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

      View entire list ››

The top 50 of the year that will be remembered as the gap year between the pandemic and the war

Album count: 138
Average rating: 7.24

1.Empyrium - Über Den Sternen

2.Swallow The Sun - Moonflowers

3.Wardruna - Kvitravn

4.Leprous - Aphelion

5.Cannibal Corpse - Violence Unimagined

      View entire list ››

Metallic World War 2021

2017 champions Archspire want to defend their leadership (strategy: we raze you with more BPM), while Dvne (3rd place in 2017) and Rivers of Nihil (3rd place in 2018) enhance their sonic arsenal by forcefully declaring war on sovereigns; however, the battlefield is filled with loose mines that could explode and blow everything up, ultra-technical mines called Inferi, Deviant Process and First Fragment (brand: Dominic Forest Lapointe). From afar, cautious and silent, veterans named Carcass, Dream Theater and Mastodon lurk. Steffen Kummurer of Obscura (3rd place in 2009, 2nd place in 2011, 6th place in 2016, 7th place in 2018) warrior experienced and reliable, re-sheaths his most powerful weapons (Jeroen Paul Thesseling and Christian Muenzner, champion with the Alkaloid in 2018) and prepares for the final assault on the Throne of Metal. The 2012 champions, Between the Buried and Me, dethroned but never tamed, take the field recalling the glorious colors of the past to regain what is rightfully theirs.

1.Between The Buried And Me - Colors II

2.Dvne - Etemen Ænka

3.Archspire - Bleed The Future

4.Obscura - A Valediction

5.Mastodon - Hushed And Grim

      View entire list ››

You already know what to expect from these kinds of lists, so let's get straight to the point.

The statistics for this year's list:

- 268 albums
- Total points given: 2007,4
- Average Score: 7,49/10

- Albums with a score of 7 or above: 62,80%
- Albums with a score of 8 or above: 30,60%
- Albums with a score of 9 or above: 1,12%

1.Raphael Weinroth-Browne - Worlds Within Live

2.Decimals - Symmetry

3.Hwaino - We Lost Another Moon

4.In Mourning - The Bleeding Veil

5.First Nation - Baraka

      View entire list ››

Hitting somewhere within the region of 900 new albums that I've heard released in 2021, I've consumed a frankly ridiculous amount of music this year; I reckon things will return to a slightly more sensible level in 2022, but for now, these are the most impactful records from this year. I'd say the number of albums that truly stuck with me from this year is lower than 2020, but there were still gems to be found in 2021.

1.Between The Buried And Me - Colors II

2.Dvne - Etemen Ænka

3.Heliocentric - Ishmael

4.Trivium - In The Court Of The Dragon

5.Spaceslug - Memorial

      View entire list ››

List of artists/albums heard with head & heart.

1.Cradle Of Filth - Existence Is Futile

2.Møl - Diorama

3.Spaceslug - Memorial

4.LE MONDE PAR LE FEU - À NÉANT

5.Deafheaven - Infinite Granite

      View entire list ››

At around 450 album, I've been averaging something like 75 new albums per month since the start of 2021, not to mention albums I only listen to 1-2 songs of before moving on. It's been intense, and I'm hoping the lifting of restrictions will mean I get through slightly less music in the rest of this year, but let's see what the rest of 2021 has in store musically.

1.Between The Buried And Me - Colors II

2.Year Of No Light - Consolamentum

3.Be'lakor - Coherence

4.LLNN - Unmaker

5.Spaceslug - Memorial

      View entire list ››

1.Trivium - In The Court Of The Dragon

2.Swallow The Sun - Moonflowers

3.Iron Maiden - Senjutsu

4.Leprous - Aphelion

5.Soen - Imperial

      View entire list ››

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1.Cannibal Corpse - Violence Unimagined

2.Kauan - Ice Fleet

3.Osiris - Meanders A Soul . . .

4.Spectral Wound - A Diabolic Thirst

5.Tribulation - Where The Gloom Becomes Sound

      View entire list ››

My List of the releases made during 2021. Score based on the excel sheet i've made https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Hk_3gkpCfeKtdZNus_z3sxg-U8XJ_MqklfC8tbealaE/edit?usp=sharing

1.Decline Of The I - Johannes

2.Vokonis - Odyssey

3.Between The Buried And Me - Colors II

4.Kanonenfieber - Menschenmühle

5.Stortregn - Impermanence

      View entire list ››

1.Beast In Black - Dark Connection

2.1914 - Where Fear And Weapons Meet

3.Duskmourn - Fallen Kings And Rusted Crowns

4.Grima - Rotten Garden

5.Gojira - Fortitude

      View entire list ››

- From my collection & wishlist (last update)

- One album per band

- Bands & Albums I consider have a strong Doom flavour

- Ranked from best to worst imo

- Everything I know of is there

Let's the Doom begins

1.Candlemass - Epicus Doomicus Metallicus

2.Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath

3.Empyrium - Songs Of Moors And Misty Fields

4.My Dying Bride - The Angel And The Dark River

5.Shape Of Despair - Monotony Fields

      View entire list ››