Humor is a special thing. Much like music, it has the ability to bring people together. Unfortunately, many bands in heavy music tend to take themselves rather seriously. However, Stoner Rock has no shortage of humor engrained within it. Sure, there are very serious bands (and very serious albums) with very serious music, but humor seems to flow fairly effortlessly throughout the scene. We’re going to take a look at it.
Band Names
Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol
Just by name alone, Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol is enough to bring a smile to my face. Their music is a unique brand of what’s been called “Bubblegum Doom” or “Party Doom” or even “The Weezer of Doom.” But they are more than some sort of joke band. They make legitimate, heavy, fuzzy, crunchy, and infectious music, but they clearly have a sense of humor. With album names like Grease Beast and Burger Babes from Outer Space, it’s hard not to smile while you get crushed by the fuzz.
Stöner
Out of the legendary ashes of Kyuss, 2021 saw the rise of the appropriately named Stöner. Made up of Desert/Stoner Rock heroes, Nick Oliveri and Brant Bjork reclaimed the stoner rock moniker by simply naming their newly formed group Stöner. In fact, they named their debut album Stoners Rule. Followed by their 2022 effort, Totally…—which had a pepperoni pizza as the album cover. There has been debate over the years on the use of “stoner rock” as the chosen term for the genre, with many claiming that it implies the need to be on drugs to enjoy it. As the forefathers of the scene, I love that they took the term, embraced it, and owned it outright with a sense of humor.
Album Covers
I recently published an article for Monster Riff that mentioned a few Stoner Rock albums that had humorous album art, including Volcanova’s Cosmic Bullshit, Mad Chicken’s Poultrygeist, and Van Groover’s Honk if Parts Fall Off. Album covers are insanely important to a band and their music. It’s often the first introduction a fan might have to the band and can make or break that first impression. It sets the tone for the entire album. I’ve listened, or not listened, to many albums purely based on album covers.
Weed
Marijuana is not inherently funny, but Stoner Rock’s fixation of it might be. I mean, it’s called “Stoner Rock!” From Sleep’s Dopesmoker to Bongzilla‘s Weedsconsin, or Lonely Kamel’s “More Weed Less Hate” to the Gas Giant classic “Too Stoned,” there is no shortage of weed references. Don’t believe me? Check it out:
