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 ››

10 years of lists. No plans to slow down.

1.Sermon Of Flames - I Have Seen The Light, And It Was Repulsive

2.Ustalost - Before The Glinting Spell Unvests

3.Worm - Foreverglade

4.Lykhaeon - Opprobrium

5.Kwade Droes - Met Onoprechte Deelneming

      View entire list ››

After clocking well over 700 albums in 2020, I'm hoping 2021 will be a bit busier IRL and thus slightly less comprehensively covered in these lists, but let's see - with all the new strains emerging, who TF knows when we might return to a semblance of normality. Until then, I'll be trying to make sure that nothing noteworthy passes my radar.

1.Vulgaris - Asundre

2.Dvne - Etemen Ænka

3.Heliocentric - Ishmael

4.Decline Of The I - Johannes

5.Dordeduh - Har

      View entire list ››

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: 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 ››

For those interested in suggestions of albums by genre

Removed:
- Trolls
- Limp bizkit outside of Alternative category
- albums already nominated. After the results, I will add the nominated albums that don't receive enough votes to be displayed in the results, as "staff write-ins".
- albums with a release date not in 2021

1.

2.Heleven - Into The Oceans

3.Imminence - Heaven In Hiding

4.Lantlôs - Wildhund

5.Leprous - Aphelion

      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 ››

My top best albums of 2021!

1.Iotunn - Access All Worlds

2.Ethereal Shroud - Trisagion

3.Evergrey - Escape Of The Phoenix

4.Mare Cognitum - Solar Paroxysm

5.Trivium - In The Court Of The Dragon

      View entire list ››

1.Turnstile - Glow On

2.The Armed - Ultrapop

3.Lingua Ignota - Sinner Get Ready

4.Panopticon - . . . And Again Into The Light

5.Thirdface - Do It With A Smile

      View entire list ››

2021 Playlist

1.Swallow The Sun - Moonflowers

2.Empyrium - Über Den Sternen

3.Iotunn - Access All Worlds

4.Wheel - Resident Human

5.Between The Buried And Me - Colors II

      View entire list ››

Favourite albums of 2021. Will most likely be obsolete in a few days.

1.Æthĕrĭa Conscĭentĭa - Corrupted Pillars Of Vanity

2.Converge - Bloodmoon: I [Collaboration]

3.Ethereal Shroud - Trisagion

4.Funeral Mist - Deiform

5.Year Of No Light - Consolamentum

      View entire list ››

Same as before but for 2021. Have some more to add that I’ll get to sometime soon.

1.Chvrches - Screen Violence

2.Blackshape - Blackshape

3.Halsey - If I Can’t Have Love I Want Power

4.Jess And The Ancient Ones - Vertigo

5.Dvne - Etemen Ænka

      View entire list ››

A list of Bands and Albums to check in 2021 in chronological(release) order

1.Need - Norchestrion: A Song For The End

2.Emma Ruth Rundle - The Helm Of Sorrow [Collaboration]

3.Soen - Imperial

4.Tribulation - Where The Gloom Becomes Sound

5.Steven Wilson - The Future Bites

      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 ››

Albums i've enjoyed in 2021

1.Turnstile - Glow On

2.Deafheaven - Infinite Granite

3.Herzel - Le Dernier Rempart

4.The Flight Of Sleipnir - Eventide

5.Midnight Odyssey - Biolume Part 2 - The Golden Orb

      View entire list ››