Review Summary: I've got blood trail red in the blue ...
The band Sleep Token is quite a mystery. When I went to read about the band I realized that a lot of information about it doesn't really exist. The British band was founded in 2016 by a man who calls himself Vessel, and he is also the main writer and composer.
After the release of the first EP One, the band signed with Baisick Records. The following year, the band released another EP with the surprising name Two. At a later stage, the band signed with the major record company Spinefarm records, a subsidiary of Universal and home to quite a few well-known artists such as Nightwish and more.
In 2019, the band released their first full album Sundowning, when two years later they released their second album This Place Will Become Your Tomb. Now, after another two years, the new album has been released, which will be reviewed here.
This is more or less most of the information about the band. Its members go on stage wearing a mask and costume and do not interact with the audience. The band's record company at the time described the band's members as "representatives of the mortality of the ancient deity known as Sleep. In the only interview the band's founder, its lead writer and singer gave to Metal Hammer magazine after signing with Baisick Records, it was claimed The band's goal is to convey Sleep's message, with Vessel gaining glory if he follows Sleep's path.
The band does not wish to be identified, so we can only say that the band consists of Vessel (vocals, writer and composer of the material), II (drums), III (bass) and IV (guitars)
According to Wikipedia, Vessel recorded all the instruments except the drums which were recorded by II
Although the band has existed for 7 years, the real interest in it began when the second single from the new album The Summoning was released at the beginning of the year, a day after the first single from it Chokehold was released. With the release of these two singles, the band's popularity skyrocketed. At the beginning of January, the band had about 300,000 monthly plays on Spotify, while at the end of January the band already had 1.58 million plays. Huge and unimaginable growth.
The album cover includes the name of the album in the form of a cipher, which is a very unusual and interesting detail.
The new album is the last in the band's first trilogy, when it was preceded by the two previous albums.
The album starts with the song Chokehold which offers a metal sound without much sophistication. Super polished and very addictive. Starts calm but picks up speed in the chorus.
The next song is The Summoning, which for the most part is no different from the opening song, but at a certain point the rhythm and style change towards indie-pop, even a bit bluesy, and although the chorus in this song is amazing, this part adds a lot to the variety and interest of the song, beyond the excellent chorus. The lyrics in the song are very "poignant" and strong ("I have got a river running right into you, I have got a blood trail red in the blue...") In general, throughout the album there is a feeling that the singer is speaking from his heart about things he has been through in his life.
The third track Granite gives a very groovy vibe that is very reminiscent of hip hop. In this song it is evident that the singer is very angry with the other side, his partner I guess. (Between the second hand smoke and the glass on the street You gave" me nothing whatever but a reason to leave. You say you want me but you know I'm not "what you need. But I am) . So that we don't forget that the album is basically a metal album, at some point there is a guitar breakdown that leaves no room for doubt.
The fourth track Aqua Regia continues the line of its predecessor but combines electronics with the vibe of hip-hop music and even a bit of reggae.
The fifth track Vore is one of my favorite tracks on the album, precisely because of its power. It also brings us back to the album's nostalgic vibe. This song is very gloomy in its words, something that characterizes the whole album in fact. In addition, it seems that the main motif of this album is dealing with the human body as a metaphor for our feelings (Your flesh and bone welcome" me in, welcome me in. Are you in pain like I am?").
The next song, Ascensionism, starts with a really exciting piano wave. I can even feel the excitement in the vocals when you hear a slight tremor in the singer's voice. It feels like he really sings from the heart and is moved, and in this I think that was his goal, to move me as a listener. A powerful breakdown follows
The track Are you really Okay? A very calm song whose words create an emotional storm because of their power. It is a kind of ballad that seeks to prevent self-harm ("I saw it in your eyes. Cutting deeper than the scars could run). The question that is asked all the time is Are you really Okay? It is asked so much as if the questioner is trying to say that he is not sure or not I believe everything is fine.
The track DYWTYLM has a very electronic sound. This song is a very good example of the versatility of this album which shows that there is no focus on a specific genre, which is why this album is so special.
The theme song is a song that can be said to bring together everything that the album tries to present to the listener and it is also the longest on the album and reaches more than eight minutes. All the genres in which the album is characterized come together in this song and produce a powerful song that includes several layers. It starts slowly, continues with a powerful chorus with lots of guitars and continues to the second verse with a section bordering on rap wrapped in electronic sound. Towards the end there is an even heavier metal section with screams from Vessel which are generally not heard much throughout the album.
In conclusion, for me this is one of the best albums of the year, if not the best so far. There are so many things in this album that bought me. From the caressing and exciting voice of Vessel to the diversity and combination of genres. As mentioned, this is the third part of a trilogy and accordingly the album includes in various songs references to songs in previous albums in all kinds of ways.
Before writing the review I listened to the album more than ten times because there is a lot to contain and absorb. Sleep Token are not afraid to bring something complex, exciting, different when, despite the combination of several genres, they manage to put all the parts together into a synergy that causes pure pleasure, no matter how much we listen to the album. The melodies combined with the lyrics, which are not easy to listen to, create a quality product.
The hype that started a few months ago is justified, and judging by this album, the anonymous friends have a lot more to offer.
