Stoner Rock
tagStarted 1991Peak 1998-2010Last big hit still active
Located in 2 routes
Heavy, fuzz-drenched, groove-based rock: thick downtuned riffs, retro fuzz tones, hypnotic mid-tempo grooves, and a desert-baked psychedelic haze. Built on the riff and the trance it induces — bluesy, repetitive, swung, and warm rather than fast or technical. A low-end rumble that locks in and rolls, doom's swing without its gloom.
History
Emerged from California's Palm Desert scene in the early 90s, pioneered by Kyuss, whose fuzzed, downtuned grooves set the template. Fu Manchu and Sleep expanded it, and Queens of the Stone Age carried the sound to wider audiences late in the decade. The fuzz-and-groove formula spawned a durable global underground that thrives today.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoner_rock
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyuss
- https://www.allmusic.com/style/stoner-metal-ma0000012373