Known for their black humour and outlandish stage shows, the Butthole Surfers came roaring out of the early-80s punk scene and have managed to carve out an underground existence ever since. This cult classic foreshadows grunge by tossing in some wildly experimental heavy psych with soaring sonic explorations. Seminal.
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Gish Smashing Pumpkins 1991 [Caroline]
While later albums focused on a straightforward stadium grunge sound, the debut long-player from the Smashing Pumpkins finds the band occasionally flirting with psych and shoegazer styles. Guitarist/vocalist Billy Corgan knows how to rock the joint, although most of the subject matter is fairly superficial. This one may surprise psych fans.
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Uncle Anesthesia Screaming Trees 1991 [Epic]
The first Screaming Trees album for a major label was also their last to feature overtly psych elements, thereafter going totally grunge. As a psychedelic swansong it is hard to beat, with the disturbing cover artwork suggesting no punches will be pulled. 'Bed of Roses' was a minor hit, with the title track and 'Disappearing' absolute standouts.
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Welcome to Sky Valley Kyuss 1994 [Elektra]
The classic album from legendary West Coast stoner band Kyuss. Having laid the template for modern stoner rock on 1992's Blues for the Red Sun, here the band delves further into psychedelic territory. Internal ructions, however, were tearing the band apart and they split the following year after several lineup changes.
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Wildhoney Tiamat 1994 [Century Media]
Coming out of the Swedish doom metal scene, Tiamat's breakthrough album expands their influences to include experimental and psych elements. It is all pretty much a catalogue of doom that one might find as a backdrop to one of those gothic fantasy/horror flicks where demons lurk in every corner. That said, it is the best of its genre.
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Tiny Music... Songs From the Vatican Gift Shop Stone Temple Pilots 1996 [Atlantic]
The hard rock record that confused many and mesmerised most. With vocalist Scott Weiland in all sorts of trouble for drug use it is perhaps not surprising that in places this record sounds like a throwback to 60s psych. A host of critics hated it, but the guys still made the cover of the Rolling Stone with it. Everyone loves a cosmic enigma.
Philadelphia space rock outfit Bardo Pond specialises in lengthy guitar-based excursions rife with feedback, distortion and fuzzy reverb. Song structures are typified by sonically lilting openings that work up to some stoner-style heavy riffing. The 10-minute opening opus 'Limerick' sets the scene and, after that, things never let up.
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Powertrip Monster Magnet 1998 [A&M]
Any band named for a 60s Wham-O toy and names their demo cassettes Forget About Life, I'm High on Dope and I'm Stoned, What Ya Gonna Do About It? obviously has a point to make about the psychedelic experience. This New Jersey stoner outfit rocks harder than most and knows how to make it all sound so retro.
