Metal Band Returns With New Lineup, Tour, and First New Music in Eight Years
California stoner metal band Sleep are back with a refreshed lineup, a new tour, and fresh music. The influential ’90s rock and doom-metal group has announced its 2026 tour dates, including a stop in Upstate New York.
Led by Al Cisneros, Sleep will perform at Basilica Hudson in Hudson, New York, on November 13 at 8 p.m.
Tickets are available through Vivid Seats and StubHub, while tickets for the Hudson show can also be purchased through basilicahudson.org.
“Have Spacesuit Will Travel” Marks First New Song in Eight Years
To celebrate the tour announcement, Sleep released a new song titled “Have Spacesuit Will Travel.” The track is the band’s first new music in eight years, following their 2018 album The Sciences, which was released through Third Man Records.
The single also marks an important change for the band, as it is Sleep’s first release without co-founding guitarist Matt Pike. Pike now performs with the Grammy-winning metal band High on Fire.
Sleep’s Current Lineup
The current version of Sleep features original frontman Al Cisneros on vocals and bass, Dale Crover of Melvins on drums, and Bubba Dupree of Void on guitar.
Cisneros praised the chemistry of the new lineup, saying the feel of their first jam together was immediately clear. He compared the sound to the blue sunglasses-era Tony Iommi style and described Bubba Dupree as one of the coolest musicians he has had the chance to create with.
Al Cisneros Also Releasing Sleep Comic Book
Alongside the music news, Cisneros is also preparing to release his first comic, titled Sleep Comic Book.
The story follows a Marijuanaut on a journey to Planet Iommia, where the traveler encounters The Weedian and discovers deeper spiritual and ritual practices connected to Iommia’s world.
The comic expands Sleep’s long-running universe of heavy riffs, spacey imagery, and stoner-doom mythology.
Sleep’s Legacy in Stoner-Doom Metal
Sleep are widely regarded as one of the most important bands in stoner-doom metal. The group first gained attention in the early 1990s with two influential albums: their 1991 debut Volume One and 1992’s Sleep’s Holy Mountain.
In the 1990s, the band released only one more album-length project, built around the hour-long composition “Dopesmoker.” Another version of the piece was released under the title “Jerusalem.”
“Dopesmoker” later appeared on the soundtrack for the 2005 film Broken Flowers, starring Bill Murray.
Sleep originally broke up in 1998 but reunited from time to time over the years. Their most recent reformation came in 2021, and the band now appears ready for a major new touring chapter.
Sleep 2026 Tour Dates
September 8 – San Diego, California @ The Observatory North Park
September 9 – Phoenix, Arizona @ The Van Buren
September 10 – Albuquerque, New Mexico @ The Revel Entertainment Center
September 12 – Dallas, Texas @ Granada Theater
September 13 – Austin, Texas @ Levitation
September 14 – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma @ Tower Theatre
September 16 – Denver, Colorado @ Ogden Theatre
September 17 – Salt Lake City, Utah @ The Grand at the Complex
September 18 – Boise, Idaho @ Treefort Music Hall
September 20 – Vancouver, British Columbia @ Commodore Ballroom
September 21 – Seattle, Washington @ Neptune Theatre
September 22 – Seattle, Washington @ Neptune Theatre
September 23 – Portland, Oregon @ Roseland Theater
September 25 – San Francisco, California @ The Fillmore
September 26 – San Francisco, California @ The Fillmore
September 27 – Santa Cruz, California @ The Catalyst
September 28 – Los Angeles, California @ The Wiltern
September 29 – Santa Ana, California @ The Observatory
November 4 – Minneapolis, Minnesota @ First Avenue
November 5 – Milwaukee, Wisconsin @ The Pabst Theater
November 6 – Chicago, Illinois @ Riviera Theatre
November 7 – Detroit, Michigan @ St. Andrew’s Hall
November 9 – Toronto, Ontario @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
November 10 – Montreal, Quebec @ Club Soda
November 11 – Burlington, Vermont @ Higher Ground
November 12 – Boston, Massachusetts @ Roadrunner
November 13 – Hudson, New York @ Basilica Hudson
Sleep’s return with “Have Spacesuit Will Travel” signals a major new chapter for the legendary stoner-doom band. With Al Cisneros leading a lineup that now includes Dale Crover and Bubba Dupree, the group is moving forward without Matt Pike while still holding onto the heavy, cosmic sound that shaped their legacy. Their 2026 tour, including the Hudson, New York date, gives fans a chance to experience this new era live.
