Sleep

Sleep formed in San Jose, California, in 1990 from Asbestosdeath, whose lineup comprised bassist and vocalist Al Cisneros, drummer Chris Hakius, and guitarist Tom Choi. After Matt Pike joined as a second guitarist, Asbestosdeath released the singles “Dejection” and “Unclean.” Choi subsequently departed, guitarist Justin Marler replaced him, and the quartet adopted the name Sleep. The band released its debut album, Volume One, in 1991; Marler left soon afterward, leaving Cisneros, Pike, and Hakius to record the EP Volume Two and the influential album Sleep’s Holy Mountain in 1992. Its slow tempos, heavily distorted riffs, and psychedelic imagery helped establish the foundations of stoner and doom metal. Sleep then signed with London Records and recorded an album-length composition, but the label refused to release the work in its intended form. The dispute contributed to the band’s breakup in 1998. An edited version of the recording appeared as Jerusalem in 1999, while a more complete version was released as Dopesmoker through Tee Pee Records in 2003 and received a widely acclaimed Southern Lord reissue in 2012. During Sleep’s separation, Pike formed High on Fire, while Cisneros and Hakius founded Om. Sleep reunited for two performances with Hakius in 2009, and Neurosis drummer Jason Roeder joined the following year. The trio returned to recording with “The Clarity” in 2014 before surprise-releasing The Sciences through Third Man Records in 2018, followed by the standalone track “Leagues Beneath.” Live at Third Man Records arrived in 2019, shortly before Sleep announced an indefinite hiatus, while the two long-form singles were paired on Iommic Life in 2021. The band resumed performing in 2022, when Third Man issued another remastered edition of Dopesmoker featuring “Hot Lava Man.” Roeder disclosed in 2025 that Sleep’s management had dismissed him the previous year. In 2026, Pike also left the group, and Cisneros introduced a new lineup featuring former Void guitarist Bubba Dupree and Melvins drummer Dale Crover. Sleep returned that June with “Have Spacesuit Will Travel,” its first new song in eight years, accompanied by a comic book written by Cisneros. After releasing “The Morrisist,” the trio issued the five-track album Hempispheres digitally through Third Man Records on September 3, 2026.

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