Sleep

Biography

Possibly the ultimate stoner rock-band, North California trio Sleep had a career that wafted in and away of focus from of their self-mandated cloud of marijuana smoke. Within their short time collectively, they issued a number of the heaviest, many uncompromising doom steel albums ever documented, leaving a star far exceeding the exact level of their result. Formed throughout the convert of the ’90s in San Jose, CA, by bassist/vocalist Al Cisneros, guitarists Matt Pike and Justin Marler, and drummer Chris Haikus, Rest instantly drew evaluations to underappreciated ’80s doomsters just like the Obsessed, Pentagram, and specifically Saint Vitus. Their sludgy 1991 debut was called Volume One honoring their sonic godfathers Dark Sabbath, nonetheless it wasn’t until Marler’s departure (apparently to become monk!) as well as the discharge of 1993’s Sleep’s Holy Hill that their own doom metal eyesight truly began getting into concentrate. The record became a popular of the rock press, and Rest had been heralded alongside various other promising retro-rocking groupings like Kyuss and Monster Magnet as market leaders of the recently emerging stoner rock and roll/doom metal picture. Such was the hype encircling the group that, carrying out a brief European tour helping first-generation doomsters Difficulty and British hopefuls Cathedral, Rest were apparently offered an unparalleled six-figure offer by London Information. But rather than grabbing their possibility at mainstream stardom for everyone it was worthy of, Rest vowed to delve also deeper to their extremely large and slothful sound rather. After almost 2 yrs of composing and rewriting materials for their following album (to become named Dopesmoker, and in addition) amidst abundant weed intake, the trio finally shipped its long-awaited epic, today called Jerusalem, to London Information. But to the label’s amaze, Jerusalem was made up of an individual 60-tiny magnum opus to weed that the music group refused to edit or split into areas under any situations. An entire deadlock ensued, tying up both celebrations in crimson tape for another 2 yrs. Finally, having smoked their whole advance loan through their bongs, Rest decided to split up instead of surrender the recording. Guitarist Matt Pike continued to form a fresh, more energetic rock band called On top of Open fire, while drummer Chris Haikus ultimately reunited with founding guitarist (and today ordained monk) Justin Marler within the Sabians. For the time being, an unauthorized edition of Jerusalem was silently released by GO ABOVE Records, nonetheless it wasn’t until 2003 a supposedly genuine and completely endorsed edition of Dopesmoker finally reached record shop shelves, getting the convoluted Rest saga to some close finally.

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