Sleep’s stoner rock bonafides were cemented during the 90’s but in 2018’s The Sciences the band cemented their place as stoner doom metal legends. The album was a triumphant return after a two-decade layoff, and features all of the things that made Sleep such a cult favorite in a bygone era– copious references to marijuana, sludgy guitar riffs whose repetitive nature slowly etch their way into your skull with a bluesy crunch, and a penchant for meandering arrangements that make everything feel gloriously organic and free-form. This was my first real deep-dive into Sleep’s discography and I came away impressed not only with their musicianship but most importantly the world-building they are capable of. If I had to sum up The Sciences in one sentence it would be Black Sabbath meets a bong loaded with an eight of Indica in a college dorm room. And that’s a damn good thing.
Standout Songs: “Marijuanaut’s Theme”, “Antarticans Thawed”, “The Botanist”
