Bursting, Smoking & Distorting Stories (A Lesson In Sludge & Stoner By Guib)
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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! - - - - - - - - - - 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 - - - - - - - - - - - Guib's best Sludge/Stoner Album Picks Best Of 2023: Urne - A Feast On Sorrow Best Of 2024 So Far: O Zorn! - Vermillion Haze - - - - - - - - - - Last Update: May 3rd, 2024
Disclaimer: All top lists are unofficial and do not represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
[ More lists by Guib ] |
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Comments: 33
Visited by: 54 users
| F3ynman2000 Nocturnal Bro Contributor Posts: 2715  |
Oh Hell yeah! Can't wait to make my way through this list 
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| RaduP CertifiedHipster Staff Posts: 8665  |
---- Do you think if the heart keeps on shrinking One day there will be no heart at all?
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| Guib Thrash Talker Posts: 3111  |
Written by RaduP on 13.08.2023 at 12:19 Well, considering that I limit myself to 4 albums each year I personally don't find it disturbing. I feel those I picked are superior. I'll revisit all those bands though to see if I change my mind and if they can dethrone someone else of a spot.
---- - Headbanging with mostly clogged arteries to that stuff - Guib's List Of Essential Albums - Also Thrash Paradise Thrash Here
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| Guib Thrash Talker Posts: 3111 |
Written by F3ynman2000 on 13.08.2023 at 09:18 I love your enthusiasm  thanks man!
---- - Headbanging with mostly clogged arteries to that stuff - Guib's List Of Essential Albums - Also Thrash Paradise Thrash Here
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| A Real Mönkey Posts: 883  |
+1 for many underrated ones. But you need you some FILTHY ones. - Hatred For Mankind by Dragged Into Sunlight - Pervertor by Lord Mantis - IV.I.VIII by Coffinworm - Scorn by Primitive Man - Morinde by Alkerdeel - All The Waters Of The Earth Turn To Blood by The Body - Tyrant by Thou TIME TO WATCH YOU SHOWER.
---- "Change the world. My final message. Goodbye." ~Last words of Harambe, seconds before he was shot, according to child he shielded from gunfire
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| Guib Thrash Talker Posts: 3111 |
Written by A Real Mönkey on 13.08.2023 at 23:37 Bahahah! So I actually have considered Lord Mantis, there's so many good ones I get it, a limit of 4 is tough but also prevents a ahem.. "Fuckfest" of a list. *Badum-Tss* Granted though I could cut some Cult, HOF and Neurosis, damn if only they would make bad albums. As for Thou, isn't Peasant enough for you... Peasant! EDIT: Alright alright, I did the unthinkable, I removed Apocryphon and added Pervertor by Lord Mantis instead. You convinced me lol.
---- - Headbanging with mostly clogged arteries to that stuff - Guib's List Of Essential Albums - Also Thrash Paradise Thrash Here
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| Guib Thrash Talker Posts: 3111 |
Added: "Urne - A Feast On Sorrow", first add for the 2023's spots. (Sludge Metal) A solid Sludge album that is, in my opinion, a serious step-up compared to their 2021 debut "Serpent & Spirit" and a masterclass in Sludge performance. Great sound, great song-writing, the riffs are vibrant, crunchy and at the same time engaging, it keeps you surprised and wanting more. An absolutely delicious release that understands pacing and what it wants to do and deliver to the listener. That is one to watch for Sludge album of the year tbh. That young band sure has me wanting to hear more with that level of quality. I'll be tuned in for any new material they release, you can bet on that. - - - - - Rating: 8.5 / 10 Originality: 8 Performance: 9 Production: 8 Songwriting: 9 Guib's Highlights: "A Stumble On Words" - "The Burden" - "A Feast On Sorrow" - "The Long Goodbye/Where Do The Memories Go?"
---- - Headbanging with mostly clogged arteries to that stuff - Guib's List Of Essential Albums - Also Thrash Paradise Thrash Here
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| Guib Thrash Talker Posts: 3111 |
Added: "The Gorge - Mechanical Fiction" as the second entry for 2023's spots on the list. (Math Metal / Progressive Sludge) As a huge fan of Tech-Death and Technicality in metal in general, I can say that this release sure speaks to me in a familiar and comforting way. With its Math/Prog elements, The Gorge is one of those bands that reminds me how far Sludge has drifted from its Hardcore roots. Well not that far, but still... I know many get scared or turned off by complexity taking over the fun & the passion. I can assure you that it is not the case with this album and you won't hear unecessary "wanking" around. Interesting, gripping, unapologetic and fierce are the words that come to mind for this one. A truly great Sludge effort that knows how to properly blend its technical elements the right way to make it fun and engaging. This truly deserves some praise. I can't really compare this one to their earlier material as it is my first taste of this band. But I'll tell you that, it won't be my last. - - - - - Rating: 7.8 / 10 Originality: 7 Performace: 9 Production: 8 Songwriting: 7 Guib's Highlights: "Synapse Misfire" - "Presence" - "Earthly Decay" - "A Decision Was Made"
---- - Headbanging with mostly clogged arteries to that stuff - Guib's List Of Essential Albums - Also Thrash Paradise Thrash Here
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| Guib Thrash Talker Posts: 3111 |
Added: "Dozer - Drifting In The Endless Void" as the third entry for 2023's spots on the list. (Stoner Metal) They've done it again! It seems Dozer just doesn't know how to make bad Stoner and that is fine by me, really. I find they've outdone themselves this time around though with a more mature, assumed and daring album. Truly, this band understands the art of juggling between the soft and the heavy without it sounding out of place or out of pace. They also excel to marry their music with the stellar vocals of Fredrik Nordin. Perhaps this is going to be an unpopular opinion, but I find this release far stronger than their last and dare I say, stronger than my previous favourite of theirs "Call It Conspiracy". This is all thanks to some solid songwriting that displays true love for their craft and the riffs...The riffs, man! I really enjoy a band showing growth, and they sure did with this awesome album. If you haven't had the chance to listen to it yet, I recommend you do. - - - - - Rating: 7.5 / 10 Originality: 7 Performance: 8 Production: 7 Songwriting: 8 Guib's Highlights: "Dust For Blood" - "Mutation/Transformation" - "No Quarter Expected, No Quarter Given" - "Missing 13"
---- - Headbanging with mostly clogged arteries to that stuff - Guib's List Of Essential Albums - Also Thrash Paradise Thrash Here
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| Blackcrowe Posts: 398  |
Great List….But did Why ? you mix Sludge with Stoner its like mix Thrash with Power Metal Anyway great list👍
---- Maybe as his eyes are wide.
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| Guib Thrash Talker Posts: 3111 |
Written by Blackcrowe on 16.08.2023 at 17:37 Thats perfect, Im a huge fan of Paladin  Also, so many bands actually mix the 2 that it just felt natural. I couldve called it A lesson in Post, Sludge, Stoner, Doom, Post-Hardcore with a touch of black but the name was already long enough lol. And I didnt want to make 2 separate lists either for those. Though.. Doom might eventually get its very own list but my next work will probably be on Hard Rock / Heavy Metal. Either that or Alternative metal. Unsure.
---- - Headbanging with mostly clogged arteries to that stuff - Guib's List Of Essential Albums - Also Thrash Paradise Thrash Here
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| Guib Thrash Talker Posts: 3111 |
Woohoo! MS staff just added "Acrimony" to the database. It is an awesome older Stoner band which only released 2 albums when they were together. One of those album is the amazing "Tumuli Shroomaroom" which released in 1997 and is, IMO an absolute classic of the genre (easy 8/10 for me). It was taking one of the 1997's spots on my list and I sure recommend you guys listen to it if you haven't already. Enjoy!
---- - Headbanging with mostly clogged arteries to that stuff - Guib's List Of Essential Albums - Also Thrash Paradise Thrash Here
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| Auntie Sahar Drone Empress Elite Posts: 5950  |
Pay little attention to my Romanian minion up there ^ , he just loves to bitch about everything  Good idea for a list, I dunno if I'd say it's never been done before, but it's been a while since I've seen one going particularly at these two styles. Especially like the progressive nature of the list through the years as it shows a good evolution of the sound over time. I did this myself years ago, which as you can see is more focusing on psychedelic stuff in general, but you may find a stoner metal album or two in there you feel is worthy of inclusion here. That Wo Fat one is particularly good.
---- I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go. ~ II. VII
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| Auntie Sahar Drone Empress Elite Posts: 5950 |
Written by RaduP on 13.08.2023 at 12:19 How are you gonna come in with the "but you forgot about ____!" and not even mention Horn Of The Rhino then? For shame, Son. I thought I'd raised you better.
---- I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go. ~ II. VII
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| Guib Thrash Talker Posts: 3111 |
Written by Auntie Sahar on 28.08.2023 at 20:31 Bahaha yeah there's tons of stuff that could be included. I'm sorry guys.
---- - Headbanging with mostly clogged arteries to that stuff - Guib's List Of Essential Albums - Also Thrash Paradise Thrash Here
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| Auntie Sahar Drone Empress Elite Posts: 5950 |
Written by Guib on 28.08.2023 at 22:14 Indeed lol, but definitely give that Horn Of The Rhino I mentioned a listen when you can. Basically Spanish sludge with a Chris Cornell - alike on vocals. Great jamz
---- I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go. ~ II. VII
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| Guib Thrash Talker Posts: 3111 |
Written by Auntie Sahar on 29.08.2023 at 16:20 Promised I will. I'll give you my thoughts on it too. I saw you did a review on them as well.
---- - Headbanging with mostly clogged arteries to that stuff - Guib's List Of Essential Albums - Also Thrash Paradise Thrash Here
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| Guib Thrash Talker Posts: 3111 |
Written by Auntie Sahar on 29.08.2023 at 16:20 Holy shit! I'll give it to you it's like Chris Cornell, if he had a child with Obituary's John Tardy lol. It is fucking good though, currently listening to "Summoning Deliverance" and I dig it already. Very good recommendation. I'll explore all 3 albums and who knows maybe one of them will end up here. I really enjoy that sound and vocal performance.
---- - Headbanging with mostly clogged arteries to that stuff - Guib's List Of Essential Albums - Also Thrash Paradise Thrash Here
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| Auntie Sahar Drone Empress Elite Posts: 5950 |
Written by Guib on 30.08.2023 at 01:51 Cool man, happy you got something out of it. Summoning Deliverance is admittedly a bit more death metal - oriented at points, I'm not too big a fan of Javier Galvez's snarls compared to his powerful cleans, and he appeared to get a lot more into them towards the end of HoTR's run, before they broke up. I'd recommend starting with Weight Of Coronation more than anything. That one is definitely worth a 9 in my book.
---- I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go. ~ II. VII
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| Guib Thrash Talker Posts: 3111 |
Written by Auntie Sahar on 30.08.2023 at 04:00 Well, I did listen to both and outside of the vocals I have to admit that I prefer their later work. I think the overall songwriting is better. Aslo I feel that shorter songs served them better and well, I love DM so leaning a little towards that is not at all bad to me. But you're right on the vocals, they're a tad better on their debut. But really what I take from this is that it is a goddamn shame they've stopped. This is excellent music from start to finish. Thanks again, I might actually fit "Summoning Deliverance" on here. I'm listening to it again rn and it kicks some serious ass.
---- - Headbanging with mostly clogged arteries to that stuff - Guib's List Of Essential Albums - Also Thrash Paradise Thrash Here
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| Guib Thrash Talker Posts: 3111 |
Alright, my last pick for 2023 is Green Lung - This Heathen Land but I gotta admit that Domkraft's - Sonic Moons was a close contender for the last spot of 2023... Great fucking release too. Also why the fuck is Green Lung's release in the Hard Rock nominees for MS Awards 2023? Gtfo of here lol. At the very least trad HM or Stoner.
---- - Headbanging with mostly clogged arteries to that stuff - Guib's List Of Essential Albums - Also Thrash Paradise Thrash Here
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| Guib Thrash Talker Posts: 3111 |
Modified the list for the year 2016. I removed Black Tusk's - Pillars Of Ash and put Domkraft's - The End Of Electricity instead which I find simply superior and more deserving of the spot.
---- - Headbanging with mostly clogged arteries to that stuff - Guib's List Of Essential Albums - Also Thrash Paradise Thrash Here
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| Cynic Metalhead Paisa Vich Nasha Posts: 6845  |
Oh hey! How did I miss this list? Good inclusions. I'm viewing as to check out the missed ones.
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| Guib Thrash Talker Posts: 3111 |
Written by Cynic Metalhead on 19.03.2024 at 07:13 Thanks man, let me know if there's something you think I missed that should absolutely be in there.
---- - Headbanging with mostly clogged arteries to that stuff - Guib's List Of Essential Albums - Also Thrash Paradise Thrash Here
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| Guib Thrash Talker Posts: 3111 |
Took a little while but here's the first entry for 2024! : O Zorn! - Vermillion Haze (Doom / Sludge) Alright so, I really didn't know about this band until earlier this week through F3ynman's review and the comments on the album page and honestly, I'm glad I do now. Although not particularly original in sound I simply love this album and the sort of trance it puts me in. It is dreamy yet immense and grim and it's exactly the sort of sludge I needed right now. I absolutely love the vocals as well here, amazing performance. "New Suffer" has to be one of my favourite track this year so far, in no small part due to this delivery. Needless to say, after several spins of this one it only made me want to explore their earlier work and this is what I'm gonna do for sure (already begun as a matter of fact). Thanks again MS for helping me discover awesome music year after year. - - - - - - Overall Rating: 7.7 / 10 Originality: 7 Performance: 8 Production: 8 Songwriting: 8 Guib's Highlights: "Slow Mood" - "I See Through You" - "New Suffer" - "Ricochet"
---- - Headbanging with mostly clogged arteries to that stuff - Guib's List Of Essential Albums - Also Thrash Paradise Thrash Here
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| Guib Thrash Talker Posts: 3111 |
So in light of my recent discoveries, I've swapped an album in the 2017 spots. I have replaced Mastodon's - Emperor of Sand with O Zorn!'s self titled album which is an amazing piece of Sludge/Doom. Much more deserving of this spot too, IMO. It's not like big boy Mastodon isn't represented enough already on the list  Anyways, you guys go and check out this one.
---- - Headbanging with mostly clogged arteries to that stuff - Guib's List Of Essential Albums - Also Thrash Paradise Thrash Here
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| F3ynman2000 Nocturnal Bro Contributor Posts: 2715 |
Written by Guib on 25.03.2024 at 14:55 Hell yeah!  Thanks for checking O Zorn! out!
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| Guib Thrash Talker Posts: 3111 |
Written by F3ynman2000 on 25.03.2024 at 15:00 Well I'm the one who should be thanking you haha. It's in big part because of you if I did and I really enjoy what they do.
---- - Headbanging with mostly clogged arteries to that stuff - Guib's List Of Essential Albums - Also Thrash Paradise Thrash Here
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| Guib Thrash Talker Posts: 3111 |
Did a little modification to the list for 1994, which should please RaduP. I've swapped Soundgarden's - Superunknown to put Grief's - Come To Grief, in its place. The reason behind this, even though Superunknown is a classic album, is that this one will likely be known (kind of Ironic) to most people already and that Soundgarden is already represented enough in the list as it is. On top of that, I felt like 1994 was stacked on Stoner and now there's a better balance. Finally, I had no Grief album yet in the list and this is a great band and Come To Grief is a solid record that comes early in the development of Sludge metal. Kind of a must check really. So here ya go!
---- - Headbanging with mostly clogged arteries to that stuff - Guib's List Of Essential Albums - Also Thrash Paradise Thrash Here
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| Guib Thrash Talker Posts: 3111 |
Although, somehow the band is Black Listed here. I highly recommend you fans of Stoner listen to Colour Haze and their 1999 album Periscope. It's an absolutely amazing Stoner / Psych Rock album and is now occupying a spot on the list for that specific year. Just fucking trust me.
---- - Headbanging with mostly clogged arteries to that stuff - Guib's List Of Essential Albums - Also Thrash Paradise Thrash Here
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