Welcome everybody to a little lesson on the history of Sludge & Stoner Metal. I'm Guib and today I have the immense pleasure to serve as your humble teacher.

Please take a seat and travel with me through time as we explore the very best of those two, often blurred, genres. The goal here is simple, I want to get you familiarized with the styles. I want you to understand where they come from through albums on a timeline and while we're at it get a sweet selection of great releases that you might not know and that, hopefully, will get you hooked to explore even more!

But this is a classroom and in my classroom there are a few rules. We want to keep this clean, clear and prevent having a 500+ albums mess. So here are the rules we'll follow throughout this lesson.

- - - - - The Rules - - - - -

1. We will settle for a maximum of 4 albums per year and they will be listed from oldest to newest. Makes it simple to navigate. Those releases will represent what I consider to be hallmarks of the genres for that year. Essentials if you want, yes? Of course, I'll sprinkle a bit of my personality here and there so you will find some unorthodox choices and some less known albums from time to time. It would be boring otherwise... and also why not?

2. We will begin the journey with Melvins' "Gluey Porch Treatments" released in 1987. Why? Because it is arguably the first album to be widely considered as Sludge.

3. The list will mostly feature studio albums. So no Demos & bare minimum when it comes to EPs if any at all. Thank you.

4. I am not going to include releases by Black Sabbath, Blue Cheer, Hawkwind, etc... I fully understand and recognize the influence older bands had on Stoner Rock, but this is not the list for them.

5. Lastly, not really a rule but more of a note. Considering that we're talking about Sludge & Stoner, it is inevitable that Doom, Post, Progressive, Grunge & Hardcore acts will be featured in this list. Those genres simply go together naturally and are often mixed so do not be alarmed!

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That is it, I hope you will all discover something to enjoy through my little history lesson. Also, do not hesitate to comment below if you agree or disagree with some of my picks. After all, this is a classroom and debate is invited as it can be fun and educative. As long everything's done respectfully, of course.

Enjoy & Have Fun... Class dismissed!

NOTE: I will now add my picks for best album of the year using this format (best of xxxx) in the chosen album's description.

- Guib -

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Guib's best Sludge/Stoner Album Picks

Best Of 2023:
Urne - A Feast On Sorrow

Best Of 2024 So Far:
O Zorn! - Vermillion Haze

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Last Update: April 16th, 2024

1.Melvins - Gluey Porch Treatments

2.Soundgarden - Ultramega OK

3.Oxbow - Fuckfest

4.Melvins - Ozma

5.Soundgarden - Louder Than Love

      View entire list ››

In alphabetical order.

1.

2.Afterbirth - Four Dimensional Flesh

3.Behold The Arctopus - Hapeleptic Overtrove

4.Boris - 2R0I2P0 [Collaboration]

5.Creature (FRA) - Ex Cathedra

      View entire list ››

Top 50 ranking of 2020 from my collection. Only 8 & above

Opinion my own, so bow to it

Album count: 161
Average rating: 7.13

1.Myrkur - Folkesange

2.Oranssi Pazuzu - Mestarin Kynsi

3.Dark Buddha Rising - Mathreyata

4.Ihsahn - Telemark

5.Ulver - Flowers Of Evil

      View entire list ››

1.Anaal Nathrakh - Endarkenment

2.Orbit Culture - Nija

3.Make Them Die Slowly - The Bodycount Continues

4.Within The Ruins - Black Heart

5.Code Orange - Underneath

      View entire list ››

All write-in votes from Metal Storm Awards 2020

1.

2.

3.Amaranthe - Manifest

4.Avatar - Hunter Gatherer

5.El Lobo En Tu Puerta - Santana Bendita

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Using MSA's to organize my listening from 2020.

1.Anaal Nathrakh - Endarkenment

2.The Ocean - Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic / Cenozoic

3.Envy - The Fallen Crimson

4.Igorrr - Spirituality And Distortion

5.Paradise Lost - Obsidian

      View entire list ››

This list is meant to be an extensive, but by no means exhaustive, collection of the greatest (modern) metal albums and eps. Running the gamut from avant-garde to trve norweigan black metal. *As someone who is young in age, my tastes tend to revolve around the period of the 80s to the present.* Although certain metal albums from before will certainly be featured, the period of the 60s-70s will be under-represented. I refer you to this excellent list to gain a better appreciation for some of the best metal from that period: https://rateyourmusic.com/list/freis/martin_popoffs_the_top_500_heavy_metal_albums_of_all_time/

1.P.H.O.B.O.S. - Phlogiston Catharsis

2.Paara - Riitti

3.Pagan Altar - Mythical & Magical

4.Pagan's Mind - Enigmatic : Calling

5.Paganizer - Into The Catacombs

      View entire list ››

Surely not everything I've listened to, not even close. Every year I use Spotify to make some megalist and start plowing through. Most albums are listened to and discarded, but those that pique my interest get shunted into the Keeper playlist. (I also use other media when needed - particularly Bandcamp - but Spotify remains my favorite.)

1.10,000 Years - 10​,​000 Years

2.Acid Mammoth - Under Acid Hoof

3....And Oceans - Cosmic World Mother

4.Aversio Humanitatis - Behold The Silent Dwellers

5.Baardvader - Baardvader

      View entire list ››

1.Regarde Les Hommes Tomber - Ascension

2.The Ocean - Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic / Cenozoic

3.Enslaved - Utgard

4.Orbit Culture - Nija

5.Wayfarer - A Romance With Violence

      View entire list ››

Another end to a year, another list to make.

Like always I've added the specific genre/subgenre so you can easily pick out the albums that might be of interest to you.

I know some of you like statistics, so I put in a bit of extra effort to add some numbers:

- 317 albums
- Total points given: 2366,1
- Average Score: 7,46/10

- Albums with a score of 7 or above: 79,11%
- Albums with a score of 8 or above: 36,39%
- Albums with a score of 9 or above: 1,27%

- Albums with a score below 5: 2,53%

- Nationalities: 35

- USA: 73 - (23,10%)
- Germany: 31 - (9,81%)
- Sweden: 28 - (8,86%)
- UK: 25 - (7,91%)
- Finland: 18 - (5,70%)
- Greece: 18 - (5,70%)
- Brazil: 10 - (3,16%)
- France: 10 - (3,16%)
- Poland: 10 - (3,16%)
- Italy: 9 - (2,85%)
- Spain: 9 - (2,85%)
- Canada: 8 - (2,53%)
- Belgium: 6 - (1,90%)
- Norway: 6 - (1,90%)
- Russia: 6 - (1,90%)
- The Netherlands: 6 - (1,90%)
- Australia: 5 - (1,58%)
- Denmark: 5 - (1,58%)
- Czech Republic: 4 - (1,27%)
- Mexico: 4 - (1,27%)
- Colombia: 3 - (0,95%)
- Switzerland: 3 - (0,95%)
- Argentina: 2 - (0,63%)
- Austria: 2 - (0,63%)
- Chile: 2 - (0,63%)
- Japan: 2 - (0,63%)
- Portugal: 2 - (0,63%)
- Puerto Rico: 2 - (0,63%)
- Slovakia: 2 - (0,63%)
- Costa Rica: 1 - (0,32%)
- Egypt: 1 - (0,32%)
- Estonia: 1 - (0,32%)
- Ethiopia: 1 - (0,32%)
- Israel: 1 - (0,32%)
- Peru: 1 - (0,32%)

1.Paradise Lost - Obsidian

2.IAH - III

3.Asian Death Crustacean - Baikal

4.Dawnwalker - Ages

5.Necrophobic - Dawn Of The Damned

      View entire list ››

I don't think these are necessarily the best 30 albums of this year, but they're the ones that have I guess endured in my psyche and inspiried revisits more than most others. I was tempted to do a top 50, but after around #26 or so, I found myself confronted with about 50 albums that could've conceivably made it in, most of which I hadn't relistened to enough to rank above the others with confidence.

1.Psychonaut - Unfold The God Man

2.Elder - Omens

3.Enslaved - Utgard

4.Regarde Les Hommes Tomber - Ascension

5.Pure Reason Revolution - Eupnea

      View entire list ››

updated, but still more bands to consider

1.Spectral Lore - Wanderers: Astrology Of The Nine [Collaboration]

2.Lunatic Soul - Through Shaded Woods

3.Abigor - Totschläger (A Saintslayer's Songbook)

4.Enslaved - Utgard

5.Mr. Bungle - The Raging Wrath Of The Easter Bunny Demo

      View entire list ››

Since I discovered MS, I got introduced to a lot of great albums/EPs that hadn't been mentioned from other sources, and I'm really thankful for all the discoveries from all kinds of people in this site. So I decided to make a personal all-time best MS albums list myself! Enjoy~~

(bands are in alphabetical order)

1.Agalloch - The Mantle

2.Agalloch - Ashes Against The Grain

3.Agents Of Oblivion - Agents Of Oblivion

4.Alcest - Souvenirs D'un Autre Monde

5.Alcest - Kodama

      View entire list ››

Just about finished the first half of the year without losing too much to the character limit; I have learnt to make these list descriptions increasingly pithy

1.Enslaved - Utgard

2.Wills Dissolve - Echoes

3.Wayfarer - A Romance With Violence

4.Aversio Humanitatis - Behold The Silent Dwellers

5.Lucid Planet - Lucid Planet II

      View entire list ››

1.The Ocean - Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic / Cenozoic

2.Katatonia - City Burials

3.Svalbard - When I Die, Will I Get Better?

4.Pallbearer - Forgotten Days

5.Lorna Shore - Immortal

      View entire list ››