Stoner rock, a genre born from BLACK SABBATH and BLUE CHEER's heavy riffing, has seen a resurgence in the 2020s.

Bands like GREEN LUNG, KING BUFFALO, HOWLING GIANT, DOMKRAFT, SLIFT, NORWEGIAN quartet Slomosa, and LOS ANGELES newcomers Doomboyz are pushing the genre into new territories with their latest releases.

These bands have been mapping the territory for years, drawing from krautrock, space rock, psych, and modern metal influences.

From the folk horror of GREEN LUNG's Black Harvest to DOMKRAFT's accessible album Sonic Moons, stoner rock has never sounded louder or weirder.

The cannabis culture that once defined the genre is still part of its identity, but new bands are leaning into pagan folklore instead.

Bands like Slomosa have coined terms like "tundra rock," blending desert mythology with modern soundscapes.

The 2020s have seen a fresh crop of heavy psych bands emerge, including SLOMOSA, who won Best Rock Album at the Spellemannprisen and has since toured with HELMET in the US and headlined their own festival in Bergen.

Other notable releases include KING BUFFALO's Regenerator, HOWLING GIANT's Glass Future, and SLIFT's Ilion.

These records showcase the best of stoner rock: heavy riffs, tight songwriting, and a willingness to explore new sounds without watering down the genre.

With bands like Doomboyz, who released their debut album Evil Riffs From Los Angeles in July 2024, there's no sign that stoner rock will be dying anytime soon.