Sleep

Sleep, “From Beyond”

While doom metal in general traces back to Sabbath for inspiration, a lot of modern doom looks to Sleep’s Sleep’s Holy Mountain, along with a few other influences like the Melvins’ sludgiest work. This album really set the template though, which its ethos of staying exactly as slow and pounding as it wants to be. Much of metal had been getting faster and faster over the years, and the proof that you could be heavy while not trying to set any speed records really sunk in to a lot of bands. But even ignoring the influence, this stuff still smokes. But slowly.

Logh, “The Smoke Will Lead You Home”

Absolutely no recollection of buying this record! Let’s listen together!

…This sounds like something I would have been really into circa 1994.

Cobalt, “Pregnant Insect”

OK, you ready for some shit? Cobalt is a duo! Listen to this! Goddamn!

Sleep, “Nain’s Baptism”

Hell yeah, metal today! Sleep’s Holy Mountain is one of the absolute untouchable classics of doom/stoner metal, a record that inspired countless imitators, proving that there was still plenty of creativity in the old Black Sabbath formula. It still sounds great today in the same way that peak Sabbath records sound great, because it’s just so elemental.

Hot damn, some great songs today.

Sleep, “Some Grass”

Sleep is one of the titans of doom metal, as we’ve talked about in the context of High on Fire. But, alas, this is just a little throwaway on Sleep’s Holy Mountain, so we’ll have to wait for another day to really bear witness to the majesty of their good stuff.

The Delgados, “Witness”

The Delgados came out of the same Glasgow scene that birthed Belle & Sebastian and Arab Strap. And, like Belle & Sebastian, their take on pop evolved from something more folk oriented to something much more orchestrated. This comes from The Great Eastern, the peak of their discography, although they were always good.