10 stoner metal anthems to help get you into that 4/20 mindset
Ah yes, the sacred stoner holiday is upon us once again. Welcome to 4/20. And, like any holiday (legitimate or not), all you need is the right soundtrack to turn it into a proper celebration. For those that will be indulging in herbal delights today, or for those who abstain but still appreciate a good riff, here are ten stoner metal anthems guaranteed to keep the party going long after you’re left with nothin’ but stems and seeds…
1. BLACK SABBATH - “Sweet Leaf”
The granddaddy of them all, the opening track to 1971’s classic Master Of Reality album and metal’s original paean to every stoner’s favorite plant also happens to contain one of the most bludgeoningly heavy guitar riffs ever committed to tape. And the author of said riff, guitarist Tony Iommi, is also the source of the looped coughing heard at the beginning of the track. Reportedly, this was the result of a very big hit taken from a very big joint offered by vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. The lyrics were written by bassist Geezer Butler, who was inspired by a pack of Irish cigarettes which bore the slogan “…It’s the sweetest leaf that gives you the taste.” In his autobiography, Iommi says that all four Black Sabbath members were stoned when they recorded the song. Drummer Bill Ward, when asked in an interview if the band’s heavy marijuana use at the time enhanced the music they made replied, “Well, you know, we wrote ‘Sweet Leaf’…”
‘Nuff said.
2. SLEEP - “Marijuanaut’s Theme”
Sleep started off as a straight-up doom metal band on their debut album Volume 1 in 1991. A year later, their second LP Sleep’s Holy Mountain featured pot leaves as part of the album artwork and lyrics like “Look into the rays of the new stoner sun…” and “Stoner caravan from deep space arrives.” Not surprisingly, it was immediately embraced by the nascent stoner metal scene. However, the band’s magnum opus came in 1999, in the form of an album consisting of one long song (52 minutes in it’s original form, over 63 on subsequent re-releases) first released under the name Jerusalem, but now better known by the title it was re-issued under in 2003: Dopesmoker. I mean, the song/album starts off with the line “Drop out of life with bong in hand/ follow the smoke toward the riff-filled land,” which makes it the quintessential stoner metal anthem, second only to “Sweet Leaf” in my opinion. That being said, some listeners understandably may not be able to hang in there for all 63 plus minutes. In that case, if you’re looking for a shorter distillation of the Sleep experience, look no further than this second track from the band’s 2018 album The Sciences, which mines similar territory, but clocks in at a much more manageable 6:40. It is also the first of several songs on this list to feature the sound of a bong-hit.
3. CLUTCH - “Spacegrass”
“We’ll find us some spacegrass/ lay low and watch the universe expand,” bellows Clutch vocalist Neil Fallon on this track from the band’s self-titled second full-length album released in 1995. Whether said “space grass” is a plot of extraterrestrial land in some far off galaxy or a super-potent alien strain of the devil’s lettuce is up to the listener to decide. Either way, you’re in for one hell of a fun ride as this one starts off in psychedelic Pink Floyd-esque territory and builds to a thrilling, full-throated Sabbath-style roaring climax, all with just a hint of sly, winking humor.
4. ELECTRIC WIZARD - “Dopethrone”
The fact that this band took their name from two classic Black Sabbath songs (“Electric Funeral” and “The Wizard”) should give you a pretty good idea about what Electric Wizard sounds like. The fact that one of their most beloved albums is called Dopethrone should give you a pretty good idea about why they made it onto this list. Mixing a little bit of Motörhead’s rawness with their Sabbath worship, the title track from the band’s third album was originally released as that record’s 20 minute closing track, but has since been edited down to just over ten minutes on later re-issues. Guitarist, singer and lyricist Jus Oborn says he was inspired to write the song by a story he heard about someone who owned a couch made entirely of marijuana…a literal “dope throne.” Originally released in 2000, the song and album have regularly appeared on lists of essential doom and stoner metal ever since. Bonus points for the picture of Satan ripping a bong hit on the album cover.
5. DOWN - “Hail The Leaf”
Down is sort of like a metal version of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, but obviously waaaaay heavier (but also probably with the same amount of drug use). A true “supergroup” in every sense of the word, the band features Phil Anselmo from Pantera on vocals, Pepper Keenan from C.O.C. on guitar, Kirk Windstein from Crowbar on guitar, Patrick Bruders from Goatwhore on bass, and Jimmy Bower from Eyehategod on drums. Formed in 1991 as a sort of fun side project for all the members based on their mutual love of doom bands like Sabbath, Trouble, Saint Vitus and Witchfinder General, Down released their debut album NOLA in 1995. It is now widely regarded as a minor classic, especially by fans of sludge metal, doom, and southern metal, with tracks like this one and “Bury Me In Smoke” also strongly resonating (resin-ating?) with the stoner metal crowd.
6. SIX FEET UNDER - “4:20”
Six Feet Under started as a side project for vocalist Chris Barnes while he was a member of death metal legends Cannibal Corpse, but quickly became his main priority (which resulted in his subsequent firing from Cannibal Corpse in 1995). And look, it’s called “death metal” for a reason, mostly for its lyrical content, which usually does not revolve around marijuana, so a death metal song singing the praises of weed is certainly a rarity. “4:20,” a track from the band’s 1997 second album Warpath, is four minutes and twenty seconds long and was reportedly recorded on 4/20/97, with the recording beginning at exactly 4:20pm. That kind of commitment to the concept (especially from stoners!) deserves recognition, so Six Feet Under earns a spot on this list.
7. HIGH ON FIRE - “Fertile Green”
When guitarist Matt Pike isn’t touring and recording with his main band Sleep, he plays and sings with a faster, more aggressive band called High On Fire. Certainly not as slow or doomy as Sleep’s work, there’s a strong Motörhead influence here in the way that this track is pretty speedy, but not quite thrash. It’s taken from the band’s 2012 album De Vermis Mysteriis, which, according to Pike, is a concept album about Jesus Christ’s dead twin brother who is also a time traveller, which definitely sounds like something he dreamed up after inhaling copious amounts of “fertile green.”
8. MONSTER MAGNET - “Dopes To Infinity”
This one’s not specifically about weed per se, but its swirly reverb-drenched sound and metaphysical lyrics certainly put you in that same THC-induced cosmic headspace. And really, with their low-slung, laid-back 70’s vibe, just about any Monster Magnet song would be the perfect background music for indulging in any number of substance. But there’s something about this particular track that gives the impression of having emerged fully formed from a thick cloud of exhaled smoke. The slow Sabbath stomp of the main riff adds an extra metallic punch, while the subtle keyboards buried in the mix provide just the right amount of spacey atmosphere.
9. TESTAMENT - “Cana-Buisiness”
This is a weird one for a couple of reasons. First, it’s a thrash metal song, and the hyper-sonic energy of thrash seems incongruous with the stereotypical low energy hippy stoner vibe. Second, it’s not really about smoking pot at all; it’s about selling it. It’s really more of a salute to American capitalism and the money to be made from legal weed rather than an ode to the plant’s potentially mind-expanding (or numbing) effects. Testament singer Chuck Billy, who wrote the lyrics (and who also just happens to have his own line of cannabis related products), says it’s more of a celebration of the fact that marijuana is now legal in many states (which he calls “mind-blowing”) and that folks are starting to recognize some of its medical and psychological benefits. Regardless of the inspirations, a thrash song about pot is still something of a novelty, and this one thrashes righteously in that delicious, vicious Bay area style that Testament has honed to perfection. Who knows…it just might inspire the mellowest mosh pit ever!
10. GAS GIANT - “Too Stoned”
Because, let’s face it: some of you, despite your best intentions, will definitely over-indulge today. Hey, no judgements here, it happens to the best of us. Fortunately, the Danish boys in Gas Giant have the perfect song for you if today’s celebrations get a little too intense.
Have fun, stay safe and enjoy the tunes: