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Sleep brought the heavy and The Schizophonics brought the energy at The Observatory North Park

On Tuesday, September 8th, 2026, Sleep launched their North American tour at the Observatory North Park in San Diego, CA with a thick, haze-filled set of crushing heavy metal. The stoner/doom metal trio is currently touring the US with a new lineup, featuring one original member: founder, vocalist, and bassist Al Cisneros. Cisneros changed the band’s personnel for the upcoming album Hempispheres, and this 2026 tour.  Following the departures of longtime guitarist Matt Pike, also of High on Fire, and drummer Jason Roeder, Cisneros recruited Melvins drummer Dale Crover and former Void guitarist Bubba Dupree to round out the lineup of his newly fashioned all star group.  The band sounded tight and heavy during this first night playing live together, delivering a flood of sludgy metal into the beautiful vintage Observatory.

Opening on September 8th, the fantastic local rock act The Schizophonics delivered a set that nearly stole the night. Frontman Pat Beers was pure, acrobatic insanity on guitar and vocals, leaping and diving across the stage in ways that left the crowd questioning how his knees remain intact. Bassist Sarah Linton matched that wild energy step for step, delivering a relentless, powerhouse performance while kicking high into the air. Holding down the core of the chaos, drummer Lety Beers was an absolute force on the kit, locking into an unbreakable rhythm that gave Pat room to fly around completely unhinged. It was an insane showcase of raw energy that left the room electric and everyone smiling from ear to ear.

Formed in San Jose in 1990, Sleep is an insanely heavy band well known for cosmic, cannabis-infused lyrics, soundtracked by walls of crushingly slow, massive guitar riffs and rumbling bass lines—a signature sound exemplified by their iconic, single-track epic Dopesmoker and 2018’s return album, The Sciences.  However, neither of these fantastic albums was represented at this show; Cisneros and crew instead focused entirely on new album material and a few cuts from the band’s 1993 debut Holy Mountain.  The band started the show with a heavy rendition of the eponymous song Holy Mountain, which brought one of the funnier and lighter moments of the night as an excited audience member clearly shouted “Play it slower!” during the song’s breakdown.  Cisneros and company followed with live debuts of several new songs including “The Morrisist,” “Have Spacesuit Will Travel,” and “Arrival of the Industry Ships.” They then played the album’s single “Hemispheres,” which the San Diego audience seemed to recognize, well enough to bob their heads along in unison.
Cisneros loomed large at stage right in the Observatory, playing bass, singing, and managing a full array of keyboards, synths, and pedals.  His powerful, groove-oriented playing seemed to ground the band and the songwriter seemed totally locked in with his new bandmates despite the wall of fuzz they were all putting out.  Drummer Dale Crover was absolutely phenomenal; his playing was intense, ferocious, and rock solid.  Guitarist Bubba Dupree seemed to be having a fantastic time onstage as well, and his riff oriented grooves seemed to be a great fit for this intense rhythm section.  The sound of this whole band live at full volume was absolutely intense—what an experience; earplugs were a must for this show!  Sleep released their new album Hempispheres digitally on September 3, 2026, with the physical release scheduled for October 30, 2026, via Third Man Records, be sure to check out the new music, the new lineup, and go see them live.
Photos and Review by: Alex Matthews