Top 20 Doom & Heavy Psychedelic Albums of 2022

DoomyRiffs.com Top 20 Albums of 2022

I listened to and considered over 250 albums for this year’s top twenty. Whittling this list down from an obscene number of incredible releases is a challenging exercise each year, but there’s always a handful of albums that naturally bubble to the top of the list. These are the albums that were in the heaviest rotation throughout the year. The albums that I think will stand the test of time. You’ll find a good mix of classic doom, proto, progressive, stoner, heavy blues, and heavy psychedelic amongst my favorite albums of the year. I hope you enjoy these albums as much as I do.

The Swell Fellas - Novaturia

20. Novaturia

The Swell Fellas

Nashville, TN USA

On their sophomore studio effort, Novaturia, Nashville genre benders The Swell Fellas explore eerie sonic territories through effects-heavy low end, a potent rhythm section, scorching guitar solos, and vocals that float over the top of it all. An absolutely riveting album for fans of heavy psychedelic music.

Released June 17, 2022

19. Levitating

Holy Witch

Shreveport, LA USA

Hazy, occult vibes and evil undertones slither in the dark, organs interlaced with doomed riffs and classic heavy grooves on Levitating, the debut album from Shreveport, Louisiana power trio Holy Witch.

Released Feb 09, 2022


Sergeant Thunderhoof - The Sceptred Veil

18. This Sceptred Veil

Sergeant Thunderhoof

Bath, UK

On This Sceptred Veil, Sergeant Thunderhoof’s third studio full length, Daniel Flitcroft’s powerful vocals stretch from soaring to strained, as shimmering guitar tones and hard-driving rhythms create a stunning psychedelic soundscape. This is modern heavy psychedelic at its best.

Released June 03, 2022 on Pale Wizard

The Same River - Weight of the World

17. Weight of the World

The Same River

Athens, Greece

The Same River channel influences from the modern heavy underground and psychedelic 70s into a moody collection of bluesy, dark, lumbering grooves.

Released May 13, 2022


The Grand Mal II by The Grand Mal

16. II

The Grand Mal

Oxford, UK

Heavy progressive and desert influences seep through on II, the sophomore long player from UK’s The Grand Mal. II is a dynamic, enthralling concoction of sludgy riffs, frantic freakouts, and groovy breakdowns.

Released Nov 04, 2022 on APF Records


Cachemira - Ambos Mundos

15. Ambos Mundos

CACHEMIRA

Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona-based power trio CACHEMIRA serves up vintage heavy blues with smoldering guitar solos and groovy swagger.  Claudia González’s fiery, soulful vocals add a new dimension, making Ambos Mundos one of the most irresistible albums of the year. 

Released June 24, 2022 on Heavy Psych Sounds


Las Cruces - Cosmic Tears

14. Cosmic Tears

Las Cruces

San Antonio, TX USA

Texas crushers Las Cruces return after a twelve year hiatus to deliver a classic doom record for the ages.

Released June 03, 2022 on Ripple Music


AAWKS - Heavy on the Cosmic

13. (HEAVY ON THE COSMIC)

AAWKS

Barrie, Ontario

AAWKS paint a trippy, sonic masterpiece on their debut (HEAVY ON THE COSMIC). A kaleidoscope of buzzy, mind-bending tones, fantastical storytelling, and warped, heavy 70s grooves burrow in, and take you on a cosmic sonic journey. The definitive heavy psychedelic album of 2022.

Released June 10, 2022 on Black Throne Productions


Oreyeon - Equations for the Useless

12. Equations For The Useless

Oreyeon

La Spezia, Italy

Equations For The Useless, the third studio album from Italian heavyweights Oreyeon, is an essential album for fans of hard-driving low end, surging waves of doom-inspired riffs, and powerful vocals.

Released June 17, 2022 on Heavy Psych Sounds


Baardvader - Foolish Fires

11. Foolish Fires

Baardvader

The Hague, Netherlands

Baardvader delivers an intoxicating blend of immense, distorted riffs, strained vocals, and an undertow of dark brooding energy on their sophomore long player, Foolish Fires. This is the album that’s going to burst your eardrums.

Released Oct 01, 2022

El Perro - Hair Of

10. Hair Of

El Perro

San Diego, CA USA

Hair Of, the intoxicating debut from El Perro, is for fans of heavy blues, gritty, soulful vocals, and vintage 70s funky grooves.

Released June 03, 2022 on Alive Naturalsound


Sun Voyager by Sun Voyager

09. Sun Voyager

Sun Voyager

New York

Sun Voyager’s self-titled sophomore LP is a hard-driving, fuzzed out soundtrack to a high-speed joyride across the scorching desert.

Released Oct 07, 2022 on Ripple Music


Kryptograf - The Eldorado Spell

08. The Eldorado Spell

Kryptograf

Bergen, Norway

These Norwegian badasses continue to build their proto doom chops with the dynamic, spellbinding follow up to their 2020 debut (my #1 album of 2020).

Released Feb 25, 2022 on Apollon Records


The Sapient by Eye of Doom

07. The Sapient

Eye of Doom

Vancouver, British Columbia

This three piece from the Pacific Northwest delivers a devastating wall of sound on their debut long player, The Sapient. A perfect mix of bone-rattling riffs, scorching guitar solos, towering vocals, and cosmic jams. I can’t get enough of this one.

Released Nov 11, 2022


Rock 'n' Roll Fetish by Grave Bathers

06. Rock ‘n’ Roll Fetish

Grave Bathers

Philadelphia, PA USA

Members of Yatra and Heavy Temple join forces to create an engaging and outlandishly rowdy doomed rock and roll album. The vocals are strained and stretched. The grooves are irresistible. And the riffs are combustible, and as grimy as it gets. You’ll want to take a shower after you get through this beast of an album.

Released Aug 05, 2022 on Seeing Red Records


Behold! The Monolith - From The Fathomless Deep

05. From The Fathomless Deep

Behold! The Monolith

Los Angeles, CA USA

The sound of being dragged to the bottom of the ocean. You might survive, but not before being turned inside out by frightening growls, and a swirl of irresistible, pummeling progressive grooves. A truly intense listening experience from one of today’s most exciting heavy underground bands.

Released July 15, 2022 on Ripple Music


Early Moods - Early Moods

04. Early Moods

Early Moods

Los Angeles, CA USA

Los Angeles up-and-comers Early Moods storm onto the modern doom metal scene with a stunning self-titled debut, kneeling at the throne of classic doom legends while carving out their own unique sound.

Released Aug 05, 2022 on RidingEasy Records


Somali Yacht Club - The Space

03. The Space

Somali Yacht Club

Lviv, Ukraine

A tranquil sadness hovers over The Space, the latest studio release from Ukrainian trio Somali Yacht Club. Ihor’s sparse, serene vocals float over shimmering guitar tones and a mesmerizing rhythm throughout The Space. Songs slowly build and release into a beautiful sonic landscape that washes over the listener. An exquisite collection of songs for fans of progressive psychedelic music.

Released Apr 22, 2022


Regenerator by King Buffalo

02. Regenerator

King Buffalo

Rochester, NY USA

“I feel alive as the morning comes, regenerated by the warming sun” Sean McVay whispers in the first verse on the opening title track of Regenerator. Their third album in just over a year, Regenerator projects a serene and uplifting mood. Songs swell and ebb, slowly building and releasing tension, backed by the hypnotic rhythms and synthesizers intertwined with McVay’s bluesy guitar licks and hushed vocals. A sense of transformation washes over the closing notes of “Firmament” with a growling intensity, reminding me once again why King Buffalo is one of my very favorite bands on the planet.

Released Sept 02, 2022


Innate Passage by Elder

01. Innate Passage

Elder

Berlin, Germany

Delicate, dense, expansive, and complex. Elder strikes the perfect balance of progressive and heavy on Innate Passage. Never uneasy. Never forced. Gracefully expanding and intensifying. An absolutely captivating composition. This is Elder’s finest work yet.

Released Nov 25, 2022

Listen to the DoomyRiffs.com Top 20 Singles Playlist

  1. Wet Cement – The Swell Fellas
  2. Death Machines – Holy Witch
  3. Absolute Blue – Sergeant Thunderhoof
  4. Voyage\\TheGreat Sea – The Same River
  5. Seas of Glory – The Grand Mal
  6. Ambos Mundos – CACHEMIRA
  7. Cosmic Tears – Las Cruces
  8. Star Collider – AAWKS
  9. Downward Spirals – Oreyeon
  10. Prolong Eternity – Baardvader
  11. Breaking Free – El Perro
  12. Some Stranger – Sun Voyager
  13. Creeping Willow – Kryptograf
  14. Return to Descension – Eye of Doom
  15. The Mole – Grave Bathers
  16. Spirit Taker – Behold! The Monolith
  17. Curse The Light – Early Moods
  18. Echo of Direction – Somali Yacht Club
  19. Hours – King Buffalo
  20. Coalescence – Elder