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: May 3rd, 2024

1.Melvins - Gluey Porch Treatments

2.Soundgarden - Ultramega OK

3.Oxbow - Fuckfest

4.Melvins - Ozma

5.Soundgarden - Louder Than Love

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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.Jacobs Dream - Jacobs Dream

2.Jambinai - Onda

3.James LaBrie - Static Impulse

4.Jason Becker - Perpetual Burn

5.Jassa - Lights in the Howling Wilderness

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Still not finished, as I need to rearrange, check the links and also go through the genres again. I might have forgotten many good records. In addition, my knowledge of early industrial movement is very limited, so the list is lacking on that front. Many albums on the list might also not be considered drone in a traditional sense of the word, but they need the same sort of aesthetic appreciation I guess, so I included them. The most important criteria is that the albums should rely extensively on texturing, buildup, and musical landscapes rather that being riff based.

1.

2.Boris - Amplifier Worship

3.Earth - Earth 2: Special Low Frequency version

4.Earth - The Bees Made Honey In The Lion's Skull

5.

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So you're looking to be inducted into the temple, but you have no idea where to start, eh? Let this list be your guide. The aim here is to walk newcomers to the realms of drone and ambient music through those realms in a slow and steady manner, from generally more relaxing/accessible releases to those that are more uncompromising and/or harder to wrap one's head around.

1.

2.The Angelic Process - Weighing Souls With Sand

3.Jesu - Jesu

4.Locrian - Infinite Dissolution

5.Menace Ruine - Venus Armata

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Metal art of dissonance as I love it.
Rules:
- on album per band, unless the band has very different albums.
-I'm not picky for albums released before 2000.
-I'm not picky for genres that are to some degrees unusual for the dissonance, like sludge metal.

This list is open to suggestions.

1.Abyssal - Novit Enim Dominus Qui Sunt Eius

2.Alkerdeel - Morinde

3.Altars - Paramnesia

4.Amnis Nihili - Christological Escalation

5.Antediluvian - λόγος

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These obviously won't ruin your day. Chances are if you are into these styles you'll love this selection. No stylistic borders, but I'm limiting myself to one album per band. These aren't necessarily my favorite albums by these bands, but they are the one's I think fit the best.

10ish years later, I find a lot of my descriptions on these really mediocre. Don't judge my shitty writing.

1.Ævangelist - De Masticatione Mortuorum In Tumulis

2.Abruptum - Potestates Apocalypsis

3.Absolutus - Pugnare In Iis Quae Obtinere Non Possis

4.Abyssal - Novit Enim Dominus Qui Sunt Eius

5.Aderlating - Spear Of Gold And Seraphim Bone Pt. 1

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My top 100 metal albums of all time (featured on MS).

- one album per band.
- in alphabetical order.

1.!T.O.O.H.! - Order And Punishment (Řád A Trest)

2.Ævangelist - De Masticatione Mortuorum In Tumulis

3.Acid Bath - When The Kite String Pops

4.Agruss - Morok

5.Ahab - The Call Of The Wretched Sea

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It's always the same riff? the same bass? for some reason you can't stop listening to it? it's appealing. The whole sound summons you into a spiral, a void? It's always the same thing, over and over again... it's driving you crazy, demented? it's so loud that you'll beg for someone to kill you. But the music won't let it! The music is up to kill from the inside, it's your soul it wants! That chord, trembling over and over again? ''please kill me? please for the love of God, somebody kill me!!! I can't stand it anymore!''

1.Melvins - Lysol

2.Earth - Earth 2 - Special Low Frequency Version

3.Earth - Phase 3: Thrones And Dominions

4.Boris - Absolutego

5.Thrones - Alraune

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This is the top 50 of my favourite 100 albums of 2000-2009.

1.Warning - Watching From A Distance

2.Esoteric - The Maniacal Vale

3.Primordial - To The Nameless Dead

4.Process Of Guilt - Erosion

5.Negură Bunget - OM

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