending"

Sweden's doom merchants rumble out of the gates with a bigger sound this time around. Though each album has found them progressing into a more melodic direction, "You Bastard" finds the rumble picking up into a more sinewy groove. The tenor vocals similarly drift over things as Ozzy once did without being a flagrant influence. They jam out a bit on the guitar solo, which works well. Things do not get darker until "Inside a Collider," which does have a more mournful doom feel. These guys have, in the past, skated the lines between sludge, doom, and stoner metal, and at times, you could point your finger in all three of those directions on the first three songs. It jsut feels likea more intentional step in a doomier direction here. 

"Crystal Bridge" is more melodic; it's moody with a melancholic edge, but it works for me. 'Oozing Wound' is more of a sludgy, fuzzed-out jam. The smooth, haunting flow of the vocals is what keeps it from falling solidly in the sludge direction. In fact, when they come in, things get moodier. This is excellent songwriting, some of the band's best. It's the wandering guitar solo that takes things in the jam-ward way." The Masque is the first song that has a more classic metal feel. This is also coupled with a more rock n roll chorus. More Blue Oyster Cult than Black Sabbath. 

This is also the first album where I have really heard the Sabbath influence that dominates so many stoner/ doom bands come out in these guys. More traditional doom unfolds with "Invisible". The last song finds things taking a dramatic change as Entombed bassist Jorgen Sandstrom takes over on vocals to create more of a death doom sound, which is not what you expect stepping into one of this band's albums. Though they do not go the traditional way with this, at eight and a half minutes, there are plenty of twists and turns. Overall, I like the direction they were heading on this album; the last song is a little out of character, but it retains enough of their sound. I will give it a 9.5. Dropping May 29th on Relapse Records. 

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Slower : "S/t"

 This supergroup features Fu Manchu, Kylesa, Monolord, Kyuss, Year of the Cobra, and Lowrider members. They are not just a Slayer tribute band reimagining the songs at more Black Sabbath-like speeds, With a song like "War Ensemble" this really reconstructs things in such a way that it feels like they have written a new song, as there are only sections that remind you of the original version. Female vocals harmonize to feel more like a chant on the now lumber version of 'The Antichrist". It does gain a new groove that feels darker than the original which is fitting given the subject matter. When the guitar solos are slowed down that also brings a creepier element into play sonically. 

Obviously, this tempo change almost doubles the length of most of these songs. By "Blood Red' the approach to the vocals feels like it needs to be switched up a bit, and on the chorus, it is to a marginal extent, not that they need to try to Tom Araya it but. enough variation to wink in the direction of the songs which all have their own vocal flow. They do pick up the pace enough to sound like a doomed-out version of the original. They do sing lower to try to respect the darker mood of "Dead Skin Mask". Which in some ways finds them able to come closer to the original than perhaps on the more aggressive songs they have tackled up to this point. 

"South of Heaven" much like "Dead Skin Mask" has already met them halfway. The vocals are once again, working like a one-trick pony, doom metal is a genre with a wide range of vocal stylings, but the singers are capable of doing more and adding more vocal colors, but this is what we get. It works but feels like the same color was used to death here. The elements that have been working continue to work, perhaps with even more ease considering the song. This was a fun album and I will give it a 9, because despite the monochrome vocal dynamics it is well executed. Slayer is one of my favorite bands, so for me to like this says how well done it is. 

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November is Doom- The Top 10 Doom Albums of 2021

We are still seeing who can take the slow burn of the world ending 2021 offers little hope, so we need music to match this feeling. II celebrate death, that is why I listen to doom. I mean the name of the genre says it all. If you are not down with despair then get the fuck out of here. Ok now that that is out of the way, much like in years past sort through the genre lists before making the overall top ten of the year list. The fact these artists 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, you look forward to listening to it again. You can bitch and complain about your favorite band not being on the list.  I listen to five new albums a day so yes, I heard your favorite album and was not impressed. No I do not care what you think about it. I do hope you can find your next favorite on this list and have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out audio on these guys. Anyways here are the top 10 Doom albums of 2021

10- Altareth- "Blood" 

I suppose this is almost more like an honorable mention, as they at times struggle to separate themselves from sounding to much like Pallbearer, as the end of the day however they are more depressed than Pallbearer who seems hopeful in comparison and manage to convey that in their music which is a beautiful thing to me as I want my doom depressing as fuck.

Abysmal Hymns: November is Doom- Altareth- "Blood"

9- Kuan - "Ice Fleet"

There is a band from Estonia, which means they are going to have both Finnish and Russian influence to their sound. This might factor into the dark woodsy sound that might even bring Agalloch to mind at time. To call this band atmospheric doom is a bit of an exaggeration at this point in time. They have a very expansive sound. They are mournful and sonically intense so; it might be fitting to say they at least color their songs with a similar shade of melancholy as doom does.

Abysmal Hymns: November is Doom- Kuan : "Ice Fleet"

8-Clouds - "Despartire"

 I have always liked hearing this Romanian band, but never really invested much time into their albums, this album showed me the error of my ways.  The create a beautiful mix of atmosphere and melody off set by the low growled vocals which are really the only heavy or dark element of the otherwise soaring sound that retains many of the emotional elements of doom and the dynamics shift in levels of how woefully expansive they paint these songs with those sounds. 

Abysmal Hymns: November is Doom - Clouds :"Despărțire"

7-Swallow the Sun - "Moonflowers"

The 8th album by the Finnish orchestrators of doom. Their last album placed number 4 on 2019's Best Doom Albums list so the bar was raised rather high. Catchy melodies prove you can ease hooks into your melancholy. These guys have always effectively worked harsher vocals into their songs and do it in a less predictable way here as well.

Abysmal Hymns: November is Doom -Swallow the Sun - "Moonflowers"

6-Indigo Raven - "Looking For Transcendence" 

This album surprised the hell out of me. They pound into the chords more like sludge at times as there is not a great deal of Sabbath worship. But the mood is more atmosphere and doomy. Female vocals doing their own thing and not trying to be Coven haunt the songs. Are there some Diamanda Galas moments mixed in this the more gothy stylings of her voice. Yes, but that is a rarer bird to find in the wild so I will take it.

Abysmal Hymns: November is Doom - Indigo Raven- "Looking For Transcendence"

5-Grief Collector - "En Delirium" 

All you have to tell me is Robert Lowe is singing and I am there. If you are not educated in metal enough to know that he sings for Solitude Aeturnus and Candlemass, then your ability to call yourself a metal head is thus revoked. Riff wise this band really does not have to do much but give this man plenty of room to sing. This is more aggressive than his past work. The chug of the riffs has more attack to them and make for a powerful listen.

Abysmal Hymns: Grief Collector : "En Delirium

 4-Worm- "Foreverglade" 

There are a few ways to do death doom. Neither is wrong. Some rely on Incantation more and others rely on Paradise Lost, then there is just slow death metal. If these guys have to pick a team, they would be Incantation, but they employ a wider range of atmosphere and come across sounding way more legit in their mood. Much like funk, metal is something you can no fake, I need to feel the darkness. Even when the pick up the pace; their chug I am never left thinking ok this is just slow death metal, this is so dark it is beautiful.

Abysmal Hymns: November is Doom - Worm : "Foreverglade"

3-King Woman - "Celestial Blues " 

the follow up to "Created in the Image of Suffering" find the band not a bluesy in terms of the guitar riffs, but it does have a heavier emotional weight. The riffs themselves feel depressing at times, which I of course love since darkness and sonic heaviness are what I seek out in music. For an opener the title track is more introspective in its ambiance, though there are punchy doom ridden dynamics.

Abysmal Hymns: King Woman : "Celestial Blues"

2- Monolord - "Your Time to Shine" 

 

This Swedish band is back and heavier than they have been in some time on their 5th album and it recalls the more classic Sabbath influenced groove. The chords as allowed to ramble out from the smoky mountains. While the guitar tones are dialed in and they are making the most of a sound, they have taken even more time to polish these often dirge like rumbling riffs into pieces the vocals can find their way upon.

Abysmal Hymns: November is Doom- Monolord - "Your Time to Shine"

1-Witnesses - 'the Collapse"

They bravely follow up to "Doom II " which was such a perfect album, In my head this bar they set for themselves, they did not make the same album twice. Instead, they approached this more another angle. Perhaps, not as desolate and dark in the way it occupies sonic space as their previous album. But after a couple days of playtime, it is clear the guitar melodies are as equally haunting. I think in doing so for this album they have allowed the vocals to convey a similar emoting with more subtle flow as the take on a rawer edge. Heavier and more metallic it works in its own way.  

Abysmal Hymns: November is Doom- Witnesses : "the Collapse"

November is Doom- Monolord - "Your Time to Shine"

 This Swedish band is back and heavier than they have been in some time. This is their 5th album and it recalls the more classic Sabbath influenced groove of their first rather than following the trajectory they established on their 2019 album which had more of a blues touched stoner rock feel. This is almost like their second album never happened. That is not to say they are devoid of all of the more rock n roll influence, as that can be heard on the second song where the chords as allowed to ramble out from the smoky mountains . While the guitar tones are dialed in and they are making the most of a sound , they have taken even more time to polish these often dirge like rumbling riffs into pieces the vocals can find their way upon. 

The riffs show case how powerfully pummeling they can be while still retaining hooky swagger. "I'll Be Damned" allow the crunch to simmer before the chug of fuzzed out guitar pave the way for Ozzy little vocals to coast . These guys are quite the power trio as this makes for a hug sound when they are locked into a groove. Where the new Witnesses album I just reviewed was a sprawling densely heavy album whose dynamics required time to fully digest these are more straight forward and hit you off the bat. Less ambitious and more economic, they can turn a riff around and grind it with machine like precision. They can jam things out , but do so in a much less sprawling fashion than many dooms bands keeping the songs some what compact rather than allowing anything to drone on. The last two songs are the only that break the eight minute mark. 

 The title track finds the bands occupying a similar sonic space as Pallbearer in their brand more atmospheric melodic doom that soars and shines within the melancholy. Their maturation as song writers is most noted here as this is the best song of the albums if you are measuring them in terms of melodies. Though not the heaviest song, nor does it need to be as they have already proved themselves in that regard. One the last song the drummer proves he can pick up the pace as needed, though the dramatic dynamics allow the more room to roam. The big riffs kinda bulldoze my attention span by the end of the last song, but I am sure I just need to give it a couple more listens as the rest of the album is pretty flawless , so I will round this up to a 10. 

 

the Top 10 Stoner Rock Albums of 2019

It's that time of year again, to sort through the top 10 albums of all the respective genres, then use compile the top 10 albums of the year. Later in the month I am making  the top 10 lists for the decade, though to be blunt  this is the decade's weakest year for music.  Especially when it comes to new artists, however stoner rock is one of the few genres that proved an exception to this as only 4 of the 10 bands are veterans.  You had to search much harder to find ten albums that rose above, yet that is what I did. As in  past years I am  giving a brief explanation as to why these albums stand over their peers in lower positions on the list. 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, you look forward to listening to it again. Sure you can bitch and complain about your favorite band not being on the list. However  I listen to five new albums a day so yes I heard your favorite album and was not impressed. No,  I do not care what you think about. it  I do hope you can find your next favorite on this list  and  have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out audio on these guys. Anyways here are the top 10 stoner rock  albums of 2019 .

10 Arrowhead - "Coven of the Snake" 

 A great deal of retro stoner metal that falls in the rotation of these guys. They are really good at what they do. I hear hear some Think Lizzy influence in how the vocal melodies work, so this is not just Sabbath worship. The guitar tone of this Sydney band is very much metal and the grooves are aggressive. They are more about getting stoned in a van with a wizard airbrushed on . If you are too then don't sleep on this album.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/11/november-doom-arrowhead-coven-of-snake.html

9-Pale Gray Lore-"Eschatology"

 This is a heavy handed version of drug laced Camaro rock. The vocals offer more hopefully floating sense of melody.The tight syncopated feel of what they do has as much as in common with Helmet as they do Kyuss, with more to their songs than just bong worship. This took the number 9 spot from Arrowhead because these guys go more places and give them a spin of their own rather than sticking to conventions.


 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/07/pale-grey-lore-eschatology.html

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8-Black Mountain- "Destroyer" 

 They experiment with the stoner rock formula, blowing it up and then melting it back together. It barrows from elements of music that I like so the fact their influences are sometimes worn on their sleeves is ok with me. This album sounds great, unlike my complaint this year that there are many albums where they have a good sound , but not good songs. This is not the case here and shows what a good balance of this should be.More focused and better executed than the Pale Grey Lore album.



 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/04/black-mountain-destroyer.html

7-Silver Tomb- Edge of Existence 

One Half of Type O Negative, they are using pot to cope with their grief where A Pale Horse Called Death tries harder to carry the torch. There was always a psychedelic touch to Type-o, this expands of of that. With Kenny Hickey handling the vocals there is more grit than your average stoner band. Darker and heavier than the more polished Black Mountain.


 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/11/november-doom-silvertomb-edge-of.html

6- Seer - "Vol 6"

 This band is going in a more proggy direction. The vocals are greatly improved and pretty much the key selling point for this one ,though if you are into guitar solos those are well done too. It beats Sliver Tomb, due to the vocals being better which is key for me.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/01/seer-vol-6.html

5- Monolord - "No Comfort"

 This Swedish band continues to find their sound maturing. So much so , the second song is more of a 70s rock thing than the kind of fuzzed out Sabbath worship. This might not be as heavier as previous releases , but I like the jammy feel of the songs. Their songwriting and over all scope of sound outclasses Seer

. https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/09/monolord-no-comfort.html

4- Ecstatic Vision- "For the Masses" 

 They remind me of Monster Magnet more often then not. A little warmer and  more organic sound than Monster Magnet but in the same sonic sphere. They boogie and groove along, often making me wish I did not quit smoking pot as they would sound great high. They came out on top of Monolord because they are more sonically intense.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/11/november-doom-ecstatic-vision-for-masses.html

3- Green Lung- "Woodland Rites" 

This band worships the green that taints their lungs . They have been getting some buzz, The balance between Sabbath worship and having their won sound is for the most part achieved. The vocals are in more of an Ozzy direction, with touches of Ian Gillan perhaps. The over all vibe of this album is what snags the number 3 spot from Ecstatic Vision.


 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/11/november-doom-green-lung-woodland-rites.html

2- Howling Giant- "Space Between Worlds "


This band is capable of pulling out some impressive doom riffs right along side of their more bong drenched moments of hyper tension.The vocals make me think of Foo-fighters , but comparisons could be just as easily drawn to Atomic Bitchwax, since the last Atomic Bitch Wax album sounded like if the Foo- Fighters were smoking meth. it turned out to be a great deal heavier than expected going into this and the prog elements do not diminish the power. Even more ambitious than Green Lung.


 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/11/howling-giant-space-between-worlds.html

1-Hippie Death Cult -"III" 


 The key selling point of this band to me is their singer,This guy is fucking outstanding as  he encompasses a great deal of dynamic range while retaining a bluesy sound.ere plenty of things like guitar solos to keep most metal heads happy. There is more proto metal to the riffing, the singer is what really sets these guys apart . Sure there is a little Ian Gillan to his voice at times, but that is better than another half ass Ozzy imitator. They are where they are because they have the best vocals which in turns gives them a more defined identity .

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/11/november-doom-hippie-death-cult-111.html

Top 10 Doom Albums of 2017

The competition was pretty harsh here. I found this year I tended to favor albums that broke the more traditional doom mold. Not a ton of funereal doom came out and the funereal doom albums on this list do not fit into that sub-genre neatly. Most of these were decided by referring to my Lastfm page in regards to how much I actually listened to these albums. Some grew on me more than others. I have included explanations as to why the albums sit where they do to clear any questions up.

10- With the Dead -"Love From the Dead"

With a similar heft the new album from Lee Dorian of Napalm Death/ Cathedral fame relived right from the the first few notes. Like a more hard core version of Tom Warrior the vocals are exclaimed with a shout and sometimes sung. It' hard to hear where the bass begins and the guitar ends as it's been mixed into one fuzzy frequency to create a very apocalyptic vibe fitting of the current tone of the world.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/09/with-dead-love-from-dead.html

9-Suffer in Paradise- "Ephemere"

 Dreary enough to help get you in the mood for the coming dark season the winter solstice usher in. I am always hungry for this kind of doom so the atmospheric melancholy is sweet to my ears. In the tradition of other bands I love like Evoken and Mournful Congregation. The songs have a beautiful creep to them. The atmosphere this Russian band creates is different from that of their predecessors as it is more steeped in a contrasting gentleness to the melodies. This greater sense of melody is why they beat out Lee and the boys.
.
http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/10/gothtober-suffer-in-paradise-ephemere.html

8- Volur- "Ancestors"

This Canadian doom project features the Bass player from Blood Ceremony. Germanic chants coast over very melodic bass playing  drivings the song. The violin is occupying the space a guitar would sit order to create the atmosphere. Their unique sound that drones ,but is so pleasing to the ears that it doesn't bore you. Growled vocals come in but are not over done and do not plunge them into lowest common denominator metal.Their desire to forsake tradition is why they beat out Suffer in Paradise.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/06/volur-ancestors.html

7-Unsea- "Portals Into Futility" 


 They create a very thick the sound of despair. The drummer is a monster, making it clear they are not a doom band just because he can't play any faster, he plays around the hesitant riffs with a flurry of fills that still serve the song. The balance the beauty and brutality well with oppressive atmosphere. The dark dense heaviness beats out the more atmospheric Volur.


 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/09/usnea-portals-into-futility.html

 6- Monolord- "Rust"

 The new one from the Swedish trio, is a more melodic endeavor. While they have always used melodic vocals over thick walls of fuzzy riffs, they are now giving the vocals more room to breathe. This doesn't mean it's any less heavy. The guitars are still packed with all the density you would want from these guys. Obviously as with most doom band's Sabbath is a huge influence, but I can also here some hints of the more burly psychedelic garage bands that we now think of as proto-metal like Atomic Rooster or Blue Cheer.There is less of a question of why it beat Unsea when it comes to the quality of the song writing that transcends heaviness and more of a question of why did it get beat by Samsara and the answer is I am having to default to what LastFm says in regards to how much I have listened to it.


http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/08/monolord-rust.html

5- Samsara-"When the Soul Leaves the Body" 

 Slovakian metal is gaining ground now when it comes to doom. The proof lies in this band Samsara who has a big majestic sound, when they pick up the pace into a chug the results are without a doubt powerful. This album has everything you could want from a doom album which is why they beat Monolord and proof of how the top four went even above and beyond that.


 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/05/samsara-when-soul-leaves-body.html

4-Loss- "Horizonless"

 So everything you liked about "Despond" is present, but the production is much fuller and shows they have gone the extra mile to expand their sound. The scope of what they do here is breath taking.This is their heaviest moment yet.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/05/loss-horizonless.html

3-Heavydeath- "Sarcophagus in the Sky"


The lines between death metal and doom are much clearer on this album. In fact this would border that where doom and sludge meet more than death metal .The vocals are low and gruff , but not totally growled going into the ten minute opening. It does build into more of a moving rumble, but stays pretty satisfied in its own shadows. Was feeling these songs a little more than the sprawling effort of Loss which is why this album sits at number 3.


 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/11/heavydeath-sarcophagus-in-sky.html

2- Pallbearer- "Heartless" 


 Things have changed , but this is very much still the same band just venturing further down the road away from the sub-genre funeral doom they came from. I questioned if this was even a doom album, but there lies the genius of their songwriting as it does have that bleak despondent outlook even when bathed in transcendent light of the soaring melodies. This boundless sound is why they beat out the more obvious metal of Heavydeath.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/03/pallbearer-heartless.html

1- Atriarch- "Dead as Truth" 


 Portland master's of black hearted gloom are back. It lurches with metallic aggression while Lenny makes commanding declarations about a spiraling emotional state. The more death rock like croon comes in followed by a more black metal like scowling. So right from the first song they waste no time using and array of vocal colors. Since vocals are the first thing I key in on this obviously makes me very happy...in thee grimmest manner possibly. These guys once once prove that darkness alone can make you sonically heavy. Creeping along at more of a doom pace, with a darkness that would appeal to fans of black metal, this often made it hard for me to figure out what genre to consider this album, but the mourning is for the state of the world and this is it's requiem making this doom and solidly crushing Pallbearer.


http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2017/07/atriarch-dead-as-truth.html

Monolord : " Rust"

The new one from the Swedish trio, is a more melodic endeavor. While they have always used melodic vocals over thick walls of fuzzy riffs, they are now giving the vocals more room to breathe. This doesn't mean it's any less heavy. The guitars are still packed with all the density you would want from these guys. Obviously as with most doom band's Sabbath is a huge influence, but I can also here some hints of the more burly psychedelic garage bands that we now think of as proto-metal like Atomic Rooster or Blue Cheer. The lyrics for better or for worse are more discernible. On "Dear Lucifer" the vocalist wails to say he doesn't believe any more and is sad to he has to go. So this is a break up song to Lucifer. I don't remember their lyrics on the previous releases being all that satanic so it's not a shocker. The song does have a hint of sorrow to it ,so it must not be Lucifer it must be them.

Organ opens up the title track to really give it that 60's psychedelic feeling I was talking about earlier. They must have some better weed coming through Sweden these days. The powerful chug to the riff going into the verses has more of a classic metal feeling. One thing I love about this album is the fact these guys prove you can make powerful doom without having every song drag on over the ten minute mark.Eventually they do cross that line, but it's later in the album and not the opener.  I did have to listen to "Wormland" twice to check back in with the realization that it was an instrumental. So as far as instrumentals go the guitar kept the melody enough to distract me from this fact as I normally don't like instrumentals. Eventually there is a violin where the vocals would sit. So add violins to the list of new sounds on this album.

The big over 12 minute epic is "Forgotten Lands". The vocals come in after about two minutes of lumbering.While it is certainly a respectable show of power, they are trudging the road more traveled when it comes to doom with this song.Midway into it and I am waiting for some dynamic shift to justify them dragging this out. I am obviously impatient as the shift does come a minute later.Its a weird solo break, where the guitar tone sounds like it is being put through the same warbling filter the vocals have had on them for the duration of the album. The bass backs off on some of the fuzz to give the song more breathing room. Heads will bang with the punches that threaten to lead into the meat of the song again. Spoiler alert. Then they go for the fifteen minute mark on "At Niceae". Despite the change of guitar tones at the beginning the vocals don't coast in until four minutes into the song. Granted these guys are playing at the speed you expect of doom, so this does contribute to them clocking in on the far side of the 9 minute mark. Considering that they wind up in a more Pink Floyd like place when it comes to the strum of the acoustic guitar, it is kind of anti-climatic considering the song was 15 minutes long. They did try out a few new guitar tones along the way. I will however go ahead and round this one up to a 9 as it's pretty solid, aside from the last couple songs that are a little long winded. I think this one will grow on me , but if you are already a fan it is sure to stick and stay.

Catching Up with 2014- Monolord: "Empress Rising"

This isn't what you would expect from a band coming out of Gothenburg. This trio blends atmosphere with their stoner thunder in an almost Kyuss like fashion. The effects drenched vocals are sung in a rock fashion, think Failure or Tool. This might be a selling point to some and kill it for other. It reminds me a lot of the bands I used drop acid to in the 90's like Sugartooth. This was listed over at my other blog family Cvlt Nation as being one of the top doom album's of the year and while we see eye to eye more often than not I don't really hear this as being doom. Doom to be has to have a darkness to it. Sure there is Sabbath worship, but that without radiating darkness is just stoner rock to me.

It's always ballsy if not self indulgent to open this album with your longest song. Here it's the title track, which set the tone for the album and raises quite a bar for this trio to follow. They follow this up with an over driven rumbling number that is more typical for this sort of thing than the opening song. Monolithic in the weight of it's heavy shuffle, it's relies on the fuzz to hold it aloft.  As an instrumental it lacks , where the vocal gave it a unique quality.

The vocals return on "Harbinger of Death". Coated in the same watery "Planet Caravan" effects they don't latch on to the same quality of melody , but wait for the guitars to make the first move. It reminds me more of Electric Wizard here. "Icon" is unsurprisingly at the same pace as the rest of the album, the vocals however save the day providing some variance in the pattern of their melody. The close the album on a more oppressive note almost closer to what I think of as doom. The vocals don't hold as much strength as they have earlier in the album and the Sabbath worship is pretty much at an all time high. The lyrics are pretty much time and space mumbo jumbo, take another hit from the bong and talk sci-fi to me.

If you like Kyuss, this might not have come from the desert but it takes you on a similar fuzzy trip. I'll give it a 7.5, but you are a huge stoner then round it up to an 8, or just a massive fan of the genre. Not something I need for my iPod, but take a listen and see if yours can live without it.