Post Reply - Innovation

Regarding sludge, as Tri.... mentioned above the Swans played a pivotal role in it's beginnings (and perhaps latter day Black Flag too). To look at Sludge's ground work through the 80's I think it is important to take into the consideration what was happening within the Noise Rock & Post-Hardcore scenes (even some industrial/industrial rock if your interested in the close links early sludge had to bands like Godflesh).

After reading this thread I cracked out Zeni Geva's Vast Impotentz (KK Null's band) from '86, which is a great extension of what the Swans brought to the table with albums, like Filth & Cop, but wtih decidedly more dirge, especially the 'epic' which stirs thoughts of drone doom, predating stuff like Earth & Sleep by a number of years (again, those two mentioned by Tri...).

Other mid eights works which I can think of at the moment are Head of David's album simple entitled 'LP'. There's a thoughtful review on Metal-Archives http://www.metal-archives.com/reviews/Head_of_David/LP/53257/ which divulges upon some historical informs & a tube link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vp7EdXhX4C8 for aural references. Gore - Hart Gore (and their following albums) could be of interest. Hart Gore, I think, was re-issued on Southern Lord in '08 if that's a hint towards it's sound.

In the late 80's early 90's you've got things like Skullflower - From Destroyer (which while not metal I cannot help think it influenced the more atmospheric side of Sludge), Eyehategod's early albums (for some reason they seem almost ignored on this site despite being one of the most seminal bands of the genre), anyway this is a bit hodgepodge and vague, I'd have to sit down and give this a proper think...