Stoner rock
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| Stoner rock | |
| Stylistic origins | |
|---|---|
| Cultural origins |
Early 1990s, United States
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| Typical instruments | |
| Mainstream popularity | Regional success during the 1990s. Some global success during the 2000s. |
| Fusion genres | |
| Stoner doom, Stoner sludge | |
| Regional scenes | |
| Palm Desert Scene | |
Stoner rock and stoner metal are interchangeable terms describing sub-genres of rock and metal music. Stoner rock is typically slow-to-mid tempo, low-tuned, and bass-heavy.[1] It incorporates elements of psychedelic rock, blues-rock and doom metal into a more repetitive and riff-centred style. Other common traits include melodic vocals and 'retro' production.[2] The genre emerged during the early 1990s and was pioneered by the Californian band Kyuss.[3]
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[edit] Categorization and definition
The progenitors of stoner rock, like their followers today, often share the characteristic that they and their audiences are recreational users of marijuana, or "stoners". 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 downtuned, slow, or psychedelic riffs of stoner rock complement one another — 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 heavier and slower style emerged.
Stoner rock is closely related to the term "desert rock", which was used to describe stoner pioneers Kyuss, from California's Palm Desert. 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.
This 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 musicians who identify themselves as marijuana users, most notably Pantera (who have included cannabis logos on their merchandise) do not qualify as "stoner rock" as the style of their musical output is largely outside the genre.
[edit] History
[edit] Roots of stoner rock
Like most subgenres of music, the origins of stoner rock are hard to trace and pinpoint. It can be said, however, that when mainstream culture co-opted blues, rock and roll was divided in to two sects: fast and slow. Stoner rock is the slower and often based in minor keys. These two elements give stoner rock its specific tinge. Nevertheless, stoner rock has its known progenitors and signature songs that helped shape the genre. The notoriously influential metal idols Black Sabbath — especially their song "Sweet Leaf" — were a significant force in the evolution of stoner rock.
Although Black Sabbath were one of the first bands to popularize this type of music, 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, Cream, Deep Purple, 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 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."[4]
[edit] Kyuss and the Palm Desert Scene
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.[5] NME Magazine described Kyuss' musical ambition as an attempt to figuratively melt "a hundredweight of hot desert sand into metal".[6]
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.
[edit] Today
Today, not many bands associated with stoner rock enjoy mainstream success. In the USA, bands affiliated with the genre, such as Wolfmother, Monster Magnet, Priestess, Queens of the Stone Age and Clutch remain popular in the mainstream. Elsewhere, Canada's sHEAVY, Sweden's Spiritual Beggars, Britain's Orange Goblin and Germany's Colour Haze enjoy consistent regional support, while Australia's Wolfmother have achieved international success.[7]
[edit] Notes
- ^ Sharpe-Young, Garry. Rockdetector – Kyuss biography. Rockdetector. Retrieved on 2007-12-10. “[Kyuss] almost single handed invented the phrase ‘Stoner Rock’. They achieved this by tuning way down and summoning up a subterranean, organic sound...”
- ^ All Music Guide. All Music Guide – Stoner Metal. AMG. Retrieved on 2007-12-10. “Stoner metal could be campy and self-aware, messily evocative, or unabashedly retro.”
- ^ Eduardo Rivadavia. All Music Guide – Kyuss biography. AMG. Retrieved on 2007-12-10. “...they are widely acknowledged as pioneers of the booming stoner rock scene of the 1990s...”
- ^ allmusic
- ^ Rivadavia, Eduardo. Kyuss Biography. AllMusic.com. AMG. Retrieved on 2007-07-15. “Although they are widely acknowledged as pioneers of the booming stoner rock scene of the 1990s, the band enjoyed little commercial success during their brief existence [...]. Soon hailed as a landmark by critics and fans alike, the album (Blues for the Red Sun) took the underground metal world by storm and established the signature Kyuss sound once and for all: [...].”
- ^ Kyuss - Muchas Gracias: The Best Of - Album Reviews - NME.COM
- ^ Rivadavia, Eduardo. Wolfmother biography @ All Music Guide. AMG. Retrieved on 2007-07-15. “Wolfmother made the jump to the majors in early 2006 courtesy of an American distribution deal for Modular through Interscope. Their self-titled album debut appeared in May and reached the Top 40”
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
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