Believe it or not, I’m going into this review pretty unbiased. I’ve heard one (1) full Sleep Token song before and that was a year or more ago. While I didn’t take to it, I didn’t hate it either. It was about the textbook definition of “okay” - inoffensive at its core, eliciting no response of note, quality as passable as your answer when asked if you want more of it.
I’m pretty keen on whatever. Synthpop, neo-disco, metal of all kinds, hip-hop - it’s all fair game. One of my favorite albums ever is TesseracT’s Altered State. The mixture of softer tones and angelic, light vocals with metallic weight is no stranger to me. On paper, I should like Sleep Token and Take Me Back To Eden, but in execution I just see an identity crisis, disjointedness masquerading as diversity and whiplash-inducing stylistic changes that aren’t warranted or particularly artistic.
The “for fans of” list of this band loosely resembles the shuffled playlist of a teenager about ten years ago. At certain points, I get flecks of Imagine Dragons, others Breaking Benjamin or AWOLNATION, maybe some of that lighter, poppier stuff Bring Me The Horizon have been doing - it’s a veritable love letter to radio rock or stale movie/video game trailer music that’s cheap to license and feigns spicing up whatever visuals some marketing department thought fit. But I’m getting too cynical too fast.
Of course, there’s some nice moments. “The Summoning” houses some neat asides with riveting drums and an ethereal guitar solo that could have - should have - been a bit longer. At the end, it even goes into this stripped-back, almost funk influenced part that could easily fill out a single by The Weeknd. “Granite” incorporates some hip-hop-flavored drums and production that lends itself well to the melodic vocals and flow. “Aqua Regia” could dominate pop radio with its catchy hook, lounging piano work, and shimmering atmosphere. These moments are genuinely cool, if not groundbreaking!
“Ascensionism” is a slow burn to a dark pop setpiece with some very unnecessary autotune (I’m not anti-autotune, but I’m anti-this song) and overall feels so much weaker than the moments mentioned above. The weighty instrumental shift that happens around the middle of the track is cool, but it’s still nothing that isn’t achieved elsewhere, and better - cut the track. “Are You Really Okay?” has its heart in the right place thematically and lyrically (“just please don’t hurt yourself again” is particularly cutting), but ultimately feels toothless and mismatched in a tracklist that’s already mismatched by nature. The same could be said of “The Apparition”, “DYWTYLM”, “Rain”, pretty much all of the album’s midsection really. The title track turns it around a little, but it’s way too little, way too late.
I just can’t for the life of me figure out who the fuck this is for aside from the more mainstream rock festival crowd that’s a little curious about metal, but doesn’t like screaming that much, who also likes pop and a dab of country? To be real, this is probably one of the most off-brand albums reviewed for this site in recent times. The hard and heavy sections on Take Me Back To Eden can be counted on one hand in total minutes. It’s clear that those aren’t priorities for Sleep Token. That’s fine - the score will reflect that for better or worse… mostly worse.
Bottom line: If you’ve been keeping up with all the singles from the album, which amount to half the fucking thing, then you already know if you like Sleep Token or not. The remaining half will surely not sway your opinion. Generously, I’ll look at them as a gateway band, music we use as stepping stones to greater, more expansive frontiers in our search for our favorite stuff. No shame - one of my gateway bands was HIM. Aside from that, Sleep Token is at least half aptly named: sleepy; and if this is Eden, then please kindly spartan kick me down to hell where I belong.
56 comments
Post CommentTried to like the album but I can't. It's the La Croix of metal.
Oh great. Another "It's just not for me" review. I give this review a 2/10.
Guy gave the acacia strain a 9…not sure what I expected.
This is very very bad. If I record myself taking a deuce on my mothers chest while she pukes and sobs, will lambgoat review it?
Seems like someone is too concerned with losing their metal street cred here. "I like this part, this is pretty cool, this is groundbreaking, I'm gonna compare it to some shit bands that don't really have anything to do with anything and exclude myself to the too cool for school club because I don't understand why people like it". (Listens to it on repeat whilst wearing vintage morbid angel tshirt but turns it down at stoplights so nobody around knows)
Imagine unironically enjoying this bland butt rock that the mainstream thinks is "groundbreaking"
Reviewing a band like this, starting with their third LP, having only heard ONE song previously seems terribly misguided. I'm not sure what prompted you to go through this other than the massive uptick in popularity of the band, but it probably should have been handled by someone who was willing to take the time to understand what they were getting themselves into. If a poor review is just a distaste for the musical composition, well... no band is everyone's cup of tea. But this review doesn't feel like that. It feels like a homework assignment for a senior year elective, something you crashed through the night before the due date. We all have our less-than-stellar moments in our work, but the rise of a truly genre-bridging band, with a genre-bridging audience is too rare of an occurrence to half-ass a review of an album that is being viewed as a possible milestone within rock music, before it ever hits the shelves. Do Better. Your readers (and the artists) deserve it.
But the new wallowing album which sounds identical to every f*cking album in the genre gets an 8. what a dong.
This is hilarious. I have heard none of the singles from this album but know i will "like sleep token" because this is their third album. Incredibly weird thing to close a review with
We all have our less-than-stellar moments in our work, but the rise of a truly genre-bridging band, with a genre-bridging audience is too rare of an occurrence to half-ass a review of an album that is being viewed as a possible milestone within rock music, before it ever hits the shelves. LOL, which member of this shitty band are you?
the most one sided biased review of a band or album I've ever come across. you let your obvious dislike for the band slip into your mediocre writings. if you gave as much effort in writing and article as sleep token do on writing a song, then you could have something to give out about. this is a half arsed review any reader will read between the lines and see this as clearly.
Wow...one of the shitiest reviews I've ever read..."great" job dumbass
You can tell a bunch of randos and hardcore fans of the band came to the site to read a good review that reflects and parrots back what they already think versus actually reviewing it in an honest way for the reviewer. This is actually the most lambgoat review I've ever read, a grumpy hater hating on something that is gay and sucks ass. There's no way the regulars on this site would ever like this trash, or at least defend it publicly.
Too much hate on this review. And I get it, I love Sleep Token. But I also understand why some don't. It's fair criticisms even if I don't agree. But I can't help but feel there is a sense of "my mom made me write this and now I'm angry" - IMHO. But you can't deny those numbers. With just The Summoning alone - Sleep Token went from 280,000 monthly Spotify listeners...to over 2,000,000. Sleep Token could never be viewed as a gateway band because there's no defined genre. What I love about Opeth's entire discography, Sleep Token does in one album. They just write good music...the numbers and sold out tours are objective proof.
"What I love about Opeth's entire discography, Sleep Token does in one album." Congratulations this is literally the worst take on music I have EVER seen
lol he posted about Imagine Dragons and Him in this review
""What I love about Opeth's entire discography, Sleep Token does in one album." Congratulations this is literally the worst take on music I have EVER seen" So glad I could live in your head rent free. Now you can go tell your 3 friends how crazy the world is. Cheers :)
Don't wanna lose your gatekeeper fans. Gotcha. This why no one in metal subgenres take reviews seriously anymore, because they are mostly shit for better or worse... Mostly worse.
Considering he mentioned HIM as a 'gateway' band I'm not sure what you can expect. What's a 'gateway' band anyway? Isn't music just music?...
^ so I guess Lambgoat should have gushed all over it and you'd respect reviews again? wut?
Came here to see all the drooling "Popular thing bad" troglodytes and was definitely not disappointed.
this band legitimately sounds like hoobastank half the time
Huge Fail. This band sounds nothing like any of the bands you mentioned. This is an easy AOTY candidate. This band is incredible, transcendent.
This album is a sonic masterpiece... and that's coming from someone who typically steers completely free of anything out of the typical metal realm. You'd be hard pressed to find another band on the planet that's successfully combining so many different musical elements like ST. Not only are they doing it, but they do it well... all while steering far away from the mainstream/norm that plagues the ears of 98% of people today. Everyone has an opinion and some of those opinions are pure shit. This guys' one of them.
"This album is a sonic masterpiece... and that's coming from someone who typically steers completely free of anything out of the typical metal realm. You'd be hard pressed to find another band on the planet that's successfully combining so many different musical elements like ST. Not only are they doing it, but they do it well... all while steering far away from the mainstream/norm that plagues the ears of 98% of people today. Everyone has an opinion and some of those opinions are pure shit. This guys' one of them." LMAO BRUH THIS BAND IS LITERALLY SHITTY RADIO ROCK COMBINED WITH MESHUGGAH LITE RIP OFF RIPS CALM THE f*ck DOWN
100% of the reviews and reviewers on here suck, but you are by far the worst and continue to top yourself with embarrassing trash like this. Congratulations
Now that the album is out I can definitely say this review, which was bad to start with, aged like milk in the sun. You must have listened to a completely different record, mate.
Tell me you're a metal gatekeeper without telling me you're a metal gatekeeper
Horribly bad takes on this article. Stick to your day job.
So I just listened to this because of all the nonsense I just read in these reviews. I'm thoroughly confused, there is nothing special here, like at all. Can someone explain without sounding like a naive impassioned 16 year old music fanboy?
anonymous 2 hours ago So I just listened to this because of all the nonsense I just read in these reviews. I'm thoroughly confused, there is nothing special here, like at all. Can someone explain without sounding like a naive impassioned 16 year old music fanboy? ^^^ Same. But isn't this nonsense why we read lambgoat? "These days I'm a circuit board / perfect hardware you cannot afford" - actual lyric…. Listening to some Piggy D to cleanse the palate / flense the mind
Rancid junk-thought Elephantitus of the mind Rancid junk-thought Elephantitus of the mind This is my escape art exhibition
They stripped me naked had me lift my ballsack up so they could check underneath it, and then had me bend over and spread my asscheeks apart so they could look inside my asshole.
Haven't checked it out, my friend is a huge fan so I finally listened to the last album and was not as good as i thought it would be, some great moments and some not so great, and it's always funny when people say some bands today are doing something new while it actually has been done many times before. Still an ok band and I'm gonna check out this album and see if I agree with the review,and just because some band is supposed to be cool right now doesn't mean it's actually that great
It's not groundbreaking, it's not bad, but come on it's not like bands such as Vola haven't already done this before (and better). Stop with the complaining and get back to listening whatever spotify tells you to
So when this site posts something and all the comment section says it sucks and goos all over it that usually means I should check it out.
WHEN THE MUSIC IS TRASH COMMIT TO STUPID MASK GIMMICKS AND MORE ON YOUR SHIT ALBUM PACKAGING THAN MAKING GOOD MUSIC. THIS IS WHAT NERDS WHO HAVEN'T CRACKED THE SURFACE ON UNDERGROUND MUSIC AND THINK THEY STUMBLED ONTO SOMETHING GROUNDBREAKING
Exactly what I feel about this album or band. It is entry level to much more interesting, less slick, polished, and flat music!
Every album they have put out prior had like 2 songs on it I liked. This one I like the whole thing, even the poppier parts. I feel like they finally struck the right balance. While the reviewer is entitled to his opinion, I do feel like he was more concerned with "cred" versus just accepting good music that perhaps explores more than the journey he is willing he be part of.
"To be real, this is probably one of the most off-brand albums reviewed for this site in recent times." If an alternative metal band like Sleep Token is too "off-brand" to be reviewed by Lambgoat, then you have completely trashed half of your audience on this publication. Y'all are gonna lose business because of this shitty "music reviewer" 😂
Hella retarded review.