Terminology
The descriptor "stoner rock" is thought to originate from the title of the 1997 Roadrunner Records compilation Burn One Up! Music for Stoners. Desert rock is also used somewhat interchangeably as a descriptor, and was purportedly coined by a MeteorCity Records intern, sometime around the time the label released the 1998 stoner rock compilation Welcome To Meteor City.
Due to the similarities between stoner and sludge metal, there is often a crossover between the two genres. This hybrid has traits of both styles, but generally avoids stoner metal's positive atmosphere and its usage of psychedelia. Bands such as Bongzilla, Weedeater, High on Fire and Electric Wizard have been reported to fuse both styles.
Read more about this topic: Stoner Rock