Best New Releases January 2026

 

The first month of 2026 did not disappoint when it comes to new releases here in the heavy underground. In fact, I had a very difficult time keeping up with the momentum of it all, especially as the month drew to a close. I ultimately selected eleven albums as the best of the best for January, and here they are in descending order: 

11.) Sykofant - Leaves

Progressive rockers Sykofant are back with Leaves, the powerful conclusion to the two-part saga that began on their Red Sun EP.

While Red Sun takes the listener along on a strenuous journey over harsh landscapes that brings about trippy, dreamlike interludes throughout, Leaves focuses on the less-often explored story of what comes after the adventure. In this case, it's a very personal and emotional undertaking that follows the protagonist through "reflection, movement, and transformation". While much softer overall than their previous works, Leaves still makes brilliant use of Sykofant's storytelling abilities. More specifically, the EP is marked by light and airy, scene-building respites, soothing, mellifluous vocals and harmonies that crescendo along with the tale's emotions, peaks of intensity that often include wailing guitars and a steadfast anchor of bass, and frenetic drumming that emulates a quickening heartbeat. Leaves isn't overly serious, however; Sykofant manages to sneak some of their trademark surprises into the EP's flow, including a bit of cool funkiness.

In a nutshell, Leaves delivers a powerful end to an engrossing tale, and, true to form, Sykofant leaves no stone unturned in their sharply empathetic, evocative rendition.

You can read my review here.

Favorite Track: Heart of the Woods

10.) Monkey Ham - Black Swamp

Spanish rockers Monkey Ham marked their ten-year anniversary as a band by releasing their Black Swamp EP, a three-track release that includes the single Today's Latest from last Spring. On Black Swamp, Monkey Ham establishes a solid signature sound that maintains a base of coarse and energetic stoner while boasting the brightness of alternative rock and the murky swampiness of grunge. Each track is quite the infectious little earworm, generating feel-good vibes within the listener that will hearken them back to the unparalleled rock scene of the 90s.

Favorite Track: Black Swamp

9.) Lord Elephant - Ultra Soul 

Italian instrumental psychedelic doom wizards Lord Elephant are back with their aptly titled sophomore release Ultra Soul. This seven-track mind flight features the bone-rattling, pachydermian stomps of doom and hypnotic psychedelic reverberations we know and love from the band, but it's the stronger emphasis on bluesy soul that gives this album a heightened sense of emotional expression without the need for vocals. Furthermore, if you thought there was no way Lord Elephant could more expertly meld both crushing riffs and vast atmospheres into a more homogenous concoction, think again. Somehow, there are even more layers present on Ultra Soul than in the band's previous works, adding a plethora of dimension and making for even smoother transitions between moods. 

Favorite Track: Astral Crypt 

8.) Aeon Temple - Resurfaced

A decade after the release of their debut EP, eclectic trio Aeon Temple has graced us with Resurfaced, an album that checks all the boxes for fans of a more sophisticated style of heavy music. Beginning with stoner/doom grooves and cinematic imagery that could easily be the soundtrack to a post-apocalyptic thriller and gently morphing with chameleon-like skill into an emotionally raw, beautifully progressive work, this album has a bit of everything and then some. All the while, Aeon Temple expertly blends genres into vivid, cohesive oeuvres that bleed with uninhibited emotional expression from both vocals and instrumentals. While some of these combinations and atmospheres aren't what you'd expect from a metal-forward album, the creative intent and bigger picture always become crystal clear by each song's end. As such, Resurfaced is a release that requires a bit more from the listener, a quality that I thoroughly appreciate. While there are plenty of heavy riffs to rock out to and mesmeric interludes to get lost in, Resurfaced also commands and claims our attention, involvement, and emotional investment in a powerful way.

You can read my full review here.

Favorite Track: Tireless Machine 

 

7.) Bongladen - Live in the Void

German instrumental trio Bongladen makes a lasting first impression on their debut Live in the Void by delivering a solid representation of all your favorite subgenres in the stoner/doom scene. This four-track release is filled with reverberating doom tones brightened by the gritty energy of stoner rock and made infinitely more malleable with a strong showing of psychedelic rock. My favorite thing about Bongladen's sound, however, is an ever-present spacey feel that helps the band paint brilliant sonic landscapes while communicating a sense of both ethereal vastness and crushing density. 

Favorite Track: Sun 

6.) Hidas - A Sense of Impending Doom 

German instrumental trio Hidas delivers a solid slab of our favorite genre on their new album A Sense of Impending Doom. While a particularly heavy base of doom does provide the framework for this aptly titled release, you'll also hear plenty of nods to multiple metal genres including classic heavy metal, black metal, and death. Furthermore, Hidas maintains the momentum and intrigue throughout A Sense of Impending Doom, keeping the crushing riffs, shredded solos, and haunting interludes barreling toward the listener from start to finish. Whether you're a fan of instrumental music or not, you'll be sure to appreciate Hidas's ability to expertly capture the essence of metal in a very comprehensive way, infusing their sound with that timeless, addictively heavy stuff that makes fans of metal music across the board tick.

Favorite Track: The Riddle 

5.) Temptress - hear

Listening to the weighty but expressive tones of Temptress is truly like getting several bands in one. This Texas trio combines elements from a plethora of genres - including doom, hardcore, post rock, sludge, and stoner rock to name a few - to create a diverse sound that flawlessly moves between crushing and ethereal atmospheres. Furthermore, each member of the band lends their vocal talents to different songs, adding infinitely more variety to their already eclectic music.

Temptress released their sophomore album hear on January 23, 2026, a collection of noticeably sharper, more focused songs on which the band's post rock, hardcore, and noise influences are brought to the forefront. In spite of being a bit less inclined toward stoner/doom than Temptress's previous album SEE, hear feels even darker, and certainly more emotionally intense, generating a vulnerable but honest sound from the band that's incredibly cathartic.

Favorite Track: Narrows

4.) Shamayna - Loverdose

Shamayna is a quartet who combines doom, sludge, grunge, psychedelic, and stoner rock into a deliciously viscous but powerfully expressive sound.  On their new album Loverdose, you'll notice that Shamayna has exponentially increased the amount of doom, stoner metal, and heavy rock influences in their sound, leading to a much more heavy-hitting, immersive listening experience. However, I'm thrilled to find that the band's impassioned expression is stronger than ever before, delivering a sense of authenticity and vulnerability amid the heaviness. This is my favorite release from Shamayna to date!

Favorite Track: Black Heart 

3.) Capacopter - (Self-Titled)

Capacopter's debut begins on a strikingly spirited note as the first three songs produce big, echoing stoner/desert reverberations that one can easily picture filling a large venue. These tracks boast energetic, turbulent bursts and mellifluous, soaring, infectious choruses that are reminiscent of heavy hitters like Slomosa. From here, one notices a distinct shift in sound that carries through to the end of the album - a healthy infusion of heavy blues soul and colorful, classic 70s heavy rock. However, Capacopter doesn't miss a beat, keeping the momentum going strong and keeping up with those memorable, singable hooks.

All in all, Capacopter proves on their debut album that they're not only capable of playing a variety of styles in a vibrant, unforgettable way, but they also show that they're poised to become mainstays of the underground stoner scene.

You can read my quick review of the album here.

Favorite Track: Caravan 

2.) Hallas - Panorama 

Panorama, the new album from Swedish progressive/"adventure rockers" Hällas, marks my first time hearing the band, but it's safe to say that their cinematic, ultra-immersive, beautifully complex sound left a lasting first impression. This album offers up a particularly spacey atmosphere, rich with both the retro/futuristic tones and the rich heavy rock vibes of the '70s/early '80s.  Furthermore, Hällas expertly manages to tackle this era of music without coming off as kitschy, something that can be difficult to avoid when bands make heavy use of theatrics.  And of course, if this inpatient music fan can contentedly listen to a 20+ minute song without complaint (the opening track "Above the Continuum" in this case), It's safe to say that a band is doing a good job. 

Favorite Track: The Emissary 

1.) New Mexican Doom Cult - Ziggurat 

I'm a firm believer that the Swedish doomsters New Mexican Doom Cult can do no wrong when it comes to generating both impenetrable walls of sinister riffage and the most captivating of tales, but their new album Ziggurat stands apart for being the band's heaviest and most ambitious release to date. Everything you know and love about New Mexican Doom Cult is here, but with added impact, dimension, and perhaps most interestingly, a few cool surprises at the end of the album that show a very different side of the band. A no-skip gem from start to finish, this immersive album will chew you up and spit you out (and you won't mind). 

You can read my full review here.

Favorite track: Return to Babylon 

That's it for January! I hope you enjoy these albums as much as I did. 

Don't forget to check out this month's Doom Chart where there are forty albums waiting for you to discover, and as always, be sure to show your favorite heavy underground artists some much-deserved love! 

Check Out Screaming from the Heavy Underground on YouTube!