Sleep - Hemispheres Review
This was one that I've been waiting for, from my favorite stoner rock and drone metal band, Sleep! Having enjoyed my fair share of Dopesmoker, and really going hard on The Sciences (more on that in a future article), Sleep are one of the coolest and curiously chill metal acts out there. How can metal be chill? Well, there's something to be said for their overarching theme of herbal sonic pleasures and deep low-end frequencies, which birthed an entire genre that Sleep almost single-handedly created.
Sleep have had a long career separated by only a handful of albums. Despite this, they have managed to remain on the forefront of the genre and are top of mind among metalheads and stoners alike. I for one don’t identify with either category, but I am tuned in to the music that they make for the meditative and heavy, calm, and gratifying sounds that they create.
The biggest difference between this newest album and albums past is the lineup change. Founding member Matt Pike is gone, and is replaced by Bubba Dupree of hardcore punk band Void, on guitars, and former metal band Neurosis drummer Jason Roeder is replaced by former Melvins drummer Dale Crover. In case it isn't obvious by now, this lineup change seems more like a revolving door, with bassist and vocalist Al Cisneros, the core founding member, at the center of it all. I love Al and his music, with his side project Om being my favorite iteration of doom metal (more on them in a future article). But with this lineup change, consisting of extremely talented rock and metal alums, it shows that Sleep can power through this change, and may have some fresh sounds to offer.
Hemispheres starts and ends with Sabbathian riffs that are very, very Master of Reality. These are the stylistic influences that are the foundation of the entire stoner and doom metal genre, and can be heard as early as 1992's Sleep's Holy Mountain. Have Spacesuit Will Travel starts the album off with this familiar style, but not before offering a meditative drum-circle-style bass intro, which offers the first new sounds of Sleep. It has a little electric guitar moaning that sounds like whale calls through the cosmos. Once the song actually gets rolling, Al sings,
To beyond the farthest star
From earth now disembark
Stoned
Calibrates for deepspace
Inhaler of The Way
Leaves the earthly day
The cannabis allegiant
Yes. This is what stoner metal is all about. Enjoy the aural, herbal journey, which this album has to offer. After a few minutes of riffing and verses, Bubba's guitar solo kicks off, and is reminiscent of Spiral Architect off of Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. It's got a very classic sound to it and less doom-y than their previous albums, making it brighter melodically than probably any of their other songs.
The Morrisist doesn't wait for a second and starts chugging along with ominous guitars, locomotive drums, and brooding bass. Before too long, the steady rock groove picks up the pieces. Al starts off singing, "40 days on Dagobud", tying in 3 references in one line. 40 days being the common biblical reference of "a lot of time passed", Dagobah, the swamp-filled planet that was master jedi Yoda's planet of exile, and "bud"... which, you guessed it, is another cannabis reference! These guys really are a vibe all their own. Another cool line he sings is "Flight of the phoenix, through the cosmic sea". I don't really have anything to say about that other than the fact that Sleep and Om love their imagery, and Sleep's sci-fi imagery rules.
Hemispheres the title track has a generic but solid groove. It has what sounds like a synthesizer that squeegees the track in between verses. The guitar solo actually was confusing to behold, and is the weakest point on the album, which is what makes the nearly 8 minute title track a head scratcher. I listened to the solo, expecting it to fire into the stratosphere, but it never does, and instead wriggles on terrestrial ground. So much more could have been done here.
Arrival of the Industry Ships, the fourth and penultimate track of the album, for all of the title track’s faults, fully redeems it, and is the lift that Hemispheres needs to put Sleep on their mantle. It runs at 11:11 minutes, which is a nice touch I might add. It has a slower pace, but is very memorable with its riffs and Al's vocal phrasing. This is the catchiest song on the album and the one that is still playing in my head long after it ends. The song is essentially split into two parts, with a second, even more satisfying syncopated-style riffs and beats, with fuzzy sounding bass plucks and reverberating guitar wahs. This is the new Sleep I can get behind.
Whole Wheat Mountain / Well Baked is the final song, and it has a lot of emphasis with its cymbal drumbeat to signal the end is nigh. It really has a Holy Mountain vibe, and almost feels like home and their roots. After a couple of verses and a Bubba solo that redeems his earlier blunder, the second half, Well Baked, thumps into existence with a classic Sabbathian riff. It is so chill and is embellished with what sounds like a piano (or xylophone, or marimba?) near the end, that walks alongside the riff and is also a sound that is brand new for them. By the conclusion of all of this, it begs the question: Are Sleep Masters of their Reality?
This album is a bit puzzling. While it arrived with huge anticipation, it manages to be two contradictory things at once. Hemispheres is tame, but not weak. This makes it easily the chillest album in their long and storied career, which also makes it the best entry point for newcomers. While I listened to it the first time, I had the feeling that I wanted to like it more, which isn't optimal for me or other Sleep fans who were expecting something more heavy and heady. Despite this, some of their riffs and verses were worming their way into my brain. Subsequent listens became much more enjoyable once acceptance was made with their subtler approach.
Hemispheres feels like more of an EP than an entire album given its short 38 minute runtime. Even their Adult Swim singles, 2014's The Clarity and 2018's Leagues Beneath, which were cleverly packaged as a 2 LP release (with sides B and D etchings); they felt like behemoths compared to this. Still, there are plenty of Sabbath-inspired riffs in here and new sound formations that give Hemispheres a fresh outlook for Sleep's future, despite it sounding derivative. It's no Ding Dang, but it'll do.
Hemispheres - 8/10
Recommended Tracks - Have Spacesuit Will Travel, Hemispheres, Arrival of the Industry Ships