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 27th, 2024

1.Melvins - Gluey Porch Treatments

2.Soundgarden - Ultramega OK

3.Oxbow - Fuckfest

4.Melvins - Ozma

5.Soundgarden - Louder Than Love

      View entire list ››

Here are albums (ordered by subgenre) that I want to listen to, but haven't yet.
For some albums, I've heard one or two songs, but not the entire album. Therefore, these albums still await my judgement!
Recommendations are always welcome!

1.

2.Ponte Del Diavolo - Fire Blades From The Tomb

3.Civerous - Maze Envy

4.Frail Body - Artificial Bouquet

5.Ulterror - Transcendent Origins

      View entire list ››

Plus my top three favourite tracks from each release. \m/

Honourable mentions:
Sepultura - Chaos A.D. (Groove/Thrash)
Morbid Angel - Covenant (Death)
Satyricon - Dark Medieval Times (Black)
KMFDM - Angst (Industrial)

Non-Metal mentions:
Nirvana - In Utero (Alternative/Rock)
:Wumpscut: - Music For A Slaughtering Tribe (Industrial)

1.Dissection - The Somberlain

2.Immortal - Pure Holocaust

3.Cathedral - The Ethereal Mirror

4.Carcass - Heartwork

5.My Dying Bride - Turn Loose The Swans

      View entire list ››

1.Candlemass - King Of The Grey Islands

2.Solitude Aeturnus - Alone

3.Candlemass - Epicus Doomicus Metallicus

4.Dominion - Threshold - A Retrospective

5.Trouble - Psalm 9

      View entire list ››

"CALENDAR MADE OF METAL"
September = Sludge Metal
Listening to as many albums as possible in said genre during said month and listing them here as I go. Suggestions welcome.

1.Melvins - Bullhead

2.Down - Nola

3.Baroness - First & Second

4.Eyehategod - Take As Needed For Pain

5.Weedeater - God Luck And Good Speed

      View entire list ››

AtoZ (Album)

1.Lost Horizon - A Flame To The Ground Beneath

2.Ihsahn - After

3.Anthrax - Among The Living

4.Faith No More - Angel Dust

5.Riverside - Anno Domini High Definition

      View entire list ››

1.Candlemass - Epicus Doomicus Metallicus

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

3.Opeth - Morningrise

4.Gojira - From Mars To Sirius

5.Amorphis - Tales From The Thousand Lakes

      View entire list ››

I consider myself very lucky to have grown up, not just on the West Coast of the United States, but right in the heart of one of history's great metal scenes--the San Francisco Bay Area. So many awesome memories from so many incredible local bands, with other acts from all over the world regularly passing through as well. Time to memorialize in no particular order.

1.Anthrax - State Of Euphoria

2.Helloween - Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part II

3.Exodus - Fabulous Disaster

4.Testament - The New Order

5.Voivod - Nothingface

      View entire list ››

Limited to only those albums featured on Metal Storm.

1.Jethro Tull - Thick As A Brick

2.Rush - Moving Pictures

3.King Crimson - In The Court Of The Crimson King

4.Pain Of Salvation - Remedy Lane

5.Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime

      View entire list ››