Stoner rock

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Stoner rock and stoner metal are interchangeable terms describing sub-genres of rock and metal music. Stoner rock often fuses slow-to-mid tempo, bassy guitar riffs, psychedelic jams, melodic, often slightly raspy vocals and stripped down 'raw' production.

[edit] Categorisation and definition

The progenitors of stoner rock, just like stoner rockers 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 music 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 also 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 Desert stoner pioneers Kyuss. While desert rock is so closely related to stoner metal as to be synonymous, other related but not identical genres include sludge metal and doom metal.

The kind of connection between stoner rock and the use of marijuana 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 music" as the style of their musical output is largely outside the genre.

[edit] History

[edit] The origins

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 music.

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." [2]

[edit] The Palm Desert Scene

Main article: Palm Desert Scene

Kyuss were the harbingers of modern stoner rock.

If any one band has become synonymous with a particular style or genre, Kyuss and stoner music are probably it. After a couple of EP releases they came rumbling out of Palm Desert with 1992's Blues for the Red Sun and kids who just didn't click with the grunge sound of Seattle knew they had found the answer. Kyuss were throughout their existence a rare thing in music - a band whose fans adored them, who received critical praise from all the right sources but never became over-exposed or pressured to conform - exactly what their fans wanted them to be. NME Magazine described Kyuss' musical ambition as an attempt to figuratively melt "a hundredweight of hot desert sand into metal". [3].

Since their break-up, the success of various other bands in the Kyuss family tree has seen the Kyuss back catalogue become more widely listened to and their fanbase has inevitably swelled. The Kyuss family has become an influential musical dynasty with ever increasing mainstream popularity, the sound having been continued on by descendant bands Unida and Hermano (and to some extent by Queens of the Stone Age, Fu Manchu and Eagles of Death Metal). Former Kyuss vocalist John Garcia appeared with old partner Josh Homme at a Queens of the Stone Age gig in 2005 where they performed three Kyuss songs together. While rumours of a reunion may well be wide of the mark, stoners everywhere rejoiced that the chance to see Kyuss in the flesh might not have disappeared forever.

[edit] The New Era

Later bands such as Monster Magnet (pictured above) often play with stoner rock clichés: their debut Spine of God was described as "the ultimate stoner goof".[1]

Debate abounds today about who qualifies as stoner music, and indeed if "stoner metal", "stoner rock" and "stoner music" are interchangeable or distinct. In a world confused by the myriad of genres, sub-genres, overlaps, collaborations and general eclecticism of the modern music scene, the question of attitude has become an important one in the minds of stoner music fans - which bands were jamming to Kyuss CD's in their garages and getting high after school 10 years ago? Commercial success has clearly visited Queens of the Stone Age and Monster Magnet while Fireball Ministry are currently turning heads in stoner music circles

[edit] List of stoner rock bands

The bands mentioned so far represent a fraction of those who are significant acts in the genre. Others include, but are not limited to:

[edit] External links

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