Sleep

Born in San Jose, California in the early 1990s, Sleep established itself as a central trio in the history of stoner and doom metal, with a sound based on slow tempos, massive and repetitive riffs, and Al Cisneros's grave voice, the band's only constant member. Formed after the Asbestosdeath experience with Matt Pike, Chris Hakius and initially Justin Marler, Sleep released Volume One in 1991 and then Sleep’s Holy Mountain in 1992, a record often cited in the evolution of stoner metal. The band then developed a strongly marked aesthetic, between Sabbath-like heaviness, hypnotic repetition, and psychedelic imagery. Its trajectory is also linked to the turbulent history of Dopesmoker, recorded in the 1990s, rejected at the time by its record label and then finally published in its original version in 2003, after an earlier remixed release under the title Jerusalem in 1999. Separated in 1998, Sleep then let its members pursue other projects, notably High on Fire for Matt Pike and Om for Al Cisneros with Chris Hakius. Reforming in 2009, now with Jason Roeder on drums, Sleep returned to the stage in festival circuits and venues dedicated to heavy music before releasing The Sciences in 2018. The group’s discography also includes the EP Iommic Life in 2021. In 2026, Sleep opens a new chapter with Dale Crover on drums and Bubba Dupree on guitar, then releases Hempispheres the same year.