The Classic Metal Album Reviews:
Title: Sleep's Holy Mountain
Artist: Sleep
Label: Earache
Release Date: 1993

Rating: 4 Skulls
  • Read the Review of Dopesmoker
  • Discuss on the Metal Judgment Web Board
  • Submit/Read Reader Reviews of this Album

    • Reviewed by Redwolff:
    I was introduced to this album in 1993 by my friend Jim, who has always had an uncanny ability to bring to my attention the newest and most unusual music despite living in non-cosmopolitan places like Alaska. Two words: mail order. I had just bought Monster Magnet's Superjudge and he thought I'd like this one. It was more Sabbath than Sabbath. We weren't sure what to call this music at first... but the photo of the band on the back of Sleep's CD, happily clutching huge pot leaves, clued us in-- stoner metal.

    I've since invested many dollars over the years on this genre of music. Sleep's Holy Mountain was like a gateway, and I don't know how many times I've listened to it in the past nine years. Listening to it now, though, after hearing the more recent stuff we get sent for review on the site, I have to admit that stoner metal has, almost oxymoronically, advanced and improved. You wouldn't think a bunch of potheads would be willing to expend the energy it takes to put down the chips and experiment with their guitar sound. But they have, and much of the newer stuff eclipses this early album. This sound has split into stoner and doom, with bands concentrating on one or the other. Record labels are more willing to spend the big bucks for a slick production, making this album sound a little muddy in comparison. Except for notable exceptions like Boris, today's bands sound more practiced, more scripted and less like they are jamming in the basement.

    Does all this make me love this album less? Maybe a little bit. Maybe I have to knock one skull off the score. But I still find so much to enjoy about it even today: the touches of Zeppelin in "Some Grass;" the trippy, Keith Haring-like album cover; the long song lengths; the deep, rattle-y bass sound; the plea at the bottom of the liner notes-- "If you have Orange amplification for sale contact Sleep through Earache Records." I find this album extremely soothing, it is as comfortable to me as flannel sheets.

    Sadly, Sleep has since parted ways. The band members have moved on to other projects, one of which I was lucky enough to catch at the Continental one night-- and it sounded like Sleep, so maybe the spirit never dies after all.
    4 out of 5

    [- Metal Judgment Home -]    [- Email Metal Judgment -]
    ©1999 Metal Judgment. All rights reserved.