Sleep is an American heavy metal band from San Jose, California. Guitarist Matt Pike and bassist and vocalist Al Cisneros have been the only constant members throughout its history, with several changes of drummers throughout their history. Critic Eduardo Rivadavia describes them as “perhaps the ultimate stoner rock band”[ and notes they exerted a strong influence on metal in the 1990s. The band first gained attention with their second album, Sleep’s Holy Mountain (1992). However, conflict with the band’s record company contributed to Sleep’s breakup by the end of the decade. Sleep’s third album, Dopesmoker, was released after the band’s dissolution. The band reformed in 2009 and has played sporadic live dates internationally since. In 2018, Sleep surprise-released their comeback album, The Sciences, on Third Man Records, to critical acclaim.
Dopesmoker by Sleep, Bandcamp, 2023
Dopesmoker | Sleep (bandcamp.com)
Remastered audio for metal classic Dopesmoker + included for the first time digitally is the deep cut “Hot Lava Man.”
Recorded in 1996 and not released (in slightly different edit/mix) until 1999 under the title Jerusalem, the legend and lore behind Dopesmoker would overshadow an LP of any lesser significance. But the 63-minute magnum opus dedicated exclusively to the sacrament of marijuana is not just the pinnacle of the goofily named stoner metal genre…it’s inarguably one of the most important and influential albums of all time.
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released December 16, 2022
NeuGuitars 