Sleep’s eight year run in the 1990’s resulted in some of the most influential doom and stoner metal/rock of that decade, with Sleep’s Holy Mountain and Jerusalem/Dopesmoker remaining albums that have stood the test of time. After their initial split the group’s members spawned bands that were arguably just as pivotal, with High on Fire and Om taking Sleep’s foundation and heading off in differing musical directions. For awhile it seemed like Sleep would remain buried, but founders Al Cisneros and Matt Pike would end up reforming the group in 2009 with Neurosis drummer Jason Roeder taking over for Chris Hakius. This lineup would go on to release The Sciences in 2018, which felt a bit more streamlined compared to the mammoth writing approach of Jerusalem/Dopesmoker but succeeded in capturing what made Sleep appealing. Fast forward eight years and there have been some major shifts, with Pike departing and Cisneros bringing Melvins drummer Dale Crover and ex-Void guitarist Bubba Dupree into the fold. With that in mind, does this year’s Hempispheres live up to the legacy and expectations from established fans?
After spending a good deal of time with the album, the answer to the above question seems to be a mix of yes and no. Whenever a legacy band continues with just one original member, established fans question whether it should’ve been released under a new name or as a solo effort, but Hempispheres does retain enough of the Sleep DNA that it fits within the overall discography. It’s the most compact album from the band to date at thirty-eight minutes in length spread over five songs, and this does give things a different feel compared to some of the sprawl you might come in expecting. Opener "Have Spacesuit Will Travel” gives a good idea of what you’re in for, as it showcases a more stripped down and bass dominant sound with plenty of the chunkier doom and stoner riffs that have defined Sleep’s music. But there is also a greater emphasis on space and psychedelic rock elements, especially on the title track and “Whole Wheat Mountain Well Baked” where it sounds like Cisneros and company are channeling equal amounts of 70s hard and psychedelic rock. The greater emphasis on bass and muted guitars may be a hard sell for those that were devotees of Matt Pike’s efforts, and while I do think it would’ve helped to be able to hear Bubba Dupree’s riffs a bit more there are moments where it all comes together. The title track and “Arrival of the Industry Ships” are the stand-outs for me, as the grooves get you in an almost hypnotic state and capture that same low-end rumble and hazier exterior that I like about Sleep. On the other end of the spectrum, “The Morrisist” is far too short to really sink in, and even with its slight hints at Om’s tribal elements it hasn’t stuck with me over repeat listens. “Have Spacesuit Will Travel” also doesn’t fully stick the landing, as while it’s solid as an opener it gets overshadowed quickly.
Another shift from The Sciences is Al Cisneros’ vocals and how prominent they are in the mix. While the core approach hasn’t change that much, the performance is a bit cleaner and has more of a laid back and reflective tone compared to Sleep’s previous material. This is especially noticeable since the singing is one of the most prominent elements besides the bass, and it gives the recording a very different dynamic between instrumentals and vocals compared to before. Sometimes this works to the album’s advantage, as on “Have Spacesuit Will Travel” and the title track it gives this moodier and mysterious feel to the material, but there are also some sections where the energy level of the singing is at odds with the rest of the band. This is most noticeable on parts of “Arrival of the Industry Ships” where the singing comes through as a little too low key and deflated, and while there’s nothing outright bad to the performance it does dampen the impact a bit.
Let’s be clear, there are still a lot of elements that I liked about Hempispheres and if it wasn’t under the Sleep name it wouldn’t be generating the same level of scrutiny that has happened since release. But the over-dominance of the bass and vocals do hurt things a bit, and the songwriting doesn’t always reach the same hypnotic effects and memorable grooves as the band’s past discography. As a result, this comes through as a good but not incredible effort from this new version of Sleep. I’m hopeful this incarnation gives it another shot, as with some additional jam sessions and meaningful tweaks I think they could still give us something special. Hempispheres is available from Third Man Records.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg