For more than two decades, Sleepbomb has forged a singular path through the worlds of doom, drone, experimental music, and cinematic storytelling. What began as a live project reimagining classic films through immersive original scores has evolved into one of the Bay Area’s most distinctive heavy music institutions. Now, after more than a decade of development, lineup changes, setbacks, and relentless creative refinement, the band is finally unveiling its most ambitious work yet: Songs in the Key of Conan.
Inspired by John Milius’ legendary 1982 fantasy epic Conan the Barbarian, the album transforms Sleepbomb’s signature live score into a fully realized studio statement. Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Greg Wilkinson at Earhammer Studios and released through Billy Gould’s Koolarrow Records, the record captures eleven years of artistic evolution distilled into sixteen towering compositions filled with crushing percussion, soaring synths, cinematic atmosphere, and triumphant doom-laden riffs.
The journey to completion was anything but straightforward. What began as hours of loose improvisation gradually became a meticulously crafted score and a defining centerpiece of Sleepbomb’s live performances. Delayed by the pandemic, licensing complications, and the natural upheavals of a long-running creative endeavor, Songs in the Key of Conan ultimately emerged stronger for the struggle—much like the Cimmerian warrior whose story inspired it.
To celebrate the album’s release on June 5, Sleepbomb will bring these songs to the stage for two special performances. On June 4, the band headlines their official record release show at Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco [Ticket].. The following evening, June 5, they perform at the Arlene Francis Center in Santa Rosa alongside Oxide and special guests. These shows mark the culmination of an eleven-year quest and the beginning of a new chapter for a band that has spent decades redefining what heavy, cinematic music can be.
Raise your swords, honor Crom, and prepare for an evening of thunderous riffs, immersive soundscapes, and barbaric glory. The long-awaited saga of Songs in the Key of Conan has finally arrived.
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