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SONUS and IATT Break Into Doom Charts May 2026 With Critically Noted Albums

Two standout releases from the underground heavy music world are making serious waves this month as Doom Charts reveals its May 2026 list, featuring client projects IATT with Etheric Realms of the Night and SÖNUS with Planes of Torment .

Both albums are earning attention for their depth, atmosphere, and refusal to play it safe, each carving out a distinct space in today’s heavy music landscape.

IATT – Etheric Realms of the Night

Progressive / Melodic Black / Death Metal | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Black Lion Records

IATT continues to push forward with a sound that balances technical precision and emotional weight. Etheric Realms of the Night has been recognized for its ability to expand on the band’s established identity while refusing to lose its edge.

Justin Wittenmeier (DoomedForMetal) highlights the band’s evolution:

“IATT has crafted quite the album with Etheric Realms of the Night . The problem with prog metal bands is that sometimes after releasing an album as good as ‘Magnum Opus,’ they don’t know where to go. Some get even heavier and lose the proggy parts that made them so interesting. Others get lighter with so much prog they just become boring. IATT focused on their sound and introduced new pathways while injecting their older ones with steroids.”

The result is a record that feels both familiar and forward-moving, built for listeners who want complexity without losing impact.

SÖNUS – Planes of Torment

Garage Rock / Stoner Rock / Psychedelic Rock / Space Rock | San Francisco, California | Self-Released

SÖNUS delivers a raw, cinematic descent into heavy psychedelia with Planes of Torment , an album that critics are describing as both punishing and cathartic.

Turbo (Rich & Turbo’s Heavy Half Hour) frames it with blunt intensity:

“Pretty sure SÖNUS’s latest album Planes of Torment is an updated 21st Century version of Dante’s Inferno. The whole culmination of the sound in this album just has that weight, the weight of the heavy burden upon your soul. This album is heavy, dark, harrowing, and cathartic. When your anger rises, crank this baby up and have a soundtrack for your fury.”

Jon McGough (Stoner Rock Army, Stoner HiVe, Outlaws Of The Sun) adds:

“SÖNUS brings a heavy psychedelic garage sound with a genuine retro throwback vibe. Maybe it’s the production, maybe it’s because Planes of Torment was recorded live in the studio, or maybe it’s simply the songwriting itself. Tracks like Pagan Woman and Scorpio feel as though they were pulled from another era entirely, while the hauntingly good vocals add an eerie presence that lingers long after the songs end.”

Underground Momentum Building

With both albums now featured on the May 2026 Doom Charts, IATT and SÖNUS continue to gain momentum among critics and listeners who value authenticity, atmosphere, and fearless songwriting.

From progressive extremity to psychedelic heaviness, these releases prove once again that the underground is where some of the most important heavy music is still being forged the old-school way, loud, honest, and unfiltered.

More updates to follow as both releases continue to spread through the global metal and rock underground.

Check out the feature here: https://doomcharts.com/2026/06/19/doom-charts-peroration-may-2026/