I finally realized what I don't like about most modern stoner metal after years of being obsessed with it: it has the riffs and psyched-out bluesy swing I love about proto-metal, but it just doesn't have any real energy. For all the heavy psyche and stoner blues bands that have come out in the past 30 years, I can't think of many outside most of the '90s groups that I'd actually genuinely compare to Black Sabbath, Blue Cheer, AC/DC, MC5, Soundgarden, the whole lot of them. I know it should be self-evident with a name like 'stoner metal', but I think the biggest thing keeping the genre back despite quality efforts from Uncle Acid, Windhand, Electric Wizard, etc. is that they all feel so lethargic. Electric Wizard has always been slow and crushing, but you can't tell me there wasn't nihilistic energy in Come My Fanatics, compared to Wizard Bloody Wizard where they trot out the same 'Children of the Grave/Sabbath Bloody Sabbath/Lords of this World' rhythms every stoner band does nowadays but with less passion than ever.

Compare that to Blue Cheer, where it sounded like they were barely able to hold their instruments together as they played them, or how no one's come close to matching a riff on the level of Rainbow's "Stargazer". Or to use a sonic representation, I'm looking for songs that feel like these:

Sir Lord Baltimore - Helium Head

Pentagram - Livin' in a Ram's Head

Iron Claw - Lightning

The Stooges - Search and Destroy

Sir Lord Baltimore - Lady of Fire

The Heavy Eyes - Iron Giants

Alice Cooper - Don't Lose Your Mind/You Are Number Six (Live 1969)

Brats - OY-905

Cactus - Rumblin' Man

Nebula - So It Goes

Soundgarden - Face Pollution

Highway Robbery - Fifteen

Where it's hard to pinpoint exactly what subgenre you'd put it under because it's basically raw psyched-out garage rock that doesn't really have a genre. Like "high-energy stoner rock" or Sub Pop-era grunge. Like if the '70s British pub rock scene shifted towards heavy metal rather than punk rock without going all in on either.

You'd think this would describe "heavy metal" perfectly, but it's nowhere near as slick. Hence why I'd compare the sound to garage rock first. Like if you crossed garage rock with proto-metal.

Check out "The Day After the Sabbath" compilations. Tons and tons of great proto-metal bands.
It's the first link that pops up when you google it.

Maybe try...

The Dead Boys - Detention Home (more on the garage side)


Orchid - Into The Sun (basically Sabbath worship)

I've checked out that YouTube channel before, actually! That's how I discovered Highway Robbery, got into Sir Lord Baltimore, and some others.

And those two tracks are pretty good.

I've also found some old Sub Pop grunge tracks that fit the bill.


Nirvana is more punk, but when they do bring out the riffs and solos (and a bit of sludge), they are almost exactly what I'm looking for. Aero Zeppelin sounds like it's completely falling apart and it's awesome. It's too bad they don't have more songs like this.


Going a bit more into my old terf, I know that actual punk veers towards this at times.

Macabre-Be Forewarned


Aphrodite's Child – The battle of the locusts / Do it (Greek Version LP) HQ


Indian Puddin' and Pipe - Hashish


The Calico Wall - I'm A Living Sickness


Night Sun - Got A Bone Of My Own


Lucifer's Friend - Ride The Sky - Live, 1971 (Remastered


The Remaining Few - Painted Air 1967