Top 30 Stoner Rock / Stoner Metal Albums

Over the next couple of months I am going to count down some of my top records collectively from a specific genre with each artist having collectively 1 album which I think is their masterpiece.

This Week I’m Covering: Stoner-Metal / Stoner Rock

Stoner rock (also referred to as “desert rock”) and Stoner Metal are terms describing sub-genres of rock and metal music. They are typically slow-to-mid tempo, low-tuned, and bass-heavy, incorporating elements of psychedelic rock, blues-rock and doom metal into a more repetitive and riff-centered style. Other common traits include melodic vocals and ‘retro’ production. The genres emerged during the early 1990s and were pioneered foremost by the Californian bands Kyuss and Sleep.

Also all artists on here I encourage you to search deeper and listen to their other albums in the catalogues because there are just too many to list without it feeling like diary.

Top 30

High on Fire – Death is this Communion

-Basically if you like Motorhead and Slayer you’ll love this band. They mix and mash a lot of things together and create a monstrous riff festival on every album. This is my favorite though

Kyuss – Welcome to Sky Valley

-Essentially one band credited with the initial birth of Stoner Rock. Although constantly confused as being a “Metal” band Kyuss plays an extremely psychedelic style of stoner rock especially on this album. Their guitarist Josh Homme’s current band is also on this list..just wait for it.

Sleep - Dopesmoker

-1 hour long song plus Sonic Titan (live). Another band credited with heavy influence in Stoner rock. But I feel like if you’re a first time listener I would stick to stuff like “Holy Mountain” by them instead of this because it’s a little more difficult to get into really unless you know how they play generally.

EYEHATEGOD – Dopesick

-Stoner Metal with a Southern Touch. Pretty misanthropic and normally termed as Sludge Metal, but for the sake of this I think it would just be easier to leave it at that. They’re sound is pretty much summed up as feedback induced insanity. This album is my favorite because I feel it is their most influential but I really like most of their other albums.

Buzzov-en- Sore

-Obviously with my love for Weedeater, this is a must to list. But not just for that reason they only came out with a couple of albums and a ton of demo’s and EP’s. They have a general sound about them but sound similar to EYEHATEGOD though. Good stuff and Dixie Dave is also in this band or was rather.

Weedeater – Sixteen Tons

-As described in my Top 57 of the decade. This is the band you want to be listening to when you crack open that cold beer and sit back for a nice relaxing evening. But completely sober this band is still great of course considering you enjoy the style. Dixie Dave is the man

Electric Wizard – Come my Fanatics

-Outside of their album “Dopethrone”, this is an essential Wizard recommendation.  Doom-Mantia is still one of the heaviest freaking songs ever at least to me. This album is fairly hypnotic as well as I’ve found out many times. If you’ve never heard of this band then go look them up now.

OM- Pilgramage

-You’ll want to inhale deep this one; Om is rather an acquired taste as I have found out. I cannot say enough positive things about this band. Absolutely most relaxing music at least I feel it is. Just lie back… and relax away your day.

Bongzilla- Gateway

-As the name suggests, I believe a hefty dose of the leaf is in order for this one. Bongzilla pretty much cover anything and everything that is marijuana related as a Stoner band and they don’t stray from that ideology. Dixie Dave is in this one as well.

Melvins- Lysol

-As much as I love the Melvin’s album Houdini, I still think this album is superior. I really can’t put a solid base on why but I love this band. Still haven’t got to see them, and I probably won’t but buddy if I did it would be awesome as hell.  It’s like listening to Stoner rock mixed with Grunge. Buzzo’s vocal delivery is my favorite part of the album.

Ufomammut – Snailking

-This album is sort of like listening to Pink Floyd mixed with harsher Stoner metal bands mixed together. Really unique I think but their newest album “Eve” is far superior to this album but both are deserving recommendation.

Torche – Torche

-Poppy sounding Stoner rock/metal? Is it possible? Well before Torche I haven’t heard a band that made the genre sound so warm. I guess that’s because of the genre’s typical themes. When I first heard Charge of the Brown Recluse I was hooked but all the way up to this year this band still continues to put out good stuff. Check em out.

Monster Magnet – Spine of God

-I know that a lot of people differ on which album is the best by this band, a lot of people say its “Dopes of Infinity” or “Powertrip” and I have had one person say that “Superjudge” was the best. I mean those are good albums don’t get me wrong, but in no way are they better than “Spine of God”. Monster Magnet is pretty much essential if you like this kind of music because they have this ambiance about them on every album.

Fu Manchu – Daredevil

-Just imagine yourself driving at an absolute insane speed in the desert while listening to this album and you can pretty much understand their whole catalogue.

Goatsnake- Dog Days

-Stoner Rock greats. Goatsnake still has one of the best Vocalists in this genre in modern times.

Baroness- The Red Album

-Gruff sounding and absolutely amazing band from GA. Their blue album I thought was more progressive sounding and didn’t retain the heavier aspects that the Red album did when I first heard it. Enjoy this!

Orange Goblin – The Big Black

-Very Doom-ish kinda of like Electric wizard I suppose. Very slow constant grooves but then it just hits you like a ton of bricks. It’s like listening to Black Sabbath for the first time all over again.

Spiritual Beggers – Ad Astra

-Pretty awesome band, but sometimes I got to be in a mood to listening to them mainly because of the vocal delivery on this album. Still highly recommended though.

Kylesia – Static Tensions

-This band takes everything that Pink Floyd, Melvins, and Slayer do correctly and improve on it. Two drummers and Two vocalists. Already sound amazing right? It is

Queens of the Stone Age- Songs for the Deaf

-And here it is…Josh Homme from the band, Kyuss earlier on the list. This is his band and its pretty much mainstream now but still it was really awesome when I first heard this and on occasion I enjoy re-listening to it. Good stuff.

Firebird – Firebird

-Another great stoner rock band

Sheavy – Celestial Hi-Fi

-A lot of people cite this band’s first album as the best but I think that this one is better. Sounds a lot like Black Sabbath riff wise I think, and possibly vocally too.

Black Sabbath – Masters of Reality

-The Masters of them all, this is my favorite album of theirs. Yes Paranoid is good and Yes their self-titled album is good too but I like this one because ive listened to it more than any other in their catalogue of albums.

Mondo Generator – Cocaine Rodeo

-You know these dudes were high as hell recording this……just listen to it.

NovaDiver – Void

-Another great Stoner rock band, pretty immense if you ask me. Lots and lots of feedback just the way I like it. Put this on driving down the road, great driving music.

Saint Vitus – Born to Late

-America’s Response to Black Sabbath. I also consider them Kings of the Genre because almost as many people rip them off as they rip off Black Sabbath.

Soundgarden- Badmotofinger

-Typically people wouldn’t think of them as a Stoner rock band but I personally feel that the comparison is or should be universal but I guess because it isn’t politically correct call them that they were “Grunge” or “Hard Rock” whatever haha

Blood Farmers- Permanent Brain Damage

-Just recently got into this band, I suppose I overlooked them before. There are a lot of interesting ideas on this album maybe some other albums are good but I don’t know yet because this is the only album I’m really digging on right now.

Che- Sounds of Liberation

-Amazing Supergroup with musicians from Kyuss, Fu Manchu, Unida, Yawning Man, Queens of the Stone Age.

Shrinebuilder - Shrinebuilder

-Another Amazing supergroup(and one of my albums of the year in 2009) the musicians have previously played in Om, Neurosis,  Melvins, Saint Vitus, Sleep and im sure more but I cannot remember either way this album is great!

 Hopefully you'll find something new in this list. I know alot of these are well known at least to people to know about the given bands but alot of people overlook bands because they are supposidly "Clones" of a given style. Enjoy!

Top 57 Albums of the Laste Decade (2001-2011)

Top 57 Albums

Another installment of weekly suggestions: This week I’m going Throwback style by suggesting some of my favorite releases of the last 10 years in no particular order at all. (2001-2011). Enjoy

DeerHunter – Weird Era Continued

-It has taken me a while to appreciate this bands music but once I did, it’s a good change of pace from my usual listening experiences.

Elliot Smith- From a Basement on a hill

-Elliot Smith will generally always have a place in my music collection since Either/Or. A song within it called “Fond Farewell” reminds me for some reason that Elliot died tragically and it’s just the overall mood of it that gets me every time.

Sigur Rós - Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust

-Although not surpassing their albums, () or Takk this album it stands out though because of the different experimentation and less guitar playing as seen on other albums. Just as Beautiful of an Album as any they’ve put out before.

Godspeed You!  Black Emperor – Lift your skinny fists like antennas to heaven

-Most people when they think Post-Rock normally think of Explosions in the Sky or Mogwai and of course GS! YBE but, believe it or not most people don’t know them which is sad considering how great some of their albums are. I enjoy this one the most but their other albums including F#A#∞ is still the equal of this one I think.

Modern life is War – Witness

-This record will continue to Slay and has since 2005.

Mastodon – Remission

-A lot of people might disagree with this but I don’t really care. Mastodon will always be one of my favorite bands. Here recently they released Crack the Skye among other amazing releases but they are more progressive sounding. Remission is the original Mastodon style and let me tell you, it is perfect. This is quintessentially one of the most metal albums of the 2000’s.

Agalloch- The Mantle

-The Post-Metal Masterpiece, if you’ve never heard this go buy it now.

Celtic Frost – Monotheist

-Older Celtic Frost was more thrash based on Morbid Tales and To Mega Therion; this Album is taking everything I love about metal and making it better. It’s almost like Celtic Frost decided that have longer draw out riffs was a good idea. I had to literally listen to this album 4 times to make sure it was Celtic Frost. I love it so much though over basically the rest of their material.

Watain- Sworn to the Dark

-Pretty much sums up what a great black metal band should sound like and their live show is absolutely insane! If you’ve never heard them before and are into any form of Black metal I recommend you check them out. Also their newest Full length, Lawless Darkness is equally as good as this album.

Opeth – Blackwater Park

-It’s difficult to list only one album of one of my favorite albums and of course most the of the Opeth Fanboys would be like, wow what a generic pick but really I think all of their albums are up to par with perfection. However if I did a list where I included 1999, it would be Still life over Blackwater Park everytime.

Wormed – Planisphaerium

- Brutal death metal that could be dismissed due to the vocals and slightly under-polished production. Any fan though should already know this band and realize the importance of this album. Concept album about the future/space and I think the reason I enjoy this album as much as I do is because of the tight grooves and the theme portrayed on the whole album.

Meshuggah – Nothing

-Now before people say, why not Obzen? Or Chaosphere? First of all Chaosphere came out in 1998(although still amazing as it was) and Obzen is the latest album by Meshuggah which is good but nowhere near the stunningly crushing assault that is Nothing. The moment I put this on I was transfixed and not so much by the drums or vocalist but Fredrik the guitarists riffs. Generally considered the godfathers of Djent because Fredrik coined that term supposedly but still it is difficult to dismiss this as a waste in metal as many have done. Highly recommended.

Tool- Lateralus

-Anybody who’s ever heard Schism knows why this is great. I mean we are talking about TOOL? Seriously amazing

Isis- Panoption/Oceanic

-Ever heard of Isis? When you ask most metalheads they’ll say one of two things. ISIS! or nope I don’t like them because I think they’re boring and I cannot finish one of their albums. Go ahead and educate yourself on some Post-Metal that in my honest opinion gives Neurosis a run for their money. However sadly Isis is not longer together but they are still re-releasing previous Live records that were out of print so go check them out as well.

Norah Jones – Come Away with Me

-By now I would hope people wouldn’t assume that all I listen to is metal but I get that label quite a bit, but I suppose it is not bad. Norah jones is great chill music to me personally maybe not you but I think this album is great just for that. Those winter days where you just sit and wonder and have not a care in the world, those are the days you play this album for yourself, trust me. This to me is almost as good as Joni Mitchell’s “Blue”

Dido – No Angel

-Sadly enough brought to my attention from an Eminem song “Stan”. Funny huh? Anyway Didos No Angel is a great album and much in the vein of Norah Jones as far as the time when to listen to it. This album is great for contemplation and relaxation.

Cult of Luna – Salvation

-Much as the description for Isis but Cult of Luna is different still retaining a Post-Metal sound by having long and drawn out guitar riffs. Although I’ve heard they aren’t the greatest band live though but this album is a milestone in Post-Metal. Makes mowing your lawn mega-epic!

Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago

-Have to give credit to my sister for showing this to me. As most people would expect it is an Acoustic/Folkish album. Liking this album has nothing to do with be a hipster or whatever people call stuff they dislike anymore. I enjoy it because it’s a change of pace and just generally relaxing. Many consider Bon Iver to be depressing but I can only count maybe two songs I find that way the others are more uplifting I suppose you could say.

Deftones – White pony

-Deftones will always be one of the best bands to come out in the 90’s. Those who dispute that and say they suck obviously have never enjoyed them before and taken the time to get to know the band thru their different albums and Chinos lyrical anguish. Around the Fur is still one of my favorite albums of all time.

System of a Down – Toxicity

-having bought their Self-titled album in 98’ I was only 9. When they released the single “Chop Suey” I thought it was a large expansive addition to their sound. And over the years they have just become larger than I suppose they expected which isn’t a bad thing. Yet another band who’s fans are outcast as “Posers” and “Fakes” so what? They generally retain the same sound while being more experimental and less aggressive at times. The point is that those who enjoy this album know what im talking about. I don’t enjoy this band because it’s something I found out about when B.Y.O.B came out, ive been with them since the beginning.

Dj Shadow – Endtroducing

-Endtroduced by my brother to me, definitely a Trip-Hop Classic

mewithoutYOU – Brother, Sister

-If you love really good indie rock, this is a must. The vocalist is a bit of a problem when you first listen to it which is why many people I suppose dismiss this but I regress. mewithoutYOU just have this overwhelming wall of emotion that they throw at you hoping you can digest it and rearrange it in your own way which I have many times myself with this album and ultimately it’s a great one I think anyway.

Gutteral Secrete – Reek of Pubescent Dispoilment

-Another delightfully awesome metal album, although at times crude and at other times absolutely punishing Gutteral Secrete still in my opinion cannot be beaten in their respected genre but I still get this odd feeling when the instrumental song comes on, really weird…….

Devourment – Butcher the Weak

-the most obvious opponent of Guttural Secrete at least just speaking Genres and by that I mean not Sub-Genres just in general. They play a little less technical but make up for it with the towering slams they deliver.

Cryptopsy – None So Vile

-Classic.Hands Down.Case Closed (but if you haven’t heard them) this is where to start. Probably one of the best metal vocalist Ever. Lord Worm

Deathspell Omega – Fas - Ite, Maledicti, In Ignem Aeternum/Paracletus

-I realize there are two albums listed but they both deserve credit just like their whole catalogue does. Deathspell Omega try every album to transcend to something new and I often discredit they cant do it but they have. Although I recommend Fas - Ite, Maledicti, In Ignem Aeternum(translated as: Divine law - Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire!) because it’s my favorite of the two and older than 2010’s, Paracletus.

Drudkh – Blood in our Wells

-Cascadian Black Metal, recommended for those with a open mind and multiple listens.

Exodus – Tempo of the Damned

-oh you like Metallica? Megadeth? Slayer? But somehow Exodus gets left out every single time often foreshadowed by these three bands and I guess that band called anthrax.

Havok – Time is up!

-Hands down hardest hitting album of 2011 in my opinion so far. Amazing everything on this album and 20x better than Burn their previous release.

Warbringer- War without End

-Prepare for Combat Shock! Yet another band whose release I loved to death in the Thrash metal genre.

Fleshgod Apocalypse – Oracles

-Classical Symphony mixed with Blackened Death Metal? Sounds weird and from what I know this bands live performance is immense and incalculable.

Behemoth – The Apostasy

- you really just need to listen to this or Demigod and possibly their latest album as well.

Napalm Death – Time Waits for No Slave

-Grindcore Legends, I just happened to come across this album I believe when it leaked but waited. However curiosity got the best of me and I listened to it on youtube. Amazing album though but not as great as SCUM or some of their older ones I like to.

Wolves in the Throne Room – 2004-Present Discography (includes 1 Live Album / 3 EPs / 4 LPs)

-hopefully getting to see this band super-soon in Greensboro. Cascadian Black Metal and from what I hear the absolute loudest band live EVER.

Insidious Decrepancy - Extirpating Omniscient Certitude

-One man band, have all three of the LPs all recommended.

Decrepit Birth - …And Time Begins

-Bill Robertson is amazing man, the vocalist is homeless? In a major label signed band. This dude grows marijuana and is homeless? Has a epic beard? Need I say more? Technical Death Metal at its finest.

Portishead – Third

-Trip-Hop’s Best Group besides maybe Massive Attack

Municipal Waste –The Art of Partying

-Wanna jam out and chill with the bros? slam this in the cd player or w/e and just absolutely go nuts.

Dimmu Borgir - Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia

-I know people give these dudes a lot of flack me included but I can’t overlook this album in this list. This is a great symphonic black metal album. I kind of feel like I should have listed Old man’s child instead though but either way.

Sunn O)))- The Black One/Monoliths and Dimensions

-Drrrrooooooooone, Slowest thing you ever heard? Possibly

Om- 2005-Present Discography (Includes 4 LP’s)

-I cannot recommend this enough; OM’s music basically is summed up as a transcending experience whenever u listen to it. I feel like I float away listening particularly to their album, God is Good.

Electric Wizard – Dopethrone

-Lowest tuned Bass guitar? Epic production! Epic Artwork! Best suited for a sound system that can handle the bass in the mix though.

Boris – Akuma no Uta

-Boris is as Boris always was: Experimental

Ufomammut – Eve

-pretty awesome, yet another amazing band on Roadburn.

Earth – Hibernaculum

-Almost polar opposites of Sunn O))).Sunn O))) however play a darker more grotesque sounding drone and Earth play(well now anyway) a more western style I still like Earth 2 their cd the best but as far as painting a landscape differently earth is quite capable of doing that and it seems almost surreal sometimes listening to this band.

Stars of the Lid – The Tired Sounds of Stars of lid

-minimalistic music for a minimalist person. The style is drone mixed with lots and lots of ambiance. Be prepared to lay back and float away. This is probably one of the more “appealing” releases they have come out with while The Ballasted Orchestra is less warm feeling I think.

Weedeater – 2001-Present Discography (4 LPs and Numerous Compilation appearances)

-another amazing stoner metal band probably my favorite if the truth was known. Dixie Dave’s vocal deliver turns a lot of people off but trust me just crack you open a cold one and sit back and try not to feel the groove in this music. Best album I think is ...And Justice for Ya'll but I am sure others would disagree either way every album is recommended by this band.

The Mire- Vol. I & II

-Post-Metal with a little bit of clean singing which is kind of different I suppose considering the genre is bursting with bands that have harsh vocals. When I first heard this album I thought that they were trying to rip off a number of progressive metal bands (Mastodon included) however once I actually gave my full attention to the group the mire on Vol. II I was just fascinated. Great for fans of: Crawl Back in, Seven Nautical Miles, Tephra.

Irreversible – Sins

- Great Post-Metal

Converge – You Fail Me

-“You Fail Me” is my favorite converge album and it is not because everyone else likes Jane Doe. Truthfully though this album is great and has similar elements but I think it has a different aura about it than all the others.

Ulver - Nattens Madrigal

-Raw sounding black metal, so awesome highly recommended. Their overall sound and everything is different every single album just about about.

Enslaved – Vertebrae

-Epic! Pretty progressive post-black metal if you’ve ever heard this band you know what to expect sort of

Jucifer –Throned in Blood

-When your jucifer it is not enough to have one full stack or two full stacks when playing live. How’s about a 64 speaker set-up? Haha no this isn’t a joke go look up their live show videos.

Nails- Unsilent Death

-caught me off guard when this came out, some of the most pissed off and angry grindcore I’ve ever heard of course the angriest would have to be Insect Warfare but their live show is face-melting highly recommended.

Gaza – 2004-Present Discography (2 LPs and 1 EPs)

-Another badass grindcore band, pretty much one of the best shows I went to last November they played and it was awesome. Their vocalist looked so pissed like the whole time even after the set bought a shirt, so amazing.

Portal – Swarth

-Weird? Uneasiness? Pretty much combine those feelings with typical blackened death metal and there you go pretty unappreciated both as a band and as an album.

Favorite Album of the whole Decade

Giant Squid - The Ichthyologist

-Pretty much the greatest album in a long while. The only album I truthfully can give a perfect score. From everything on this album including all instruments used (which include an Electric Cello), vocalist/singing, to production and mixing everything is just where it should be and isn’t overdone EVER. Giant squid are a experimental/jazzy/post-rock/post-metal band and they are truly unique I think much like others before them but they manage to bring way more atmosphere in their music than just using a typical formula most bands use in those genres of music. Hand’s down a must check out even if your not really into metal because pretty much 90% of the album you can understand and shouldn’t be scared of listening to.

 ps: While i know that this list is not everything that was great about the last 10 years of music