Sleep Songs Ranked
Sleep is an American heavy metal band from San Jose, California. The band earned critically and record label attention early in its career. Critic Eduardo Rivadavia describes them as “perhaps the ultimate stoner rock band” and notes they exerted a strong influence on metal in the 1990s. However, conflict with its record company contributed to Sleep’s breakup by the end of the decade. The band reformed in 2009 and has played sporadic live dates internationally since. In 2018, Sleep released their comeback album, The Sciences, on Third Man Records, to critical acclaim. Musically, Sleep’s sound has been characterized as stoner rock built upon slow, down-tuned bass playing alongside similarly low guitar riffs. Repetition is frequently employed, working to create a “hypnotic state” supplemented by Al Cisneros’ vocals. Here are all of the Sleep’s songs ranked.
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10. From Beyond (Sleep’s Holy Mountain, 1992)
“Low, moody, light and slow bass with minimal guitar. Bluesy but real slow. The volume builds and then explodes as the fuzzed guitar, drums and bass play a repeating, hypnotic melody. This ends, and a thick, pummeling bass, drums, guitar pave way for the vocals.”
9. Lord of This World (Volume Two, 1992)
“The Sabbath cover is fine, I guess, but unlike the crushingly heavy version of Snowblind the band went on to record for an Earache compilation (which, nowadays, can usually be found as a bonus track on Sleep’s Holy Mountain), it doesn’t really achieve anything the original version didn’t do better.”
8. Evil Gypsy/Solomon’s Theme (Sleep’s Holy Mountain, 1992)
“Guitar feedback squeels out and then plays the main theme as the drums and bass slowly creep to the forefront. VERY HEAVY, dense, bass and drums. Alot of feedback and distortion from the guitar. The vocals change from screaming/punkish to Ozzy..”Glass village lies below. Castle of sleet with magic glow.” The melody abruptly changes as drums lay down a tribal rhythm which the bass and guitar echo. Some fine drumming on display by Chris Hakius! Guitar solo uses alot of echo effects while the bass and drums lay down another heavy, jazzish background. The thick, voluminous rhythm returns and the feeling of “Kill ‘Em All” era Metallica is vibed as a very thick,chugging rhythm crushes the ears. The metal onslaught ends with some guitar feedback and drum crashing! “
7. Jerusalem (Jerusalem, 1999)
“Really gripping stuff and before they reduced their guitar solos to needles in a haystack, they found some interesting sounds to toy with; the interplay on the bass and lead guitars on Jerusalem 4 and the stunning closer cement that. Their best album.”
See more: Sleep Albums Ranked
6. Inside the Sun (Sleep’s Holy Mountain, 1992)
“Starts with some uptempo drumming and guitar feedback. The vocals have a punkesque quality. The tempo is fast and ambient with some fine drumming. A tempo/rhythm change into a SLOOOW, pounding bass and drum with the constant guitar fuzz and feedback. Guitar solo uses alot of distortion and echo. A stream of feedback ends the tune”
5. Holy Mountain (Sleep’s Holy Mountain, 1992)
“The titular track begins with fuzzed power chord and main rhythm. The tempo is slow as the bass and drums crash in with the vocals….”Slumber killed by rays of the new red sun arising.” Damn sun! The mood and melody is droning, slow, creepish, thick. Thumping bass and heavy guitar during the bridge threatens to crush the bridge under the sheer weight of the playing! Very Thick! The song fades out and a low/light bass shines out of the mountain, to be greeted by some light guitar. The bass and guitar slowly make their out of the mountain and the volume and tempo increases. The guitar reaches the opening first and has a multi-layered solo, while the bass and drum continue their rhythm and hike. The solo fades out and is replaced with a even heavier rhythm that builds and rejoins the main theme as vocals rejoice.”
4. Aquarian (Sleep’s Holy Mountain, 1992)
“Chugging Guitar and THUMPING bass and drums with a SLOOOW tempo. The feeling of being underwater (or more like being drowned in tar) lays the mood as Al sings…”Trapped in a world under leagues of ocean. The clergy arrives with the magic potion.” Give me some of that! VERY sloow, viscous tempo with some awesome bass fills. The mulit-layered guitar solo is scorching! The solo fades out, and the bass and drum take center stage and then halt…The guitar and bass re-introduce the theme and the sludgefest resumes to the end.”
3. The Druid (Sleep’s Holy Mountain, 1992)
“A super-thick, chugging, fuzzed-out guitar opens with the main theme as drum cymbals and bass thump their way into the mix. The singing has a punkish vibe to it, but the music is pure DOOM! There are nice bass fills that proceed some “War Pigs” style riffage. The music jolts to a halt…quick bass lines followed by jazzy/prog drumming clears the way for a blazing guitar solo. The bass and drums lay down a very heavy, jazzed-out backing.”
See more: Motörhead Albums Ranked
2. Dopesmoker (Dopesmoker, 1996)
“The song Dopesmoker starts off with an extremely down-tuned and distorted guitar sound playing two chords for over two minutes and a half, quite boring to start with. But as soon as the drum and bass kick in after the long intro, you´re into one of the heaviest songs you´ll ever find. This is soo slow, chunky and down-tuned that it’ll make Electric Wizard sound like a hair metal band!”
1. Dragonaut (Sleep’s Holy Mountain, 1992)
“A fuzzed-out guitar introduces the theme while a super-heavy, pounding rhythm from the bass and drums sets the stage. There are plenty of proficient drum fills while the tempo suddenly downshifts to a very heavy, doomish, fuzzed guitar rhythm and echoed vocals that crawl from out of a tunnel..”Ride the dragon toward the crimson eye …” Very Sabbath like. The tempo slows even further during the vocals, giving the listener the feeling of treading through foot-high snow drifts. The rhythm is VERY HEAVY throughout. Great bass playing and drumming! The guitar solo is right out of ‘How To Play Iommi 101’. Bass gets a quick solo and then the main, thick theme closes out the tune.”