FIELD NOTES
Yesterday, I talked about two covers of the legendary Blue Öyster Cult, by UK doom metal pioneers Candlemass and Swedish gothic death metallers Tribulation. I mentioned that I may do a feature in the future in my Top 10 Stoner Rock Covers of all time, and the future is now. Good to switch things up a bit every once in a while. Before we dive in, a few things to note. For the uninitiated, “stoner rock” is a loose term for a subgenre of metal and hard rock that’s very riff-based and often psychedelic. The style dates back to the ‘60s, with “acid rock” bands like Blue Cheer and Iron Butterfly. More commonly cited are the ‘70s hard rock trinity of Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, and Led Zeppelin, their earliest recordings featuring iconic riffs (‘Iron Man,’ ‘Smoke On The Water,’ ‘Whole Lotta Love’ for example) played with thick guitar tones. The “stoner” element of it all supposedly being music that’s a good soundtrack to get high while listening to, and many bands like Electric Wizard, Eyehategod, and Sleep feature lyrical themes about drug use. There are also aplenty of genuinely great bands who lean into this almost comically, like Bongzilla, Superjoint Ritual, and Weedeater. I officially claimed straightedge when I was 16, after a failed pot-smoking attempt in my friend’s basement. Stoner rock had already been a part of my musical DNA for years, after first discovering The Sword on Guitar Hero in middle school. One of my favorite bands was, and still is, Seattle stoner drone band Earth, whose iconic 1993 album Earth 2: Special Low Frequency Version was the soundtrack I decided I wanted for the experience. But there was no experience. There was no high, no “feeling the music, man,” just a bored teenager on a couch at 2am. Despite all of this, stoner rock, and it’s splinter genres of doom, drone, and sludge metal, has consistently been my favorite style of metal. I love the riffs, the fuzzed-out guitars, and the often lengthThe y songs. Even without a high, it truly is music you can feel. If you’re new to genre, and are familiar with some of the original bands covered here, maybe this can be your place to dive in. “…to trip, to cop out, to groove. The psychedelic jackets on the record albums have their own hidden symbols and messages as well as the lyrics to all the top rock songs. And they all sing the same refrain: It’s fun to take a trip, put acid in your veins.”
Pentagram - ‘Under My Thumb’ (1974) by The Rolling Stones (1966)
Pentagram is often hailed as the “American Black Sabbath,” being one of the earliest doom metal bands the US had to offer. They formed around 1971, but didn’t record their self-titled debut LP until 1982 (and it wasn’t released until 1985). In the interim, they issued a handful of demos and singles that have been collected on the First Daze Here (2001) and First Daze Here Too (2006) compilations. Their cover of the Rolling Stones classic ‘Under My Thumb’ was issued as a test pressing single in 1974, but never formally released until First Daze Here Too. Their take isn’t too far off from the original, a bit faster with more beefy hard rock production. But it’s exactly what it needs to be, staying faithful to the Stones’ recording while putting the devilish Pentagram flair over it.
Mouth Of The Architect - ‘In Your Eyes’ (2010) by Peter Gabriel (1986)
When you think about progressive rock and pop icon Peter Gabriel, the metal genre is likely not the first thing that comes to mind. Prog music in general certainly has its influence however, and Gabriel’s old band Genesis has been covered by Sonata Arctica, Disturbed, and most recently, Ghost. Gabriel’s 1986 pop opus So spawned plenty of hits, including the best song to play outside of a girl’s window, ‘In Your Eyes.’ Ohio post-metal band Mouth Of The Architect gave it the heavy treatment on their EP The Violence Beneath, and man does this thing crush. It transforms the original ballad to a melancholic doom-inspired lament, increasing the track length by about two minutes in its slow pace. Performed with a mix of screamed and sung vocals, Mouth Of The Architect deliver a brooding and haunting performance, pulling at the same emotions that Peter Gabriel did on his original cut.
8. The Atlas Moth - ‘Fearless’ (2010) by Pink Floyd (1971)
Pink Floyd’s 1971 album Meddle is a notable influence on metal and stoner rock (and just because of the homonym). It’s one of their heaviest, most psychedelic records, culminating on the 23-minute ‘Echoes’ that takes up the entire second side. Chicago black metallers Nachtmystium, who I briefly mentioned in yesterday’s edition, have two Black Meddle albums from 2008 and 2010, where they take the prog and psych elements of Pink Floyd and use them to flourish up traditional blackened metal music. The Atlas Moth are another standout Chicago metal outfit, drawing influence from many of the same sounds that Nachtmystium does, but applying it to stoner and sludge metal. Their 2010 EP The One Amongst The Weed Fields is entirely covers (though none by Metallica as the album art would suggest) featuring ‘Fearless’ from Meddle. The band brings out the metal elements of the track that weren’t totally obvious originally, largely based in the lead riff that sounds like it could have spawned the entire stoner subgenre if it was played that heavy initially. And if you thought Peter Gabriel wasn’t so metal, check out The Atlas Moth’s version of ‘California 'Dreamin’’ on the Weed Fields EP. Just as unexpected as it is executed perfectly.
JEFF The Brotherhood - ‘I’m A Freak’ (2009 / 2012) by Wicked Lady (1972)
One of the most formative stoner rock bands from my youth is JEFF The Brotherhood, a sibling duo from Nashville, Tennessee. I first saw them open for Canadian punks Fucked Up in 2011, and then later that year with the aforementioned Pentagram. JTB plays psych- and stoner- influenced garage rock, some of the best in its field on 2009’s Heavy Days and 2011’s We Are The Champions. The first time I heard their ‘I’m A Freak’ cover was at that Fucked Up show, then the following year on their Upstairs At United live EP for Record Store Day. I wasn’t familiar with Wicked Lady before that, at the time they were still pretty obscure yet highly celebrated in the hard rock and proto-metal scene. The UK band existed only from 1969-1972, and their recordings weren’t officially released until the ‘90s. ‘I’m A Freak’ is their flagship tune, an unsung stoner rock anthem that, thankfully, JTB brought back to life. Their original recording was on the 2009 promotional album Rafiki’s Vision (linked above), but was later reissued on the 2012 compilation The Brotherhood Of Light. The Upstairs At United version from that year is a different cut, and is just as worth checking out as the studio version. Plus, they also cover ‘Master Of The Universe’ by Hawkwind on the second side.
6. Fireball Ministry - ‘Movin’ Out’ (2001) by Aerosmith (1973)
Fireball Ministry was another one of the earliest stoner rock band I got into, first hearing the song ‘Choker’ from the FMEP on one of those cable TV radio stations for metal. I’ve always thought they were one of the more underrated bands in the genre, with two fantastic LPs The Second Great Awakening in 2003 and Their Rock Is Not Our Rock in 2005. The FMEP is half originals and half covers, and alongside ‘Fortunes’ by Blue Cheer and ‘Cough / Cool’ by the Misfits, the band rips through ‘Movin’ Out’ by Aerosmith, a 1973 album track from their self-titled debut. The original is a great blues rock tune, perfectly suited for the groovy and fuzzed-out nature of the stoner rock genre. Fireball Ministry hits all the beats of the original, with a more fired-up, thick performance to fit in with the sound of their own songs. It’s easily the best cover of the three, and closes the EP out on a total high note.
Torche - ‘Exit Flagger’ (2011) by Guided By Voices (1992)
Dayton, Ohio’s lo-fi legends Guided By Voices are one of my all-time favorite bands, and another unlikely candidate to get the metal treatment. But GBV has been long-appreciated by music lovers of every sort, from alt rockers The Breeders to screamo heavyweights Touché Amoré. Florida riffers Torche released a split 12” with London stoner rockers Part Chimp, and chose all GBV covers for their side. It opens with ‘Exit Flagger,’ the absolute banger from 1992’s landmark Propeller album. It’s one of the many GBV true anthems, with a pub-rock chanted chorus to get all crowds on their feet instantly. Torche plays the track like it’s been fully remastered and cranked through a bone-crushing soundsystem, with extra feedback and pumped-up guitars. Steve Brooks’ voice channels Robert Pollard’s impressively, evoking the same energy found in the grainy original. They also offer up versions of ‘Postal Blowfish’ and ‘Unleashed! The Large Hearted Boy’ with just as much proficiency. I had already been a longtime Torche fan by the time this came out, and it was one of the few things that started me on the GBV diehard path that I will never waver from.
Soundgarden - ‘Come Together’ (1989) by The Beatles (1969)
In general, Soundgarden has always been a huge musical blind spot for me. I love every song I’ve heard but still haven’t done the deep dive. But somewhere along the way, their 1989 cover of ‘Come Together’ came into my orbit and I’ve loved it ever since. For general rock fans, Soundgarden’s stoner rock cred may not seem obvious on the surface, but if you listen to how heavy the riffs are on Louder Than Love, which this recording is a b-side from, it absolutely fits the description. This is one entry on this list where the band totally messes with the original composition but they come out swinging in the end. Soundgarden adds about an extra minute and change by slowing down the original riff and turning it into a Sabbathian crusher. Even a band as ubiquitous as The Beatles have stoner rock roots, and not just their psychedelic acid periods like Sgt. Pepper’s or Magical Mystery Tour. ‘I Want You (She’s So Heavy),’ also from Abbey Road, could be argued for as the genesis of drone metal. ‘Hey Bulldog’ from Yellow Submarine is a total fuzzed-out blues rocker. The previously mentioned Aerosmith covered ‘Come Together’ from the absolutely insane and personally beloved Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band movie in 1978, and it’s damned fine but they play it pretty straight. Soundgarden tears it into pieces and builds it back up seamlessly.
Type O Negative - ‘Cinnamon Girl’ (1996) by Neil Young & Crazy Horse (1969)
Type O Negative might be the most consistently great cover band in metal history. They sneak at least one in on every record, and the range of subjects is all over the place. From ‘Summer Breeze’ by Seals & Crofts, to the title number from Hedwig And The Angry Inch. Perhaps their most notable is ‘Cinnamon Girl’ from 1996’s October Rust, another ‘90s cover version that takes liberties with the composition but nails the execution. Though primarily considered a goth band, Type O Negative’s stoner roots come in the form of lengthy, doom metal inspired tracks like October Rust’s morose closer ‘Haunted,’ or the 14-minute ‘These Three Things’ from 2007’s Dead Again. As far as Neil Young’s metal cred, he is often considered “the Godfather of Grunge,” pioneering alternative and heavy guitar sounds as early as 1969’s Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, his first collaboration with Crazy Horse. Neil and the Horse have put out many genuinely heavy albums, like the 1991 live album Arc-Weld that ends with a 35-minute sound collage of feedback and riffing. Or 2012’s Psychedelic Pill, where they dial in at their most expansive as the title suggests, with two 16-minute tracks and a 27-minute opener. ‘Cinnamon Girl,’ from Everybody Knows, is a bare-bones folk rocker that’s based around a pretty crunchy riff that Type O Negative accentuates for their version. They also add in elements from their signature sounds, like keyboards in the breaks between sections or Peter Steele’s extremely low voice on the bridge. For years I would swear that this was the definitive version of the track, now that I’ve become a Neil obsessive in recent years, I’ll call it even.
Melvins - ‘Station To Station’ (2013) by David Bowie (1976)
Much like Type O, Melvins are no strangers to cover tunes. Everybody Loves Sausages was not their first nor is their last offering of eclectic cover selections, though it’s probably my favorite. There are a lot of highlights here, like ‘You’re My Best Friend’ by Queen, or ‘In Every Dream Home A Heartache’ by Roxy Music, Melvins calling in Jello Biafra to run the vocal. But the standout is David Bowie’s epic 1976 title track from Station To Station, which Melvins elongate even further with extra time for the drone- and noise-inspired intro. From there, the band hits every beat of the art rock classic impressively, even swaying into the funky final minutes without issue. What really makes this thing boom is Melvins’ common lineup of having two drummers, on this recording longtime member Dale Crover and Coady Willis from Big Business and The Murder City Devils. The two alternate drum riffs throughout, but it’s a controlled chaos that adds so much more to the track. It’s no surprise that this would be one of the hardest Bowie tunes to do, but if any seasoned stoner band can do it it’s the Melvins.
Fu Manchu - ‘Godzilla’ (1999) by Blue Öyster Cult (1977)
And it all comes full circle after yesterday’s edition, ending with a Blue Öyster Cult cover that stomps over them all. To me, this is the quintessential stoner rock cover version. Genre veterans Fu Manchu, who like the Melvins have a very strong cover resume at this point, take a classic track with hard rock and proto-metal roots and bring it into the new age. Slowing the tempo, beefing up the guitars, and delivering it at full volume. They make it as fuzzy and stoned-out as possible, locking into the same tight groove that the original has, just with an updated performance. The entire Godzilla’s / Eatin’ Dust album has always been my favorite Fu Manchu record, and it was reissued in 2019 with additional bonus tracks including a similarly stellar take on Thin Lizzy’s ‘Jailbreak.’ Fu Manchu’s cover reign doesn’t seem to be over anytime soon, for their 30th anniversary they’ve released a series of EPs taking on yacht rock icons The Doobie Brothers, underground California punk band Surf Punks, and ‘80s power pop Valley Girl stars The Plimsouls. Go take a listen to any one of these cuts, but primarily go-go ‘Godzilla.’