The Top 10 Stoner Rock Albums of 2020

Do you smoke weed ? Have you been smoking more this year ?  Here are the albums you should have been listening to. These are album that are not prog or doom, falling some where in the middle with more than likely a heavy doses of bong blues to them Ok now that that is out of the way , much like in years past   sort through the genre lists before making the overall top ten of the year list. I know many of you are ready for 2020 to be over with. Hate to break it to you but nothing is getting better next year. 

 The fact these artists made it on the list speaks to how  great these albums are, so it's not a slight that the number 8 album is above the 9th album, there is something that just gives it an edge that makes me want to listen to it more. After all we can try to look cool and pick the hippest bands for a list, but at the end of the day what makes an album the best is that it makes you want more, you look forward to listening to it again. Sure you can bitch and complain about your favorite band not being on the list. However I listen to five new albums a day so yes I heard your favorite album and was not impressed. No I do not care what you think about it .I do hope you can find your next favorite on this list and have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out audio on these guys. Anyways here are the top 10 stoner rock and perhaps a touch of metal albums of 2020

10 - Atomic Bitch Wax - "Scorpio" 

This is almost more of an honorable mention. These guys are great musicians , the song writing was more dialed in than what we have gotten in the past, but they are great players and managed to pull it off/ 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/07/atomic-bitch-wax-scorpio.html

9- King Buffalo -"Dead Star"

This band does not aspire to be Black Sabbath. They have a refreshing take on what they do. Melodic and at times progressive this is one of those albums that I wish I would have spent more time with over the course of the year. But it is what it is. 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/09/king-buffalo-dead-star.html

8 Lowrider- "Refractions" 

 This Swedish band came before Monolord, the Truck Fighters and Graveyard, who are the countries exports when it comes to this kind of music.  More in your face than some . If Atomic Bitchwax does too much cocaine for you then these guys are worth your time.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/11/november-is-doom-lowrider.html

 

7-Dopelord -"Sign of the Devil" 

This Polish band might be the heaviest entry on this list. Where most of these album's albums are stoner rock , this is stoner metal. There is too much movement in their rocking intent for this to be doom, though it borders on it. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/03/dopelord-sign-of-devil.html

6-Black Elephant- "Seven Swords" 

Very blues based with killer guitar playing. Until this album they could have been a band people said "They are better live" but they captured the jammy magic they create on stage and bestow your iPod with it.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/08/black-elephant-seven-swords.html

5- Forming the Void - "Reverie" 

A band from Louisiana that defies the normal swamp metal stereotypes of the region. Though the do dabble in some sludge like areas and at times darker than most commercial rock bands. Not that these guys are totally aiming for the radio. They are however less stoner rock than I thought it would be and more grunge. This album and the ones that follow are so good I recommend them to my friends in real life who smoke pot.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/09/forming-void-reverie.html

4 -Dool- "Summerland"

They are even more rock n roll on this record. It is still darker than most of the bong burning tunes on this list. Once upon a time it would have fallen in with the Occult rock trend. Rayanne's androgynous vocals keep getting better with every album. 
 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/04/dool-summerland.html

 3-Rezn- "Chaotic Divine" 

It is interesting when I come across an album made by people who sound like they might have done as many drugs as I have . At times like "Gish" era Smashing Pumpkins covering Black Sabbath. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/11/november-is-doom-rezn-chaotic-divine.html

2-Witchskull- "Driftwood Cross "

I listened to this album a shit tone which helped solidify their place at number two despite many of you scratching your heads wondering who the fuck are these guys. A dash of grunge is thrown into the mix amid Sabbath like riffs supported by in your face songs that still have hooks. 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/04/witchskull-driftwood-cross.html

 

1-All Them Witches - 'Nothing is the Ideal" 

In the words of Mortal Kombat... "Flawless victory" . This is the slickest most accessible album on the list, but it is heavier than you might expect if you are not familiar with these guys . Witchskull is a more metal album , but these guys bring it on every level as songwriters and edged them out.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/11/november-is-doom-all-them-witches.html