Stoner rock and
stoner metal are interchangeable terms describing sub-genres of
rockRock music is a genre of popular music that entered the mainstream in the 1960s. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, rhythm and blues, country music and also drew on folk music, jazz and classical music....
and
heavy metal musicHeavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in England and the United States...
. It combines elements of
psychedelic rockPsychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among garage and folk rock bands in Britain and the United States...
,
blues-rockBlues-rock is a hybrid musical genre combining bluesy improvisations over the 12-bar blues and extended boogie jams with rock and roll styles. The core of the blues rock sound is created by the electric guitar, bass guitar and drum kit, with the electric guitar usually amplified through a tube...
and
doom metalDoom metal is a form of heavy metal music that typically uses very slow tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much 'thicker' or 'heavier' sound than other metal genres...
. Stoner rock is typically slow-to-mid
tempoIn musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. It is a crucial element of composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
and features low-tuned guitars, a
bassThe electric bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a plectrum....
-heavy sound, melodic vocals, and 'retro' production. The genre emerged during the early 1990s and was pioneered foremost by the
CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
n bands
KyussKyuss was an influential American stoner metal band, originally from Palm Desert, California. After forming in the late 1980s and releasing an EP under the name Sons of Kyuss in 1990, the band shortened its name to Kyuss...
and
SleepSleep was a stoner doom metal band from San Jose, California. Active during the 1990s, Sleep earned much critical and record label attention from early in their career. Critic Ed Rivadavia describes them as "perhaps the ultimate stoner rock band" and notes they exerted a strong influence on heavy...
.
The progenitors of stoner rock, like their followers today, often share the characteristic that they and their audience are recreational users of
cannabisCannabisalso known as marijuana or marihuana, and ganja , among many other namesrefers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug...
, or "stoners".
Stoner rock and
stoner metal are interchangeable terms describing sub-genres of
rockRock music is a genre of popular music that entered the mainstream in the 1960s. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, rhythm and blues, country music and also drew on folk music, jazz and classical music....
and
heavy metal musicHeavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in England and the United States...
. It combines elements of
psychedelic rockPsychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among garage and folk rock bands in Britain and the United States...
,
blues-rockBlues-rock is a hybrid musical genre combining bluesy improvisations over the 12-bar blues and extended boogie jams with rock and roll styles. The core of the blues rock sound is created by the electric guitar, bass guitar and drum kit, with the electric guitar usually amplified through a tube...
and
doom metalDoom metal is a form of heavy metal music that typically uses very slow tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much 'thicker' or 'heavier' sound than other metal genres...
. Stoner rock is typically slow-to-mid
tempoIn musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. It is a crucial element of composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
and features low-tuned guitars, a
bassThe electric bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a plectrum....
-heavy sound, melodic vocals, and 'retro' production. The genre emerged during the early 1990s and was pioneered foremost by the
CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
n bands
KyussKyuss was an influential American stoner metal band, originally from Palm Desert, California. After forming in the late 1980s and releasing an EP under the name Sons of Kyuss in 1990, the band shortened its name to Kyuss...
and
SleepSleep was a stoner doom metal band from San Jose, California. Active during the 1990s, Sleep earned much critical and record label attention from early in their career. Critic Ed Rivadavia describes them as "perhaps the ultimate stoner rock band" and notes they exerted a strong influence on heavy...
.
Terminology
The progenitors of stoner rock, like their followers today, often share the characteristic that they and their audience are recreational users of
cannabisCannabisalso known as marijuana or marihuana, and ganja , among many other namesrefers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug...
, or "stoners". While it would be grossly inaccurate to describe all fans and performers of stoner rock as marijuana users, some may find that the effects of marijuana and the downtuned, slow, and psychedelic riffs of stoner rock complement one another — which eventually led to the common usage of the term "stoner rock" or "stoner metal" to define the genre.
This kind of connection between music and the use of drugs is not unique in music culture. Similar comparisons can be made between
dance musicThis article is about dance music in general. You may also be looking for electronic dance music or dance-pop.Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
and recreational drugs such as ecstasy. Various musicians who identify themselves as marijuana users (notably
PanteraPantera was an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas, formed by the Abbott brothers, Vinnie Paul and "Dimebag" Darrell , then known as Diamond Darrell, in 1981. Bassist Rex Brown then known as Rex Rocker would join in 1982, with vocalist Terry Glaze...
, who have included cannabis logos on their merchandise) do not qualify as "stoner rock" as the style of their musical output is largely outside the genre.
Due to the similarities between stoner and
sludge metalSludge metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music that fuses doom metal and hardcore punk. In addition, it sometimes takes inspiration from sources as disparate as industrial music and Southern rock. Sludge metal is typically aggressive and abrasive; often featuring shouted vocals, heavily distorted...
, there is often a crossover between the two genres. This hybrid has traits of both styles but generally avoids stoner metal's positive atmosphere and its usage of psychedelia. Bands such as
BongzillaBongzilla is a stoner metal band from Madison, Wisconsin. As their name suggests, most of their material is related to marijuana and promotes its legalization. The band formed in 1995, and over the next three years recorded and released a dozen songs on EPs and split singles...
,
WeedeaterWeedeater is a southern metal band that formed in North Carolina during the year 1997 with members from the recently defunct Buzzov•en. The band has released three full length albums...
,
High on FireHigh on Fire is a heavy metal band from Oakland, California that formed in 1998. Matt Pike, the band's frontman and founder, previously played guitar for the influential stoner metal band Sleep.-History:...
and
Electric WizardElectric Wizard are a doom metal band from Dorset, England that formed in 1993. The band have since recorded six albums, two of which are now considered to be landmarks of their genre: Come My Fanatics... and Dopethrone...
have been reported to fuse both styles.
Influences (1960s–1980s)
Like most subgenres of music, the origins of stoner rock are hard to trace and pinpoint. Nevertheless, stoner rock has its known progenitors and signature songs that helped shape the genre. British heavy metal band
Black SabbathBlack Sabbath are an English rock band, formed in Birmingham in 1968 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple lineup changes, with a total of twenty-two former members...
and American heavy metal/acid rock band
Blue CheerBlue Cheer was an American blues-rock band that initially performed and recorded in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and has been sporadically active since...
hold a significant place in the evolution of stoner rock.
Although Black Sabbath were one of the first bands to popularize this type of music, they were not the first to produce it, nor can they be accurately described as a stoner band. Various 60's and 70's bands experimented with guitar sounds that inspired future generations, with
Jimi HendrixJames Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter...
,
CreamCream were a 1960s British blues-rock band and supergroup consisting of bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton, and drummer Ginger Baker. Their sound was characterised by a hybrid of blues, hard rock and psychedelic rock...
,
Grateful DeadThe Grateful Dead were an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, jazz, psychedelia, and space rock—and for live performances of long musical...
,
Deep PurpleDeep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford, Hertfordshire in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members have tried not to categorise themselves as any one genre. The band...
,
Pink FloydPink Floyd were an English rock band who, in the late 1960s, earned recognition for their psychedelic and space rock music, and in the 1970s, as they evolved, for their progressive rock music. Pink Floyd's work is marked by philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album cover art,...
,
Iron ButterflyIron Butterfly is an American psychedelic rock band, well known for their 1968 hit "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida". They are considered an early heavy metal band as a result of this song and others like it, as well as the title of their debut album, Heavy Iron Butterfly is an American psychedelic rock band,...
and
Led ZeppelinLed Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in 1968 by Jimmy Page , Robert Plant , John Paul Jones and John Bonham . With their heavy, guitar-driven sound, Led Zeppelin are regarded as one of the first heavy metal bands, helping to pioneer the genre...
firmly among them. Hendrix's "Band of Gypsys" pumped out riff-laden, jam session type tunes with obvious psychedelic overtones, while Led Zeppelin's "Physical Graffiti" displayed a lighter side to the emerging genre. However, it wasn't until after the
electropopElectropop is a form of electronic music that is made with synthesizers, and which first flourished from 1978 to 1983. Electropop laid the groundwork for a mass market in chart-oriented pop and dance music...
of the 80's and eventually
grungeGrunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
of the early 90's had taken the stage that people noticed a new style of music was being created from elements of different genres. Allmusic summarizes this fusion as follows:
Stoner metal bands updated the long, mind-bending jams and ultra-heavy riffs of bands like Black Sabbath, Blue CheerBlue Cheer was an American blues-rock band that initially performed and recorded in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and has been sporadically active since...
, Blue Öyster CultBlue Öyster Cult is an American rock band formed in New York in 1967 and still active in 2009. The group is especially well known for songs including " The Reaper", "Astronomy", "Godzilla", and "Burnin' for You". They have sold over 14 million albums worldwide, including 7 million in the U.S.A...
, and HawkwindHawkwind are an English rock band, one of the earliest space rock groups. Their lyrics favour urban and science fiction themes. They are also a noted precursor to punk rock....
by filtering their psychedelia-tinged metal and acid rock through the buzzing sound of early Sub PopSub Pop is a record label founded by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington in 1986. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...
-style grunge.
Early development (1990s)
During the early–mid 1990s, a number of Californian bands developed the style that would be called stoner rock. In 1992,
KyussKyuss was an influential American stoner metal band, originally from Palm Desert, California. After forming in the late 1980s and releasing an EP under the name Sons of Kyuss in 1990, the band shortened its name to Kyuss...
emerged from the
Palm Desert SceneThe Palm Desert Scene is a group of closely related bands and musicians from Palm Desert in Southern California. Their hard rock sound – which is often described as desert rock – contains elements of psychedelia, Latin American music, blues, metal and other genres, as well as...
with
Blues for the Red SunBlues for the Red Sun is the second studio album by Kyuss, released in June 1992. It is often regarded as the earliest stoner rock/metal recording. Upon its release, critics hailed it as "a major milestone in heavy music", while NME described their sound as an attempt to figuratively melt "a...
, which is often regarded as the first stoner rock/metal album. Critics have hailed it as "a major milestone in heavy music," while
NMEThe New Musical Express is a popular music magazine in the United Kingdom which has been published weekly since March 1952. It was the first British paper to include a singles chart, which first appeared in the 14 November 1952 edition. The magazine's commercial heyday was during the 1970s when it...
described their music as an attempt to figuratively melt "a hundredweight of hot desert sand into metal". In 1992, San Jose doom metallers
SleepSleep was a stoner doom metal band from San Jose, California. Active during the 1990s, Sleep earned much critical and record label attention from early in their career. Critic Ed Rivadavia describes them as "perhaps the ultimate stoner rock band" and notes they exerted a strong influence on heavy...
released their album
Sleep's Holy Mountain. It became a favourite of the heavy metal press and the band was heralded, along with Kyuss, as leaders of the emerging stoner scene. These two bands were the first to introduce a "trippy" groove to their
doomDoom metal is a form of heavy metal music that typically uses very slow tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much 'thicker' or 'heavier' sound than other metal genres...
-influenced sound. During the same year,
New JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered on the north by New York, and to the east by the Hudson River, Upper New York Bay, the Kill Van Kull, Newark Bay, the Arthur Kill, Raritan Bay, Sandy Hook Bay, Westchester County, New York City, Long Island, and...
's
Monster MagnetMonster Magnet is an American hard rock band. Hailing from Red Bank, New Jersey, the group was founded by Dave Wyndorf , John McBain , Tom Diello , and Tim Cronin...
released their debut album
Spine of GodSpine of God is the debut album by American rock band Monster Magnet, released in 1992. It is the band's first official full-length album and one of the earliest examples of Stoner rock. The album features elements of punk, metal, psychedelic rock, and space rock...
, which displayed fewer metal influences but was psychedelic and sludgy, in the vein of their Californian peers. In 1994, San Francisco's
Acid KingAcid King is a stoner metal band from San Francisco, California. It was formed in 1993 by frontwoman Lori S., drummer Joey Osbourne and bassist Peter Lucas. Acid King have since recorded three studio albums and three EPs with a series of bassists....
and Britain's
AcrimonyAcrimony were a Welsh stoner metal band who were active during the 1990s. Releasing their debut album in 1994, they are regarded as the pioneers of stoner metal in the United Kingdom, and an important influence upon the scene...
released their debut albums, both of which adopted this psychedelic approach to doom metal. The latter are regarded as pioneers of the British stoner scene.
Since Kyuss' break-up, the success of the bandmates' other projects has caused the Kyuss back catalogue to become more widely listened to and their fanbase has inevitably swelled. The sound has been continued on by directly descendant bands
UnidaUnida was an American stoner rock band that was formed after the dissolution of Kyuss and Slo Burn. The band originally consisted of John Garcia , Arthur Seay , Miguel Cancino and Dave Dinsmore . Dinsmore was later replaced by Scott Reeder, who was in turn replaced by Eddie Plascencia...
,
Slo BurnSlo Burn was a short-lived stoner rock band active during 1996 and 1997. The band was formed by John Garcia of the influential stoner metal band Kyuss, which had split up months previously...
, Hermano,
Mondo GeneratorMondo Generator is an American metal/punk hybrid band founded in 1997 by Nick Oliveri. The name of the band originated when Brant Bjork spray-painted the words on the side of Oliveri's Sunn amplifier and mondo means world in Italian...
,
Fu ManchuFu Manchu is a Southern Californian stoner rock band, who released their debut single "Kept Between Trees" in 1990. Fu Manchu's lyrics tend to stick to typical rock themes such as pinball, muscle cars, drugs, women and skateboarding...
, Brant Bjork and the Bros, and at times by
Queens of the Stone AgeQueens of the Stone Age is an American Grammy Award-nominated rock band from Palm Desert, California, United States, formed in 1997. Originally formed under the name Gamma Ray by guitarist Josh Homme, following the breakup of his previous band, Kyuss, Queens of the Stone Age developed a style of...
, who have since largely departed from Kyuss' stoner rock sound, and reject the label, prefering the term "desert rock".
See also
Stoner rock musical groups
- Palm Desert Scene
The Palm Desert Scene is a group of closely related bands and musicians from Palm Desert in Southern California. Their hard rock sound – which is often described as desert rock – contains elements of psychedelia, Latin American music, blues, metal and other genres, as well as...
- Doom metal
Doom metal is a form of heavy metal music that typically uses very slow tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much 'thicker' or 'heavier' sound than other metal genres...
External links