TheMetalNet

Sub-genre

Stoner Rock

Stoner Rock is a metal sub-genre, formative in the early 1990s. TheMetalNet maps 2,709 bands and 6,048 albums under it.
Explore the Stoner Rock galaxy

What it is

Stoner rock is a groovy, riff-first style rooted in 1970s heavy rock, built on fuzzy, mid-tempo guitar hooks, warm analog tone, and psychedelic, laid-back melody. It emerged in the early 1990s, with California’s Kyuss and the desert-rock scene, plus Fu Manchu, drawing on Black Sabbath and Blue Cheer. Compared with stoner metal it is catchier and more relaxed, favoring melodic vocals and rolling grooves. Themes lean on the desert, escapism, and altered states.

Facts

Level
Sub-genre
Parent genre
Doom Metal
Formative era
early 1990s
Bands
2,709
Albums
6,048
Formation span
1962 to 2025

Bands

The 60 most prominent of 2,709. The rest are in the galaxy.

Where it is played

Bands formed by decade

DecadeBands formed
1960s1
1970s5
1980s11
1990s102
2000s274
2010s856
2020s89