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Al Cisneros

Al Cisneros is an American musician, best known as the co-founder, , and of the influential stoner/ band and the experimental duo , where his distinctive playing and riff-driven compositions have shaped underground heavy music genres. Born in , in 1973, Cisneros began playing music as a teenager, forming his first band around 1989 with a makeshift assembled from parts that cost about $40. Influenced by the heavy riffs of 's early albums, the intricate tones of 's Geddy , and reggae grooves from players like Aston "Family Man" , he quickly gravitated toward low-end, rhythmic exploration amplified by marijuana's introspective effects. By the early 1990s, Cisneros co-founded in the San Jose area, alongside guitarist Matt and drummer Chris , releasing their debut album Holy Mountain in 1992 on Dope Records, which established the band's reputation for epic, cannabis-fueled tracks exceeding 10 minutes in length. Following Sleep's dissolution in the late 1990s amid label disputes over their ambitious hour-long album Dopesmoker (initially released in edited form as Jerusalem in 1999 and fully in 2003), Cisneros took a hiatus from music to pursue personal and spiritual studies, drawing from Hindu, Judeo-Christian, and Sufi traditions. He reemerged in 2003 by forming Om with Hakius, shifting toward minimalist, meditative soundscapes centered on bass, drums, and vocals without guitars; their debut Variations on a Theme arrived in 2005 via Holy Mountain Records. Hakius retired in 2006, replaced by Emil Amos, and Om continued releasing acclaimed albums like Conference of the Birds (2009) and Advaitic Songs (2012) on Drag City, blending drone, psychedelia, and spiritual themes. Cisneros has also collaborated in projects such as Shrinebuilder (a supergroup with members from Saint Vitus and Melvins) and contributed to early sludge metal band Asbestosdeath. A lifelong devotee to Rickenbacker basses since purchasing his first in 1989—earning a signature model, the 4003 AC, in 2019—he emphasizes space, midrange warmth, and fingerstyle technique in his playing, often self-engineering recordings to capture bass frequencies with precision. In 2018, Sleep reunited for the album The Sciences on Third Man Records, marking their first new material in over two decades and reaffirming Cisneros' role as a pioneer in stoner metal. Beyond music, he has taught chess and explored self-released dub and ambient works, including the 2022 Sinai Dub Box compilation of vinyl singles spanning 2012–2022. In 2025, Cisneros released the collaborative album Pillar of Fire / Capernaum with David Eugene Edwards and launched the project The Holy Mountain Orchestra; meanwhile, Sleep announced a hiatus. Cisneros' career reflects a commitment to rhythmic longevity and personal evolution, influencing generations of heavy music artists through his focus on groove, tone, and philosophical depth.

Early life and influences

Early years

Alberto R. Cisneros was born on September 23, 1973, in . He grew up in the San Jose area of the Bay Area during the 1970s and 1980s, a period marked by the region's evolving tech boom and suburban expansion. Cisneros attended junior high school in the San Jose vicinity, where he first met , a future musical collaborator. Prior to his deeper involvement in music, he explored interests such as , though he struggled with basic tricks like the . During his teenage years, Cisneros also developed an early exposure to heavy music genres, particularly drawn to bands like . In high school and late teens, Cisneros transitioned toward music as a primary pursuit, building on these foundational experiences in the culturally vibrant Bay Area environment.

Musical beginnings and inspirations

Growing up in , Al Cisneros discovered Black Sabbath's first four albums in the late 1970s, which became his primary musical influences and shaped his affinity for heavy, riff-driven sounds. These records, combined with marijuana use, helped him focus on the development of riffs and grooves, fostering an early appreciation for how rhythms "breathe and move." As a teenager in the late 1980s, he began exploring the depths of , transitioning from listener to player in this underground environment. His first instrument was the , which he learned through self-taught experimentation starting in 1989, beginning with a inexpensive, assembled model in his initial band. Influenced by fingerstyle techniques from bassists like Aston Barrett and , Cisneros developed his approach by , emphasizing the bass's role as a melodic foundation. In San Jose's informal scene, he engaged in early garage and small-venue playing, often under challenging conditions like limited resources and makeshift setups. This period solidified Cisneros's mindset toward slow, heavy riffing, viewing rhythms through a lens of longevity and spiritual resonance, where music served as a devotional practice reflecting life's constant movement. He prioritized creating enduring patterns over fleeting trends, driven by a deep love for the form despite the era's dominant faster tempos.

Career

Formative bands and Sleep

Cisneros entered the music scene in 1989 by co-founding the short-lived band alongside guitarist , drummer , and initial guitarist while still in high school in . The group released two EPs, Unclean in 1989 on Asbestos Records and Dejection in 1990 on Profane Existence Records, showcasing raw, sludge-influenced metal sounds. Asbestosdeath's brief tenure laid the groundwork for Cisneros's development as a and vocalist, emphasizing heavy, riff-driven compositions. In 1990, evolved into , with Cisneros on bass and vocals, Pike on guitar, and Hakius on drums, streamlining to a format after Choi's departure. The band quickly gained traction in the burgeoning stoner metal scene, releasing their debut Volume One in 1991 via Tupelo Recording Company, which featured extended tracks blending doom and psychedelic elements. Following up in 1992, on solidified their reputation, with Cisneros's prominent basslines and howling vocals driving songs like "Dragonaut" and "Evil Gypsy/Solomon's Theme." Sleep's early work drew from Black Sabbath's heavy riffing and themes, helping the stoner/doom subgenre through Cisneros's hypnotic, repetitive structures and lyrical focus on and . By 1996, Sleep recorded what would become their magnum opus, a single 63-minute track initially titled , intended as a celebrating marijuana under the working name Dopesmoker. However, disputes with their label London Records over the album's unconventional length and content led to its shelving, prompting the band's and effective disbandment in the late 1990s, as Cisneros and others pursued separate paths. An edited version surfaced unofficially in 1999, but the full Dopesmoker was not properly released until 2003 by Tee Pee Records, cementing its status as a landmark in stoner/doom despite the delay. Cisneros's contributions here were pivotal, crafting the album's monolithic riff and delivering chanted vocals that evoked ritualistic intensity. Sleep reunited in 2009, performing at All Tomorrow's Parties in the UK, with their first U.S. performance that November in ; original drummer retired after the 2009 shows and was replaced by Jason Roeder of on drums for subsequent activity, reigniting fan interest in their foundational sound. The band escalated their comeback by headlining the 2012 Roadburn Festival in , , where they performed Sleep's Holy Mountain in full, and later at the 2016 Levitation Festival in , sharing a bill with drone acts like Sunn O))) and . By 2012, Cisneros expressed intentions for more consistent activity as a full band. This culminated in the surprise release of The Sciences on April 20, 2018, via , featuring four tracks that expanded on their stoner/doom template with Cisneros's signature bass grooves and thematic nods to ancient lore and botany. Throughout Sleep's trajectory, Cisneros's role as bassist and vocalist shaped the band's enduring influence on stoner/doom, prioritizing immersive, riff-centric heaviness over conventional song structures.

Om and mid-career evolution

Following the hiatus of his previous band , Al Cisneros formed in 2003 with drummer in , , shifting toward a more meditative and rhythmic sound centered on bass and drums. The duo's debut album, Variations on a Theme, was released in 2005 on Holy Mountain Records, featuring two extended tracks—"Om" and "Variations on a Theme"—that emphasized cyclical riffs and vocal chants drawing from hypnotic repetition. Om's second album, Conference of the Birds, arrived in April 2006, also on Holy Mountain, with tracks like "At Giza" and "Flight of the Eagle" expanding on themes of transcendence through layered percussion and sustained bass lines. This was followed by Pilgrimage in 2007 on Southern Lord Records, which introduced subtle electronic elements and shorter compositions while maintaining the band's ritualistic intensity. In early 2008, Hakius departed the group, citing a desire for a break from touring; he was replaced by drummer Emil Amos of Grails. The band transitioned to a trio in 2009 with the addition of multi-instrumentalist Robert Aiki Lowe on guitar and additional vocals. The lineup change influenced Om's evolving sound, evident in God Is Good (2009) on Drag City Records, where tracks such as "Thebes" incorporated global percussion and ethereal textures inspired by Sufi mysticism and ancient rituals. A live album, Conference Live, featuring live versions of tracks from Conference of the Birds, was released in 2009 on Drag City, highlighting the band's improvisational prowess in extended jams. Advaitic Songs (2012), their final studio album to date on Drag City, delved deeper into Eastern philosophies like and minimalism, with bass-driven pieces evoking meditative states through sparse arrangements and philosophical lyrics. Cisneros's contributions featured mantra-like vocal repetitions and bass techniques rooted in droning cycles, creating a hypnotic foundation that reflected spiritual exploration across , Islamic, and Hindu traditions without adhering to dogma. After , Om entered an extended hiatus from studio recording, though the band has reunited for sporadic live performances into the , including a full set at Pioneer Works in in July 2024. As of 2025, continues to work on their first studio since , with mixing completed in 2022 and test pressings reported in 2024, though no release date has been announced. This period allowed Cisneros to refine Om's core ethos of pantheistic devotion, where serves as a vessel for universal reflection rather than structured progression.

Collaborations and side projects

Cisneros participated in the short-lived supergroup from 2008 to 2010, alongside Scott Kelly of on guitar and vocals, Scott "Wino" Weinrich on guitar and vocals, and of on drums. The band released a self-titled album in 2009 on Neurot Recordings, blending stoner and elements through improvisational jams recorded in a single session. This project overlapped with personnel from Cisneros's earlier band via shared Bay Area metal scene connections. In 2018, Cisneros collaborated with Melvins on the EP Sabbath, contributing bass and vocals to covers of Black Sabbath's "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" and "Hand of Doom." Released on Ipecac Recordings, the EP highlighted Cisneros's riff-heavy style alongside Buzz Osborne and Dale Crover, extending their prior connection from Shrinebuilder. Cisneros has made guest contributions to Harvestman, the psychedelic project of member , appearing on bass for tracks across the 2024 Triptych album series. Specific appearances include "Psilosynth" and "Harvest Dub" on Triptych: Part One, emphasizing dub-infused, atmospheric soundscapes that align with Cisneros's interest in meditative rhythms. More recently, in 2025, Cisneros teamed up with of for the collaborative EP Pillar of Fire / Capernaum, marking their first joint effort with dub-reggae influences and biblical themes. Released on Drag City, the two-track single features Cisneros on and vocals, exploring sparse, echoing productions that bridge their respective heavy and backgrounds.

Solo endeavors

Cisneros began his solo career in 2012 with the release of Dismas, a 7-inch on his own Sinai Records imprint, marking a departure from the heavy riffing of his band work toward dub-influenced explorations infused with ambient textures and biblical motifs. The track draws on themes of and contemplation, reflecting a meditative approach that emphasizes rhythmic repetition and echo-laden production. Subsequent releases expanded this direction through a series of EPs and singles, often self-produced and issued in limited vinyl formats via Sinai Records or collaborators like Drag City. In 2013, Ark Procession / Jericho appeared as a 10-inch EP, featuring extended drone-like compositions evoking ancient rituals and processional imagery, while Teresa of Avila b/w Levitation Dub incorporated vocal samples and dubwise delays inspired by mystical Christian figures. By 2014, Toward on 12-inch vinyl delved deeper into thematic journeys with tracks like Field and Harvester , blending field-inspired ambient layers with minimalist bass lines to create immersive soundscapes. These works highlight Cisneros's pursuit of personal artistic freedom, prioritizing sparse arrangements and echo effects over dense instrumentation. The solo output culminated in the 2022 compilation Sinai Dub Box, a 7x7-inch on Records that remasters and collects material from 2012 to 2022, including previously unreleased tracks alongside staples like b/w Sepulcher Dub (originally on ZamZam Sounds in 2014). This anthology underscores a decade of evolution toward and , with releases like the 2022 single Suicide of Judas b/w explicitly engaging biblical narratives of and desolation through echoing bass and sparse percussion. All productions were handled independently by Cisneros, emphasizing analog techniques and thematic depth drawn from spiritual sources.

Musical style and equipment

Artistic approach and influences

Al Cisneros's artistic approach centers on a fusion of , , , and ambient elements, characterized by hypnotic repetition, emphasis on low-end frequencies, and lyrics infused with spiritual depth. In projects like and , he prioritizes minimalistic structures that build trance-like immersion through sustained bass lines and rhythmic pulses, drawing from dub producers such as and to create echoing, meditative soundscapes. This philosophy views music as an organic, devotional practice rather than a contrived product, where intuition guides composition to reflect universal rhythms and emotional authenticity. Thematically, Cisneros's work draws from biblical texts, Eastern , and traditions, evolving from the cannabis-centric of Sleep's 1990s output—evident in celebrating herbal rituals—to the transcendental explorations in Om's later recordings, which incorporate mantras and concepts of pantheistic unity. Influences include Christian and , framing as invocations of spiritual journeys and cosmic interconnectedness, often described as an "unceasing " mirroring life's continual flow. His vocal delivery employs a deep, chanting style reminiscent of shamanic rituals or recitation, delivered in staccato bursts over extended drones to evoke solemnity and introspection. Cisneros's style has evolved from the heavy, riff-driven intensity of Sleep's 1990s , inspired by Black Sabbath's foundational albums, to the meditative, ambient drones prominent in Om's work, incorporating subtle textures like and while maintaining core . This progression continued into collaborations, such as The Holy Mountain Orchestra's drone-doom tribute track and the EP with , blending with contemplative, spiritual depth. Cisneros has positioned himself as a pioneer of within heavy music, influencing the stoner/doom genre by emphasizing hypnotic repetition and spiritual undertones over conventional complexity. Critics acclaim this approach for expanding heavy music's boundaries, blending with contemplative depth to create enduring, genre-defining soundscapes.

Signature gear and techniques

Al Cisneros primarily employs basses to achieve his distinctive tone, favoring models like the 4003 and its five-string variant, the 4003S, which he adopted around to facilitate lower tunings while preserving instrument balance and playability. His 4003AC, produced in a limited run of 420 units, incorporates custom features such as a re-engineered with adjustable saddles, hot-wound treble pickups, and bound neck with green "Sleep" inlays, enhancing sustain and clarity for his riff-heavy style. Custom builds, including a hybrid 4420 model combining four- and five-string elements, further tailor his setup for extended range and tonal versatility. For amplification, Cisneros relies on heads paired with SVT-810E 8x10 cabinets, providing the high-volume, punchy low-end essential to his doom and sound, as evidenced in live performances with and . During 's recordings for Holy Mountain and Dopesmoker, he utilized custom green Matamp heads and slave units, known for their raw, overdriven warmth derived from 1970s designs. Occasional setups include Dual Dark half stacks or cabinets for added bite in 's heavier contexts. Cisneros incorporates effects pedals selectively to shape his fuzz-laden, octave-doubled tone, with the 2 delivering polyphonic octave generation for thickened bass lines, as heard in Om's layered arrangements. Distortion comes from the Boss DS-1 and DOD 250 preamp, boosting the signal for gritty sustain, while the Orange Bax Bangeetar pre-EQ refines . Delay effects, such as the RE-201 tape unit, add spatial depth in live and studio settings. His playing techniques emphasize down-tuning—often to drop C or lower on four-strings, or utilizing the low B on five-strings—to generate rumbling foundations, paired with fingerstyle plucking for precise articulation and dynamic control. In recordings, he layers tracks to create immersive effects, evident in Om's hypnotic grooves where multiple passes build harmonic density. Post-2012, Cisneros evolved his gear toward dub-oriented solo endeavors, integrating tape-based delays and rigorous EQ adjustments to emphasize sub-bass frequencies, as explored in releases like Sinai Dub Box, marking a departure from amplification toward intimate, echo-drenched .

Discography

Asbestosdeath

Al Cisneros co-founded the in 1989, serving as bassist and vocalist alongside , , and . The released two in 1990 before evolving into . The debut EP, Dejection, was issued on 7-inch by Profane Existence Records, featuring raw, heavy tracks like "Nail" and "Scourge" that showcased Cisneros's early aggressive vocal style and down-tuned bass work. Later that year, the follow-up EP Unclean appeared on self-released 7-inch via Asbestos Records, containing songs such as "" and "," emphasizing grinding riffs and Cisneros's contributions to the nascent doom sound. In 2007, Southern Lord Records reissued both EPs as the compilation Dejection/Unclean on CD, 10-inch , and cassette, compiling all four tracks with improved to highlight their influence on stoner and sludge genres.

Sleep

Cisneros is a founding member and primary songwriter for Sleep, where he handles bass, vocals, and much of the lyrical content centered on cannabis and mysticism. The band's debut full-length, Volume One, emerged in 1991 on CD via Tupelo Recording Company and vinyl through Very Small Records, delivering sludge-infused doom tracks like "Stillborn" and "Hydroplane" that established Cisneros's signature monolithic bass lines. Their breakthrough album, Sleep's Holy Mountain, followed in 1992 on Earache Records (Europe) and 1993 in the US, with vinyl and CD formats featuring epic compositions such as "Dragonaut" and "Evil Gypsy/Solomon's Theme," solidifying Sleep's stoner doom legacy under Cisneros's guidance. The long-delayed third album, originally recorded in 1996, surfaced unauthorized as in 1999 on The Music Cartel before the band reclaimed it for the official 2003 release Dopesmoker on Tee Pee Records in digipak format, comprising a single 63-minute title track that epitomizes Cisneros's repetitive, trance-like riffing and vocal chants. After a hiatus, Sleep reunited for The Sciences in 2018 on , available on double vinyl (including limited green and black/green split editions), , and cassette, with four extended songs like "" demonstrating Cisneros's evolved, psychedelic bass approach. Reissues of on in 2014 and Volume One on Southern Lord in 2015 further preserved the catalog up to 2024.

Om

Formed by Cisneros and drummer Chris Hakius in 2003, Om shifted toward meditative, repetitive drone and world music influences, with Cisneros on bass, vocals, and harmonium. Their debut, Variations on a Theme, arrived in 2005 on Holy Mountain Records in CD and vinyl formats, featuring ritualistic pieces like "Om" that highlight Cisneros's cyclical bass patterns and mantric lyrics. The 2006 follow-up Conference of the Birds also on Holy Mountain (CD and vinyl, including limited clear pressing), included tracks such as "At Giza" and "Flight of the Eagle," blending Eastern scales with Cisneros's resonant baritone. Pilgrimage (2007) marked their Southern Lord Records debut on and , with songs like "" showcasing Cisneros's harmonium integration and spiritual themes. God Is Good (2009) on Drag City (, double ) expanded to include piano and influences in tracks such as "Meditation of the Naive" and "," reflecting Cisneros's evolving compositional depth. The final duo album, Advaitic Songs (2012), again on Drag City (, double ), featured ambitious epics like "" with orchestral elements, underscoring Cisneros's role in the band's hypnotic sound. The live album Conference Live (2009) on Important Records () captured a 2008 performance of "Flight of the Eagle" and "At ," preserving Om's improvisational live energy.

Shrinebuilder

Shrinebuilder, a supergroup featuring Cisneros on and vocals alongside Scott "Wino" Weinrich, Scott Kelly, and , released their sole self-titled album in 2009 on Neurot Recordings in CD and double vinyl formats (with 2020 splatter vinyl reissue). Tracks like " Benediction" and "" fused doom and stoner elements, with Cisneros contributing brooding and shared vocal duties to create a collaborative heavy ritual.

Melvins Collaborations

Cisneros joined for the 2018 10-inch EP Sabbath on (black , limited to 1000 copies), featuring two tracks: covers of 's "Black Sabbath" and "," where Cisneros provided bass and vocals to enhance the sludgy, Sabbath-inspired heaviness.

Solo and collaborative works

Cisneros's solo output primarily consists of dub-influenced singles, EPs, and compilations released through his own Sinai Records imprint and Drag City, emphasizing meditative bass lines and echo-laden productions that extend the experimental ethos of his work with . These releases, often limited to and digital formats, showcase his shift toward solo explorations beginning in 2012. His debut solo single, Dismas b/w Version, arrived in 2012 on Sinai Records as a 7" with two tracks totaling approximately 7 minutes, featuring a raw, psychedelic rock-infused approach. This was followed in 2013 by the 7" Teresa of Avila b/w Levitation Dub on Sinai Records, a two-track release clocking in at around 8 minutes, blending spiritual themes with echoing bass rhythms. Later that year, the 10" EP Ark Procession / Jericho on Drag City presented two extended tracks spanning 15 minutes, delving into processional structures with and availability. In 2014, Cisneros issued the 7" Lantern of the Soul on Sinai Records, a single-track outing with its instrumental version, lasting about 7 minutes and highlighting luminous, reverb-heavy bass work on vinyl. The same year saw the 12" EP Enoch (subtitled Toward Nazareth / Indica Field / etc.) on Drag City, a five-track vinyl and digital release running 20 minutes, incorporating field recordings and narcotic dub textures unique to its immersive flow. Additional 2014 output included the 7" Empty Tomb / Sepulcher Dub, a two-track vinyl pressing focused on sepulchral echoes, though specific label details align with his Sinai and Drag City affiliations. The 2020s marked a resurgence, with the 2022 7" single Suicide of Judas b/w Akeldama on Sinai Records offering two tracks in roughly 8 minutes, exploring biblical motifs through stark dub minimalism on vinyl and digital. That year also brought Sinai Dub Box (2012–2022), a limited-edition 7x7" vinyl box set on Sinai Records compiling remastered versions of prior singles plus three unreleased tracks across 14 sides, totaling over 50 minutes and including a patch; digital versions were also available. In October 2022, the 12" EP Rosin emerged as a collaborative effort with The Bug (Kevin Martin) on Pressure Records, featuring four tracks split between artists—Rosin Immersion, Dabby You, Fathoms, and 50Hz—spanning 20 minutes on amber or yellow translucent vinyl and digital. Cisneros's most recent solo-adjacent release, the 2025 10" EP Pillar of Fire / Capernaum on Drag City, comprises two tracks lasting 9 minutes, available in vinyl, , and formats, though it marks his first duo project with of , blending dub with folk elements. In September 2025, Cisneros released the digital single "Song for JW" as part of The Holy Mountain Orchestra on Drag City, a collaborative track featuring bass and by Cisneros, vocals by Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe, guitar by Ben Chasny, and additional contributions by Matthew Tobias. Beyond pure solo endeavors, Cisneros has engaged in select non-band collaborations, notably contributing bass to Harvestman's series by in 2024 on Neurot Recordings. Each of the three full-length albums—Part One, Part Two, and —features one track with Cisneros, such as Psilosynth on Part One, emphasizing psychedelic grooves amid the project's ambient psych scope; formats include , , and across the trilogy.

Guest appearances

Cisneros has contributed to various recordings outside his primary projects, often lending his distinctive bass lines and vocals to experimental, , and heavy music contexts. In 2006, he played bass on the expansive 24-minute track "River of Transfiguration" from Ben Chasny's album The Sun Awakens, adding a grounding rhythmic foundation to the exploration. Cisneros provided bass for "The Hawk of Achill" on Steve Von Till's 2009 Harvestman album In a Dark Tongue, enhancing the track's urgent, droning intensity within the project's ambient and psychedelic soundscapes. On the 2018 Melvins EP Sabbath, Cisneros served as guest bassist and vocalist, delivering brooding performances on covers of 's "Black Sabbath" and "," blending his doom-rooted style with the ' sludgy reinterpretations. In 2022, he teamed with electronic producer The Bug (Kevin Martin) for the dub-infused EP , contributing bass and production to tracks like "Rosin Immersion" and "Dabby You," which emphasize sub-heavy grooves and immersive atmospheres. Cisneros returned as a guest on Harvestman's release Triptych: Part One, playing bass on "Psilosynth" and mixing its dub counterpart "Psilosynth (Harvest Dub)," furthering the project's psych-dub explorations with cyclical, meditative bass work.

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