Further down, in number 22 of the best albums of 2019, we nominate "The Mortal", the 5th(!) full length release from Kansas Doom Metal act "Merlin". Having not heard Merlin before last year's "The Wizard", which barely missed the top albums of 2018, I was blown away by these two albums which truly blend equal parts of Doom, space rock and stoner metal to craft a magical blend guiding the hapless listener to new dimensions of horror and wonder, while vocalist Jordan Knorr is exactly what the doctor ordered for those hot summer nights! Highlights of the latest record include the heavy "Mind Flayer", the trippy "Ashen Lake", as well as the labyrinthine mysteries of "Metamorphosis", but if you like what you're hearing also check out 2018's "The Wizard". Highly recommended for space wizards and space lizards!
94.2/100
Below is the lyric video for "Mind Flayer".
31. Thronehammer - Usurper of the Oaken Throne (Church Within Records - 2019)
In number 31, as we begin our journey into doom, is the epic international trio, we are proud to present Thronehammer with their first full length album. Filled with heavy tunes all throughout the record with epic guitar riffs in "Conquered and Erased", awesome choruses accompanied by the booming echoing sounds of a hammer in "Thronehammer" and wrapping up with "Usurper of the Oaken Throne"s amazingly heavy and groovy guitar riff that will stick with to any fan of melodic low-end heavy tunes. Definitely a band to keep an eye on and a great mood piece for this list!
30. Church of misery - And then there were none (Rise Above - 2016)
Coming off the depth of hell and despair, Japanese Doomsters Church of Misery released in 2016 a true monolithic gem of a doom/stoner metal. With clear influences from Cathedral in their sound and Scott Carlson in a one-off appearance as their vocalist, the band deliver their message in doom and gloom. If you fancy their sound here, you can also check their past releases with 2009's "Houses of the Unholy" being unquestionably their best effort to date (and barely missing this retrospective).
29. Whatever End - A birth of Loss (Independent - 2017)
The sole output of relatively unknown Greek prog doomsters Whatever End, "A birth of Loss" is a unique blend of avant-garde operatic vocals (that at times sound almost SOAD-like), prog metal rhythmic switches, doomy riffs and symphonic influences, rendering them one of the most "out there" choices for this list. Among the highlights of the album are the titular song and the labyrinth-like "Evershift". A stunning release from a very promising band with hopefully many more to come!
The Obsessed finally returned after a silence of 23 years delivering 2017's Sacred. A much more rock-oriented record than the previous outputs of Wino under The Obsessed banner, it retains a sweet blend of their trademark sound with later influences from Wino's other projects showing that even among the most monolithic among us there is such a thing as progress.
27. Nekromant - The Nekromant Lives (Ripple Music - 2018)
Nekromant is another excellent doom/psychedelic band from Sweden, who after releasing a more average debut in 2017, returned with an excellent doom elegy the following year, releasing "The Nekromant Lives". Drawing influences from classic doom and 80s hard rock/heavy metal, this is a very interesting release full of melodic lines that transcend doom but still draw inspiration from it, with tracks such as "Eye of the Sky" veering further away from the doom formula while others (eg. the superb "Blood for Walpurgis") stay faithful to it.
26. Blood Ceremony - Living with the Ancients (Rise Above - 2011)
Blood Ceremony add a psychedelic note to doom and a groovy vibe that perfectly blends with female vocals. "Coven Tree" has a classic 70s feeling to it that is mixed with Ian Anderson-inspired flute notes giving a fresh vibe. The perfect mix of hard rock, doom and psychedelic tunes can be heard in "My Demon Bother" which has great Black-Sabbath-like guitar riffs and travels the listener back to the classics with a nod to the future.
You can also read our review of the more rock-oriented "The Eldritch Dark"from 2013 here.
25. Orchid - Mouths of Madness (Nuclear Blast - 2013)
Largely almost a Black Sabbath tribute band, Orchid in their second full length release, show that despite having a sound and vocal vibe that feels as a direct continuation of Sabbath (including Oh-yeas from singer Theo Mindell and being named after a "Master of Reality" track), they can still deliver the goods. With songs like "Mountains of Steel", Nomad" and "Leaving It All Behind" that Iommi himself would be proud of, there is nothing fake about the love of this band to the grand-fathers of metal. And when you are really devoted to something that always shines through!
24. Mist - Free me of the sun (Soulseller Records - 2018)
Mist is another proof that powerful female vocals are a perfect fit for heavy doom riffs if you know what you're doing. Free me of the sun is the first full-length album of the promising Slovenian band (with four out five members being female!) and is certainly one of the bands to keep an eye on when you looking for something that has that uniquely sounding Candlemass buzz! With amazingly catchy songs such as the "White Torch" showcasing a wide vocal range of the lead singer and a catchy chorus what more can anyone ask?
Lord Vigo are truly an excellent Doom metal band, with both their records being criminally underrated by true purists of the genre, in my humble opinion. Six Must Die was chosen for this list as it marginally surpasses its predecessor in terms of replay value, but both albums are true diamonds in the rough for epic doom metal fans. The power trio from Germany draw influences from both the epicness of Candlemass and the monolithic nature of the early Cathedral albums to present an almost perfect blend of epic doom that renders this work among the best of the genre from newcomer acts this decade!
22. Isole - The Calm Hunter (Cyclone Empire - 2014)
Isole have released other exceptional Doom/Epic records before, but to my humble opinion, The Calm Hunter is their best release by far. Here, they grow out of their influences and leave behind their Doomier side in favour of a more epic approach, though there are definitely elements that hint at the origins of the band.
There are songs that have a more progressive structure ("My Regret", "Into Oblivion") , while others adopt a more straightforward doom approach ("Dead to Me"), but overall the album works pretty well and creates a sombre atmosphere that will haunt you every time you have a go at it.
21. Destroyer of Light - Chamber of Horrors (Heavy Friends Records - 2017)
Destroyer of Light is a Texan four-piece "horror" doom metal band that truly blossomed in this, their second release. Combining doom riffs and methodically building the melody over the course of the tracks, being willing to experiment with different vocal approaches even within the same tracks and some light influence from stoner/southern music that is barely noticeable but still manages to infuse their sombre doom with its own identity, the band achieved what other newcomers only dream of: to forge its own identity without reinventing the wheel!
The lords of British doom return triumphantly with an album that returns them to their roots. Taking inspiration from their earlier years and fusing elements that made them what they are over the years, Paradise Lost once more deliver a true masterpiece of doom/death(!). The last song from the predecessor of Medusa ("Return to the Sun") was a warning shot, however it is here that true DOOM masters return. The album acts as a celebration of that return, with Nick Holmes spewing poison with every word, Greg Macintosh tunes the guitars to the abyss and the trademark riffs of the band suddenly sound sinister and ominous, warning of death and horror at every turn. A fucking monolith of a doom metal album!
19. Demon Head - Ride the wilderness (The Charming Man Records - 2015)
The Danes come down from the North with their amazing debut album, Ride the wilderness (which was followed by two equally engaging albums in 2017 & 2019). If you are looking for an early Sabbath mood but with more rough Pentagram/Danzig vocals that reek of manliness, this is the album for you. You can read our full review of the album here.
18. Burning Saviours - Death (Transubstans Records - 2018)
Blending Pentagam-influneced doom melodies along with US heavy metal riffing, Burning Saviours from Sweden are a more metallic version of compatriot psychedelic/occult rockers Witchcraft. In their fifth full length, simply called "Death", they create an almost perfect blend of their various elements, from the doomy Draug, to the almost Doomsword-like "Crusade of Evil" and the infectious awesomeness of Häxnatten, this is a great album that at 35 minutes feels just about tight enough to not include any fillers at all, but deliver the goods!
17. Dautha - Brethren of the Black Soil (Van Records - 2018)
Dautha are an epic doom project from Norrköping, which in their debut album impress by using a combination of epic vocals, My Dying Bide-esque riffing and violins with an overlay of traditional folk aesthetic. By examining tragic themes (like The Children's Crusade in the aptly named track), Doom here is not just in the music but in the essence of the band. Choirs, operatic vocals, any trick in the book is fair game for these guys as they forge their way into the darkest night howling "Memento Mori".
16. Monasterium - Church of Bones (Nine Records - 2019)
Finally for this part, we proudly present Monasterium from Poland with their very recent second full-length release, "Church of Bones". Monasterium are a very orthodox epic doom band, which is bound to make whoever listen to their album have intense flashbacks of Messiah-era Candlemass, and you know what? They do it better than anyone out there right now! The album could easily be a proud successor to "Ancient Dreams", and with tracks like La Danse Macabre", "The Order of the Dragon", and "The Last Templar" which really kick motherfucking ass you can be sure that these guys are here to stay!
Clutch - Book of Bad Decisions (Weathermaker Music)
What can be said about the latest endeavour of southern/stoner/slacker rockers Clutch? The album follows suit from previous releases "Earth Rocker" and "Psychic Warfare", continuing the trend of the band experimenting with different song structures and playfully dipping their toes in variations of the sound that made them famous. They can't go too wrong as the vocals of Neil Fallon and the riffing by Tim Sult, accompanied by the ever-present rhythm section of Dan Maines (bass) and Jean-Paul Gaster are a surefire guarantee of a good-time. And in the "Book of Bad Decisions", the band again delivers with another album good from the bottom to the top. Thus, the band seems to have found the recipe for success in creating groovy compositions that seem destined to dominate any live show they play! After all, they can write anthems effortlessly, with "How To Shake Hands" and "Weird Times" being two of the more distinctive compositions that confirm Clutch's excellence in this area and are distinguished for their functionality and simplicity. At the same time, as noted above, they continue to display a tendency to experiment and mix different stylistic elements. This results to a host of truly memorable compositions, with 'In' Walks Barbarella "(with the excellent use of wind instruments) and" Vision Quest "(with a fantastic piano orchestration) being perhaps the most stand-out tracks. Along with the aforementioned tracks, "Emily Dickinson", "Ghoul Wrangler" and "Lorelei" (with a very .. soundtrack dynamic) are a set of compositions that would fit seamlessly in almost any previous band release, and once again reaffirm Clutch as one of the best rock acts of any kind out there. 95.5/100 Below are the music videos for "In Walks Barbarella", "Hot Bottom Feeder", "Give Me the Keys", "How to Shake Hands" and "Ghoul Wrangler".
The last years have been turbulent for Mastodon on a personal level, as both Bill Kelleher's mother and Troy Sander's wife were diagnosed with cancer. But instead of letting these personal problems drag them down, the band turned them on their head and used them as inspiration for "Emperor of the Sand", an album conceptually based around cancer! A very few bands would dare try approach such a subject and even fewer would succeed without sounding either corny or dismissive. However, Mastodon not only succeeds in approaching their subject matter in a very pensive and metaphorical manner, they at the same time delivered one of the best albums of 2017 (and among the best of their career). The main concept is about a wanderer condemned to die, and the themes of going through painful experiences such as chemotherapy, hope for survival and acceptance are woven lyrically within the narrative. There is a cohesion in the music as well, with all pieces utilising the full musical range of the band and the thee vocalists' interplay allowing no boredom. Highlights of the album include "Show Yourself", "Steambreather" and the epic closer "Jaguar God", but there every song has the quality of being excellent within the context of the album and as a standalone track. Another great release by Mastodon that is more than a sum of its parts. 93.5/100
Below are the music videos for "Show Yourself" and "Steambreather"
After a short break we are moving on to number 17, taking a small leave from all things progressive that defined the last 4 posts of this list and heading towards a more hard rocking album. "Yellow and Green" is Baroness's third full length album and it came out during a year that became challenging for the band (while touring for the album's promotion, the band's bus crashed in the UK, severely injuring the vocalist/guitarist John Baizley, as well as
drummer Allen Blickle and guitarist/vocalist Matt Maggioni who later left the band). The record is split into two discs both equally interesting and filled with psychedelic, heavy and hard-rock vibes! The first disc starts with the heavy-paced instrumental "Yellow Theme" followed by a range of different tunes including the rocker "Take My Bones Away", the psychedelic "Cocainium", the melodic "Twinkler" and the atmospheric "Eula", which constitutes as a transition to the second part of the album. The second disc starts with the airy instrumental piece "Green Theme" followed by the radio-rock "Board Up the House", the captivating "Mtns. (The Crown & Anchor)" and "Foolsong", wrapping up with the more alternative "The Line Between" and the instrumental tunes of the
"If I Forget Thee, Lowcountry". The intriguing cover art by Baizley completes the album with a great visual depiction of the record's vibe and amazing song-writing!
This is the eleventh album by famous southern/sludge rockers Clutch. It is a great album and excellent follow-up to their very successful previous effort Earth Rocker. In this album, Clutch keep the formula of the last album, by leaving the best tracks for the end of the album. Up-beat strong tracks such as "X-Ray Vision" are a great start to the album, but closing tracks "Our Lady of Electric Light" and "Son of Virginia" are really special. This album combines the groove of the first half of the album and the southern heaviness of the latter exceptionally, making it overall one of the best releases of 2015.
98/100
Below is the video for one of the upbeat tracks that kickstart the album, X-Ray Vision
Further down, in number 22 of the best albums of 2019, we nominate "The Mortal", the 5th(!) full length release from Kansas Doom Metal act "Merlin". Having not heard Merlin before last year's "The Wizard", which barely missed the top albums of 2018, I was blown away by these two albums which truly blend equal parts of Doom, space rock and stoner metal to craft a magical blend guiding the hapless listener to new dimensions of horror and wonder, while vocalist Jordan Knorr is exactly what the doctor ordered for those hot summer nights! Highlights of the latest record include the heavy "Mind Flayer", the trippy "Ashen Lake", as well as the labyrinthine mysteries of "Metamorphosis", but if you like what you're hearing also check out 2018's "The Wizard". Highly recommended for space wizards and space lizards!
