The idea started a couple years ago when one Paranoid Hitstophrenic dude from Canada started blogging about the phenomenon known as doom metal. Not just any old doom was professed; it was deep, dark, psychedelic, and demented doom that the world was for the most part blind to, and overall just awesome music that a host of readers and music fans grasped hold of and shared a similar love and taste for. The Blog caught on, the charts started gaining a small devoted underground crowd and the creator found himself short on time and called for help from us. Since then the Doom Charts have evolved into the underground community’s gift to not only the fans and readers of heavy music blogs and websites, but to the bands themselves who are now fighting their way to get to the top of the monthly charts.
Much like
the top 40 billboards…or not, the lists represent some of the finest
bloggers, radio and podcasters and album reviewers from the doom-stoner
underground around the globe. Each month, the critics, including The Ripple
Effect, submit their picks for the best new doom-sludge metal and
stoner-psychedelic rock albums for that given month. The results are compiled and tabulated into
the charts. The Doom Charts are a one-stop shop for the best new albums in the
world. Such a wonder should not go unnoticed and for those of you waveriders
that are unfamiliar with the charts, which have been in operation for the
better part of 2015, dive right in, subscribe, and get in on the action that
lies in the underground world of doom, stoner, sludge and psych.
Take a look
at the October charts linked below, which just hit the streets recently on October 7th,
2015. While you’re at it graze through the year’s lists, as each month there
are many new arrivals and the contributors tend to change it up to what they
are currently jamming during that particular month. Each month a different
blogger/reviewer takes the reigns to compile and tally the scores which enable
more of an organic progression and sense of community. Also shown below are the
Ripple Effect’s unique picks (Mine) which, after hosting the Doom Chart blog it
was realized that the top 25 only represent a fraction of the albums submitted
each month. In fact, the month I hosted the tally, there were something like
280+ unique album submissions which were tallied into the top 25 based on
ranking and number of total votes. It’s a pretty good system and whether you
like the end result or not, it has something to say as it's coming from some of
the highest respected critics in the heavy underground. This month a few of my
pics made the list, but overall, there was really not a surprise at who landed
at number 1.
The Ripple
Effects Pics (The Huntsman):
Please let
us know what you think and check into the charts regularly as the music is for
real. Also it cannot go without mention that our good friend Billy Goate over
at the Doomed and Stoned blog
transcribes each months charts into an audible podcast and Mixcloud where he
breaks down a song off of each album counting down to a finale, narrated by
Billy Goate himself. Big props to Mr. Goate for his continued efforts in
spreading the word on heavy music and cheers to all the contributors and readers who participate, read, listen and support the
heavy underground scene.
-The
Huntsman
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