I became a devoted listener to Melbourne rockers FOOT since I gave a deep listen to 2020’s The Balance of Nature Shifted. That was in fact not their first album, but their third, and given the fresh nature of their sound (wistful grunge meets stirring desert rock) I was excited to learn of a pending fourth, ‘You Are Weightless’ (2022).

Something about that title strongly resonates with me. I wonder how many people in the world have gone through the wringing cycle of paranoia, fear, isolation, trust-mistrust-distrust, exhaustion, and burn out these past several pandemic years. I wonder how many more are ready to experience release from the cruel grip of anxiety and dread. Freedom is hard-earned, but I know it starts by being still and taking a good look at what’s going on around you, without judgment, just taking notes, like you’re Mother Nature’s eyes gathering data to report on the state of things.

Maybe that’s what I like, deep down inside, about Foot’s new record – it’s taking notice of what’s going on right here, right now on space station Earth. Call it a divine test, a winding down clock, or a simulation; dumb luck or a cosmic joke, we’re stuck here. Might as well have a good soundtrack.

Foot’s score to the human dilemma begins with “Bitter,” a thumping, up-tempo number with sardonic guitar licks and singing that’s clean and cool – like '90s “Whatever, dude” kind of cool. In the closing minutes, the song breaks down into a groovy jam, with deep bass groans and the addition of keys.

“Caged Animal” follows; a warm, yet melancholic track. “I haven’t failed, I’ve just found 1000 ways that don’t work” Paul Holden sings in stirring, chorus-like fashion. Perhaps this is the philosophical antidote to the dismal (but wholly relatable) sentiment of King Buffalo’s “Hebetation,” which confesses: “Every night I dream a million different ways for me to die.” There’s a delicious breakdown in those last few minutes, then fading vocals and acoustic guitar escort us out.

This brings us to the song Doomed & Stoned is premiering today: “Fire Dance.” The song opens with an emphatic, rumbling beat that had me thinking of a captive tiger menacing his surroundings, circling restlessly 'round and 'round, and looking for a way of escape. The song talks about lighting a fire without a plan, which sometimes feels like it would be a great thing to do, but will most likely leave us without a safety net.

Well, that’s one interpretation. You listen and tell me. What is undeniable is the way the band captivates us as the song moves along, past the “radio friendly” 3-minute mark, when bass, percussion, and then keyboard morphs the fabric of the song into something more, perhaps a new reality. As it ends, we’re left standing in the air of burning embers and quiet reflection, having tasted the flame, now ready to start living again.

There are four more songs, each of which merit multiple listens and for me grew fonder with every play. Lyrically, Foot’s You Are Weightless is the first compelling post-pandemic album I’ve heard so far this year. Mark June the 10th on your calendar, when it releases through Copper Feast Records (pre-order here). Until then, let’s take a leap of faith into the floating void with the record’s second single, “Fire Dance.” Stick it on a playlist with Hazemaze, Elephant Tree, Comet Control, Alice in Chains, and Chevelle.

Give ear…

SOME BUZZ

For fans and followers firmly in the know, FOOT – the venerable and utterly spellbinding Melbourne-based stoner rock quartet – are back with their eagerly awaited fourth album; You Are Weightless, on Copper Feast Records.

Helmed by guitarist, vocalist and creative constant, Paul Holden, and backed by an ever-changing cast of close confidants, Foot has proven themselves time and time again to be an integral part of the burgeoning Oz psych/stoner rock scene, since the release of their debut in 2016.

Following on from last year’s lockdown masterpiece, The Balance of Nature Shifted, the band return this June with the sonic equivalent of a heavily wrought, fuzz-lined straitjacket in new album, You Are Weightless. Channeling the dynamic spirit of acts like Queens of the Stone Age and Alice in Chains, they envelope their music with social commentary and grand visions that help tip the scales in favour of the heavier, more visceral cradle of rock ‘n’ roll. It’s a sight and sound to behold and make no mistake, Holden, along with his band of merry sessioners, have quite possibly crafted their boldest and most revelatory album to date.

Teaming up once again with the Sydney-based Foot-Appreciation Society Copper Feast Records, You Are Weightless will receive an official worldwide release on 10th June 2022

The Year In Review

No doubt, there were a lot of discouraging happenings to start the ‘20s. It was hardly a return to the roaring twenties of a hundred years before that so many envisioned, full of raucous partying and a band playing every club. With the advent of a fiendish little bug called novel coronavirus (aka COVID-19), everything changed for everybody within a matter of weeks. Then came the long, slow months of layoff and lockdown.

From the vantage point of this same time last January, it would have been hard to imagine we would, by year’s end, experience a global pandemic rivaled only by Spanish Flu, followed by shelter-in-place orders, closed businesses, lost jobs, and a North American death toll in the hundreds of thousands. Then there was the long, hot summer of socio-political unrest, followed by those blazing West Coast wildfires, which spewed toxic air into my neighborhood for weeks. Yet, the heavy underground soldiered on.

Despite cancelled festivals and shuttered venues, musicians around the globe produced some of the finest music of the new decade. Rare collaborations only dreamed of in happier times came together and bands started streaming online – in garages, practice spaces, even closets (looking at you, Randy Blythe) – to the delight of fans everywhere.

Doomed & Stoned was there to document it all with in-depth reviews, a new Doomed & Stoned Presents series on YouTube, the ongoing scene-by-scene compilation series, and our weekly podcast The Doomed & Stoned Show. In case you’re wondering, this was our most listened to episode from Season 6:

To all of you who stood with us with encouragement and support over the past 12 months, thank you! We couldn’t have done it without you. I want to express my deepest gratitude to each and every member of the Doomed & Stoned team, including those who contributed last year: Willem Verhappen, Shawn Gibson, Randy J Byrd, Tom Hanno, Mel Lie, Jacob Mazlum, Calvin Lampert, Svempa Alveving, Jamie LaRose, Adam Mundwarf, Stephanie Savenkoff, Sally Townsend, Drew Nez, Chris Schanz, and the infamous Reek of STOOM!

Big ups to those diligent, thoughtful curators of our now 7-year running 35-volume compilation series, Mr. Tom Jordan for spearheading the hugely successful Doomed & Stoned in Wisconsin live stream, and to my podcasting co-host Mr. John Gist (who brought us a compilation of his own). You all made a very difficult year much more endurable through your efforts!

Last, but not least, I want to acknowledge my longtime Doomed and Stoned Latinoamérica editor Roman Tamayo (who currated the historic compilation of stoner-psychedelic music in Mexico, covering more than five decades) and his team for their tireless efforts to document the Latin American scene – from groundbreaking original content on our Spanish language website and weekly radio show, to numerous compilations and an active social media presence.

Last week, we published the Doomed & Stoned staff picks, and now our retrospective on the weird and wild year that was concluded with the Editor’s Choice of The Heavy Best Records from 2020! Scroll down for the 25 most “doomed” records and the 25 most “stoned” records (check out the honorable mentions here). I hope you will discover plenty of downtuned licks, wicked riffs, rocked-up rhythms, and groovy vibes to give you the high that only good music can as the New Year unfolds!

\DoomOn/

The Most DOOMED Records of 2020!

1. Dopelord - Sign of the Devil

Nihilism has never felt so warm and fuzzy! DOPELORD return for their fourth album in ten years. Showing us they’re not short of compelling ideas, the Lublin quartet deliver some of their deepest material to date in Sign of the Devil. What it may have lacked stoner hymns like “Preacher Electrick” and “Children of the Haze,” Dopelord more than made up for by gifting us the solemn “Witching Hour Bell,” the devilishly downtuned “Hail Satan,”, the doleful “Doom Bastards,” and the de facto anthem of 2020, “World Beneath Us.”

2. Various Artists - Alice in Chains: Dirt (redux)

The brilliance of this line-up cannot be overstated. Magnetic Eye’s new Redux Records label picked the right roster to recount a generation-defining record, Alice in Chains’ 'Dirt’ (1993). There are plenty of standout tracks, namely Forming The Void’s swampy “Junkhead,” Howling Giant’s massive rendition of “Rooster,” High Priest’s lush and worshipful “Rain When I Die,” and the immersive, multi-layered Khemmis interpretation of “Down in a Hole.” Give ear…

3. Pallbearer - Forgotten Days

Will you hate me if I confide that I’ve never been more than a passing PALLBEARER listener? “Sacrilege!” I hear many of the readership say. If there’s still hope for my redemption, it will surely be found in Forgotten Days, which displays some of the Little Rock band’s most powerful and accessible songs to date. Less plodding, this time, with a slight boost in tempo and a metric ton of power may have had something to do with it. Also, there’s something very earnest and searching about “The Quicksand of Existing” and the titular Forgotten Days" that make them very easy to identify with. “Well, welcome to the club!” I can hear many fans scoffing. Go ahead, this time I deserve the chiding.

4. REZN - Chaotic Divine

Here is a record that surely rewards repeated spins. It’s REZN’s this album and their most ambitious to date. This time the doom is accompanied by a swirl of keyboards, periodically visited by one bitchin’ sax, and harmonized verses that recall the ensorcelled singing of Uncle Acid and the deadbeats. Chaotic Divine’s “Inner Architecture” is certainly among the most entrancing of 2020.

5. Green Druid - At The Maw of Ruin

On episode 30 of The Doomed & Stoned Show, we brought you the first single from the hotly anticipated second album by Denver’s GREEN DRUID, which was then months away. I scribbled a few notes together before airing “The Forest Dark, writing: "Darkest imaginable midsection, a slow grind of muck, mire, and human rage.” Needless to say the rest of the record followed suit! I feel “A Throne Abandoned” is especially apropos for our times.

6. Sorcerer - Lamenting The Innocent

Swedish epic doomers SORCERERr have long been a staple of the European festival circuit. Though the band has been active since '89, most of their recorded material has eluded me…until now. If you can’t get enough of Candlemass, you owe it to yourself to hop on Lamenting The Innocent. Songs like “Lamenting The Innocent” is about as close as you’ll get to the heroic early days of epic doom’s origins. Fantastic, glittering guitarwork from Kristian Niemann and Peter Hallgren, and one could not conjure a finer frontman than Anders Engberg.

7. Purification - Perfect Doctrine

PURIFICATION really brings the feels, with their epic doom meets occult rock two-fer. Hey, when you’ve got the inspiration, go with the flow, I say, and the Portland band did, releasing an album in the summer and winter. This is, of course, the enigmatic Rainbo of Troll fame. If doom ruled the world, he’d certainly be one of its most charismatic idols. By the bye, I wrote a dandy review of Perfect Doctrine while completely stoned. That is all. Doom on.

8. Abysslooker - Burden

Burden was released back in April and seems to have whisked away from most of our radars. ABYSSLOOKER frontman Aleksei “Demoria” Leontev is the real highlight here. His vocal performance comes across as maniacal and unhinged, making you want to listen for the spectacle, if nothing us. But then, it’s easy to get emotionally swept away with the forlorn post-metal textures. The acoustic guitar is quite effective, contrasted with those beefy doom metal chords. Then Demoria does his work. You can really sense the heart he’s putting into the lyrics, executed with suffering emotional intensity. His singing style varies – first sludgey, then powerful and clean, with a pitch and tone reminiscent of Corey Taylor). An unusual, but engrossing and genuinely moving album with thoughtfully written songs.

9. Hymn - Breach Us

Huge fan of HYMN since their debut album dropped in '17. With two members hailing from the ultra heavy “Sâver” and formerly of the late, great Tombstones you just can’t go wrong. Their second album Breach Us crafts a sound as powerful and driven as a Black Cobra or Gojira, and as cold and crunchy as a snow cone at below freezing temperatures in Oslo. The sound is just gargantuan at every turn and the guitar is tuned so damned low. Every time Ole Rokseth unleashes the vehement fury of those pipes, I imagine he and drummer Markus Støle in a blizzard at night (see: “Can I Carry You”), raging against the Norse god of winter or some shit. Hell, now that I think of it, they may be in his service.

10. Stonebirds - Collapse And Fail

With a name like STONEBIRDS, I was easily caught off guard, expecting peace and flower power when fire breathing damnation were waiting for me, instead. Seriously, Fañch Le Corre is a beast on vocals and his clever riff-making is constantly engaging our jaded ears. This, coupled with the mad drumming and rumbling bassplay of this progressive sludge outfit, were more than capable of conquering my short attention span. Ripple Music sure knows how to pick 'em. Collapse And Fail is a thrill ride and a half!

11. Cirith Ungol - Forever Black

Admittedly, I was way late to the trve metal party, only discovering the Ventura greats a few years ago – CIRITH UNGOL have been a thing since 1977. Suffice it to say, I think their approach to doom is downright wicked and adore their first four albums. After almost 30 years’ absence from the recording studio, Tim Baker has lost none of his ferocious bark, the guitars summon a riff storm of fury to match, backed by an indefatigable rhythm section. I reviewed Forever Black in June, swearing I held my breath through the back-to-back attack of those first four numbers. Fire!

12. Acid Mammoth - Doom Sessions Vol. 2

I bookmarked this album early in the year and have revisited it often since. It has certainly stood up to the scrutiny of time and competition in a subgenre that is every bit as robust today as it was five, ten, fifteen years ago. Despite the occasional pessimism of those who cry, “Doom is dead!” ACID MAMMOTH is a hard beast to kill, releasing both their second longplay and a magnificent contribution to their split with 1782, so much so that these three songs eclipsed even the excellent 'Under Acid Hoof’ (2020). Perhaps it was the precocity of emotional expression that impressed me so hard.

Oh, and did I mention they’re coming out with yet a third LP? 'Caravan’ (2021) has already been announced and is scheduled for release in March. That, along with a repress of last year’s album on what has emerged as one of the most exciting labels from the underground, Heavy Psych Sounds. All hail the elephantine ensemble from Athens!

13. DÖ - Black Hole Mass

”Mammoth” was indeed the watchword in 2020 for heavy music, Acid Mammoth having set an early precedent. Finland’s DÖ, more than eager for a challenge, introduced us to the galactic in Black Hole Mass. Just three tracks (Gravity Sacrifice, Plasma Psalm, and Radiation Blessing), but enough to make any doomer feel like an experienced cosmonaut..

14. Sun Of Grey - Outerworld

We premiered the nefarious full-length debut by SUN OF GREY just days before Hallowen. It felt like I was listening to a guy singing his heart out to a full moon at the dead of night. Gnarly vox, stern (and occasionally squirrely) guitars, and determined drumming sets the Colorado Springs newcomers immediately apart from the planetary pack.

15. Sky Pig - Hell Is Inside You

The sonics on this recording are some of the best I’ve heard from any offering this year, just stellar. Crisp and clear, allowing ample space for the instruments to breathe and plenty of resonance for those gargantuan guitar riffs, deep, resonating bass licks, crushing percusion, and defiant vox. With Hell Is Inside You, SKY PIG has not merely fine-tuned their approach to doom, they have become doom (destroyer of worlds!). Every note is delivered with purpose, conviction, and a depth of feeling matched in the studio by precious few.

16. Bible Black Tyrant - Encased In Iron

Aaron D.C. Edge is a master of songcraft. He can take a simple riff and build it out just right, buttressed by a dynamic rhythmic centrifuge. Now just add vocals composed of pure rage are you’re in business. Encased in Iron, the second album by BIBLE BLACK TYRANT was even more fierce than the first. One of the few I ordered on vinyl this year, via Argonauta Records.

17. Vessel of Light - Last Ride

Sinister overtones and dark, trippy vibes from VESSEL OF LIGHT, who gifted doomers (and metal fans at large) with a real keeper. Tom Hanno, in his October review of Last Ride just came out and said it: “They don’t sound like the majority of watered down stoner-doom bands, and thank the gods for that!” Commanding vocals from Ancient VVisdom’s Nathon Opposition, Dan Lorenzo’s damning guitar riffs, and a crackerjack rhythm section comprised of former Overkill drummer Ron Lipnick and Hades bassist Jimmy Schulman will have you headbaning with your horns flying high!

18. Cruthu - Athrú Crutha

Proving that groovy doom and folklore play so nicely together. Everytime I hear “The Outsider” something stirs up my imagination and emotions like a pied piper, to an ethereal place not unlike what’s depicted on the cover of CRUTHU’s last album, The Angle Of Eternity (which was on my Heavy Best of 2017 list). There’s something about Ryan Evans’ husky voice, paired with Dan McCormick’s poetic guitar leads, that is unique among contemporary doom artists. Not too many bands are this invested in epic storytelling, either. It’s time for Cruthu’s star to rise!

19. The Crooked Whispers - Satanic Melodies

What a great back-to-basics acid horror occult doom record this turned out to be! It practically glows in the dark (and is best listened to in low light settings). THE CROOKED WHISPERS is creative fusion of members from LáGoon, Hour of 13, Luciferica and Fulanno who connected during the forced down-time of the spring months. Their eponymous debut is an impressive, robust album full of warped singing and potent dream sequences, with plenty of moments in spent in the uncanny valley, nay in the very lap of evil, Acid Witch meets Electric Wizard by way of David Lynch and Stanley Kubrick.

20. Jointhugger - I Am No One

With a name like JOINTHUGGER, I’m sure your stereotypes about stoner-doom have already been triggered. It would be a grave error to pass by these Norwegians, though. Their debut LP had been simmering in the cauldron for some time until cooked to perfection, demonstrating some amazing musicianship and chemistry with its stellar riffs and brutal, fuzzed-out bass 'n’ beats. Doomed & Stoned was pleased to bring you an advance listen to the album, reviewed by yours truly back in May.

21. Hellhookah - The Curse

Doomed & Stoned and HELLHOOKAH have a long relationship, going back to the early days of the blog when the Lithuanian duo dropped the celebrated freshmen romp, 'Endless Serpents’ (2015). Since then, the duo had been hammering out seven powerful new songs, which we premiered for you in mid-April. I believe you’ll find the track “Greed and Power” particularly prescient.

22. Mammoth Cave Burial - Death’s Vexillarius

Another belated discovery. This Kentucky project has been on point for every one of their 2020 releases. The doom is so well conjured, from the forelorn 15 minute single “SummerLungs” to their self-titled to the foreboding chug of “Black Math” off their eponymous record. And Death’s Vexillarius is nothing short of a doomer’s delight with its methodical riffing and raspy, harsh vox. I feel the same affinity for MAMMOTH CAVE BURIAL as I did for the late, great HeavyDeath. Hopefully a mention here will get them even more love in the heavy underground, as MCB’s output doesn’t seem to be widely known.

23. False Gods - No Symmetry…Only Disillusion

Last year, we unearthed a whole slew of bands from The Empire State in our Doomed and Stoned in New York compilation. Among them FALSE GODS who brought us one this hell-raising stomper on Seeing Red Records. Reviewed in October, I described this Crowbar-meets-Godflesh feast as a “dense, dynamic, and devastating gut punch that puts the definitive punctuation on a year gone mad.” Case in point: “Lords of Emptiness”.

24. Curse The Son - Excruciation

Excruciation is a landmark entry for Connecticut band CURSE THE SON, who’ve been operating since 2007. On the brink of the album’s summer release via Ripple Music, I observed: “Whether vibrant or grim, Ron Vanacore’s wicked vocal approach gives each song on Excruciation a distinct identifying mark, along with the devastating low-end his guitar delivers – reinforced by the punishing rhythm section of Brendan Keefe (bass) and Rob Ives (drums).”

25. Saturnalia Temple - Gravity

Didn’t realize how much I’d missed the sound of SATURNALIA TEMPLE until I heard the title track off Gravity. It’s the vocals are so fiendish and gritty, echoing over an earthy bed of pagan melody and percussive marching, stinging guitar solos breaking out here and there. And things just get weirder from there, as though we’d injested some hallucinatory drug which bends our perception of reality, reaches its feverish height, then fizzles out with a surreal strain of noise.

The Most STONED Records of 2020!

1. Ruff Majik - The Devil’s Cattle

There was a lot to love from a lot of bands trafficking in stoner rock last year, but none impressed me like RUFF MAJIK. For Acid Cattle, the trio ballooned into a quintet, bringing on board additional fire power on guitar and allowing for some vocal trade-offs. The change was evident in the QOTSA-esque first single, “Who Keeps Score”. But don’t worry, the South African band lost none of that essential Joni Holiday nasty.

Call it sludge n’ roll, call it outlaw stoner-blues, call it whatever, The Devil’s Cattle is an essential sound for the times, bringing a truckload of fuzz, dirty blues, punky attitude, grimy breakdowns, and wicked vox. The songwriting puts it in a class all its one, depicting tooth and nail situations with bad guys you don’t wanna cross and plots of revenge to even the score. To quote “Swine Tooth Grin”:

…I hope my momma understands.
I didn’t mean to hurt no man.
I didn’t mean to lay him out on the land.
So bless this body full of holes
and may the Lord have mercy on this soul.

2. Foot - The Balance of Nature Shifted

In April, I wrote: “This album may yet engulf all others that have come before it this year, as Melbourne’s FOOT present their stunning third album, 'The Balance of Nature Shifted’ (2020). With savvy vocal harmonies and driving desert rock rhythms, it’s a must-hear.” Infectious, is the word I think most appropriate for numbers like “Despair on Hope Street”, which involves the listener right away with those terrific vocal harmonies, reminiscent of Alice in Chains.

3. Lord Loud - Timid Beast

Stoner-garage fuzz-makers LORD LOUD teased out songs from Timid Beast early into the year – an unusual PR move, as their album would not launch until September. But with every leak, the Los Angeles duo ensured we were hooked and in it for the long haul. I stand by what I said in April: “The guitar and drum chemistry witnessed throughout this recording is absolutely on-point, whether we’re talking the charging opener 'Dirty Seeds,’ the cranking leads of 'The River,’ or that beautiful bomb track 'Labyrinth.’ Chris Allison’s vocal delivery contrasts quite effectively with the ferocity of the riffs and frenetic rhythms.”

4. Lowrider - Reflections

One of the most recognizable names in stoner metal is back! I searched the archives and it appears Doomed & Stoned’s first mention of LOWRIDER came in October of 2013, during our daily Wake N’ Bake show. Their first material since 2000’s Ode To Io, these crafty Swedes secretly engineered a set of songs that would wow us over and over again come 2020. Reflections started the year strong on the Doom Charts in February, and finished number one in the rankings by year’s end, with “Red River” as its enduring gem.

5. Witchskull - A Driftwood Cross

Everything WITCHSKULL have done is so damn good. A Driftwood Cross, the Oz band’s third album (second with Rise Above Records), serves up superb bass and drum work, well-honed guitar solos, and songcraft that’s authentic as hell. Marcus De Pasquale’s vocal style is arguably comparable to Maynard Jame Keenan. In fact, if you’re a Tool fan, songs like “This Silent Place” and Black Cathedrals may just be your gateway into the world of stoner-doom!

6. Elephant Tree - Habits

Seemingly out of nowhere, London’s ELEPHANT TREE has risen to be one of the most beloved bands in the scene. April saw us all caught up in the brilliant “Sails”, and Habits just got better and better and better from there. Many wondered if it could top their classic second album, and while the jury’s still out on that, it most definitely matched it on every level. Adam Mundwarf sized it all up for Doomed & Stoned readers: “Elephant Tree expertly blend influences of Sleep, Pink Floyd, and many other classic English rock bands we have listened to all our lives in an extremely welcoming cocktail of modern rock.”

7. Mountain Tamer - Psychosis Ritual

They’ve long been one of my favorite acts since first encountering them at Beers in Hell Fest. In September, MOUNTAIN TAMER, Cali’s wizards of weird, perfected a third album of acid doom and heavy psych, released by Heavy Psych Sounds. I had plenty of time to soak in Psychosis Ritual before the official release, and exclaimed back in June: “I had the strangest experience today. Looked up the definition of 'badass’ and every dictionary contained just six letters: MTNTMR.”

8. Rosy Finch - Scarlet

Grungy, sassy, and carnal, with a boss performance by ROSY FINCH frontwoman Mireia Porto (whose vocals go from fierce to scarey in an instant), Scarlet is potent fuel for a grunge rock revival! The dark tone of the guitar makes those mean riffs all the more exciting. The rhythm section is absolutely aggressive, yet on point, as well. Raging!

9. Vinnum Sabbathi - Of Dimensions & Theories

We’ve been following VINNUM SABBATHI even before we published our feature-length story on the Mexico City band. Ten years jamming strong through times of plenty and scarcity, the instrumental stoner-doom outfit brought us another epic more inspired by science than science fiction, as they continue their never-ending quest to explore outer space. In February, we premerie “In Search of M Theory” and the band released their second LP the following month, later bringing it all to life for our streaming series, Doomed & Stoned Presents.

10. Ghost Frog - Astral Arcade

Dropped under the twilight of 2020’s waning days, Astral Arcade by GHOST FROG seems to sum up a year fraught with confusion, danger, and all around strangeness. Self-described as “a (cyber)space rock opera about extraterrestrial life, the universe and video games,” the Portland rockers’ latest is a wild mix of genres, including stoner, punk, space, prog, doom, and shoegaze, all converging in freakish harmony, with high energy and bouncy garage rhythms. It’s the band I most want to see perform live if and when venues open up again. For the wary, ”Kill Screen” makes a great introduction.

11. Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol - Burger Babes…FROM OUTER SPACE!

With a name like RICKSHAW BILLIE’S BURGER PATROL, you know the inevitable comparisons with food are coming. In December Drew Nez described the Austin band’s acid garage sound in terms of “a habanero mayo that tastes sweet at first bite, then comes creeping back with a vengeance as the distorted vocals hit your gut a moment later.” Buurrrp.

12. Mollo Rilla - Viva el Camino

The October surprise, as far as we were concerned, was the prog rock single “Rage The Day” from Clevland’s MOLLO RILLA It was but one highlight from an album that had rock opera potential stamped all over it. In my review, I tried to parcel Viva El Camino apart: “We’re treated to a fusion of styles, from good ol’ fashioned American Rockabilly to Surf and Metal – each skillfully layered and accented by nods to Latin, Eastern, and Greek traditional music.” It’s at this point where I paused to say, “Stop what you’re doing and listen to Mollo Rilla, a band that’s really got me rethinking the boundaries between rock, metal, and…well, everything.

13. Bonehawk - Iron Mountain

Nostalgic for the good times? Come climb Iron Mountain, where a band called BONEHAWK is waiting to show you a thing or two. There, you will behold kick ass jams, executed with equal parts joy and aplomb, deep roots in seventies stoner and southern rock. If you peer ever closer still, you’ll probably see ol’ CCR and Thin Lizzy smiling, nodding their heads to the beat. At least I was, when Bonehawk rang in the New Year with songs from the record, their first since 2014’s monumental 'Albino Rhino’ (2014).

14. Turtle Skull - Monoliths

Australia’s stoner rock scene has been growing like mad cats, which prompted our first survey of the continent’s wealth, Doomed & Stoned in Australia. 2020 gave us stellar spins not only from the likes of Foot, Kitchen Witch, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, and others, it saw the return of Sydney "flower doom band” TURTLE SKULL. One need but audit their single “Rabbit” to realize we’re dealing with a hare of a different sort, one “taking inspiration from Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd and Crosby Stills Nash & Young.” My appreciation for Monoliths grows every time I hear it, “ taking joyous compositions and steering them headfirst into a realm of fuzz and fury” (Art As Catharsis).

15. Kryptograf - Kyrptograf

A new name to practically everyone, KRYPTOGRAF steadily solidified their place on the Doom Charts and almost every reviewer’s best of list. Sometimes a band just owns and hones their craft so ideally, that a writer kind of feels at a loss for words (“this is just too good,” someone remarked on Bandcamp), so I’ll not be pedantic. If you like your stoner rock with a good dash of Greenleaf, a sprinkle of Black Sabbath, and a heart dab of Witchcraft, then Kryptograf certainly is your listening sweet spot.

16. Witchrider - Electrical Storm

Just after the lockdowns were lifted, summer wildfires (and arsons) began across the West Coast. It was in September when my parts of my county were warned that evacuation was imminent. Orange clouds dropping a rain of acrid ash rolled in for weeks, making the air the most toxic to breathe in the world for at least two weeks. Oregon felt like the Forbidden Zone. About that time, WITCHRIDER gave us the pepping little single, “You Lied” and I was practically obsessed with itk: “Hell, I’ve got the whole promo, but I’ve not been able to move past this one song! I have to say that the lead singer is the spitting image of David Arquette, who I’ve always thought was a pretty chill dude.” The album is replete with this kind of sardonic humor, surely a comfort through those unreal times.

17. Big Oaf - Big Oaf

BIG OAF has a name you just gotta love, because it matches the stride of their swagger of their style. These Atlanta brothers carefully crafted and road-tested their songs before recording this ambitious debut, which I said in my November review had single-handedly restored my faith in the riff.

18. Butterfly - Doorways of Time

In summer, along came a BUTTERFLY from Down Under, carrying a retro vibe on its wings that felt authentic and brand new – as though we’d been transported through a wormhole to 1979. Little was known about the band at the time (and details are still sketchy, though the four-piece have an active Facebook). We introduced them to the Melbourne band on episode 18 of The Doomed & Stoned Show and Doorways of Time met with strong reception on the Doom Charts. Opening number “Desert Chase” somehow made us all feel that we could breathe again after the initial round of lockdowns.

19. Mothers of the Land - Hunting Grounds

I’m sorry to say, this was my first introduction to Austrian psychedelics MOTHERS OF THE LAND. They’ve been around since 2012 and have one other album under their belts. Today, the Viennese instrumental four-piece deliver a fantastic new album that serves as a fitting introduction to their craft for us late-comers. Think Elder meets Danava and you’ve got a good idea of what’s in store for you on Hunting Grounds, which we both premiered to the world in June. “Each of the six tracks carries its own mood” with “an incredible singing guitar tone,” I noted. “It’s easy to be filled with awe of their improvisational instinct, detailed craftsmanship, and effortless execution”.

20. Black Spirit Crown - Gravity

Cleveland BLACK SPIRIT CROWN are long overdue recognition in the scene. Their song “Megaltith” would have rocked alternative radio stations before meeting their demise. We debuted & reviewed Gravity in July, singling out the band’s “good instinct for singing in harmony, building up a song climatically, and giving it legs so it can express itself in fitting form.”

21. Old Blood - Acid Doom

Willem Verhappen reviewed Acid Doom track-by-track for us in June, raving about their sound (“big, heavy, slow, and drenched in blues”) and singer (“full-bodied and soulful voice”). Songs like “Slothgod” and “Veinscraper” mark OLD BLOOD as one of the smoooooothest acts on the planet, and I have no doubt they’d be rocking ritzy nightclubs around the world right now if they could.

22. Black Helium - The Wholly Other

“We’re flashing back all the way to 1995 for this one,” I wrote in my review of The Wholly Other. In short order, BLACK HELIUM make a distinct mark on this hard-driving rhythmic terrain with acid vocals accented by grungy guitars. “Here is a spin for all the stoners, junkies, and freaks,” I concluded (quoting Alice in Chains), “delivered by one of the most promising of the newer UK bands.”

23. Black Rainbows - Cosmic Ritual Supertrip

Italian stoner metal act BLACK RAINBOWS have been a staple of the scene for so long that when we see another release, it’s easy to take it for granted that it’s going to be a solid one. Their seventh (!) longplay was just the reprieve we needed from lockdown lethargy, gifting us with sout rockers like “Radio 666” and the doomy stomper “Universal Phase”. If you’re ready for a long road trip, make sure you’ve got Cosmic Ritual Supertrip in the mix!

24. ORGÖNE - Mos/Fet

I’ve often said I’m a sucker for a good concept album. For the sophomore Mos/Fet, ORGÖNE establishes a kind of science-fiction mythos, “mixing '70s pop culture, ancient Egypt, pan-Africanism, spatial and paranormal exploration against the backdrop of Cold War and USSR” (Heavy Psych Sounds). Reek of STOOM described the ablum in terms of “a bewildering, dazzling and bizarre array of songs, noises and shiftless innovation from this amazing French band.”

25. Fostermother - Fostermother

When Steve Howe from Outlaws of the Sun got together to preview releases we were excited for the second episode of The Doomed & Stoned Show, the Austin band FOSTERMOTHER was a strong contenter right from the get-go. Like many of you, I was sold on the band from the opening track, “Destroyers”, with its windy bass hitting those guttural notes and the melancholic beauty of the words. While this may seem Pallbearer territory, Fostermother is teaming with contrasts, both doomed (“Give”) and stoned (“Dark Sun”) – thus making it the perfect record to end my Heavy Best of 2020 list!

What were your favorite records of 2020? Leave a comment below and share your Top 5, 10, 20, 25, whatever list! As 2021 unwraps, we want you to join us on a quest to find the best in heavy underground music. Give Doomed & Stoned a follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for daily updates and subscribe to our weekly podcast for our choice cuts from the latest doom metal and stoner rock spins!

You all know by now that I’m an unrepentant acolyte of Alice in Chains. It’s not just the grungy mood or Jerry’s searing solos that gets to me; it’s those damned vocal harmonies. More often than not a band is killed by their vocals, so it’s not surprising that very few acts try experimenting with harmony. It’s a magical thing when it does happen, but only when it’s married to a special kind of vibe.

Four-piece Australian rockers FOOT have been sharpening this tool in their shed to perfection over a number of albums now, beginning with the eponymous debut in 2016 and their beloved Buffalo in 2018. Pair appealing harmonics with savvy desert rock riffs and compelling rhythms and we’re absolutely in business on their forthcoming third full-length, ‘The Balance of Nature Shifted’ (2020). It may well be the perfect record to wake up to, as I have these past few weeks. It’s just got that fresh, early morning feel to it, though it works equally well at sunset as it does sunrise.

Lately, it hasn’t been easy for me to listen to a lot of new music. I’ve found myself opting for “skip” on most tracks in the hundreds of promos that flood my inbox each month, but not so with Foot. The key is balance, if I may borrow that word from the album’s title for a moment. I think of the ebb and flow of the ocean, the movement of wind and wave – something that Melbourne bands seem to get as well as California outfits. That instinctive build toward crescendo and retreat back into shade gives the songs on The Balance of Nature Shifted a free-flowing, organic feel.

“Despair on Hope Street” opens the album with a blast of fuzzy bombast, bleeding into a slow, headbanging beat that conjures all the heft of Torche. The appealing warmth of the singing immediately washes over me like a sun-kissed break from a cloudy day. “E-Sports” ups the tempo next with some nice Outback-style picking and one of the most engaging and memorable choruses of the entire spin.

From here, Foot gears down to a doom’s pace for “Green Embers,” a track that makes an excellent bedfellow with the likes of Chrome Ghost and Under (two bands that have also experimented successfully with vocal consonance). “Ride It Out” is one of the most ariose numbers of the LP. I know, a novel concept that a band should produce songs you’d actually want to sing along nowadays, but Foot have done it! Perhaps I’ve picked my favorite too soon, because the song I find myself belting out the most as I go about my daily chores is “Investment” with its supplicating chorus, “Are you gonna risk it all?”

“Break the Altar (Light Shade)” enters Atomic Bitchwax territory with its rapid fire chugging, enjoined by some of the most mellifluous crooning on the record, which conjures vintage Oasis (and that ain’t a bad thing). The tempo quickens with frenetic guitar strumming and a sense of mission as we meet “Neighbors,” which functions as a kind of interlude to transition us between chapters as we near the album’s end.

I couldn’t help thinking of Beck when the penultimate track “Manic Progression” opened. Don’t hate me, I’m a '90s kid, as I suspect the fellows of Foot are, too. The mood it sets is anything but manic to begin with, more mellow and serene, but a Kyuss-esque undertow soon wraps around our ankles and pulls us out into the churning depth. “High” concludes this well-earned sonic trip, giving us time again to contemplate the record’s overall theme – so aptly expressed by Jo Riou’s cover art, which shows a tsunami of nature engulfing the artifice of concrete, carbon, and steel that mankind has forced upon our planet.

And now, Doomed & Stoned is pleased to bring you a first listen to Foot’s The Balance of Nature Shifted in its entirety. Kudos to songwriter Paul Holden and his bandmates Shaun Stolk, James McGuffie, and Pete Wallder on bringing us another stellar listening adventure in the ongoing saga of Foot! Vinyl pre-sales just went up today via Copper Feast Records (order here), so if you dig this groove you might wanna hop on that stat!

Give ear…

Some Buzz

The world is a complicated and troubling place, now more so than it has been for a while. Things are shifting around us and we have new challenges to overcome that we’ve never experienced before both personally and as a society. These feelings of change have been captured by frontman Paul Holden and the rest of Foot in 'The Balance of Nature Shifted’ (2020).

“This album could be a reaction to an overall personal feeling that things around me are shifting at an alarming rate,” Holden says. “Whether it be human interactions with environment, technology and each other. Things are changing, for me personally and externally. 'The Balance of Nature Shifted’ could also be a snippet of how frustrating it can be seeing suffering and angst from which the cause seems so easily avoidable.”

Paul adds, “This album isn’t meant to preach anything other than that is incredibly important to acknowledge your emotions, feel them and react to them in a healthy way. For me this manifests itself in the music and lyrics contained within. This album may be a lot of things, but it is most likely just a hard rock album I wrote and recorded because I find that to be the most enjoyable pastime in the world.”

Foot take their well-honed desert rock sound one step further on 'The Balance of Nature Shifted’, with songs going harder than they ever have before on a Foot record. Fans that were on board for their self-titled debut and follow-up 'Buffalo’ are sure to be satisfied while newer audiences will love this classic blend of Queens of the Stone Age meets Alice in Chains.

'The Balance of Nature Shifted’ is the follow-up to Foot’s acclaimed second album 'Buffalo’ (2018) and is due for full release via Copper Feast Records, both in digital format on May 1st and on pressed as a limited edition double vinyl featuring a whole side of vinyl-exclusive content, limited to 250 copies on coloured vinyl (pre-order here).