The Sciences Of Sleep

Addendum:  Sleep released a new track titled "Leagues Beneath" earlier today through the Adult Swim singles series.  Here's a link to the SoundCloud page:  https://soundcloud.com/adultswimsingles/sleep

     Back on April 20^th, 2018, Christmas came early this year for those of us that are fans of the band Sleep.  I woke up around 6am that morning to find the internets abuzz with news that Sleep had released an unannounced album, via Third Man Records, called The Sciences to mark the occasion of the stoner's holiday.  With Record Store Day following on the next day, it seemed like a rather appropriate thing to do.

     As soon as I saw that a new Sleep record was a thing, I dropped everything and ran to my computer for further investigation.  I made my first iTunes purchase in I don't know how many years just to get the record pouring out of my speakers.  The next step was to secure the vinyl.

     From my initial scrounging around, I learned that Third Man did the first pressing on translucent green vinyl, with a gatefold cover, followed by black vinyl.  I was able to secure a copy of the green vinyl so I was under the impression that my fanboy/collector needs were satisfied.

     Until a few days later when I learned that there was a half green, half black version of The Sciences that was in a standard sleeve with alternate artwork.  This pressing was limited to 1,000 and was only distributed to a select few indie stores throughout the US and UK.  The fact that the record came out on Third Man should have been a clue that there would be some sort of super limited pressing.  I must be slipping in my old age for not realizing this sooner.  It was not easy trying to track a copy down but now I can say I own a different color of a record that I already had.   Hooray. No one would ever care, besides me, and that's okay.

     The Sciences has been out for about a month now and I have been giving it a listen at least once a day since then just trying to wrap my brain around the album before I tried writing about it.  As someone who doesn't even like to take aspirin, I am quite the opposite of a stoner but I sure do enjoy the stoner metal, when it's done right.  And by golly Sleep knocked it out of the park with this one.  This was their first full length since the epic Dopesmoker and their first new music since they put out the song “The Clarity” as part of the Adult Swim Sumer Singles Program a few years back.  This is also their first LP with Neurosis drummer, Jason Roeder.

     The three minute, three second opener is the title track and it is ten tons of instrumental riffage that is very reminiscent of the intro to Dopesmoker.  “The Sciences” feels as if it could continue into a larger piece but then it is suddenly interrupted by the sound of a bong hit which then drops into the second track, “Marijuanaut's Theme.”  The song starts ripping into the speakers as soon as it begins and doesn't let up for over six minutes.

     Track three is called “Sonic Titan.”  A nine minute live version of this song has been around for years on side D of Dopesmoker.  The studio version that is on The Sciences is a more fleshed out and methodical take on the song that spans twelve and a half minutes and occupies all of side B.

     “Antarcticans Thawed” is the entirety of side C and is the second leg of a three song marathon in the middle of the album when all of the songs clock in at over ten minutes.  Al Cisneros' vocal approach takes on more of a chanting aspect that is similar to the rhythms found in throat singing. Matt Pike's guitar playing sounds more meditative and droning until he hits the solo and then all bets are off.  Good luck keeping your brain in your ears.

     “Giza Butler” is the second to last track on the album.  The title is in tribute to the bass player in Black Sabbath, Geezer Butler. There's a nice mellow intro to the song that gives the brain a brief respite for about two minutes before the band drops the hammer of grooves for another eight.  Toward the end, a fuzzed out bass kicks in to take things up another notch.

     “The Botanist” closes out side D and brings The Sciences to a close.  It's a six minute instrumental jam where the band feels as if they are unwinding and bringing us all back down to Earth after they took us on a journey to outer space.

     All in all, Sleep did not disappoint in any way with The Sciences.  Al Cisneros and Matt Pike found a way to bring together the distinct sounds of their other bands, Om and High On Fire, that allowed them to reconvene as Sleep without clashing.  Or sounding like some sort of reach backwards for former glory that sometimes happens when bands reform and get back into the studio.

     Ear buds and laptop speakers will not contain this thing due to the heft of the low end.  For peak enjoyment, run this record through a proper stereo setup on vinyl and play it so loud your neighbors call the cops.

Here's a link pick up the vinyl: https://thirdmanstore.com/bands/sleep/the-sciences or better yet, head out to your favorite local store and grab a copy in person.