Quick note first: this is not a heavy underground record. But every band on this site exists because of Tony Iommi, so when he puts out his first solo album in 21 years, it gets covered here. Call it the godfather exception.
From The Dark came out October 23 on BMG, his first solo record since Fused in 2005. Jorn Lande sings the whole thing and co-wrote all eight songs. Becky Baldwin plays bass, Karl Brazil plays drums, and Brian May adds a guest solo on Death Wake.
There is no breakout song on it, and that is fine. What it has is good songs all the way through, and the whole record is a good listen start to finish. The songwriting does not sit in a simple repetitive loop. There is a progressive side to how the songs are put together, some of it leaning into doom, some of it leaning into sludge, all of it metal.
For me, the production is what grabs me. Mike Exeter and Andy Sneap mixed it, and the sound is great all the way through. The guitar tone is great, and there is an unpredictable streak in Iommi's playing that keeps the songs moving. Jorn's vocals sound great too. He changes the tone and the character of his voice from song to song, and it fits every one of them.
I have played it a few times now and I keep going back to it. No filler, no coasting. A really great album, and a surprise how much I am enjoying the sound of it.
Every Friday, Playgroundz rounds up the heavy releases from the week that are worth your time. Five new albums dropped today, and all five are streaming in full right here. Press play.
Snake Mountain Revival are a trio from Virginia Beach, and The Divide is their second album and first for Ripple Music. It stands out because the band doesn't stick to one style. The songs pull from psychedelic rock, surf guitar, and folk, and the mix actually works. The result is creative and fresh, but the songs still hit hard and stay catchy. If you want heavy music that tries something different, start here.
Welsh trio Goat Major play doom with a rock and roll streak — big riffs and an occult edge. Death Comes Twice is their second album, following 2024's Ritual, and three singles led the way in. If Electric Wizard and Motörhead are both in your rotation, this one is aimed at you.
Progressive sludge from Wigan, England. Float & Aperture is Boss Keloid's sixth album, and their first since 2021, balancing heavy riffs with melody and space. Start with the single "Landslide," then let the whole record run.
The Pacific Northwest band returns with Estuary, six tracks of atmospheric black metal built on blast beats, tremolo guitars, and long, shifting songs. It's the most extreme record on this week's list.
German trio Earthbong keep it simple: four long tracks of slow, smoked-out doom. Salutations to the Cultivators is their fourth album, and it does exactly what the name promises. Turn it up and let it roll.
That's the week. New recommendations every Friday — and if we missed one, tell us in the comments.
🔥Playgroundz Rocks - September 2026 Picks🔥
My top 8 heavy underground releases for September 2026.
1. Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats — Shapes Of Midnight
2. Green Lung — Necropolitan
3. Mr. Bison — The Garden Of Forgotten Dreams
4. Saturna — Light and Shadow
5. Sleep — Hempispheres
6. Deaf Giant — Above and Below
7. Pelegrin — The Curse of Nephtar
8. Mississippi Bones — Maladroit Blues for the Colorblind
If you're into heavy rock, fuzz, stoner, doom, and psych, there's a ton of gold in here.
The Doom Charts bring together contributors from around the globe to pick the top heavy underground releases each month.
Thanks for being part of the journey. Full reviews at playgroundz.rocks.
Labels: Heavy Psych Sounds, Nuclear Blast, Ripple Music, Spinda Records, Discos Macarras Records, Third Man Records
🔥🔥FEBRUARY 2026 BEST NEW HEAVY ALBUM RELEASES🔥🔥
👉My vote submission to the Doom Charts and published on Playgroundz Rocks 👉
1. STAR BEAST - STAR BEAST II (BLACK THRONE PRODUCTIONS)
2. FATIMA - PRIMAL (BLACK ROBES RECORDS)
3. SUPLECS - HYMNS UNDER A BLOOD MOON SKY (RIPPLE MUSIC)
4. HERMANO - CLISSON, FRANCE (HERMANO)
5. OREYEON - THE GOTESQUE WITHIN (SELF RELEASED)
6. JACK HARLON & THE DEAD CROWS - INEXPLORABLE OPPOSITES (MAGNETIC EYE RECORDS)
7. STARGO - VIOLENT SKIES (SELF RELEASED)
8. LOW COUNTRY JAM MACHINE - OUTTA SIGHT (SELF RELEASED)
9. IZZY AND THE BLACK TREES - KISSES TO CHAOS (SELF RELEASED)
10. BORRACHO - ETERNOS - (REPETITIVE HEAVY GROOVES RECORDS)
11. WEEDPECKER - V (SELF RELEASED)
🤘Every month, from around the globe some of the finest bloggers, journalists, radio, podcasters and reviewers from the heavy underground submit their picks for the best new doom, sludge, metal, stoner, psychedelic and heavy rock albums and submit them to the Doom Charts
STAR BEAST - STARBEAST II
Psych, Stoner, Doom
Toronto, Ontario
Black Throne Productions
Released February 27, 2026
As someone who came of age in the 80s and early 90s, moving from metal into the rise of alternative and indie, but whose foundation has always been rooted in the blues heavy rock of the 60s and 70s, Star Beast II hits a familiar but darker nerve for me. Where the debut carried a bit more immediacy, this record leans further into shadow, dialing back the pop edge and embracing a moodier, slightly more obscure character. The blend of classic rock depth with a 90s indie sensibility gives the album a darker, introspective weight, where the hooks are still present but wrapped in a moodier, more shadowed atmosphere. Star Beast does it again, awesome!!!
Below is a curated list of albums, songs, and bands currently in heavy rotation. Dig in.
🔥🔥JANUARY 2026 BEST NEW HEAVY ALBUM RELEASES🔥🔥
👉My vote submission to the Doom Charts and published on Playgroundz Rocks 👉
1. REDWOOD - TIME TO LOSE (NORTHERN BUFFALO PRODUCTIONS)
2. DEMONS MY FRIENDS - DEMONS SEEM TO GATHER (RIPPLE MUSIC)
3. PLANET HUNTER - SOOTHSAYER (SELF RELEASED)
4. TEMPTRESS - HEAL (BLUES FUNERAL RECORDINGS)
5. SKY VALLEY MISTRESS - LUNA MAUSOLEUM (NEW HEAVY SOUNDS)
6. INDICA BLUES - UNIVERSAL HEAT DEATH
7.RITUAL ARCANA - RITUAL ARCANA (HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS)
8. IRON HEAD - FUNDAMENTAL (SKULLISM RECORDS)
9. CAPACOPTER - CAPACOPTER (SELF RELEASED)
10. LORD ELEPHANT - ULTRA SOUL (HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS)
11. UNDER - WHAT HAPPENED IN ROUNDWOOD (APF RECORDS)
12. AEON TEMPLE - RESURFACED (SELF RELEASED)
13. NEW MEXICAN DOOM CULT - ZAGGURAT (MAJESTIC MOUNTAIN RECORDS)
🤘Every month, from around the globe some of the finest bloggers, journalists, radio, podcasters and reviewers from the heavy underground submit their picks for the best new doom, sludge, metal, stoner, psychedelic and heavy rock albums and submit them to the Doom Charts.
INDICA BLUES - UNIVERSAL HEAT DEATH (MAJESTIC MOUNTAIN RECORDS)
January 30th, 2026
Universal Heat Death crawls forward on thick, fuzzed out riffs that feel heavy in both weight and intent, balancing doom pressure with a gritty blues undercurrent. The band lets the songs breathe just enough, using atmosphere and restraint to build tension rather than crushing everything. Vocals and guitars stay raw and expressive, giving the album a worn, end of the road feel that fits the theme without ever feeling forced.
A heavy rock music blog. New releases, monthly Doom Charts picks, and reviews, posted every week by hand.
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Playgroundz votes in the Doom Charts every month, with bloggers, reviewers, radio, and podcasters from the heavy underground worldwide.
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A heavy rock music publication featuring reviews, band spotlights, label features, and curated discoveries from the global underground.
