Fans of Sleep were handed a mixed bag on Thursday, as the revered stoner metal trio shared its first new music in eight years and announced its first full tour in nearly as long—albeit without founding guitarist Matt Pike. Bassist Al Cisneros, now the only remaining original member, will tour North America this fall with a new Sleep lineup featuring guitarist Bubba Dupree of ’80s D.C. hardcore punk band Void and Melvins drummer Dale Crover.
Of Pike’s departure, a press release states, “The music and art are alive and after the decades of obstacles that Sleep has overcome, it is time to move forward and make songs and albums. Al wishes Matt the best on his earth bound maneuvers.”
Sleep hasn’t performed live since 2022 (fittingly on 4/20), and the band’s last album—2018’s The Sciences—snapped a 15-year dry spell of new studio LPs. Longtime drummer Jason Roeder then announced in 2025 that he was “unceremoniously fired over the phone,” and it appeared that Sleep was entering another prolonged period of repose. This was nothing new for fans, who had seen Sleep break up in the late ’90s, reunite in 2009, and take nearly 30 years to release four studio albums.
But as Thursday’s press release notes, the decision to replace Pike with Bubba Dupree is “a choice no one would have seen coming.” Along with the lineup and tour announcement, Sleep issued its first new release without Matt Pike, “Have Spacesuit Will Travel.” Though Cisneros likened the new lineup’s first jam to “blue sunglasses-era Iommi in quality,” the new single sounds like Sleep has lost its Iommi. As Christopher Walken once said to Kid Rock, “It’s the wrong tone.” Dupree’s tone comes through flat and weak, leaving sizable gaps typically filled by Pike’s guitar sound that balanced fuzz with edge.
Sleep — “Have Spacesuit Will Travel (4:20 Flexi Edit)”
Sleep also enlisted punk legend Henry Rollins to herald the new band, writing, “‘Have Spacesuit Will Travel’ at no time tries to pick up where The Sciences left off. There’s a considerable amount of new blood in the band, so imitation, as Bubba notes, would greatly limit the potential of three very unique and talented musicians. That being said, Sleep answers to an incredible recording history, literally decades in the making, so it would not be surprising that Al, Dale and Bubba would find themselves composing in the spirit of that which had been established so long ago. The three of them were able to make something that can be truly identified as genuine Sleep music, yet with a sharpness and agility to the recordings.”
The new lineup will hit the road in September, playing 30 shows throughout the West Coast, Midwest, and Northeast, plus a few Canadian dates. Sleep will also headline LEVITATION in Austin on Sunday, September 13th, topping a daily lineup of Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats, Psychedelic Porn Crumpets, Elder, and others.
Register here for the artist pre-sale for all newly announced Sleep tour dates, beginning Tuesday, June 23rd at 10 a.m. local time. Tickets will go on sale to the general public Thursday, June 25th at 10 a.m. local time. Find tickets and a full list of dates on Sleep’s new website.
Cisneros has also announced the first issue of the Sleep Comic Book, his authorial debut on Third Man Records. With illustrations by renowned poster artist Dave Kloc and Dopesmoker album cover designer Arik Roper, the first volume begins the saga of the Marijuanaut, “An adventure which takes the reader to Planet Iommia, encounters with The Weedian, and introduces the traveller to Iommia’s deeper reverential practices.” The comics are available for purchase through Third Man Records, including a special edition bundle that also features a poster, rolling papers, a flexidisc of “Have Spacesuit Will Travel,” and other goodies.
Revisit Sleep’s work with now-former guitarist Matt Pike. Matt’s thrash-leaning band High on Fire has U.S. tour dates through June and July before heading overseas for an extensive EU/UK tour. Find tickets and tour dates here.
Sleep — “Holy Mountain” — Saarbrücken, Germany — 1993
[Video: Earache Records]
Sleep Tour Dates
Tue. Sept. 8 – San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park
Wed. Sept. 9 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren
Thu. Sept. 10 – Albuquerque, NM @ Revel
Sat. Sept. 12 – Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater
Sun. Sept. 13 – Austin, TX @ Levitation
Mon. Sept. 14 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Tower Theatre
Wed. Sept. 16 – Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
Thu. Sept. 17 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Grand At The Complex
Fri. Sept. 18 – Boise, ID @ Treefort Music Hall
Sun. Sept. 20 – Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
Mon. Sept. 21 – Seattle, WA @ Neptune Theatre
Tue. Sept. 22 – Seattle, WA @ Neptune Theatre
Wed. Sept. 23 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
Fri. Sept. 25 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
Sat. Sept. 26 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
Sun. Sept. 27 – Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst
Mon. Sept. 28 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern
Tue. Sept. 29 – Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory
Wed. Nov. 4 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
Thu. Nov. 5 – Milwaukee, WI @ Pabst Theater
Fri. Nov. 6. – Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre
Sat. Nov. 7 – Detroit, MI @ St. Andrew’s Hall
Mon. Nov. 9 – Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
Tue. Nov. 10 – Montreal, QC @ Club Soda
Wed. Nov. 11 – South Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground Ballroom
Thu. Nov. 12 – Boston, MA @ Roadrunner
Fri. Nov. 13 – Hudson, NY @ Basilica Hudson
Sun. Nov. 15 – Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts
Mon. Nov. 16 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Paramount
Tue. Nov. 17 – Washington, DC @ Lincoln Theatre
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source liveforlivemusic.com ’
