“Affection, it can’t be combined with perfection something so divine we could’ve had our own little world but you chose to run away with the… Doom Charts…”
~ probably misheard lyrics by Slomosa
As we enter another
year, where the Doom Chartsscours the Heavy Underground in search of
all those amazing albums. We cannot help but think about all those
albums that have already been featured since 2015. And those that
weren’t. Cause on average the Contributors vote for a total of 200
different albums per month. This month 218. Wow… That’s a lot of heavy
music. And we shall continue to spread all that music and our love for
it… Even though there’s all that Generative AI stuff to work through now
as well. And the amount of it is growing. Some of it is pretty decent
even. Some only part AI. And some will undoubtly slip through and make
it on to the Doom Charts… We don’t understand at all why one would use a
plagarism machine to spill out music, when one could just try to come
up with something completely their own. I for one am not interested in
what a machine can rehash out of the million ideas it has been fed.
There are programs out there that can make your music sound perfect. I
am not interested in perfect. Perfect is boring. And it’s not what
people can actually do. There’s no fun there. I for one am interested in
your idea, your take, your riffs and your energy… Your mistakes. It’s
what makes it human. There might be nothing new under the sun, but your take of that will forever be your take and thats what matters and what makes it interesting…
Everything worth doing, is worth doing right…
January started with a bang! Big and loud! A stunning array of amazing records released in the first month of the new year... And you can judge it yourself by ransacking the January 2026 edition of the Doom Charts! Forty amazing heavy albums that all shimmer like legendary gold and jewels...
Welcome to Doom Charts,
representing some of the finest bloggers, journalists, radio,
podcasters and reviewers from the heavy underground around the globe.
Each month, our critics submit their picks for the best new doom,
sludge, metal, stoner, psychedelic and heavy 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…
Ruff Majik - Can Of Wyrms (feat. Benjamin Berdous and the S.A. Scene)
As usual, I’m late to the party. But you must know, I felt pretty weird about the message that appeared on Instagram almost a year ago. It felt like the Ruff Majik madness I love so dearly was coming to an abrupt halt. And I missed them immediately. And I was a bit afraid to contact frontman Johni Holiday to get the lowdown. Cause it seemed like he was going through something big. Perhaps I should have anyway. That way I might have been privy to the new path they are now carving out, the new rebellion, the new rules, made up as they move forward… I missed them. But I am happy they are back and even though I’ve been talking about how I felt during their absence and their return, it’s not about me. It’s about Ruff Majik and their quest to get you involved. To open you up. To let you spill your guts. And to get you all revved up!
PR Wire:
A new chapter begins for Ruff Majik with the release of latest single Can Of Wyrms
South African heavy rock outfit Ruff Majik return with Can Of Wyrms, a stark and emotionally unguarded single that confronts suicide from the perspective of those left behind. Rather than romanticizing loss or framing it through spectacle, Can Of Wyrms documents grief as an ongoing presence — unresolved, heavy, and communal. The song was written years ago, but only now finds its moment, arriving as the band re-emerge after a period marked by silence, distance, and personal reckoning.
Frontman Johni Holiday has previously spoken openly about PTSD, agoraphobia, and cycles of dependency formed while touring — struggles that ultimately led to Ruff Majik stepping away before the weight became fatal. That pause, and the clarity it forced, directly informs the song’s restraint. Can Of Wyrms does not seek answers. It acknowledges absence, as well as the battle waged by those in the thick of it. Musically, the track balances Ruff Majik’s stoner-punk urgency with a raw yet anthemic vulnerability. Gang vocals — recorded with friends and members of the South African underground music community — form the emotional core of the song, reinforcing its central idea: this grief is shared, not isolated.
The single also features guest vocals by Ben from Slomosa, adding a further layer of communal voice and international solidarity to a deeply personal release. All proceeds from Can Of Wyrms, including associated merchandise, will be directed toward mental-health support initiatives. The release coincides with Ruff Majik’s first live performance (31 January, Pretoria, South Africa) , since their hiatus — not framed as a victory lap, but as a statement of intent. In the band's own words: "There is work to be done."
Can Of Wyrms is not a eulogy. It is a warning, a remembrance, and a refusal to buckle under the pressures of the world. This single is currently available on BandCamp only, and will be released on all other platforms on 16 January 2026. The band will take no requests for press until the first phase is complete.
Saw All Them Witches together with Elder rip 013, Tilburg a new one back in October. And towards then end of their set, All Them Witches played Red Rocking Chair. And their rendition of this early 1900’s traditional is wild, takes the band back a bit towards their bluesy beginnings, imploring an even doomier atmospheren and looks forward to the All Them Witches tension wire being stretched until it can stretch no more… And now, there’s an official single version and visualizer… A precursor to the album soon to be released on the BMG imprint.
PR Wire
Today, All Them Witches - Ben McLeod (guitarist), Charles Michael Parks, Jr. (bass/vocals), Christian Powers (drums), and Allan Van Cleave (keys)- share their new song “Red Rocking Chair”, the first single the band will be releasing with BMG. The song marks the first new music with the band’s new lineup, and sees All Them Witches refashion a bluegrass standard into a haunting and hypnotic transmission, the perfect intro to their new chapter.
“I’ve actually been listening to ‘Red Rocking Chair’ since I was a kid,” says Parks. “Usually, it’s done in a traditional bluegrass style. Ben had the riff, and it made me start singing those lyrics. We used to play bluegrass at after-show parties, in stairwells, and on the streets sometimes. So, ‘Red Rocking Chair’ ties into our old time-y rough touring days.”
“Hopefully, it retains some of our core stoner doom fans,” adds Ben, “I wrote the riff and the wiggly verse part with the intention that Parks would actually sing those ‘Red Rocking Chair’ lyrics over them. He didn’t know it at first, but he wasn’t going to be allowed to say, ‘No’ [Laughs]. Live, we play our song ‘Swallowed By The Sea’ every now and then, and Parks would sub out the “Red Rocking Chair” lyrics at shows. Fans had always asked about it, and I thought it should finally be its own song.”
We've been teasing the release of this album ever since we wrote that little review back in early January. And finally, it is time! Time to envelop yourself in the Wormholy World! The first release by these Finnish three under their new name Mount Palatine! Out on Argonauta Records on February 6th... But worming you away and whirling you today on Stoner HiVe...
Rising from the wasteland like a knight from a sandstorm, Mount Palatine emerge with Wormholy World, a heavy psychedelic doom record that feels both mountainous and hallucinatory. Seismic riffs and molten grooves collide with melodic aftershocks as the band leans into longer forms, deeper atmospheres, and a new-found confidence. Meditative passages dissolve into sludgy gravity wells where songs rebuild themselves mid-collapse, nothing staying still for long. Themes feel eastern, abstract, yet deeply intimate, pulling you further in. Cinematic, daring, and unrelenting, Wormholy World marks Mount Palatine’s true form. . . Victorious, convicted, and unafraid...
Wormholy World by Mount Palatine is an ultimate trip through destruction and recreation, that is, the chaos of life and universe itself. Musically, the album builds on the psychedelic heavy jams of a trio that consists of Jean the Baron (Guitars), Count Boogie (Bass), and Lord of the Groove (Drums). Through years of ensemble playing, the trio has developed their signature style of heavy psych metal, which combined elements of doom, stoner, sludge, psychedelic rock, and progressive metal. As a result, these chaotic trips form into a cosmic dance, where brittle melodies break under crushing riffs, just to be reformed again into triumphant harmony. Likewise, the vocals vary from ethereal choirs to heavy growls.
In the vein of their debut album “Cockroach Crusade” (self-released under the name The Paladin), Wormholy World was born from intense jam sessions, shaping a sound that is both cohesive and expansive. All songs have been created and arranged through continuous jams and iterations, and caught on tape in a similar fashion; via live-recordings of the band playing together in their own rehearsal place and home studio at Saarni Music. On top of these jam-like base tracks, layers and layers of additional guitars, synths, sound effects, and vocals have been stacked, until the songs have reached their final cosmic level envisioned by the collective mind of the band. The final, magic touch on the audio track was added by Mactus the Magemaster from Saarni Music, breathing life into it, making it sparkle with cosmic glister.
While the debut explored a wide array of influences, this album moves ever more clearly toward the band’s chosen path and artistic vision, bringing a stronger sense of cohesion to their evolving style. Mount Palatine’s Wormholy World is something that might resonate with fans of bands like Elder, Stoned Jesus, Mastodon, and Down without sounding directly like any of them, yet perhaps a little like all of them combined. With the album, the band continues to carve their own distinctive niche in the landscape of modern heavy psychedelic metal.
Band biography
Mount Palatine is a heavy psych metal trio founded in Helsinki, Finland. Built on years of playing together, the band thrives on long-form jamming, through which raw improvisational pieces are transformed into towering compositions. What began as a reunion of old bandmates for casual jamming in the year 2020, soon developed into a collective musical entity with relentless creative force.
The lineup consists of Jean the Baron (guitar & vocals), Count Boogie (bass), and Lord of the Groove (drums). Together they channel their unique chemistry into sprawling songs that range from crushing sludge-laden riffs to hypnotic psychedelic textures, from screamed vocals that tear through the void to ethereal clean melodies that linger like echoes from another realm. The result is an immersive soundscape that is as punishing as it is transcendental — heavy but never static, spiritual yet grounded in groove. Drawing inspiration from across genres, Mount Palatine weave elements of doom, stoner, progressive metal, psychedelic rock, and beyond into a sound unmistakably their own.
Originally performing under the name The Paladin, the trio released their debut album Cockroach Crusade (2024), which laid the foundations of their evolving sound. As their style matured, the decision came to adopt a new name that would better reflect their unique identity. Thus, Mount Palatine was born — a symbol of rebirth, expansion, and the next stage of their journey. The band continues to operate from Helsinki.
Lyrically and thematically, Mount Palatine delves into cosmic and spiritual realms, examining existence, life, death, and the mysteries of reality and the universe, often flirting with religious and philosophical concepts. The result is music that resonates on both visceral and contemplative levels — an invitation to lose oneself in sound while reflecting on the infinite.
Mount Palatine is something that might resonate with fans of bands like Elder, Stoned Jesus, Mastodon, and Down without sounding directly like any of them, yet perhaps a little like all of them combined.
The band is now preparing to broaden its horizons internationally with their upcoming second album, Wormholy World that is released via the renowned doom label Argonauta Records. With crushing heaviness, visionary songwriting, and uncompromising energy on stage, Mount Palatine are carving their place in the evolving landscape of modern heavy psychedelic music.
Hostal Handshake – Stone Oracle Self-released – 2026 Rock, Stoner, Grunge, Hardrock Rated: ***
Right. I could have sworn this album was released earlier and I’m pretty sure I voted for the sophomore album Stone Oracleby Greek trio Hostal Handshake for the December Doom Charts. I mean, that touch of Masters Of Reality early on will immediately lure me in. Every time again. But I guess I got it wrong somewhere. Well, let’s set things right! It’s their sophomore release after their debut album Hellish back in 2007. Well, not counting the two demo’s and promo from 2005 in that case. And well, Hostal Handshake was already around back in 2001.
So, yes, their first album in eighteen years! And they deliver it with weight and a highly personal heaviness. For most of the album was written by during a period where the father of main songwriter George Markogiannakis struggled with severe illness, which resulted in his passing. Stone Oracle became a sixteen-track tribute to the man he regarded as his hero.
The project required solitude, so forged in isolation by guitarist and drummer, they feed their riffs and rhythms into the furnace like two alchemists hoping something dangerous would crawl out. And a meaner, slower Hostal Handshake animal did emerge. Dragging grooves, grind and loom, smoke-soaked and filled with late-night paranoia. And there’s desert heat here, blues grit that mutates into more doom touched weight. And everything, everything moves and lurches forward on instinct. It feels raw and unpolished. A sword overhead and a need to have the music live on…
Some moments you can almost feel the urge surging through the riffs, as if the band desperately wants to make up for nearly two decades of silence. There’s grunge there as well, but never the downtrodden one, it’s the kind that almost touches upon repetition, turning the riffs into something almost ceremonial. But as soon as you think you recognize where it’s going, the air thickens, the pace slows or quickens, and the song sink into entirely different places. Leaving you slightly disoriented, yet weirdly calm. It doesn’t feel like Hostal Handshake ever meant this to be a comeback. This was necessary. This was done because it needed to be done. And everything worth doing… Is worth doing right…
Mornin y’all! Monday is once again upon us! And we can glance back at some damn fine concerts during the weekend. A magnificent Anna von Hausswolff and three bands that tore The Jack in Eindhoven a new one. The moody and atmospheric Nevels opened the night, followed by a pristine Der Mancha Red and the debut stage experience for the aggro post metal mixture of Even If We Lose. And damn, how Der Mancha Redhave grown, incredibly tight and a sound that reaches every fiber of your being. But as those tones slowly pass away now, we look forward to the FULL ALBUM PREMIERE by Mount Palatine we’ll do this Wednesday. And look back to thank Tony Maim for his Gluecifer write-up and Ronny Dijksterhuis for Iron Head and a massive Quick Fire Friday. And personally we jotted down some word on Barbears… Let’s hope to do some more this week! And check out those albums on the Top 10. Even though many of them won’t come out for a month or more, some of them have their first singles out and they will surely entice you to get ready for more! Have a great week everyone!
Another Quick Fire Friday casually delivered by our very own poet: Ronny Dijksterhuis... Who takes you with him down the rabbit hole from here!
By now,
Quick Fire Friday doesn't need an introduction anymore. It's your
never-thought-I'd-hear-it-guide to the best hidden new stuff from the heavy
underground, with an occasional well-known name thrown in for good measure.
Start clicking those links and crank it up to 11...
Rad Payoff - Spilled Milk
A slightly funky, boogie swing modern post-punk style bass line, lots of noise rock aggression and an undeniable groove. Rad Payoff's first single in six years is catchy as fuck and the perfect appetizer for their new album that will be released later this year.
The new single by Swedish doom and stoner rockers Blucifer lures you in with a nice, steady swamp groove before a doom meets stoner outburst gets things rolling for real. Just how we like it over here. And while I'm not a big fan of female vocals in this kind of music, Elsa U. has taken a few steps forward since their debut and sounds great, giving Blucifer's sound an added bit of mysticism that sets them apart from their peers. Oh yeah, the stunning artwork by Pretty Shitty Inc. is worth mentioning too.
LÁTÓ is a Hungarian band that mixes tons of different styles. You hear traditional metal, post metal, death metal, doom, stoner, alternative rock and even a glimpse of black metal. All over the place heaviness you could say, without losing sight of the one thing music is all about: writing good songs and executing them to a tee. Their new ep 'Gospel of Past Reveries' is all the proof you need.
If there's anything you can expect from a Quick Fire Friday, it's diversity. We're heading over to New York, famed for being the birthplace of NY hardcore. Lost in the Sun takes some of the influences from that genre (the vocal style and a certain oomph) to spice up their high-octane stoner rock. The result is a great, energetic three track debut ep that grabs you by the throat and will make you reach for the repeat button without hesitation.
Australian band GROND put you on the wrong foot at the start of their latest ep 'Death Rattle' by starting with some weird, cheap ass synth sounds. But that's just a one minute setup. From that moment on it's heavy hitting rock & roll all the way. Like Hellacopters on a testosterone diet of gasoline and stoner rock. I can see them on a bill with the earlier mentioned Rad Payoff. It would guarantee a massive pit and lots of sweat dripping from bare-chested bodies.
Grimsrud is a solo lofi doom project from the UK. Whereas the earlier ep's didn't have the sound to be memorable, the production on the new ep 'Chelicerae' is a huge step forward and makes the title track (a wonderful 12 minute composition) shine in a good lofi manner. It's doom all the way, but has enough changes in pace, chords, energy and patterns to stay interesting. The added mono mix doesn't do it for me, but closer 'One-Eyed Riot Dog (Version II)', a re-recording of an older song, is another great one and benefits hugely from the better production. It makes you wonder what they'll come up with next.
Acid Leaves is a band from La Rochelle, France. Their first ep is packed to the brim with stoner rock goodness. Nothing groundbraking, but with good songs, a steady rhythm section, nice grooves and a capable singer, you can't go wrong.
After a highly praised new studio album, released last August, which ended up on Number 11 of the Stoner HiVe Top 20 Countdown of 2025, stoner rockers Borracho are set to release a new ep in February, titled 'Eternos'. It contains five covers in honour of friends in the music scene that sadly passed away too early. One song, a fantastic cover of Hellacopters' 'A Heart without a Home', is released in advance. Check it out.
Psst. I’ve got a little secret to share with you all… I know that this little ditty came in at the Number 50 spot of the December Doom Charts. Out of a 198 albums that received votes. And yes, I was one of the Contributors that voted for it. Cause over here on Stoner HiVe we’ve been keeping tabs on the fourpiece Barbears ever since we first heard their 2012 release Doombar. But their new Bearzerker Blues is heavier on all fronts. This is sludge metal, with overtones of doom and stoner. And it leaves a mark…
From the very first moments, the sound hits hard and confident. Those razor-sharp notes give the riffs real color and momentum. Beneath the dense sludge foundation, you can clearly hear a band that has grown together musically, and that chemistry elevates the record well above average. The songwriting thrives on surprise. Sudden shifts, unexpected textures, and well-placed twists that keep the listener alert. Even the clean vocal passages, used sparingly, land beautifully, adding contrast without breaking the spell.
These bears have turned into one of Hungary’s most uncompromising doom and stoner soaked sludge outliers. And this seven track bruiser called Bearzerker Blues is built on bass heavy grooves and punishing drum work. Riffs that grind with the fierce intention to leave a mark. Ten years after their Enter The Bear album they now have Zoltán Molnár as vocalist, one time member of Gholgoth, Sunstroke, Sin of God and Helioride. His lyrics can go from humoristic insights to modern nihilism encoded in soot-covered tones, never shying away from personal observations or off shoots on universal scale. Drawing from inner turmoil and the quiet violence of a world losing its sense of humanity, the album feels shaped by exhaustion, disillusionment, and the strange duality of life. It is a record that sounds honest on every level.
More strength comes from its restraint. Rage simmers beneath the surface instead of constantly erupting uncontrollably, giving the music a constant, pressing tension. Thick basslines, deliberate grooves, and crushing riffs rooted in sludge, doom, and blues establish the foundation, while the vocals move responsively within the arrangements, acting as another textural layer instead of a focal point. Each member occupies equal ground, creating a dense and carefully balanced whole. The album is unified by tone, mood, and an almost ritualistic cohesion and unfolds slowly, leaving a lasting imprint rather than instant gratification. Transitions and instrumental passages melt seamlessly into full compositions, echoing the album’s visual symbolism of metamorphosis. Barbears have changed from four furry drunks into a barbaric rock horde!
Iron Head - Fundamental Skullism Records - 2026 Stoner, Doom, Psychedelic Rock Rated: ****¾
Iron Head are a stoner/doom band from Indonesia. They open their first full length album 'Fundamental' with the largely instrumental, 11+ minute title track that has one of the most exciting intro's I've heard in quite a while, slowly building an eerie atmosphere of stretched noise, samples, sound effects and mystical chants. Around the three minute mark the interstellar gates swing open and off they go with psychedelic fuzz sizzling like sausages on a hellish BBQ in outer space, as if they've taken Church of Misery's darkness, attached it to a ragged old rocket and blasted it into an orbit around the sun with a fireball in its wake, metal shields shuddering in sync with the vibrations. This is raw, dirty, nasty and drags you by the hairs through gutters filled with mold-covered feces, used needles and dried-up piss while dealers are lurking in the shadows of abandoned buildings. Different emotions glued together to construct a new entity - one of balled-up anger on a restless day.
With larger than life grooves, gushing from the belly of the beast, these five guys are an all-out riff monster, breathing fire, burning skulls, leaving you all scared and blistered - and not only on the ultra heavy mid-paced opener, where doom reigns and space rock accents are the frills around the edges. No, they wield their blunt chainsaw all the way through, threatening to separate the limbs from your body while filming the whole scene to proudly show at a nice and cozy family gathering. 'Nafas' for example is a short, Kyuss-influenced speedster that roars past like a horde of murderous motorcycles, while 'War Has Begun' gives a nod to Sleep and Bongzilla, its doom riffs cutting through thick air before a scorching finale. And now we're not even halfway through the album. Smack bang in the middle there's 'Ballad of the Thrills', an exciting, tension-laden doom track with well-placed guitar leads and psychedelic cuts, like a slowed-down version of 'Spine of God'-era Monster Magnet.
"Yeah right", you might think by know, "it's cool searching for analogies and metaphors all the time and spitting them over us, trying to describe the feel of this album, but what about the execution?" Well, I can tell you the guitars are low tuned, crunchy, distorted, fuzz-driven excellence, the bass chops & chugs along nicely, almost casually throwing around small parts of humanity and melody, while the drums provide a steady, slightly frantic foundation and the sound effects (courtesy of the singer) bring some nuances to the game. It all works perfectly and you can feel the chemistry at work here. That goes for the vocals as well. They are rough, raunchy and often growling from the nether regions of a freshly desecrated grave. The lyrics are more or less split even between English and their native Indonesian language, although it's sometimes hard to notice which of the two is at the forefront.
Okay, so much for the formal intermezzo. Back to the music when 'Pitam' hits the speakers with its fiery stoner attitude, cruising through a newly discovered landscape called the desert swamp, cacti growing from muddy waters, broadleaf sand trees guarding the path to infinity that's popping up somewhere in the distance. But first we got to wade through something called 'Raga', that feels like it's pushing you forward and holding you back at the exact same time, like you're running with supermassive super glue under your shoes, trying to speed things up but getting stuck with every step. It's exciting and the rhythm section in the end exemplifies this feeling, fading out before album closer 'Rock Stoned' opens in true Sons of Otis fashion - slow, haunting doom, a bass line that summons Lilith and the devil for a massive bacchanal on planet earth and spoken (movie?) samples that lure you into a weird encounter. And that's only the first half. The second half brings things back down to earth with a bunch of skeletons speeding down the highway on the motorcycles that passed us by earlier and which they managed to grab a hold of and domesticate before riding off into the sunset, closing the portal gates behind them and leaving us here, all ravaged and beat-up, roaming the earth like the so-called humans we are.
Well… We warned you… The man behind the very cool Stoner.Blog.Hudecided to cut the interview in two and let me clog up his brilliant blog some more... Want to read more of my silly thoughts and words... Go check it out... And be sure to keep checking it out, cause it's a damn cool site!
This Hungarian blog has been around since 2008 and has provided Hungary
with every bit of heavy news and reviews since they started. And yes, Nikodém István,
the man behind it, will also be featured on Stoner HiVe soon, where he can tell more about the other sites he's involved with and his love for the Heavy Underground... The other sites you ask? The Fémforgács site and Stonerforgács vlog!
Thank you again Nikodém, for bestowing these honors upon little old me!
Gluecifer - Same Drug New High Steamhammer - 2026 Hard Rock, Stoner, Garage Rock Rated:
Remember when music was about energy, singalong choruses, dazzling guitar breaks, sweat and passion? These guys do. Gluecifer play a hugely addictive mix of garage punk rock'n'roll. Like a shot of adrenaline mainlined into the brain, machine gun solos are fired out from fuzz pedals set to kill over insanely catchy but primitive riffs. Hey droogies, bang your heads up and down to these killer tunes which make you want to break things, drink heavily or just shout in strangers faces about this album you are listening to! Get hip to the high priests of boogie, smell the stench of amps turned up to 11 and worship at the altar of "fuck you!" ... This is the good shit!
