The strangest thing happened on April 20th. I was sitting in the library on campus, ready to leave and go home for the day, but first I felt the need to listen to "Dragonaut", for whatever reason. It was 4/20 after all and I love me some Sleep. I went on Spotify and searched for Sleep only to find that they had released The Sciences, their first album in nearly two decades, without any sort of announcement. Seeing that a new Sleep album existed alone deemed it impossible for me to go home without listening to the album. And so I did, twice in one sitting.
I shouldn't need to introduce Sleep, but I will. Sleep are a critical stoner/doom metal band that are known for infusing a sound akin to Black Sabbath with actual marijuana leaves. I knew that Sleep was going to release a new album some time this year, and while I was looking forward to it, I had my worries. For example, I did not know how Sleep was going to fare with a more modern production sound, as the massive analog sound was part of what made Holy Mountain so spectacular. I also had concerns with drum sound, as this is Jason Roeder's first album with the band. I think drumming is often overlooked in many stoner bands, and some doom bands, yet Sleep has always had spectacular drum work, courtesy of former drummer Chris Hakius, who retired from music entirely. Perhaps my final and most relevant concern was simply that it was a comeback album from a twenty year hiatus in recording music. A lot can happen in twenty years. Comeback albums can be either underwhelming and lead one to wish that a group had never reformed (Illud Divinum Insanus, I'm talking about you), or may be spectacular and show some sort of growth in the time off (Monotheist, At War With Reality, or even Black Gives Way to Blue).
However, Sleep's new album certainly deserves to be in the second category, as The Sciences does everything I could possibly ask of Sleep in 2018. The album starts off with an instrumental intro, which takes its title from the title of the album. This intro doesn't really add much, but it certainly makes you antsy to hear something significant, teasing some guitar work from Matt Pike. After the introduction lies the first real song, "Marijuanaut's Theme", which certainly sets the mood for the rest of the album. Riffy, groovy, and thick, this track is infectious and contains many references to Tony Iommi, which are always welcome. This song features a bass solo, which is nothing short of one of the most fitting bass solos I have ever heard. Al's bass tone is one of my favorite bass tones of all time, both in Sleep and in Om. It's so massively laced in the mix that it's impossible to ignore and serves as a crucial part of Sleep's sound, on this album and previous records. Another interesting factor of this song is the use of a layered guitar solo by Matt Pike, where the layers are easily discernible and compliment each other. I absolutely adore this technique and feel that Pike puts it to use perfectly. The drums on this track carry weight, perhaps more weight than I expected, but are not as prominent in the mix as I would hope they would be. This is rather constant throughout the album spare a few points.
The next track is "Sonic Titan", which Sleep has been performing live for years. However, I can't help but feel that this studio version is much better than the versions I have heard live, which is another point in favor of this album. This song is much more hypnotizing, more psychedelic than the first, and once again features a spectacular layered guitar solo. The interaction between the bass and guitar parts really impress me on this track, especially during the guitar solo. It all sounds so flawlessly crafted, with the exception being the lack in power of the drums, yet I do feel that this track is much better than the last in that regard.
"Antarcticans Thawed" is interesting because the main riff isn't really much of a riff at all, but really two chords. However, the way that these chords are spaced out and bounce off of the bass playing really makes the section behind the first verse sound much more complex than it actually is. The guitar tone, as always, is impeccable. Matt Pike, both in Sleep and in High on Fire, has always had a spectacular, vintage sounding tone that is the result of a Gibson Les Paul and a hell of a lot of Orange amps. The lyrical content of this song is interesting, as it explores Arctic, seafaring themes. This is certainly the most doom-like, slowest song on the album, also being the longest, clocking in slightly past the 14 minute mark. The guitar solo at around the ten minute mark is, unlike the previous few on this album, only a single track comes out even in the mix with the bass and drums. This solo is perhaps the best I have ever heard from Pike, and I find myself listening to the solo by itself much more often than I have most other solos on the album. It is icy and desolate, and certainly fits right in with the overall atmosphere provided by both the lyrics and the music. The relationship between the story told by the lyrics and the music itself are impeccable on this track, if not some of the best I have ever heard from Sleep.
"Giza Butler" contains many references to Black Sabbath, most notably in the name, a play on Geezer Butler's name. Certainly the most catchy song on the album, with Al Cisneros' vocal delivery reaching a peak on this album (it was great on other tracks, but done best here). The album starts out with a rather psychedelic section, perhaps one of the more unique pieces of the album. The lyrics of this song are infectious, particularly "The pterodactyl flies again/O'er emerald fields", which I swear I will have written as my epitaph (or simply written in a bio on social media, which is much less extreme than the former option). Every time that I listen to this song, I can't help but chime in with "Marijuana is his light and his salvation".
"The Botanist", the closing track, is certainly the most progressive song on the album, featuring an acoustic backing with lead parts being played throughout the track. Given how this song is framed, I feel the drum mixing is most appropriate on this song. This song features another excellent solo from Matt Pike, amidst a song that is almost entirely composed of guitar solos. Its a fitting, moody end to the album, leading to the close with a section composed of quiet, desolate guitar wails and a constant bass rhythm, and finally closing with guitar wails that fade into silence.
The production on this album, in regards to guitar, bass, and vocals, is nearly perfect. I can't think of any moment where I would change any part of any of these elements, in terms of volume, effects, or mixing. However, as previously mentioned, the drums are a small issue. The drums don't pack the necessary punch, but rather just seem quiet and reserved. While there are standout moments, like on "Antarcticans Thawed" and on the ending of "The Botanist", I feel that the actual drums themselves, not the cymbals, are far too quiet. Jason Roeder is an amazing drummer and has displayed his talents greatly with Neurosis, but can't help but feel that he is either being held back or is holding himself back, for whatever reason on this album. That being said, this, oddly enough, doesn't take much away from my enjoyment of the album. Another minor complaint is that two of the songs were written during the writing of Dopesmoker, "Sonic Titan" and "Antarcticans Thawed", meaning that there are only a few songs that are entirely new material, yet, again, this doesn't really take away from the album itself as a work of art. Sleep managed to keep their essential sound even with the use of a more modern production, with various band members bringing in elements from their other bands and projects: Pike's High on Fire, Cisneros' Om, and Roeder's Neurosis. With this trio of excellent musicians and the superb album they have put out, Sleep have solidified their place again the monolithic leader of stoner/doom metal, and have put themselves forth as relevant in their release of such new, excellent material.
9.0/10
