Despite many bands still being completely restricted from touring this year, or at best limited to brief and local performances, it was another banner year for new music. Here are my favorite doom and heavy psychedelic albums of 2021.
18
Hinterlands | Jakethehawk
Feb 19, 2021
Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Ripple Music
Jakethehawk exerts confidence and impressive dynamic range on Hinterlands, seamlessly building tension between an ever-present ominous undercurrent and flickering of light from above, all with a steady, desert-inspired groove pushing things forward throughout.
17
When Their Gods Come For You | Witchcryer
Aug 20, 2021
Austin, TX, USA
Ripple Music
There’s a sense from the beginning of this one that something evil is about to happen. And by the time you realize it (two minutes in), you’ve already been seduced by an infectious brew of filthy, heavy blues groove bolstered by Suzy Bravo’s haunting vocals.
16
Occult New Age | Book of Wyrms
May 07, 2021
Richmond, VA, USA
Desert Records
A heavy groove emerges immediately on Occult New Age, the third studio release from Book of Wyrms. That groove simmers and bubbles to the top throughout this album, while Sarah Moore Lindsey’s subdued vocals, never rising above the fold, helps create an eerie landscape.
13
Secrets of the Black Moon | High Desert Queen
Oct 15, 2021
Austin, TX, USA
Ripple Music
High Desert Queen serves up a Texas-sized ass kicking on their debut long player, channeling a wide range of influences into their own unique brand of boot-stomping groove that lumbers and chugs across a landscape of hefty riffs and infectious hooks.
12
Morieris | Crystal Spiders
Oct 01, 2021
Raleigh, NC, USA
Ripple Music
Raleigh, NC doom duo Crystal Spiders stormed onto the scene in 2020 with the release of their studio debut, Molt. And they’re back to make you squirm again. There’s an uneasiness on Morieris that creeps and slithers in and out of the darkness through chunky, hard-hitting grooves and bewitching sludge making this one of the most unique and exciting up-and-coming bands creating music today.
11
Onwards and Downwards | Alastor
May 28, 2021
Sweden
RidingEasy Records
With powerful, possessed riffs, and a brooding undertow polished to a fine sheen, Alastor descends a slow and steady spiral toward the darkest depths of madness on Onwards and Downwards.
10
Introducing… | Holy Death Trio
Sept 17, 2021
San Ramon, CA, USA
Ripple Music
This is balls-to-the-wall filthy rock-n-roll from Southern California. Introducing… is the soundtrack to your favorite bar fight, heist, and car chase wrapped in one blistering thirty-three minute package.
09
Black Harvest | Green Lung
Oct 22, 2021
London, UK
Svart Records
“A little death never hurt anyone”, Tom Templar declares matter-of-factly on “Graveyard Sun”, one of a number of standout tracks on Green Lung’s latest long player. Templar’s distinct vocal style, and a cauldron of majestic guitar solos intertwined with organs and mammoth riffs have shaped Green Lung into arguably the most sinister doom outfit on the planet.
08
Nefarious Wave | Somnuri
June 04, 2021
Brooklyn, NY, USA
Blues Funeral Recordings
Possibly the album you’d least expect to see on this list. Nefarious Wave is a stunning sonic avalanche. Aggressive. Punishing. And one of the most exciting releases in all of heavy music.
07
Chaos Reigns | Wolves In Haze
Sept 03, 2021
Gothenburg, Sweden
Majestic Mountain Records
Wolves in Haze leave no doubt right from the start about the journey you’re about to embark on with Chaos Reigns – a grimy, high octane fusion of death metal and thrash-infused doom. Hold on tight!
06
Your Time To Shine | Monolord
Oct 29, 2021
Gothenburg, Sweden
Relapse Records
Nobody delivers impossibly slow slabs of doom better than Monolord. And the trio from Sweden does it again on their latest studio offering. Intertwined in that unrelenting and impenetrable wall of gloom on Your Time To Shine is a sense of calm and tranquility that adds an intriguing new element to this highly regarded trio’s distinct sound.
05
Deceiver | Khemmis
Nov 19, 2021
Denver, CO, USA
Nuclear Blast
Khemmis has built a distinctive sound from a wide swath of influences since bursting onto the scene in 2015. Phil Pendergast’s soaring vocals and Ben Hucherson’s imposing growl, combined with scorching guitar solos and monstrous riffs defined and immediately catapulted this band to the top of the metal scene. On Deceiver, their fourth studio album, the riffs are as colossal as ever and the sorrow as palpable, reminding us once again that Khemmis reigns in the world of doomed heavy metal.
04
Dark Majesty | Kal-El
Aug 27, 2021
Stravanger, Norway
Majestic Mountain Records
Norway’s Kal-El doles out revved up, heavy duty space rock. Dark Majesty is their best offering yet, immediately dropping into, and staying in a steady pocket of irresistible bluesy, psychedelic groove.
03
Acheron | King Buffalo
Dec 03, 2021
Rochester, NY, USA
Stickman Records
In Greek mythology, the Acheron was known as “the river of woe”, and the entrance to the underworld. Acheron, King Buffalo’s second album of 2021, was recorded live in Howe Caverns, just down the road from their Rochester, NY headquarters. Gentle sounds of the subterranean stream near their recording space emerge between tracks, and King Buffalo creates a superb and mesmerizing soundscape fitting for a journey into the underworld.
02
The Burden of Restlessness | King Buffalo
June 04, 2021
Rochester, NY, USA
Stickman Records
The Burden of Restlessness is the soundtrack to the last couple years of seemingly never ending political chaos, environmental destruction, and a global pandemic that has us all questioning the future. There’s a sense of consternation here that has undoubtedly crossed most of our minds, delivered with a sustained level of intensity that makes this King Buffalo’s best work yet.
01
The Magnetic Ridge | Jack Harlon & The Dead Crows
May 17, 2021
Melbourne, Australia
Psychedelic Salad Records
The tale of Jack Harlon continues on The Magnetic Ridge, the ongoing story of a drug-addicted outlaw out to redeem the West. An album of this magnitude shouldn’t come as a surprise. Australia has a deep and diverse psychedelic music scene, and Jack Harlon & The Dead Crows have earned a rightful spot in the upper ranks. The Magnetic Ridge is drenched in an astonishingly haunting mix of cosmic country, psychedelic blues, massive riffs, and incredible story telling. Stay tuned!
Doomyriffs.com Top 20 Doom & Heavy Psychedelic Albums – The Singles Playlist
A sincere THANK YOU to all artists who make and share their music!!