So far, 2018 has been a great year for music releases. Indie, folk, electronic, pop, garage; you name it, there’s been a stellar new release in that genre. This is not about those. This is about the bringers of doom, the guardians of sludge, the heralds of fuzzed-out, groovy psychedelic metal: the one and only Sleep. Widely regarded as the founders of the stoner metal subgenre, Sleep have developed a devoted following over the years, due to their unique blend of crushing heaviness, Hendrix-style cosmic soloing, groove-centric bass and thunderous percussion. Their newest effort, The Sciences (released on 4/20, of course), is another sterling entry in their catalogue.
Beginning with a series of Morse code messages in 2017, Sleep had been hinting about a new album. As the first full album of new material since 2003’s Dopesmoker, expectations were through the roof. The album does not disappoint, with the opening title track blasting hazy, effects-laden guitar warbles and leading into “The Marijuanaut’s Theme.” As with most of Sleep’s music, their reverence for marijuana is repeated often during the album, as well as their penchant for epic fantasy style tracks (see “Sonic Titan” and “Antarcticans Thawed”, songs that reach past the 12 and 14-minute marks, respectively). In addition, they pay tribute to their inspiration, Black Sabbath, with the track “Giza Butler” (a play on Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler), which features a solo from bassist Al Cisneros. Closing track “The Botanist” is a burly free-for-all slugfest, featuring some of the best music on the album.
With The Sciences, Sleep also demonstrate why they have such broad crossover appeal: guitarist Matt Pike can go from titanic, oozing doom metal to high-flying ‘70s psychedelia at the drop of a hat, and drummer Jason Roeder is an absolute monster at the kit, holding back the supercharged bong-ripping devastation from spiraling into oblivion. The extended instrumental interludes are a real treat, digging into the crunch of the sound as Pike and Cisneros improvise around Roeder’s bombastic rhythms.
As far as Sleep goes, there isn’t much else that can be said about them that hasn’t been said before. There is a reason they are one of the most beloved stoner/doom metal bands around, and why they appeal to so many outside those genres as well: they believe in what they do and they do it well. They don’t put on airs; what you see and hear is what you get: pulverizing guitar, cavernous drums, and thick, viscous bass. You almost feel like you have to wade through the music. It’s extra crunchy, but the meat underneath is the real treat.
The Sciences Rating: 9/10
