Essential drone metal listening

The albums that define drone metal.

Our picks for where to start with drone metal — with a one-line read on why each one matters.

The drone metal essentials

Twenty-four picks. Press play on any of them.

The Thing Which Solomon Overlooked – Chronicle

Boris

The Thing Which Solomon Overlooked – Chronicle

A sprawling soundscape where heavy drones intertwine with ethereal textures, creating an immersive auditory experience.

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Heavy Rocks

Boris

Heavy Rocks

Heavy riffs blend with experimental textures, creating a sonic landscape that challenges and captivates throughout.

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The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull

Earth

The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull

A haunting fusion of drone metal and expansive instrumentation that evokes vast, desolate landscapes.

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Extra-Capsular Extraction

Earth

Extra-Capsular Extraction

A slow-burning tapestry of droning guitars and minimalist rhythms that evokes a haunting sense of desolation.

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Skin Turns to Glass

Nadja

Skin Turns to Glass

A sprawling exploration of heavy drones and ethereal textures that envelop listeners in a haunting soundscape.

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Touched

Nadja

Touched

A sprawling landscape of heavy, immersive drone layered with haunting melodies and ethereal textures.

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Ascension

Jesu

Ascension

Ethereal soundscapes merge with heavy, droning guitars to create an immersive emotional experience.

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Clean Hands Go Foul

Khanate

Clean Hands Go Foul

A relentless exploration of despair, where heavy drones and haunting vocals linger in a suffocating atmosphere.

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Capture & Release

Khanate

Capture & Release

A haunting exploration of soundscapes, where crushing drones and elongated silences intertwine in a meditative experience.

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Sun Down/Sun Rise

Jesu

Sun Down/Sun Rise

A sprawling soundscape where heavy drones entwine with ethereal melodies, creating a meditative yet intense auditory experience.

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New Dominions

Locrian

New Dominions

A haunting blend of drone metal and atmospheric soundscapes that envelops the listener in a sonic abyss.

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Bless Them That Curse You

Locrian

Bless Them That Curse You

A sprawling amalgamation of drone, despair, and avant-garde experimentation that envelops the listener in its sonic haze.

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Retrocausal

Cleric

Retrocausal

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The Underling

Cleric

The Underling

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