Best New Releases September 2026
September delivered an utter landslide of new releases to put it mildly. I'll be the first to admit that I had a difficult time keeping up, and it's very likely that I missed a few things here and there. In any case, here are my fourteen favorite albums from the month (so far):
Best New Releases of September 2026
(in descending order)
14.) Shovelhead - A Place of Dead Roads
New Jersey-based stoner rockers Shovelhead have released their first new music in over twenty years with their fourth album A Place of Dead Roads. The album explodes right out of the gate with timeless, riff-driven stoner rock underlined by punchy energy and groove. This atmosphere quickly blends with a strong presence of vintage heavy rock, adding an abundance of warmth to Shovelhead's tone as it unfurls like a ribbon of sun-parched highway, an image made even more vivid by long instrumental stretches. Naturally, heavy psych makes an appearance, delivering refreshing waves of hypnotic trippiness that tend to get stronger in the latter half of the album. To add to their immersive sound, completely capable of standing on its own instrumentally, Shovelhead is graced by a powerful vocalist whose echoing, unrestrained intonations are often less about melody and all about raw expression. Taken together, all of these elements create a rollicking ride that seems to end far too soon, hooking the listener from start to finish with the driving energy of classic stoner, the timeless grooves of heavy rock, and cool splashes of psychedelia.
You can read my review of the album here.
Favorite Track: Witching Hour
13.) KITSA - II
KITSA is a highly underrated band from Port Orchard, Washington who you may remember from their 2024 debut Dead by Dawn (which came in at #11 on the February Doom Charts that year). The riff-driven grungy stoner rockers are now back with their sophomore album II, and this time around, KITSA employs a darker sound that's heavily inspired by the current political climate. While the tones are doomier and more metal-forward, they're also grungier than ever. And, in spite of the more serious atmosphere, KITSA doesn't fail to deliver pockets of the soulful, feel-good vibes they enchanted us with on their debut album. Speaking of soulful, the powerful, unfettered vocals give their most emotionally charged performance yet, diving deep into the gravity of the lyrical subject matter.
Even with a heavier, darker presentation, KITSA maintains an organic, approachable, and AUTHENTIC sound that will encourage you to open your eyes as much as rock out.
Favorite Track: Avaleigh
12.) Hazemind - Inner Sanctum
On their memorable debut album Inner Sanctum, Canadian stoner quartet Hazemind builds upon a strong foundation of energetic, classic stoner rock, while keeping their listeners invested with soaring melody, infectious hooks, and powerful vocals. Secondary to stoner rock, Hazemind's sound also boasts a pronounced grunge and alternative rock component, but the band also adds a dash of heavy-blues-tinged southern rock as well as sinister surges of doomed-out riff rock. It's very apparent that Hazemind feels just as comfortable playing more melody-driven tracks as they do heavier ones, giving them the ability to appeal to a wide variety of music fans.
You can read my review of the album here.
Favorite Track: Welcome to the Void
11.) Iron Jinn - Zeitgeist on the Run
I've said it before, I'm no wordsmith when it comes to writing about the captivating complexities of prog, but it would be absolutely criminal not to mention Zeitgeist on the Run, the new album from Dutch progressive psych maestros Iron Jinn. This intricately layered, ultra-immersive sonic journey is packed with trippy tension and surreal twists and turns that will not only effortlessly draw you in but will leave you marveling at the stellar musicianship you hear while in your inevitable trance. My favorite thing about Zeitgeist on the Run, however, is its persistently eerie quality, delivering a perfectly spine-chilling listening experience that keeps you on your toes. As I could never do this album justice with my own words, I'll happily refer you to Stoner Hive for that, where the one and only Ronny Dijksterhuis has penned a beautiful encomium to Zeitgeist on the Run.
Favorite Track: Landing on a Dream
10.) Moon Destroys - OMNI
Moon Destroys is a heavy underground supergroup from Atlanta with a clear mission: to save the world with heavy rock.
Composed of founding members Juan Montoya on lead guitar (ex-Torche, MonstrO), Evan Diprima on drums and bass (Gold Pyramid, ex-Royal Thunder), and, as of 2026, Zach Amster (Abrams) on vocals and rhythm guitar, Moon Destroys draws upon post grunge, riff-doom, and psychedelic influences to create their infectious and energetic sound dotted with storms of melancholic moods.
The band's new album OMNI utilizes the hook-driven vibrance of alternative rock and the hypnotic, trance-inducing movement of psychedelia, all propelled by standout heavy riffage and kissed by a spacey aura. Zach Amster quickly proves to be the perfect choice for vocal duties as his gruffly melodic voice belts out heartfelt verses and impassioned, soaring choruses in a raw and unfettered manner.
In a nutshell, OMNI sees Moon Destroys settling flawlessly into their new lineup while delivering their most dimensional sound to date.
You can read my review of the album here.
Favorite Track: Flowers
9.) Vulture Neck - (self-titled)
Swedish sludgy doom trio Vulture Neck takes their listeners on a trippy and delightfully spooky ride on their self-titled debut album.
The first thing you'll notice about Vulture Neck's sound is its vintage analog tones and strikingly thick viscosity, instantly creating a palpably eerie haze in your mind as you listen. From here, you'll surely pick up on the feral vocals, doom-laden trudge, mind-bending waves of psychedelia, epic lyricism, electrifying interludes of heavy metal, and the often-punky delivery of these seven songs. However, the most noteworthy aspect of Vulture Neck's music is that it takes on the true spirit of doom, delivering an unnerving end-of-the-world atmosphere from start to finish with no time for pleasantries or decorum, just raw anguish.
You can read my review of the album here.
Favorite Track: Abyss Made of Stone
8.) The Whisper - Find a Way In
Headed by James Vieco, The Whisper is a Spanish rock band who delivers a noticeably softer take on heavy rock than the frontman's other band Saturna, but packs just as much raw emotional expression. The Whisper's new album Find a Way In features five new songs as well as four tracks from the band's first EP Silence. My favorite thing about the album, however, is the perfectly serene, warm, inviting atmosphere it creates with golden retro rock tones - easy to listen to but equally effortless to get lost in on a deeper, reflective level.
7.) Muddy - In Medias Res
Muddy is a quartet from Bordeaux, France who is poised to make a big splash in the heavy underground with their debut album In Medias Res. The band prefers to keep descriptors to a minimum by calling their music "heavy saturated rock", but it doesn't take the listener long to hear that there's a LOT going on within Muddy's eclectic sound.
Each song on In Medias Res will take you on a captivating sonic journey, navigating rugged terrain in the form of gritty stoner/desert rock, providing mystery and intrigue through creeping tendrils of psychedelia, passing through waves of darkness via surges of doom, and even occasionally blasting off into spacey atmospheres. An infusion of alternative rock energy, a dash of punk here and there, and soaring vocals top things off, ensuring the album is as infectious as it is mesmerizing.
Muddy traverses these ever-shifting landscapes with remarkable smoothness, so much so that the listener naturally focuses more on the emotive swells each movement brings about instead of the transition itself, further speaking to the bewitching qualities of In Medias Res.
While each of the ten songs has a unique identity, mood, and story to tell, Muddy truly ensures that each and every note is "saturated" with stirring, colorful, chameleon-like sound.
You can read my review of the album here.
Favorite Track: Alter Ego
6.) Spirit Mother - Thistle
With a sound imbued with folk and classical inspirations, the haunting music of heavy fuzz rockers Spirit Mother has an uncanny ability to evoke vivid images of both the breathtaking beauty and the crushing might of the natural world that materialize through a delicate, misty veil of smoke.
On their third album Thistle, the rural Oregon-based group delivers a powerful showcase of everything they do best. This collection of thirteen songs (including three instrumental interludes) moves deftly between deeply poignant, melancholic tempests (made exponentially more stirring by the band's trademark string arrangements) and heavy blues/rock-forward surges of intensity. While undeniably sophisticated and artful, Thistle still manages to implement plenty of memorable hooks throughout, ultimately creating a powerfully moving and cathartic release that will keep you coming back for more.
You can read my review of the album here.
Favorite Track: Narrows
5.) Saturna - Light and Shadow
On their sixth album Light and Shadow, Saturna continues to charm us with their spot-on blend of 70s/80s hard rock with nods to heavy blues. However, the band makes beautiful use of more subdued tones here, especially when compared to their previous album The Reset. As a result, the emotional expression is stronger than ever, even easier for the listener to access through this more intimate, cozy atmosphere.
In spite of the slightly more stripped-down feel, Saturna effortlessly maintains every facet and shade of their dimensional, colorful sound. This is evident in moods that seamlessly drift from a melancholic haze to crisp, buoyant notes bathed in hopeful light, and the natural inclusion of the swells of emotive intensity the band is known for. In fact, I would argue that both feeling and depth are even sharper for Saturna on this album, made infinitely more tangible through a more natural lens.
With all of that said, my favorite thing about Light and Shadow is its inviting feel. Throughout the album, Saturna's inherent warmth surrounds you, inviting you to settle in and listen like the crackling of a bonfire.
You can read my review of the album here.
Favorite Track: Self told lies
4.) Mister Earthbound - Mabon
Virginian psychedelic swamp rockers Mister Earthbound are back on the fall equinox with Mabon, the third in a series of four season-themed EPs
For this autumnal release, the band appropriately allows a noticeable amount of darkness to creep into their sound, replicating the onset of decay that spreads through previously lush vegetation and the sudden bite of acrid chill in the air. While you'll still hear the hazy waves of psychedelia and the swampy, bluesy soul that make up Mister Earthbound's signature sound, the band's doom influences really come to the forefront, adding a palpably sinister edge.
While I've thoroughly enjoyed each of Mister Earthbound's seasonal EPs, marvelling at how well the band captures the mood of each period while painting strikingly vivid sonic landscapes to match, I can safely say that Mabon is my favorite...so far!
Favorite Track: Gone
3.) Mr. Bison - The Garden of Forgotten Dreams
Italian heavy psych and prog wizards Mr. Bison deliver a moving blend of the heavy and the light with their new album, The Garden of Forgotten Dreams.
Here, the band continues to focus more on gentler tones that evoke clear images of the natural world, saturating their sound with gossamer psychedelic atmospheres. Far from a somnolent experience, The Garden of Forgotten Dreams is layered with a multitude of auras including some spacey moments, smokey heavy rock interludes, and surges of coarse stoner riffage, creating a highly textured and ever-changing sound. Blink and you might miss something. Of course, Mr. Bison's masterful use of prog provides a perfect framework for the aforementioned elements to reside in, molding them into emotive swells and stirring shifts in mood.
My favorite aspect of The Garden of Forgotten Dreams is Mr. Bison's clever employment of the garden theme, which stands out brilliantly throughout the album. Managing to be equally as strong and established as the roots of an old tree and as delicate as a Sakura blossom in both sound and deeper meaning, the idea of the garden serves "as a metaphor for refuge". According to the band, this haven is a place "where we can keep our secrets, our most authentic truths, our aspirations, and our dreams...guarded until we are ready to reveal them to those who can contain and appreciate them".
You can read my review of the album here.
Favorite Track: Astray
2.) Earth Altar - Hawk and Swan
As its title might suggest, Hawk and Swan, the second full-length release from Earth Altar, is an album filled with beautiful contrasts. Across the eight tracks, the Canadian duo maintains an utterly captivating balance between warm, earthy tones and the eerie coolness of electronica. In addition, the enchantingly unpredictable path of space and progressive rock adds mystery, while a healthy amount of trippiness ensures the listener never knows what's coming next from the mind-bending ride that is Hawk and Swan. And, although the album is primarily instrumental, Earth Altar proves that they don't require words to relay a spellbinding story, setting brilliantly colored scenes and enthralling the listener with the thrilling twists and turns found on each and every track.
Much less about genre affiliation and entirely about the immersiveness of the experience, Hawk and Swan is sure to charm music fans from both the heavy and light sides of the underground music scene.
You can read my review of the album here.
Favorite Track: Triptych
1.) Deathchant - KOVA
Los Angeles-based stoner rock/heavy metal quartet Deathchant is back with their fourth album KOVA. This highly personal release is named for the band's late friend Danny Kova and is "simultaneously a raucous send-off worthy of a Viking, an introspective look at manhood, and a dyed-in-the-wool badass brainstorming hard rock record". The album is deeply poignant for the most part, showing a vulnerable, emotionally expressive, and palpably authentic side of the band. And, though the album is profoundly heartfelt, Deathchant maintains their signature sound, delivering a standout blend of hazy 70s heavy psych reminiscent of Budgie, hard rock laced with traditional heavy metal in the vein of Rose Tattoo, and all the barreling grittiness of Motörhead. Overall, KOVA supplies that characteristic silky smooth yet delightfully turbulent sound we know and love from Deathchant while providing a distinctively sincere and moving listening experience that will sear its mark directly on your heart.
Favorite Track: Enemy
So that's it for September! Be sure to check out this month's Doom Charts where there are forty albums waiting for you to discover and show your favorite heavy underground artists some much-deserved love!
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@doomcakes4 Here are my picks for the best new heavy underground albums of September 2026! 🔥 It was a big month, and October is already looking like it will follow suit. 🤘 you can find more information about the albums that I chose on the blog, Screaming from the Heavy Underground, at this link: https://screamingfromtheheavyunderground.blogspot.com/2026/10/best-new-releases-september-2026.html #doomcharts #stonerdoom #stonerrock #screamingfromtheheavyunderground #doom ♬ original sound - Doomcakes
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