Electric Wizard
Electric Wizard are the starters of stoner metal in my opinion. There are others like Sleep, or Kyuss but none of them are doing like Electric Wizard. They are from Dorset, England, and had their first studio release in 1995. They have been kicking it strong ever since, and have released some essential stoner, drone metal releases since than. There are a few albums that were said to be the landmarks of this genre and they are great albums none the less so I recommend checking out Electric Wizard for sure. They have 7 studio releases to date. I recommend Electric Wizard, Come My Fanatics..., and Dopethrone. These are by far their best efforts.
Electric Wizard - 1995 Come My Fanatics... - 1997
Dopethrone - 2000 Let Us Prey - 2002
We Live - 2004 Witchcult Today - 2007
Black Masses - 2010
Mastodon
Mastodon are a progressive drone metal band from Atlanta, Georgia. They formed in 1999. They incorporate a lot of progressive elements into their very aggressive guitar, and vocal presence. They have released four studio albums since their inception, and have progressively gotten better on each record. Every record explores something new from sounds, technique, to concepts. They are very conceptual which is fine with me. I like having to read and learn about what a band is talking about in their music. I've known about these guys since their Laviathan release in 2004 which was a really great album. I highly recommend them if you like very spastic articulate drumming, and fast crunchy guitar work. Their vocals are spread out throughout the entire band almost. So in any one song you may hear three different vocalists singing. Which is great cause that just adds more texture to works. So give them a listen you won't be sorry
Remission - 2002 Leviathan - 2004
Blood Mountain - 2006 Crack the Skye - 2009
High on Fire
High on Fire stems from Matt Pike. The mastermind behind the stoner metal band Sleep in the 90's. With their staple in the stoner metal genre in the nineties as Sleep its only natural that High on Fire would have a huge foot in it now, and that's no under statement. High on Fire have released some great metal albums since their start in 1998. They have released five studio albums and really are bringing a great needed crunch to heavy metal. I highly recommend getting Snakes For the Divine. The whole album is top notch from start to finish. If you like lets see a mix between Motorhead, and Mastodon you'll love High on Fire because that's exactly what they are really.
The Art of Self Defence - 2000 Surrounded By Theives - 2002
Blessed Black Wings - 2005 Death is This Communion - 2007
Snakes For the Divine - 2010
Kylesa
I discovered Kylesa not but maybe a few months ago and really was thinking how could I have missed these guys. They were formed in 2001 from Savannah, Georgia. Their stuff is really innovative and rich with a sound scape that surpasses the majority of the bands in the drone, sludge, stoner stuff. They incorporate a lot of psychedelic, ambient, elements, with this heavy chug. The drums are another thing that really sets them apart as well. They have two drummers with full sets. It adds a major ambient drumming sound that frequently pans from right to left when listening to them. They are a lot of fun to listen to on head phones. Sometimes I listen to them with just one headphone in and really soak up where the sounds are coming from. They are really a headphone record band. These guys do their craft well and I wouldn't be without them on my ipod from this day forth. They have five studio records so far, and their 2010's Spiral Shadow is by far their best one. I highly recommend picking it up.
Kylesa - 2002 To Walk a Middle Course - 2005
Time Will Fuse Its Worth - 2006 Static Tensions - 2009
Spiral Shadow - 2010
Bison B.C.
Bison B.C is fairly new to the game but show great promise. Their 2010 release Dark Ages is a great metal record. It shows their potential for heavy greatness. It is one of the better records of 2010, and I recommend giving them a listen. They have released three records since 2007, but I feel they have it in them to keep going for a good while and keep giving us good crunchy metal.
Earthbound - 2007 Quiet Earth - 2008
Dark Ages - 2010
The Sword
The Sword are from Austin which is cool so I checked them. I was hesitant at first because the alternative sense is very big here and I was just assuming they were going to sound like all the other bands here in Austin. Boy was I wrong. These guys have a real classic groove that I am really digging. They sound like a cross between Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, and Blue Cheer. These guys rock, and I'm liking it. Their 2010 release Warp Riders is a really great record. From sound, to vocals, to concepts. Its really a solid groovy album. They are fairly new to the scene, but like Bison B.C. show some great potential.
Age of Winters - 2006 Gods of the Earth - 2008
Warp Riders - 2010
HowL
HowL are a heavier take on the drone metal. They definitely have a darker side to them, with their lyrics, and vocal style. Its in your face loud and heavy. They are fairly new also, but I'm really digging their 2010's Full of Hell. The artwork on the album is great as well. The cover is just metal all the way. So if you in to heavier crunch, and a darker lyric I recommend checking this band out. They just released their debut this past year so they are pretty fresh.
Full of Hell - 2010
Isis
Isis is considered a jazz fusion group. They were formed in Boston in 1997, but moved to California. I think they have elements of a lot of different vibes to their intoxicating sound. These guys really incorporate many different instruments, and have a huge plethera of music on every album. They are no longer together, for they decided to end it after their last tour this past year, but their music still remains strong as a solid experimental metal band. They are really fun to listen to on headphones as well, as there will be many different sounds and things going on throughout the records . Give em a listen, and you won't be sorry.
Celestial - 2000 Oceanic - 2002
Panopticon - 2004 In the Absence of Truth - 2006
Wavering Radiant - 2009
Baroness
Baroness are another great drone, sludge, progressive metal band from Savannah, Georgia. They are really good and duel harmony guitars, while adding a heavy crunch to their metal. They albums have a wide range of distortions, and vocal patterns. They are very poetic, and majestic at times. Their albums are both concept albums which seems to be a common thing in the drone metal world. Their 2009 release The Blue Record is their most experimental effort so far. With heavy aggressive guitar work, to an ambient progressive feel, and soft acoustic melodies that this album really gives you a well fit metal album with a little of everything on it.
Red Album - 2007 Blue Record - 2009
The Ocean
The Ocean are from Berlin, Germany and they are an experimental metal band. The are pretty progressive, and have a classic presence as well which I much appreciate as well. The sound pallet that this band achieves is very interesting, and full of texture. The artwork to their albums look like just fun conceptual art. I like their vibe a lot. They are another headphone record. Listening to them with one headphone is interesting because the way they put their material together is fun to hear one thing on one side and than listen to it again and listen to it on the other, and hear a bunch of things that you missed. Put them together and there are wondrous amounts of texture and color to the music.
Fluxion - 2004 Aeolian - 2006
Precambrian - 2007 Heliocentric - 2010
Anthropocentric - 2010
So there you go the 10 bands that I am really digging right now in this genre of metal. All of them have similarities, and things that set them apart from the others. I really think that this genre has great promise for being around for a long time. The classic vibes that a lot of these bands incorporate I feel are being sifted out in most of modern metal today which is such a shame, but that's just me. I love classic metal and feel that these guys really pay homage to a lot of it while keeping it fresh and new. So I hope you found at least one of these bands interesting enough to check out on your own. So until next time stay hard, stay heavy.
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