If your anything like me, new music is a big deal. And the discovery of Sleep Token in the past months online has really caught my attention recently, and for good reason. I heard a snippet of The Summoning somewhere online (who knows where, it's an amalgam of ridiculous shite at this point) and was instantly hooked, and took a nice deep dive into who this band is, what they're all about, and more importantly, what they sound like.
For one, it's another band with a focus on both performance and anonymity. Masked up, and draped in black cloaks, the bands lead singer, known as 'Vessel', is seemingly a worshipper of a godly entity known only as 'Sleep'. The entire band, all nameless, are also members in the cult of Sleep, and similar to Ghost, you don't go to see them in concert, your there to worship. You might already know I'm a fan of a good theatrical band, with masked Iowan nine-piece Slipknot coming immediately to mind, it's hard not to think that all this has already been done before. Sure, it's a cool new way of presenting their artistic intention, and pushing their aesthetic onto their music, and the masks are very cool. I like the tribal markings, the face paint and weathering to their hands and arms, but it's all just a variation on other bands. You go to a Ghost ritual, not a concert, they also have a nameless band and an equally flamboyant main figure in Papa Emeritus, so I wouldn't exactly say it's new ground, but that isn't to say that it's not exciting. Like the Ghost lore, spanning across multi-media instalments and records alike, and I hope Sleep Token do the same, and expand on this narrative more as they grow and evolve, and make themselves just as impactful as their spiritual predecessors.
(Vessel - Image courtesy of Sleep Token)
Now the really important thing here, past the masked members and aesthetics, is the music. That's what everyone is really here for, and as far as pinning these guys down, it's difficult. Inside the genre of metal itself, Sleep Token has been described as nearly everything under the sun, post-metal, progressive-metal, electronica. It makes sense, seeming as no two tracks sound the same from this band, and as they release new music in the coming months, it's clear that all they aim to do is grow and change at their own speed. Songs like Chokehold rely on brilliant slow burning choruses, and breathy vocals, whereas Granite revolves around an electronic beat and more spoken sounding lyrics. No two releases have been the same, and their track The Summoning is arguably what people are most interested in. A brilliantly composed, and one of the tightest instrumental performances I've heard in a while, The Summoning is a foreboding track that chugs along brilliantly, and would stand alone as a brilliant track on its own, but it's ending is something people weren't expecting. It becomes a almost funk based breakdown, leaning on silence and slap bass to create this brilliant coming and going of the instrumental that a lot of people are describing as 'baby making metal'. Even I'll admit I see what they're on about, there's such a strange synthesis in the merging of the two extremes of the track that just makes it sound like something that would have fit in 50 Shades.
Aside from the general consensus, I love what they're doing. It's something I've never heard before, and that's so exciting in the music sphere today. No one else is doing it like Sleep Token. They adapt to any style so easily, with some brilliant metal performances across the board. Harsh riffs, heavy drums, you name it, this band can do it. But just as you expect this to continue, for the raging track to carry on with the distorted harmonics, they pull the rug out from underneath you and the song redefines itself. Vessel is also a brilliant singer, and has a very unique vocal delivery. Capable of some brilliant extreme vocals, but also the most piercing vibrato and melodic harmonies, this singer is not to be slept on in any regard (pun intended). They deserve every bit of the hype they're receiving tenfold, sure the look and the story may be familiar, but my god the music? It's goose bumps every god damn time I listen. Granite is a highlight at the minute, but I'd urge you to go check out all their new releases, and their old stuff too. Even though they're getting their time in the light now, they've been around for a while, and their first two records are full of brilliant tracks.
So, I'm looking forward to whatever Sleep Token have to offer, and it seems that over the coming weeks we're going to get more and more from them as they tour. All I know is that whatever happens, I'm ready for whatever they throw, and will have a post ready and waiting for my thoughts.
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