The difference, by ear
Stoner rock inherits space rock's fuzz and repetition and puts a groove back under it - Monster Magnet sit on the line.
Both are sung cleanly and move at much the same pace, around 90 to 130 bpm. Songs run longer in space rock: usually 6 to 20 minutes, against 4 to 7 minutes in stoner rock. To hear the difference, play Hawkwind next to Kyuss. They share a root in rock, and space rock came first, by 21 years.
In figures
Space rock
Where it sits
Rock › Psychedelic rock › Space rock
In short
A repetitive riff under a thick layer of synthesizers and cosmic whoosh. Lemmy went straight from here into Motörhead.
How it sounds
- A repetitive riff, often on a single chord, held for tens of minutes.
- Analogue synthesizers, oscillators and white noise as a permanent layer.
- Hypnotic structure with almost no harmonic development.
Key acts
- Hawkwind
- Gong
- Spacemen 3
- Monster Magnet
Start here
The pickHawkwind - Silver Machine. That's Lemmy singing, two years before Motörhead.
Full page →Stoner rock
Where it sits
Rock › Blues rock › Hard rock › Stoner rock
In short
Thick down-tuned riffs, groovy drums and a fuzz tone. Born at generator parties in the desert.
How it sounds
- Down-tuned guitars with thick, warm fuzz rather than sharp distortion.
- Mid-tempo groove with drums that sway instead of hitting.
- Analogue production, usually with vintage amps and no drum triggers.
Key acts
- Kyuss
- Fu Manchu
- Queens of the Stone Age
- Truckfighters
Start here
The pickKyuss - Blues for the Red Sun. That guitar tone has been copied for thirty years.
Full page →