- Comeback albums are always a dangerous prospect. A band breaking up can see their legacy take on a life of its own, as fans augment memories with a heavy dose of idealism. With standards set impossibly high, it’s no surprise many artists end up a shadow of their former selves.
Luckily, Sleep’s first contribution to the stoner metal world in nineteen years sounds like they never left. A surprise release on the sacred holiday of April 20th, The Sciences offers fans six tracks of hazy soundscapes and soul-crushing riffs that define what Sleep do best. Al Cisneros and Matt Pike are back, this time joined by drummer Jason Roeder of Neurosis fame. Together, they successfully recapture Sleep’s genre-pioneering signature sound for 2018.
An unmistakable recording of smoke being filtered through water opens the cleverly titled Marijuanaut’s Theme, the band hurtles through a grooving, bass powered jam with stomach-churning walls of textured guitar. Matt Pike’s multiple solo moments are legitimately epic, conjuring layers of melodic dissonance which pierce through the dense fog of bass.
The next two songs are archetypal Sleep anthems: gargantuan, multi-staged, and psychedelic. Sonic Titan lumbers along hypnotically, while Antarticans Thawed is dripping with abrasive menace. Both tracks collapse upon themselves multiple times, repeatedly re-animating into distorted oceans of sound that feature excellent soloing from all 3 members.
While the band’s overall style remains largely unchanged, influences from each member’s other work are apparent. Matt Pike’s guitar performances sound better than ever before, clearly refined from his years leading the blood pumping High On Fire. Al Cisneros’ vocals however, are far creepier in tone, a clear influence from the cult-like style of his duo Om.
Sadly, this is where my main problems with this record start to emerge. One of stoner rock’s largest appeals for me is its’ muddy quality. It’s enjoyable to hear vocal performances being swallowed by an abyss of noise. So while the improved mixing and recording found here is mostly for the better, it also tends to highlight Al’s vocal shortcomings, which can be detrimental to the atmosphere.
Thankfully vocals are far from the main focus here, and the remaining material is just awesome. I have a hard time seeing how any Sleep fan, or fan of metal in general, could be disappointed by this release. Sure, it doesn’t exactly push many boundaries, but that doesn’t stop The Sciences being a triumphant return. It’s Sleep’s love letter to the genre they helped create.
- Boddhi Farmer.