I’ve heard the word sludge used to classify bands from Pro-Pain to Neurosis to Grand Funk Railroad, so let’s be clear right off the bat that when I talk about sludge, I mean ultra-aggressive, screaming doom, played slow, played angry. It’s a term as nebulous as any other, but going from that specific definition, and considering the bands I’m about to recommend who play it, we should have a pretty good basis to work from.

There are some acts who take sludge to vicious extremes — see Fistula or Sollubi — blending in elements of black metal or SunnO))) style drone minimalism, but I’m not talking about them either. Where to start with sludge is the root of the subgenre, the key formative groups who’ve made it possible for a new generation to pull the sound in the multiple directions they have.

Because I couldn’t narrow it down to five, here are seven killer sludge bands to start with:

Crowbar: Their later material actually has little in common with what’s currently thought of as sludge, but 1991′s Obedience thru Suffering and 1993′s Crowbar are essential to understanding what the sound has become. The latter (recently reissued) is a better starting point for its more memorable songs.

Eyehategod: As much an influence in lifestyle and persona as for their music, the New Orleans gods of sonic fuck-all have nonetheless produced some of sludge’s most classic material. Just not in the last decade. At all. Start with 1993′s Take as Needed for Pain.

Negative Reaction: Their early stuff was more geared to sci-fi, which made the long-running Long Island outfit unique among their viscous peers. 2000′s endofyourerror saw them start to veer away from that into more personal lyrical territory, but it’s a stunningly abrasive listen nonetheless.

Buzzov*en: Dude. To a Frown. Dude.

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Neither Bongzilla, nor the foot of snow that fell on the valley last night (with more allegedly on the way) is subtle. Both are sloppy, and if you’re subject to prolonged exposure to either, it can have a serious effect on your mental state. Hence, “Keefmaster” from the 2003 Relapse Contamination Festival. Dig.

February, in everything but the weather, is winding down, but this was still a pretty busy week, with the Apostle of Solitude interview that went up today and the Cathedral and Ufomammut reviews yesterday, The Brought Low on Tuesday, etc. Lots of great stuff, and thanks for reading and commenting. I know there’s the banner on the side of the page, but it’s worth repeating that if you haven’t checked out the March podcast yet, you should do so immediately because it rules.

Enjoy your weekend and stay tuned. More good times to follow.