Song: "Dopesmoker"
Album: Dopesmoker
Year: 1994 (recorded), 2003 (released)
Most of the time, when metal bands attempt the "symphonic" approach to their music, it leads to them having full orchestras and ending up looking like completely pompous idiots. This is mostly due to the fact that such bands have lost sight in the fact that the true brilliance of this style of metal is the fact that the classical form is being fused into the metal sound, and in many ways, it has absolutely nothing to do with the "formal" sense of the word symphonic. Understanding this fundamental truth, and creating some of the most phenomenal metal symphonies in history, California doom-metal legends, Sleep, remain one of, if not the greatest artists that the genre has ever heard. The fact that they were creating such sounds in the early 1990's, long before heavy metal had its commercial resurgence, solidifies the fact that, along with being fantastic musicians, Sleep were true musical pioneers as well. Taking heavy influence from the early metal-psychedelic sound of Black Sabbath, it is the extraordinary "wall of sound" approach of Sleep that had massive influence on bands like Om, Sunn O))), Boris, and Dozer. With a pair of full length records, and an EP to their name, it is Sleep's final album, as well as the mystique behind it that stand as their finest work. Though it was recorded as a follow-up to 1993's Holy Mountain, Sleep's final release would not see the light of day for more than a decade, yet the album in question, 2003's Dopesmoker, stands as one of the most stunning and truly unparalleled musical efforts in history, and the title track is an outright masterpiece.
Clocking in at sixty-three minutes and thirty-two seconds, there is quite literally nothing else every recorded that can be used as comparison to the massive sonic mammoth that is the song, "Dopesmoker." The song title perfectly captures the bands' overall musical approach, as well as solidifying their spot as "stoner metal" kings. The song itself is a jaw-dropping, trudging musical journey, the likes of which have never been heard, and yet even for non-metal fans, it is a truly mesmerizing musical experience. With five or six distinctive sections of the song (depending on how you justify a beginning and end), the song is clearly a single piece, and the various sections would sound outright disjointed and strange as single pieces, as was evidenced in the Jerusalem release. Creating massive hills and valleys within the music, "Dopesmoker" also varies throughout in the overall mood and tone of the instrumentation. From powerful, crushing chords that slam through the speakers, to more melodic, softer passages that play in almost breathtaking contrast, there are few bands of any genre who can play such varied styles anywhere in their catalog, let alone within a single song. Furthermore, "Dopesmoker" is very much a song that gets better and better with each additional listening, as each time one experiences the majesty of the song, new aspects and smaller nuances are revealed deep within the sonic structure. The fact that, over the hour of music, the song never becomes uninteresting is a testament not only to the amazing composition of the song, but also to the stellar musicianship of Sleep's three band members.
After experiencing "Dopesmoker," it is almost unfathomable to learn that only three musicians created the massive wall of sound that comprises the entirely of the music found throughout the title song. Whether taking brilliant, winding solos, or playing punishing, powerful chords, guitarist Matt Pike is absolutely phenomenal throughout the song, and quickly makes his case for being one of the most talented guitarists of his generation. Adding to this, in what can be argued as the single most awe-inspiring performance in music history, drummer Chris Hakius plays with loads of force and power, and he does not stop for the entire run of the song. Such endurance is nothing short of mind-blowing, and this feat remains truly unrivaled throughout music history. Rounding out the band, and creating the trademark "trudge" that dominates "Dopesmoker," bassist Al Cisneros is nothing short of superb throughout the entire track. Finding the ideal balance between melody, and an unrelenting, pulverizing, often outright intimidating tone, Cisneros delivers an extraordinary performance on bass, as well as providing the vocals on the song. While these are vocals scattered throughout the hour-long musical masterpiece, and are quite secondary to the music itself, one can make the case that they are quite necessary to the overall feel of the song. The lyrics themselves are largely mythical in nature, speaking of caravans crossing the desert, as well as strange references to the "Weed Priests." As the song progresses, the lyrics turn far more to marijuana related, almost religious phrasing, and it is fitting in many ways, as "Dopesmoker" is most certainly a religious experience.
Throughout nearly every genre, there are a handful of individual songs that are so amazingly unique, that even I the band released nothing else, for that song alone they would be legends. Cementing this idea, as well as serving as a true benchmark by which all heavy metal, and more specifically, "stoner metal" is to be judged, Sleep's magnum opus, "Dopesmoker" is a song that has no equal anywhere in music history. There is no arguing that the energy and undeniable level of musicianship found on this monumental recording are beyond the vision of nearly any other performer or band from any point in music history. While it took the better part of a decade for the song to finally be released in the proper manner, the wait was well worth it, as "Dopesmoker" is by far, one of the greatest musical achievements in history. Taking the idea of creating metal masterpieces, with movements similar to those found in classical symphonies, Sleep were innovating this new approach years before it would come into style. Furthermore, though many bands after them took on a similar musical approach, few of these bands have been able to come even remotely close to Sleep in terms of composition or musicianship. Though the live track found on Dopesmoker is nothing to pass off, the fact of the matter is, the title track is so imposing and staggering, that it overshadows everything else associated with the album. With their own influences, Black Sabbath and Saint Vitus being the most obvious, clearly on display, Sleep completely re-wrote everything about music with their hour long musical epic, and there has simply never been another track that even comes close to what one can experience on "Dopesmoker."
Artist: Sleep
Song: "Dopesmoker"
Album: Dopesmoker
Year: 1994 (recorded), 2003 (released)
Most of the time, when metal bands attempt the "symphonic" approach to their music, it leads to them having full orchestras and ending up looking like completely pompous idiots. This is mostly due to the fact that such bands have lost sight in the fact that the true brilliance of this style of metal is the fact that the classical form is being fused into the metal sound, and in many ways, it has absolutely nothing to do with the "formal" sense of the word symphonic. Understanding this fundamental truth, and creating some of the most phenomenal metal symphonies in history, California doom-metal legends, Sleep, remain one of, if not the greatest artists that the genre has ever heard. The fact that they were creating such sounds in the early 1990's, long before heavy metal had its commercial resurgence, solidifies the fact that, along with being fantastic musicians, Sleep were true musical pioneers as well. Taking heavy influence from the early metal-psychedelic sound of Black Sabbath, it is the extraordinary "wall of sound" approach of Sleep that had massive influence on bands like Om, Sunn O))), Boris, and Dozer. With a pair of full length records, and an EP to their name, it is Sleep's final album, as well as the mystique behind it that stand as their finest work. Though it was recorded as a follow-up to 1993's Holy Mountain, Sleep's final release would not see the light of day for more than a decade, yet the album in question, 2003's Dopesmoker, stands as one of the most stunning and truly unparalleled musical efforts in history, and the title track is an outright masterpiece.
Clocking in at sixty-three minutes and thirty-two seconds, there is quite literally nothing else every recorded that can be used as comparison to the massive sonic mammoth that is the song, "Dopesmoker." The song title perfectly captures the bands' overall musical approach, as well as solidifying their spot as "stoner metal" kings. The song itself is a jaw-dropping, trudging musical journey, the likes of which have never been heard, and yet even for non-metal fans, it is a truly mesmerizing musical experience. With five or six distinctive sections of the song (depending on how you justify a beginning and end), the song is clearly a single piece, and the various sections would sound outright disjointed and strange as single pieces, as was evidenced in the Jerusalem release. Creating massive hills and valleys within the music, "Dopesmoker" also varies throughout in the overall mood and tone of the instrumentation. From powerful, crushing chords that slam through the speakers, to more melodic, softer passages that play in almost breathtaking contrast, there are few bands of any genre who can play such varied styles anywhere in their catalog, let alone within a single song. Furthermore, "Dopesmoker" is very much a song that gets better and better with each additional listening, as each time one experiences the majesty of the song, new aspects and smaller nuances are revealed deep within the sonic structure. The fact that, over the hour of music, the song never becomes uninteresting is a testament not only to the amazing composition of the song, but also to the stellar musicianship of Sleep's three band members.
After experiencing "Dopesmoker," it is almost unfathomable to learn that only three musicians created the massive wall of sound that comprises the entirely of the music found throughout the title song. Whether taking brilliant, winding solos, or playing punishing, powerful chords, guitarist Matt Pike is absolutely phenomenal throughout the song, and quickly makes his case for being one of the most talented guitarists of his generation. Adding to this, in what can be argued as the single most awe-inspiring performance in music history, drummer Chris Hakius plays with loads of force and power, and he does not stop for the entire run of the song. Such endurance is nothing short of mind-blowing, and this feat remains truly unrivaled throughout music history. Rounding out the band, and creating the trademark "trudge" that dominates "Dopesmoker," bassist Al Cisneros is nothing short of superb throughout the entire track. Finding the ideal balance between melody, and an unrelenting, pulverizing, often outright intimidating tone, Cisneros delivers an extraordinary performance on bass, as well as providing the vocals on the song. While these are vocals scattered throughout the hour-long musical masterpiece, and are quite secondary to the music itself, one can make the case that they are quite necessary to the overall feel of the song. The lyrics themselves are largely mythical in nature, speaking of caravans crossing the desert, as well as strange references to the "Weed Priests." As the song progresses, the lyrics turn far more to marijuana related, almost religious phrasing, and it is fitting in many ways, as "Dopesmoker" is most certainly a religious experience.
Throughout nearly every genre, there are a handful of individual songs that are so amazingly unique, that even I the band released nothing else, for that song alone they would be legends. Cementing this idea, as well as serving as a true benchmark by which all heavy metal, and more specifically, "stoner metal" is to be judged, Sleep's magnum opus, "Dopesmoker" is a song that has no equal anywhere in music history. There is no arguing that the energy and undeniable level of musicianship found on this monumental recording are beyond the vision of nearly any other performer or band from any point in music history. While it took the better part of a decade for the song to finally be released in the proper manner, the wait was well worth it, as "Dopesmoker" is by far, one of the greatest musical achievements in history. Taking the idea of creating metal masterpieces, with movements similar to those found in classical symphonies, Sleep were innovating this new approach years before it would come into style. Furthermore, though many bands after them took on a similar musical approach, few of these bands have been able to come even remotely close to Sleep in terms of composition or musicianship. Though the live track found on Dopesmoker is nothing to pass off, the fact of the matter is, the title track is so imposing and staggering, that it overshadows everything else associated with the album. With their own influences, Black Sabbath and Saint Vitus being the most obvious, clearly on display, Sleep completely re-wrote everything about music with their hour long musical epic, and there has simply never been another track that even comes close to what one can experience on "Dopesmoker."
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