Stoner rock

Stoner rock
Stylistic origins	1960s Acid rock Blues-rock Psychedelic rock 1970s Heavy metal Space rock
Cultural origins	Mid-1970s United States and United Kingdom
Typical instruments	Guitar - Bass - Drums
Derivative forms	Sludge metal
Fusion genres
Stoner doom
Regional scenes
Palm Desert Scene - Sweden

Stoner rock and stoner metal are interchangeable terms describing sub-genres of rock and metal music. Stoner rock is typically slow-to-mid tempo, with a low-tuned, bass-heavy sound and psychedelic jams. It is riff-oriented and often contains significant repetition with variation. Melodic vocals and 'raw' or 'retro' production are also common traits.

Categorization and definition

The progenitors of stoner rock, like stoner musicians today, often share the characteristic that they and their audiences are stoners (i.e. recreational users of marijuana). While it would be grossly inaccurate to describe all fans and performers of the styles and bands listed on this page as marijuana users, it is certainly accepted that the effects of marijuana and the often low or psychedelic riffs of stoner rock complement each other — which eventually led to the common usage of the term "stoner rock" to define the genre, with "stoner metal" coming into use later when a harder-edged sound emerged.

Stoner rock is often associated with marijuana use

There are synonyms to stoner rock, some of them in part created to separate the art itself from stoner-clichés, e.g. the term "desert rock", which is so called primarily because of Palm Springs, CA stoner pioneers Kyuss. While stoner rock is so closely related to desert rock as to be synonymous, stoner metal is related but not identical to sludge metal and doom metal.

The kind of connection between music and the use of drugs is not unique in music culture. Similar comparisons can be made between dance music and recreational drugs such as ecstasy. Various bands and artists who identify themselves as marijuana users, most notably Pantera (who have included cannabis leaves on their t-shirts and other promotional items) do not qualify as "stoner rock" as the style of their musical output is largely outside the genre.

History

Roots of stoner rock

Like most subgenres of music, the origins of stoner rock are hard to trace and pinpoint. Nevertheless, stoner rock has its known progenitors and signature songs that helped shape the genre. The notoriously influential metal idols of Black Sabbath — especially due to their song "Sweet Leaf" — were a significant force in the evolution of stoner rock.

As noted above, Black Sabbath were one of the first bands to popularize this type of music, although they were not the first to produce it, nor can they be accurately described as a stoner band. Various 60's and 70's bands experimented with guitar sounds that inspired future generations, with Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin firmly among them. Hendrix's "Band of Gypsys" pumped out riff-laden, jam session type tunes with obvious psychedelic overtones, while Led Zeppelin's "Physical Graffiti" displayed a lighter side to the emerging genre. However, it wasn't until after the electropop of the 80's and eventually grunge of the early 90's had taken the stage that people noticed that a new style of music was being created from elements of different genres. AllMusic summarizes this fusion as follows:

"Stoner metal bands updated the long, mind-bending jams and ultra-heavy riffs of bands like Black Sabbath, Blue Cheer, Blue Öyster Cult, and Hawkwind by filtering their psychedelia-tinged metal and acid rock through the buzzing sound of early Sub Pop-style grunge."

Kyuss and the Palm Desert Scene

Main article: Palm Desert Scene

File:Kyuss.jpg

Kyuss were the harbingers of modern stoner rock.

Over the years, Kyuss has become nearly synonymous with stoner rock. After their initial EP releases, they emerged from Palm Desert California with 1992's Blues for the Red Sun. The album was hailed as a landmark by critics and fans alike, but commercial success remained low during their entire existence. NME Magazine described Kyuss' musical ambition as an attempt to figuratively melt "a hundredweight of hot desert sand into metal".

Since their break-up, the success of the bandmates' other projects has caused the Kyuss back catalogue to become more widely listened to and their fanbase has inevitably swelled. The sound has been continued on by directly descendant bands Unida, Slo Burn, Hermano, Fu Manchu, and at times by Queens of the Stone Age, who have since largely departed from Kyuss' stoner rock sound.

Today

Today, not many bands associated with stoner rock enjoy mainstream success. Some of the most notable exceptions are Queens of the Stone Age, Monster Magnet and more recently the Australian trio Wolfmother. While other notable bands like the American band Nebula, Canada's sHEAVY, Sweden's Spiritual Beggars or Germany's Colour Haze never broke into the mainstream, they continue to enjoy consistent regional support, mostly in Europe and the United States.

Current debates in the genre revolve around classification — who qualifies as stoner rock — with one example being the aforementioned Wolfmother, or if "stoner metal" and "stoner rock" are interchangeable or distinct classifications.

See also

• Stoner rock groups
• Cannabis

External links

• All Music Guide entry for Stoner metal/rock
• StonerRock.com - websource devoted to Stoner Rock