Sleep (band)
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{{Infobox musical artist
|Name = Sleep
|Img =
|Img_capt =
|Background = group_or_band
| Landscape = yes
|Origin = [[San Jose, California]], [[United States]]
|Genre = [[Doom metal]]<br>[[Stoner rock]]
|Years_active = 1991-1998
|Label = [[London Records]]<br>[[Very Small Records]]<br>[[Earache Records]]<br>[[Tee Pee Records]]<br>[[The Music Cartel]]
|URL =
|Associated_acts = [[Om (band)|Om]]<br>[[High on Fire]]<br>[[Asbestosdeath]]<br>The Sabians
|Current_members =
|Past_members = [[Al Cisneros]]<br>[[Matt Pike]]<br>[[Chris Hakius]]<br>Justin Marler
}}
'''Sleep''' was a [[doom metal#Stoner doom|stoner doom metal]] band from [[San Jose, California]]. Active during the 1990s, Sleep earned much critical and record label attention from early in their career. Critic Ed Rivadavia describes them as "perhaps the ultimate [[stoner rock]] band"<ref>[http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:kiftxqr5ld0e~T1 allmusic ((( Sleep > Biography )))<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> and notes they exerted a strong influence on heavy metal in the '90s. However, squabbles with their record company had contributed to Sleep's breakup by the end of the decade.
==History==
===Before Sleep===
Sleep evolved in the early 1990's from the band [[Asbestosdeath]], which had been established by [[Al Cisneros]], [[Chris Hakius]] and guitarist Tom Choi. Asbestosdeath expanded to a quartet with the introduction of [[Matt Pike]] on guitar, and recorded 2 singles - "Dejection" for [[Profane Existence]] and the self released "Unclean". Choi departed, and would later found Operator Generator, It Is I, [[Noothgrush]], and Las Vegas' Black Jets. Asbestosdeath recruited Justin Marler as replacement and the band adopted the new name, Sleep.
===Recording Era===
Their debut album ''[[Volume One (Sleep album)|Volume One]]'' was released in 1991. Frequently compared to bands like [[Saint Vitus (band)|Saint Vitus]], Sleep soon gained a devoted fanbase within the developing [[doom metal]] scene. The record also showcased the band's penchant for lysergic [[dirges]]. Marler quit the band soon after to take up life as a [[monk]], leaving the band as a power trio for the recording of their ''[[Volume Two (Sleep album)|Volume Two]]'' EP, which was released unofficially by Off The Disc Records in 1991.
The band's next album was sent to the independent label, Earache, as a demo. Recorded at Razors Edge studios in San Francisco, with Billy Anderson handling production, the tape showcased Sleep's love of all things retro, from the blatant [[Black Sabbath]]/[[Blue Cheer]] influences, to their fixation with 1970's-style [[Orange Amplification|Orange]] and Green Matamp amplification. The label immediately signed the band and released the tape exactly as it was received.
''[[Sleep's Holy Mountain]]'' (1992) is widely considered a seminal album in the evolution of stoner metal. The album's release was followed by a potentially lucrative offer from [[London Records]], and Sleep signed with them. Around this time, Earache released its first Black Sabbath Tribute album, and Sleep contributed a cover of "[[Snowblind (song)|Snowblind]]".
Under their new contract, they began work on their third album, ''[[Dopesmoker]]'', in 1995. Much to the dismay of executives at London records, ''Dopesmoker'' was comprised of a single song more than one hour long. London Records declared the album unmarketable and refused to release it. Sleep returned to the studio and then submitted their second attempt at the new album. They had retitled it ''Jerusalem'', re-written some of the lyrics and trimmed it down to a "lean" 52 minutes, but it was essentially the same as ''Dopesmoker''. London Records again refused to release it. Frustrated and generally unhappy with the situation, the members of Sleep decided to disband.
===After Sleep===
In 1998, ''[[Jerusalem (Sleep album)|Jerusalem]]'' was released posthumously as an "official bootleg" by a friend of the band. Sleep and their former manager had full knowledge of this and granted it their approval. In 1999, ''Jerusalem'' was given an official legitimate release by [[The Music Cartel]] in the US and [[Rise Above Records]] in Europe.
Finally, in 2003 the original version of ''[[Dopesmoker]]'' was officially released by [[Tee Pee Records]]. It is generally considered the definitive version of the album. An excerpted version can be heard on [[Jim Jarmusch]]'s ''[[Broken Flowers]]'' original soundtrack.
Cisneros and Hakius later formed the band [[Om (band)|Om]] while Pike formed [[High on Fire]].
In 2007 a CD compilation of both 7" releases of the pre-Sleep band, Asbestosdeath, was released on [[Southern Lord]] Records.
== Line-up ==
* [[Al Cisneros]] - [[bass guitar]], [[vocals]]
* [[Matt Pike]] - [[electric guitar|guitar]]
* [[Chris Hakius]] - [[drum]]s
* Justin Marler - guitar (1990 - 1991)
==Discography==
===Albums===
*''[[Volume One (Sleep album)|Volume One]]'' (1991 Tupelo Records)
*''[[Sleep's Holy Mountain]]'' (1992 [[Earache Records]])
*''[[Jerusalem (Sleep album)|Jerusalem]]'' (1999 [[The Music Cartel]]/[[Rise Above Records]])
*''[[Dopesmoker]]'' (2003 [[Tee Pee Records]])
===EPs===
*''[[Volume Two (EP)|Volume Two]]'' (1992 Off the Disk Records)
===Compilation appearances===
*"Numb" on ''Sign Language'' 3x7" (1991 Allied Recordings)
*"The Suffering" on ''Very Small World'' LP (1991 Very Small Records)
*"[[Snowblind (song)|Snowblind]]" on ''Masters of Misery'' CD (1997 [[Earache Records]])
*"Aquarian" on ''Burn One Up (Music for Stoners)'' CD (1997 [[Roadrunner Records]])
*"Some Grass" and "Dragonaut" on ''[[Gummo]] Soundtrack'' CD (1998 DominoRecording Company)
*"Dragonaut" on ''Stoned Revolution - The Ulimate Trip'' CD/2LP (1998 Drunken Maria Records)
*"[[Dopesmoker]]" on ''[[Broken Flowers]] Music from the Film'' Soundtrack CD (2005 [[Decca Records]])
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://www.highonfire.com/sleep.html Highonfire.com's Sleep Page]
*[http://www.earache.com/bands/sleep/sleep.html Earache Records]
*[http://www.teepeerecords.com/bands/sleep/ Tee Pee Records]
*[http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:kiftxqr5ld0e Sleep] at [[Allmusic]]
*[http://www.myspace.com/rifffilledland Sleep] at [[MySpace]]
{{Sleep (band)}}
[[Category:California heavy metal musical groups]]
[[Category:Doom metal musical groups]]
[[Category:Stoner metal musical groups]]
[[Category:Stoner rock musical groups]]
[[Category:Rock trios]]
[[Category:1990s music groups]]
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