Al Cisneros

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American musician

title: "Al Cisneros" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["musicians-from-san-jose,-california", "living-people", "1973-births", "singers-from-california", "guitarists-from-california", "american-male-bass-guitarists", "sleep-(band)-members", "om-(band)-members", "asbestosdeath-members", "shrinebuilder-members", "21st-century-american-singers", "21st-century-american-bass-guitarists", "21st-century-american-male-singers", "american-heavy-metal-singers", "american-heavy-metal-bass-guitarists"] description: "American musician" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Cisneros" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American musician ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox musical artist"]

FieldValue
nameAl Cisneros
imageSleep @ Roadburn Festival 2019-04-14 178.jpg
landscape
captionCisneros performing with Sleep in 2019
birth_date
originSan Jose, California, U.S.
death_date
genreStoner metal, doom metal, drone metal, dub
occupationMusician
instrumentBass guitar, vocals
years_active1989–present
current_member_ofSleep, Om
past_member_ofShrinebuilder, Asbestosdeath
website
::

| name = Al Cisneros | image = Sleep @ Roadburn Festival 2019-04-14 178.jpg | image_upright = | landscape = | alt = | caption = Cisneros performing with Sleep in 2019 | birth_name = | alias = | birth_date = | birth_place = | origin = San Jose, California, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | genre = Stoner metal, doom metal, drone metal, dub | occupation = Musician | instrument = Bass guitar, vocals | years_active = 1989–present | label = | current_member_of = Sleep, Om | past_member_of = Shrinebuilder, Asbestosdeath | website = Alberto R. Cisneros (; born September 23, 1973) is an American musician. He is the lead singer and bassist for stoner rock/doom metal bands Sleep{{cite web |url=http://oregonmusicnews.com/2013/02/06/eastern-philosophy-and-black-sabbath-worship-q-a-with-al-cisneros-of-om-and-sleep/ |title=Eastern Philosophy and Black Sabbath Worship: Q&A with Al Cisneros of Om and Sleep |date=February 6, 2013 |last1=Jones |first1=Cat |work=Oregon Music News |accessdate=May 9, 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130324031049/http://oregonmusicnews.com/2013/02/06/eastern-philosophy-and-black-sabbath-worship-q-a-with-al-cisneros-of-om-and-sleep/ |archivedate=March 24, 2013

Career

Cisneros' earliest musical interests included an appreciation of Black Sabbath, in particular their first four albums.

In 1989 he formed the sludge metal band Asbestosdeath, taking up bass and vocal duties, with Chris Hakius on drums and Matt Pike and Tom Choi on guitar. Asbestosdeath released two EPs in 1990.

Sleep

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/Sleep_(4969481564).jpg" caption="Cisneros performing with Sleep in 2010"] ::

Following Choi's departure, Cisneros, Hakius and Pike recruited Justin Marler on guitar and renamed themselves Sleep. Cisneros jokingly called himself "Luke" in the early days of Sleep, in homage to "Luke's Wall", the title of the outro section of "War Pigs".

In 1991 Sleep released their first album, Volume One. They soon gained a devoted underground following in the doom metal scene.

In 1992 they released their next album, Sleep's Holy Mountain, an influential album in the early development of stoner metal.

Between 1995 and 1998, Sleep worked extensively on their next album, Dopesmoker, a single song lasting one hour. However, their record label at the time refused to release it, and in 1998 Sleep disbanded. An abridged form was released in 1999 under the title Jerusalem. Dopesmoker in its entirety was first officially released by Tee Pee Records on April 22, 2003.

On November 26, 2012, it was reported that Sleep had recently announced their own status as a "full, reunited band".

Om

In 2003, Cisneros and Hakius decided to form their own band named Om, with Cisneros on bass and vocals and Hakius on drums. As a duo, Om released the albums Variations on a Theme in 2005, Conference of the Birds in 2006, and Pilgrimage in 2007.

In January 2008, Hakius decided to leave the band and was replaced by Emil Amos on drums. Since then, Om has released the two full-length studio albums God Is Good and Advaitic Songs on the Drag City label, a 7" for Sub Pop entitled Gebel Barkal, and the live vinyl-only LP Conference Live on Important Records.

Om's 2012 tour for the Advaitic Songs album included Robert Lowe on backing vocals, guitar, synthesizer and tambura. Lowe had previously appeared on vocals and tambura on God Is Good.

Solo

In December 2012, Cisneros released his first solo record Dismas on the band's own Sinai imprint, following the religious tones themed in OM but with more of a dub approach. A second solo record Teresa of Avila followed in March 2013. A 10" EP featuring two longer songs, "Ark Procession" and "Jericho", was also released in 2013. In January 2014 a 12" EP featuring five songs was released and in October 2014 a 7" featuring two songs and artwork by David V. D'Andrea will be released by Samaritan Press. Another 7" on the Sinai imprint followed the next month under the title "Lantern of the Soul".

Discography

With Asbestosdeath

  • 1990 – Dejection
  • 1990 – Unclean

With Sleep

With Om

With Shrinebuilder

With Melvins

  • 2018 – Sabbath (EP)

Solo

  • 2012 – "Dismas" 7" (Sinai)
  • 2013 – "Teresa of Avila" / "Levitation Dub" 7" (Sinai)
  • 2013 – "Ark Procession"/"Jericho" 10" (Drag City)
  • 2014 – "Toward Nazareth"/"Indica Field"/"Harvester Dub"/"Yerushaláyim"/"Version" 12" (Drag City)
  • 2014 – "Empty Tomb"/"Sepulcher Dub" 7" (Samaritan Press)
  • 2014 – "Lantern of the Soul"/"Untitled" 7" (Sinai)
  • 2020 – "Apple Pipe"/"No Tobacco" 7" (Zam Zam)
  • 2022 – Sinai Dub Box (2012-2022) (Sinai)
  • 2022 – "Suicide Of Judas" / "Akeldama" digital single (Sinai)
  • 2023 - "Al Cisneros vs The Bug - Rosin 12" (Pressure)
  • 2025 – "Pillar Of Fire" / "Capernaum" 10" (w/ David Eugene Edwards) (Drag City)

Appears on

  • 2006 – Six Organs of Admittance – "River of Transfiguration," The Sun Awakens (Drag City)
  • 2009 – Harvestman – "The Hawk of Achill," In a Dark Tongue (Neurot)
  • 2024 – Harvestman – "Psilosynth" and "Psilosynth (Harvest Dub)," Triptych: Part One (Neurot)
  • 2024 – Harvestman – "The Hag Of Beara vs The Poet" and "The Hag Of Beara vs The Poet (Forest Dub)," Triptych: Part Two (Neurot)

Equipment

Basses

References

References

  1. (February 12, 2007). "Om Top of Holy Mountain". Seattle Weekly News.
  2. (February 7, 2013). "Om Drone Metal Riffs on Religion". OC Weekly.
  3. "Asbestosdeath".
  4. (September 29, 2012). "The Gospel According To Luke: Al Cisneros Of Om Interviewed". The Quietus.
  5. [[War Pigs]]
  6. "Sleep biography". Allmusic.
  7. (November 26, 2012). "Sleep is now a full, reunited band".
  8. (August 13, 2012). "Om, Advaitic Songs, Expanding the Template". The Obelisk.
  9. (September 29, 2009). "Om – God Is Good (Vinyl, LP, Album) at Discogs".
  10. Finn, Gary. (September 2019). "Om-Ward Bound".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

musicians-from-san-jose,-californialiving-people1973-birthssingers-from-californiaguitarists-from-californiaamerican-male-bass-guitaristssleep-(band)-membersom-(band)-membersasbestosdeath-membersshrinebuilder-members21st-century-american-singers21st-century-american-bass-guitarists21st-century-american-male-singersamerican-heavy-metal-singersamerican-heavy-metal-bass-guitarists