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Sleep - The Sciences (Third Man, 2018)

Had to jump the listening queue for an event like this. The first Sleep album since 2003...first new material since 1999 (excluding 2014 single "The Clarity" which does not appear here). Where can you really go from Dopesmoker, not only the best stoner metal album ever but one of the best songs/albums...ever. A landmark in every way. At the time of recording Dopesmoker the band had a couple of other 15-20 minute pieces they were working on. I don't know if any of that material made it here, although we do now have an official studio version of "Sonic Titan", which appeared on the 2003 version of Dopesmoker. The Sciences features a brief, angular titular intro and thus follows five tracks. Three 10-15 minute pieces sandwiched by two shorter tracks, "Marijuanaut's Theme" and the instrumental "The Botanist". Those three longer tracks are the real meat and the ultimate picture of Sleep's strength, alternatively heavy as hell and groovily psychedelic: the aforementioned "Sonic Titan", expanded from its previous version, the behemoth "Antarcticans Thawed" (debuted at their ATP reunion show) and "Giza Butler" (ha!). Sonically the band still sounds thick, heavy, and as masterfully produced as the 2012 reissue of Dopesmoker was, although Al Cisneros' raw-throated vocals are replaced by the slightly more commanding croon he's been using since forming OM after Sleep's demise. If there's one shortfall of this album it's that I don't know if you can get any higher (ha!) than Dopesmoker but this is more than welcome addition to the canon and hopefully Sleep are back for good.

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