Our first 2011 list from Brad Barratt, who sets ablaze a top 10 of doom legends, stoner stalwarts, and modern masters.

Rating: 3.5/5
…
Faces of Bayon could have gone further with the sound that they displayed on the first half—reminiscent of a more sinister Om, and sometimes a softer Black Sabbath. Perhaps for the follow-up to “Heart of the Fire”, they could consult other divine monuments like the moia statues of Easter Island.

Rating: 3.5/5
…
Bitter Resolve should be repeatedly hit until reduced to ash, and you’ll be jonesing until the next strain arrives.

Rating: 3/5
…
Wino only appeared in passing as I grew up—limited to Bullring Brummies, really—though I’ve thoroughly loved his late-career TKO of “Punctuated Equilibrium”, “Adrift”, and the superb Shrinebuilder debut. The man hits 50 this year, and still has the chutzpah to churn out quality music. Itself an achievement, yes, but I felt something would not fully resonate with me, and that something is Premonition 13.

Rating: 4.5/5
…
The key is to sound full yet complicated, accentuate the chaos, and direct the listener through the din.

Rating: 4.5/5
…
In most cases, Red Fang actually nails the sound of the band they’re impersonating better than the bands themselves. This is what made their self-titled debut so great and what makes “Murder the Mountains” even better.

Rating: 4/5
…
“Volume II” sticks to a tried-and-true formula that should appeal to fans of (tomb?)stoner metal, but must remember that it’s easy to fall into a pattern of lighting up the mind and then flickering out in the wind.

Rating: 4/5
…
In the ten years since “Dopethrone”, it’s hard to believe few similar bands have emerged. Maybe the revolution has been delayed, as Adrift for Days slowly floated over from their Australian homeland. Well they’ve landed, and I know I’ll be spinning “The Lunar Maria” for a while.

Rating: 4/5
…
While maybe not the most logical step from the weedy rhythms of “Witchcult Today”, “Black Masses” manages to captivate for its entirety. It doesn’t sound like any other Electric Wizard album. However, that’s only part of what makes it great…

Rating: 4/5
…
I enjoy “Earth Sick Mind”, but I wish that there was more variety to their overall sound. Regardless, you really need to check out this album if you like stoner doom and are looking for something fresh and tasty.