As we race to catch up with modern times, we’ve finally entered the summer stage of 2026! June was sweaty with heat and also a slate of quality releases, and the staff voting list was long and confusing, but we did the best we could to make sense of it and give the little people their say. As we always say, democracy is a filthy, messy business, best left to the professionals. We are them.
Hyper-melodic doom-death crew Fires in the Distance have been on quite a roll since their 2020 debut, taking their classic sadbi melodoom template and slowly expanding it over several releases. Third gloom platter, Circadian Promise [out June 12th on Prosthetic Records] finds just the right balance between heaviness and melodic hooks, and with a new vocalist, they push their sound out to new horizons of fire. Death roars and clean vocals pair with stirring, emotive guitar and keyboard work to create grand tapestries of metal magic. Melancholy is the key, and you get saturated in it in all the best ways. As a fully impressed Thus Spoke concluded, “Circadian Promise fully becomes its concept as its powerful pieces coalesce into a fortifying tonic you surely can’t resist, lifting your spirits, and Fire in the Distance themselves, up into the stratosphere.” Light it up.
Runner(s) Up:
Warning // Rituals of Shame – Warning need no introduction to those who wallow in the darkest pits of doom. Their 2006 magnum opus, Watching from a Distance, is a touchstone of the genre. Powered by the creative genius of Patrick Walker, it created one of the most despondent, oppressive soundscapes ever heard, and it still packs a raw impact few albums will ever match. Warning didn’t follow up this legendary album with another full-length until this year, and it’s like the time in between just melted away. Rituals of Shame [out June 19th on Relapse] is very much the spiritual successor to Watching, and all the same crushing lows and illusory highs are here. No dust to knock off, no forced recycling of older ideas; this is pure Warning in all its misery and joylessness. As Grymm expertly summed up, “You listen to Warning to reflect, to purge, and to feel. And if you’re anything at all like me, you’ve been waiting a damn long time for a worthy follow-up to Watching from a Distance. Thankfully, Warning gave us exactly that. Welcome back.” Here come the tears!
Khemmis // Khemmis – Colorado-based doom troupe, Khemmis have taken the pole position in the new wave of American doom revival. Their blend of classic doom sounds mixed with 80s traditional metal and bits of extremity has been a potent witch’s brew over the years, though the balance sometimes missed the mark. Their self-titled fifth album [out June 12th on Nuclear Blast] finds a better equilibrium between the various elements, delivering shorter and catchier doom nuggets steeped in 80s heavy metal glory. While it doesn’t nail the same highs as their early material, it’s another strong statement on modern doom. As Lavender Larcenist succinctly put it, “It seems like Khemmis wants to move away from their traditional doom metal trappings and lean into more arena-driven, heavy metal tracks, and for a band with their talent, the sky is the limit.” Wizards, man.
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