As with the others, gonna update as I go through my collection. This is really just for my own organizational purposes.

1.Brutus (BEL) - Unison Life

2.Chat Pile - God's Country

3.An Abstract Illusion - Woe

4.Xaon - The Lethean

5.Helms Alee - Keep This Be The Way

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1.Deathspell Omega - The Long Defeat

2.Arð - Take Up My Bones

3.Earthless - Night Parade Of One Hundred Demons

4.Darkher - The Buried Storm

5.My Sleeping Karma - Atma

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Welcome everybody to a little lesson on the history of Sludge & Stoner Metal. I'm Guib and today I have the immense pleasure to serve as your humble teacher.

Please take a seat and travel with me through time as we explore the very best of those two, often blurred, genres. The goal here is simple, I want to get you familiarized with the styles. I want you to understand where they come from through albums on a timeline and while we're at it get a sweet selection of great releases that you might not know and that, hopefully, will get you hooked to explore even more!

But this is a classroom and in my classroom there are a few rules. We want to keep this clean, clear and prevent having a 500+ albums mess. So here are the rules we'll follow throughout this lesson.

- - - - - The Rules - - - - -

1. We will settle for a maximum of 4 albums per year and they will be listed from oldest to newest. Makes it simple to navigate. Those releases will represent what I consider to be hallmarks of the genres for that year. Essentials if you want, yes? Of course, I'll sprinkle a bit of my personality here and there so you will find some unorthodox choices and some less known albums from time to time. It would be boring otherwise... and also why not?

2. We will begin the journey with Melvins' "Gluey Porch Treatments" released in 1987. Why? Because it is arguably the first album to be widely considered as Sludge.

3. The list will mostly feature studio albums. So no Demos & bare minimum when it comes to EPs if any at all. Thank you.

4. I am not going to include releases by Black Sabbath, Blue Cheer, Hawkwind, etc... I fully understand and recognize the influence older bands had on Stoner Rock, but this is not the list for them.

5. Lastly, not really a rule but more of a note. Considering that we're talking about Sludge & Stoner, it is inevitable that Doom, Post, Progressive, Grunge & Hardcore acts will be featured in this list. Those genres simply go together naturally and are often mixed so do not be alarmed!

- - - - - - - - - -

That is it, I hope you will all discover something to enjoy through my little history lesson. Also, do not hesitate to comment below if you agree or disagree with some of my picks. After all, this is a classroom and debate is invited as it can be fun and educative. As long everything's done respectfully, of course.

Enjoy & Have Fun... Class dismissed!

NOTE: I will now add my picks for best album of the year using this format (best of xxxx) in the chosen album's description.

- Guib -

- - - - - - - - - -

Guib's best Sludge/Stoner Album Picks

Best Of 2023:
Urne - A Feast On Sorrow

Best Of 2024 So Far:
O Zorn! - Vermillion Haze

- - - - - - - - - -

Last Update: May 3rd, 2024

1.Melvins - Gluey Porch Treatments

2.Soundgarden - Ultramega OK

3.Oxbow - Fuckfest

4.Melvins - Ozma

5.Soundgarden - Louder Than Love

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1.White Ward - False Light

2.Gaerea - Mirage

3.Dream Unending - Song Of Salvation

4.An Abstract Illusion - Woe

5.Voivod - Synchro Anarchy

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Taken around 8:30 pm GMT
There was no write-in for djent so I voted for one.
Not totally clean (trolls in last categories are kept for fun),
Thanks to the person who curated most of the write-is since yesterday, it really reduced the work to do!

PS : I cleaned the list listening to The Testament by Seventh Wonder, so I was particularly unhappy to see it in the biggest letdowns at the end

1.

2.A.A. Williams - As The Moon Rests

3.Disturbed - Divisive

4.Dog Fashion Disco - Cult Classic

5.Fleshwater - We're Not Here To Be Loved

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Here we are with the best 30 albums of very evil music we listened to in 2022 in our Black Lodge. We'll have a podium with the best three, than 22 great albums in alphabetical order, and the top 5 debut albums in alphabetical order. And, to end, some honourable mentions...

1.

2.Mantar - Pain Is Forever And This Is The End

3.Panzerfaust - The Suns Of Perdition - Chapter III: The Astral Drain

4.Birds In Row - Gris Klein

5.

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My very subjective ranking of all heard metal and metal-adjacent albums 2022.

1.Mamaleek - Diner Coffee

2.Wilderun - Epigone

3.Disillusion - Ayam

4.Ashenspire - Hostile Architecture

5.Cavernlight - As I Cast Ruin Upon The Lens That Reveals My Every Flaw

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Top 50 of this forsaken year from the top to the abyss (but still good). 8 & above

Album count: 329
Average rating: 6.73

1.Cult Of Luna - The Long Road North

2.Sylvaine - Nova

3.Luminous Vault - Animate The Emptiness

4.White Ward - False Light

5.Blut Aus Nord - Disharmonium - Undreamable Abysses

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The best albums according to my perception
The first six albums are the perfect 10, the rest are ordered as a top

1.White Ward - False Light

2.Imperial Triumphant - Spirit Of Ecstasy

3.Wormrot - Hiss

4.Blut Aus Nord - Disharmonium - Undreamable Abysses

5.Conjurer - Páthos

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Albums I have enjoyed the most in 2022, ranked approximately.

Including only albums I rated 3/5 or higher.

1.Black Country, New Road - Ants From Up There

2.Zeal & Ardor - Zeal & Ardor

3.Rolo Tomassi - Where Myth Becomes Memory

4.deathcrash - Return

5.Venom Prison - Erebos

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Fell just shy of 100 albums per month for the first half of the year, I imagine I won't be matching that but let's try to get to a full 1000 albums for the year at least.

1.Psychonaut - Violate Consensus Reality

2.Disillusion - Ayam

3.An Abstract Illusion - Woe

4.Panzerfaust - The Suns Of Perdition - Chapter III: The Astral Drain

5.Wake - Thought Form Descent

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2022.1（1-12）
2022.2（13-21）
2022.3（22-33）
2022.4（34-53）
2022.5（54-72)
2022.6（73-88）
2022.7（89-）

1.Trenches - Reckoner

2.Shadow Of Intent - Elegy

3.Dark Millennium - Acid River

4.Toundra - Hex

5.Fit For An Autopsy - Oh What The Future Holds

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Looks like we get to go around the sun for another year. So far...not off to a great start, but may as well continue this decade of garbage with another list. As always, recommendations welcome.

1.Arizmenda - Spiders Lust In The Dungeon’s Dust

2.Djevel - Naa Skrider Natten Sort

3.Imperial Triumphant - Spirit Of Ecstasy

4.Artificial Brain - Artificial Brain

5.Negative Plane - The Pact

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1.Psychonaut - Violate Consensus Reality

2.White Ward - False Light

3.Disillusion - Ayam

4.Persefone - Metanoia

5.An Abstract Illusion - Woe

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even though 2021's list isn't final yet (are they ever?) - I'm compelled any-damn-way to rank the 2022's I've been bamboozled with the most... most of it happens to be metal in some way or another - but, like my previous ones... non-metal albums that kick my ass (softly?) will surely be included, as well - hope it helps or is at least interesting to even one MS'er! (even if that MS'er is me hehe)

updated - 5/19/22
updated - 1/18/23

1.Skin Tension - Omni

2.Devin Townsend - Lightwork

3.Persefone - Metanoia

4.Wilderun - Epigone

5.Sigh - Shiki

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