Words by Marek Steven 

“Look onto the rays of the new stoner sun rising” Sleep – Holy Mountain (1992)
None of the bands below would appreciate the ’stoner rock’ tag but it’s fair to say that something did happen around 1991/92 that quietly led to new movement in underground metal. Like all metal it starts with Black Sabbath. But this time the concept was; Sabbath not only did it first, but best. The super cool sounds and production of trippy early 70’s rock (Sabbath, Hawkwind) could be played by cool kids that grew up also listening to 80’s alternative, doom and thrash.

It was a few keys bands having the same idea at the same time in different parts of the US and UK. And crucially, they did it really, really well. Whether you are stoned or not, and whatever you call it, it’s clean vocals over heavy psychedelic riffs and it sounds fantastic. The first four bands below all signed to major labels with varying success. Sadly, the key bands either broke up (Sleep, Kyuss) or left the uncompromising model behind for more commercial avenues (Monster Magnet, Fu Manchu). Apart from solid copyists in Europe, little of worth happened in the scene from 1997 until 2006.

And now, perhaps because every other genre has been done to death, some fantastic new bands have started springing up in the US. Bands like Witch, Titan, Saviours, Danava and The Sword are again going back to the original masters from the early 70’s and twisting it with their own fresh edge. Stoner has been hubbly-bubbling under for a while, but this fantastic genre is once again blinking it’s red eyes as it stumbles into the light.

Sleep – “Dragonaut” (Sleep’s Holy Mountain, 1992)
San Jose’s true overlords of the stoner scene. They took the early Black Sabbath model to a fantastical spiritual oblivion (in space). Sleep eventually turned into myth thanks to an hour-long song and a major label shafting. Sleep were as pure as it gets, and this track (and it’s great video) are the best places to start. It really doesn’t get any cooler.

Kyuss – “Thumb” (Blues for the Red Sun, 1992)
Desert generator parties gave them their massive sound and their PR angle. And their second album is a psychedelic monster that never gets old. They developed into QOTSA but their heavier, trippier, early material has the kind of atmosphere that changes lives.

Monster Magnet – “Spine of God” (Spine of God, 1991)
Taking a lot more from Hawkwind than Sabbath, and coming from the East coast rather than California, these guys were cool as hell satanic LSD overlords. Early material was strung out, but in 1991 they got it together and released a truly classic album that combines massive fuzz, incredible songs and a production that’s totally 1974. Genuinely mind blowing.

Cathedral – “Ride” (The Ethereal Mirror, 1993)
Over the pond, Cathedral sped up their original funereal doom on their second album. Likewise, they increased the psychedelia alongside the speed and kept the bruising Sabbath’esque heaviness. As such, it sounded unique but also tied in with the fledgling US scene at the right time. A great album that interestingly, the band themselves are not keen on.

Fu Manchu – “Asphalt Risin’” (…in Search Of, 1996)
These muscle car obsessed riff-masters had been around a while but it was their classic third album that people noticed. The 70’s style Blue Cheer production coupled with Black Flag aggression and crazy effects resulted in a stoner rock masterpiece. They were incredible live, and even though they lost their mojo in 1999, they have become massively influential.

Electric Wizard – “Dopethrone” (Dopethrone, 2000)
Dorset, England’s finest purveyors of stoner doom have been playing since the early 90’s and, in a similar way to Sleep, took the Sabbath sound to another level of heaviness. They call themselves the heaviest band in the universe. Listen to this track and you won’t argue. Unbelievably down tuned bass destruction about a throne made out of weed.

The Sword – “Lament for the Aurochs” (Age of Winters, 2006)
These four young guys are cleaning up with their super tight Sabbath/Sleep style tunes and well crafted fantastical history lyrics. They mix a little of Metallica’s early heaviness into the mix and in doing so they have crafted a water tight debut album which sounds fresh and perfectly captures the modern scene.

Witch – “Seer” (Witch, 2006)
With J Mascis on drums and a folk rock front line, you might not expect a super heavy 70’s rock behemoth to be spawned. But that’s Witch. The huge vintage fuzz and pounding drums mesh beautifully with the elvish whine to create a sound perfect for both 1972 and 2008.

Titan – “Annals of the Former World” (A Raining Sun of Light and Love for You and You and You, 2007)
Titan are four NYC music nerds melting minds with mostly instrumental fuzzed up prog rock circa 1969. This track starts as dark flower folk before the simplest, fattest riff of all time spirals into a full fat cosmic jam. It’s a crazy trip from late 60s Haight-Ashbury to 70’s Germany to 21st century Brooklyn but it feels so right.

Danava – “Longdance” (Danava, 2007)
Danava are four uncompromising muso hipsters from Portland, Oregon and their debut album is a five-song feast of space rock craziness. They are a bit Rush and a bit Hawkwind, but ultimately sound like nothing you’ve ever heard. It’s a feast of a sound for those tuned in. The future their forebears sung about in the 70’s is theirs for the taking.