Jerusalem and Dopesmoker
Encyclopedia
Jerusalem and Dopesmoker were the final albums by the American heavy metal
band Sleep
. The albums were released in 1999 and 2003 respectively. The music for these albums was written during a four year period when the group was working on a single song that was around an hour in length. Sleep had signed to London Records
, who financed the album. When recording had finished, London Records were unhappy with the finished product and refused to release it. The album was later released in various forms by different record labels. All versions of the album received very positive reception from music critics who have described it as a high water mark in both the stoner metal and doom metal
genres.
, Sleep's label announced that they would release their follow-up record.
Sleep had been touring in Europe with Cathedral
and in the United States with Hawkwind
in support of Sleep's Holy Mountain when the group felt they had to write new material. The new album was going to be an hour-long song. This song was written and practiced at sound checks, motel rooms and in friends' houses. Matt Pike
said the songwriting process was long and that they were "working on [the song] for like four years. We also had two other songs that were working on that were really long, too—like 15 and 20 minutes. But we never recorded them." Al Cisneros
stated that smoking cannabis
was important to the song's creative process: "I was really dependent on the space I got into when I was using it, and some of the lyrics are about that...The line, 'Drop out of life [with bong in hand],' was kind of a creed at that point." The song was originally known and performed live under the title "Dopesmoker". After their tour, the group began to be interested in a Middle Eastern desert theme which led to Sleep referring to the song as "Jerusalem" during later practice sessions.
Sleep were ready to record the album in 1995 but did not record it until 1996 as the band was still contracted with Earache. Cisneros said that there was "about a year and half of legal wrangling between their managers and lawyers at Earache" and that Earache owner Digby Pearson
"waited to make the most prime conditions for himself before he let [Sleep's] contract go]". Sleep were in talks with both London Records
and Elektra Records
to release their next album. They chose to sign to London, as they were promised complete artistic freedom
and more money, and since the label did not have any metal bands, Sleep felt they would receive special treatment. The members of Sleep were poor, and used the majority of money they received from London Records to cover for the debt they were in at that time.
The song was recorded at Record Two Studio in Comptche, California
. While recording the song, it began to form differently than the band had originally envisioned. Pike stated that the "song was getting slower and slower and then it got weird. We started tripping out and second guessing ourselves." Recording the album was difficult. Pike recalled that "there was so much to memorize for that album, and we had to do it in like three different sections because a reel-to-reel
only holds 22 minutes. It was really cool, but it was one of the hardest things I've ever done in in my life." Sleep were in the studio for one month then went home to rehearse and returned for another month. Pike noted that they ended up with two or three different versions of the song.
Sleep refused to have the album released in any edited form which led to a deadlock
between London and the band. The members of Sleep have mixed feelings whether the album should have been released in general. Cisneros felt it should not have been released while Pike was content with its release, saying "We did all the work so why leave it sitting around?"
Four versions of the album have been released: a rare London Records promotional disc, a bootleg with cover art by Arik Roper
, the Rise Above/Music Cartel Records album and a release by Tee Pee Records. The Rise Above/Music Cartel release was an unauthorized edited version, released in 1999 under the title Jerusalem. Jerusalem runs at 52 minutes and is a single composition split into six identically-named tracks. The version of the album titled Dopesmoker was released on April 22, 2003 by Tee Pee Records
on compact disc and vinyl with a 63-minute running time. Cisneros spoke most positively about the 2003 Dopesmoker release, saying "I don't think the Dopesmoker thing is the exact version that we submitted, but that's the closest one that's come out of the four. If I had to pick a favorite, that would be it." Parts of the song were used in the film Broken Flowers
by Jim Jarmusch
. Jarmusch stated that he was a fan of Sleep and listed them along with Earth
and Sunn O)))
as an influence for creating the film: "I love these kind of visual landscapes they make, and they really inspired things for me for my film The Limits of Control".
the album was referred to as "brilliant" and as a "stoner touchstone". CMJ New Music Monthly
wrote positively about the song, saying that the "monotony rarely becomes tedious, because Al Cisneros and company are unpredictable and sensual in their drug-induced pounding of early Sabbath terrain." Online music database Allmusic gave the Jerusalem album four stars out of five stating that "Either version is worth investigating for adventurous metal enthusiasts, but Dopesmoker is clearly the final and definitive presentation of this work". In 2006, the extreme metal
magazine Decibel included the album in their hall of fame of "extreme metal masterpieces".
The album continued to receive praise after the release of Dopesmoker. Eduardo Rivadavia of online music database Allmusic gave the album four and a half stars out of five stating "Dopesmoker is [...] an instant doom metal
classic—some might even say a masterpiece". The British music magazine Mojo
gave the album a rating of five out of five stars proclaiming that Dopesmoker is "A benchmark by which all that dares call itself stoner rock
must surely be judged." Exclaim!
praised Dopesmokers production value and noted that the album was "ultimately better version of 1999's stoner opus Jerusalem." Stylus Magazine
's Stewart Voegtlin defined Dopesmoker as "a 60-minute song about the spliff, a monstrous rock ode to stinky buds". Voegtlin pointed out that London Records' refusal to "share Sleep's affection or vision, [led the band to] disbanding in disgust. Matt Pike
went on to form High on Fire
; Al Cisneros
and Chris Hakius
contemplate the universe's navel with Om
."
Jerusalem
Dopesmoker
Jerusalem
Dopesmoker
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Sleep
Sleep (band)
Sleep is a stoner doom metal band from San Jose, California. Active during the 1990s, Sleep earned critical and record label attention early in their career. Critic Eduardo Rivadavia describes them as "perhaps the ultimate stoner rock band" and notes they exerted a strong influence on heavy metal...
. The albums were released in 1999 and 2003 respectively. The music for these albums was written during a four year period when the group was working on a single song that was around an hour in length. Sleep had signed to London Records
London Records
London Records, referred to as London Recordings in logo, is a record label headquartered in the United Kingdom, originally marketing records in the United States, Canada and Latin America from 1947 to 1979, then becoming a semi-independent label....
, who financed the album. When recording had finished, London Records were unhappy with the finished product and refused to release it. The album was later released in various forms by different record labels. All versions of the album received very positive reception from music critics who have described it as a high water mark in both the stoner metal and doom metal
Doom metal
Doom metal is an extreme form of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other metal genres...
genres.
Production
After positive reviews from the heavy metal press and the release of the album Sleep's Holy Mountain (1992) on Earache RecordsEarache Records
Earache Records is a heavy metal-oriented record label based in Nottingham, UK and New York, USA. It helped to pioneer extreme metal by releasing many of the earliest grindcore and death metal records in the period 1988-1994.-History:...
, Sleep's label announced that they would release their follow-up record.
Sleep had been touring in Europe with Cathedral
Cathedral (band)
Cathedral are a doom metal band from Coventry, England. The group forged a link between early doom metal and a 1990s extreme metal aesthetic, making doom slower and heavier. Their debut album, Forest of Equilibrium, is considered a classic of the genre. They later on changed their doom style,...
and in the United States with Hawkwind
Hawkwind
Hawkwind are an English rock band, one of the earliest space rock groups. Their lyrics favour urban and science fiction themes. They are also a noted precursor to punk rock and now are considered a link between the hippie and punk cultures....
in support of Sleep's Holy Mountain when the group felt they had to write new material. The new album was going to be an hour-long song. This song was written and practiced at sound checks, motel rooms and in friends' houses. Matt Pike
Matt Pike
Matt Pike is an American rock musician best known as the guitarist of the influential doom metal band Sleep and frontman of High on Fire. He is quite well known in the metal scene for almost never wearing a shirt during live performances....
said the songwriting process was long and that they were "working on [the song] for like four years. We also had two other songs that were working on that were really long, too—like 15 and 20 minutes. But we never recorded them." Al Cisneros
Al Cisneros
Al Cisneros |Sleep]], Om, Shrinebuilder, and Asbestosdeath.-Biography:He began his musical career in 1989 by founding a local punk metal band, Asbestosdeath, along with Chris Hakius , Matt Pike and Tom Choi . Cisneros performed bass guitar for the band, and they released two EPs in 1990...
stated that smoking cannabis
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
was important to the song's creative process: "I was really dependent on the space I got into when I was using it, and some of the lyrics are about that...The line, 'Drop out of life [with bong in hand],' was kind of a creed at that point." The song was originally known and performed live under the title "Dopesmoker". After their tour, the group began to be interested in a Middle Eastern desert theme which led to Sleep referring to the song as "Jerusalem" during later practice sessions.
Sleep were ready to record the album in 1995 but did not record it until 1996 as the band was still contracted with Earache. Cisneros said that there was "about a year and half of legal wrangling between their managers and lawyers at Earache" and that Earache owner Digby Pearson
Digby Pearson
Digby Pearson, also known as "Dig," is a British musician who founded Earache Records, which signed some of the most infamous heavy metal acts worldwide in the 1980s and early 1990s....
"waited to make the most prime conditions for himself before he let [Sleep's] contract go]". Sleep were in talks with both London Records
London Records
London Records, referred to as London Recordings in logo, is a record label headquartered in the United Kingdom, originally marketing records in the United States, Canada and Latin America from 1947 to 1979, then becoming a semi-independent label....
and Elektra Records
Elektra Records
Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
to release their next album. They chose to sign to London, as they were promised complete artistic freedom
Artistic freedom
Artistic freedom is the extent of freedom of an artist to produce art to his/her own insight. The extent can deviate to customs in a certain school of art, directives of the assigner, etc....
and more money, and since the label did not have any metal bands, Sleep felt they would receive special treatment. The members of Sleep were poor, and used the majority of money they received from London Records to cover for the debt they were in at that time.
The song was recorded at Record Two Studio in Comptche, California
Comptche, California
Comptche is a census-designated place in Mendocino County, California, United States. It is located southeast of Fort Bragg, at an elevation of 187 feet . There is a KG-3 Primary school serving the town. The population was 159 at the 2010 census....
. While recording the song, it began to form differently than the band had originally envisioned. Pike stated that the "song was getting slower and slower and then it got weird. We started tripping out and second guessing ourselves." Recording the album was difficult. Pike recalled that "there was so much to memorize for that album, and we had to do it in like three different sections because a reel-to-reel
Reel-to-reel audio tape recording
Reel-to-reel, open reel tape recording is the form of magnetic tape audio recording in which the recording medium is held on a reel, rather than being securely contained within a cassette....
only holds 22 minutes. It was really cool, but it was one of the hardest things I've ever done in in my life." Sleep were in the studio for one month then went home to rehearse and returned for another month. Pike noted that they ended up with two or three different versions of the song.
Release
Within a few weeks of signing with London, the A&R member who was negotiating with Sleep had been transferred and replaced. After sending the finished album to London Records, the label told Sleep that they were not going to release the album in its current format. London Records had David Sardy remix the album but the label were still confused as to what to do with the album.Sleep refused to have the album released in any edited form which led to a deadlock
Deadlock
A deadlock is a situation where in two or more competing actions are each waiting for the other to finish, and thus neither ever does. It is often seen in a paradox like the "chicken or the egg"...
between London and the band. The members of Sleep have mixed feelings whether the album should have been released in general. Cisneros felt it should not have been released while Pike was content with its release, saying "We did all the work so why leave it sitting around?"
Four versions of the album have been released: a rare London Records promotional disc, a bootleg with cover art by Arik Roper
Arik Roper
Arik Roper is a freelance illustrator and painter based in New York City. Born in New York City, Roper grew up in Richmond, Virginia. His parents both being artists, his creativity was encouraged and he spent a great deal of time drawing...
, the Rise Above/Music Cartel Records album and a release by Tee Pee Records. The Rise Above/Music Cartel release was an unauthorized edited version, released in 1999 under the title Jerusalem. Jerusalem runs at 52 minutes and is a single composition split into six identically-named tracks. The version of the album titled Dopesmoker was released on April 22, 2003 by Tee Pee Records
Tee Pee Records
Tee Pee Records is an independent record label located in New York City in the United States, made popular by the signing of The Brian Jonestown Massacre.-Artists :*Ancestors*Assemble Head in Sunburst Sound*The Atomic Bitchwax...
on compact disc and vinyl with a 63-minute running time. Cisneros spoke most positively about the 2003 Dopesmoker release, saying "I don't think the Dopesmoker thing is the exact version that we submitted, but that's the closest one that's come out of the four. If I had to pick a favorite, that would be it." Parts of the song were used in the film Broken Flowers
Broken Flowers
Broken Flowers is a 2005 French/American comedy-drama film written and directed by Jim Jarmusch and produced by Jon Kilik and Stacey Smith. The film focuses on an aging "Don Juan" who embarks on a cross-country journey to track down four of his former lovers after receiving an anonymous letter...
by Jim Jarmusch
Jim Jarmusch
James R. "Jim" Jarmusch is an American independent film director, screenwriter, actor, producer, editor and composer. Jarmusch has been a major proponent of independent cinema, particularly during the 1980s and 1990s.-Early life:...
. Jarmusch stated that he was a fan of Sleep and listed them along with Earth
Earth (band)
Earth is an American musical group based in Seattle, Washington, formed in 1989 and led by guitarist Dylan Carlson.Earth's music is nearly all instrumental, and can be divided into two distinct stages...
and Sunn O)))
Sunn O)))
Sunn O))) is an American doom metal band known for its synthesis of diverse genres including drone, ambient, noise, and black metal. Supported by a varying cast of collaborators, the band has two core members: Stephen O'Malley and Greg Anderson .-History:Sunn O))) is named after the Sunn...
as an influence for creating the film: "I love these kind of visual landscapes they make, and they really inspired things for me for my film The Limits of Control".
Reception
Both Dopesmoker and early releases of the album received positive reviews from the music press. In the December 2000 issue of SpinSpin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
the album was referred to as "brilliant" and as a "stoner touchstone". CMJ New Music Monthly
CMJ New Music Monthly
CMJ New Music Monthly was a monthly music magazine with interviews, reviews, and special features. Each issue included a compact disc with 15 to 24 songs by well established bands, unsigned bands, and everything in between...
wrote positively about the song, saying that the "monotony rarely becomes tedious, because Al Cisneros and company are unpredictable and sensual in their drug-induced pounding of early Sabbath terrain." Online music database Allmusic gave the Jerusalem album four stars out of five stating that "Either version is worth investigating for adventurous metal enthusiasts, but Dopesmoker is clearly the final and definitive presentation of this work". In 2006, the extreme metal
Extreme metal
Extreme metal is a loosely defined umbrella term for a number of related heavy metal music subgenres that have developed since the early 1980s. The term usually refers to a more abrasive, harsher, underground, non-commercialized style or sound nearly always associated with genres like black metal,...
magazine Decibel included the album in their hall of fame of "extreme metal masterpieces".
The album continued to receive praise after the release of Dopesmoker. Eduardo Rivadavia of online music database Allmusic gave the album four and a half stars out of five stating "Dopesmoker is [...] an instant doom metal
Doom metal
Doom metal is an extreme form of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other metal genres...
classic—some might even say a masterpiece". The British music magazine Mojo
Mojo (magazine)
MOJO is a popular music magazine published initially by Emap, and since January 2008 by Bauer, monthly in the United Kingdom. Following the success of the magazine Q, publishers Emap were looking for a title which would cater for the burgeoning interest in classic rock music...
gave the album a rating of five out of five stars proclaiming that Dopesmoker is "A benchmark by which all that dares call itself stoner rock
Stoner rock
Stoner rock or stoner metal is a subgenre of heavy metal, combining elements of psychedelic rock, blues rock, traditional heavy metal and doom metal. Stoner rock is typically slow-to-mid tempo and features a bass-heavy sound, melodic vocals, and 'retro' production...
must surely be judged." Exclaim!
Exclaim!
Exclaim! is a monthly Canadian music magazine that features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with special focus on Canadian and cutting-edge artists...
praised Dopesmokers production value and noted that the album was "ultimately better version of 1999's stoner opus Jerusalem." Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine was an online music and film magazine launched in 2002. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, a number of different podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog....
's Stewart Voegtlin defined Dopesmoker as "a 60-minute song about the spliff, a monstrous rock ode to stinky buds". Voegtlin pointed out that London Records' refusal to "share Sleep's affection or vision, [led the band to] disbanding in disgust. Matt Pike
Matt Pike
Matt Pike is an American rock musician best known as the guitarist of the influential doom metal band Sleep and frontman of High on Fire. He is quite well known in the metal scene for almost never wearing a shirt during live performances....
went on to form High on Fire
High on Fire
High on Fire is a stoner metal band from Oakland, California, that was formed in 1998. Matt Pike, the band's frontman and founder, previously played guitar for the influential stoner doom band Sleep.-History:...
; Al Cisneros
Al Cisneros
Al Cisneros |Sleep]], Om, Shrinebuilder, and Asbestosdeath.-Biography:He began his musical career in 1989 by founding a local punk metal band, Asbestosdeath, along with Chris Hakius , Matt Pike and Tom Choi . Cisneros performed bass guitar for the band, and they released two EPs in 1990...
and Chris Hakius
Chris Hakius
Chris Hakius was the drummer of band Sleep. After Sleep's break up, he became the drummer for The Sabians, with former Sleep member Justin Marler. He was also the drummer of Om, until his departure on January 31, 2008. His final live performances was with Sleep in 2009 at the ATP Show for the reunion...
contemplate the universe's navel with Om
Om (band)
Om is a duo formed in 2003 by the rhythm section of the disbanded Stoner doom metal band Sleep. The band's first three albums feature Al Cisneros on vocals and bass and Chris Hakius on drums. Their music is similar in structure to Tibetan chanting....
."
Track listing
All music written and composed by Sleep.Jerusalem
- "Jerusalem" – 9:26
- "Jerusalem" – 8:26
- "Jerusalem" – 9:01
- "Jerusalem" – 10:28
- "Jerusalem" – 5:45
- "Jerusalem" – 9:03
Dopesmoker
- "Dopesmoker" – 63:31
- "Sonic Titan (live)" – 9:36
Personnel
Sleep- Al CisnerosAl CisnerosAl Cisneros |Sleep]], Om, Shrinebuilder, and Asbestosdeath.-Biography:He began his musical career in 1989 by founding a local punk metal band, Asbestosdeath, along with Chris Hakius , Matt Pike and Tom Choi . Cisneros performed bass guitar for the band, and they released two EPs in 1990...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Matt PikeMatt PikeMatt Pike is an American rock musician best known as the guitarist of the influential doom metal band Sleep and frontman of High on Fire. He is quite well known in the metal scene for almost never wearing a shirt during live performances....
– guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker... - Chris HakiusChris HakiusChris Hakius was the drummer of band Sleep. After Sleep's break up, he became the drummer for The Sabians, with former Sleep member Justin Marler. He was also the drummer of Om, until his departure on January 31, 2008. His final live performances was with Sleep in 2009 at the ATP Show for the reunion...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Jerusalem
- Sleep – producer
- Philp Hayward – assistant engineer
- Doug Henderson – assistant engineer
- Fred Kervorkian – editing
- Adam Muñoz – assistant engineer
Dopesmoker
- Sleep – producer, liner notes
- Billy AndersonBilly Anderson (music)Billy Anderson is a record producer, engineer and musician. He has worked with hundreds of bands over the past 20 years, including Cormorant, Eyehategod, Mr. Bungle, Red House Painters, Fantômas and Sleep...
– producer, engineer - Mark Keaton – mastering
- Arik RoperArik RoperArik Roper is a freelance illustrator and painter based in New York City. Born in New York City, Roper grew up in Richmond, Virginia. His parents both being artists, his creativity was encouraged and he spent a great deal of time drawing...
– artwork
External links
- Indepth Review by Julian CopeJulian CopeJulian Cope is a British rock musician, author, antiquary, musicologist, poet and cultural commentator...
- Dopesmoker at Tee Pee RecordsTee Pee RecordsTee Pee Records is an independent record label located in New York City in the United States, made popular by the signing of The Brian Jonestown Massacre.-Artists :*Ancestors*Assemble Head in Sunburst Sound*The Atomic Bitchwax...