Sleep=High on Fire + Om

Metalheads and weedheads shouldn't have much crossover. Metal trends towards loud, pissed, and action-oriented. Stoner rock wants to just, like, hang out...man...what? But, see, way back in the day on Master of Reality an Ozzy led Black Sabbath released Sweet Leaf. By the gods that's some heavy and weed-loving riffs.

Now, there's a great many Stoner Metal bands to choose from. Possibly slavishly devoted to the Sabbath riff is Electric Wizard. Can I have some more bass please? I didn't quite feel that vibration all the way up my rectum.

But, standing head and shoulders above all other Stoner Metal outfits are Sleep. That particular track is about a dragon that also happens to be an astronaut going to Mars. Also weed, I'm guessing.

Sleep's Magnum Opus, Dopesmoker, almost never saw the light of day. Apparently, short-sighted record execs felt a single hour long track was unmarketable. Pricks. The battle to see its release created strains on the band that led to their eventual break-up. It's last gasp was a live track packaged with the eventual release of Dopesmoker called Sonic Titan.

But, all is not lost. Soul-searching poet and bass player Al Cisneros re-emerged with Om - a unique blend of chanted vocals and heavy riffs - this is the Metal the Dalai Lama would listen to. Also, as a side project, the seriously awesome and wail-y Shrinebuilder.

Shirtless axe-wielding barbarian Matt Pike would go on to form the slightly heavier, sludgier High on Fire. Sweet Christ, Matt, don't ever fix those teeth - that's the heaviest mouth in metal.

\m/
Prof. Organgrinder