More rock bands seem to be making their way out of the woodwork already in 2023. With Pierce The Veil’s long-awaited release and Paramore’s return just around the corner, it would be a good time to take in some of the underappreciated bands of the scene, specifically ones like Sleep Token.
Sleep Token came into the scene around 2016 with their self-produced record “One.” It was not until recently that this band from across the pond had been signed to a record label. While still flying under the radar, Sleep Token gained some traction on TikTok recently with their song “The Summoning.” Does it live up to the hype?
Lyrical Overview - 6/10
Within the first half of the almost seven-minute run time, the lyrics do not seem to be the main focus of the work. The music takes the reigns for the first couple of minutes. Obviously, music can be outstanding with and without lyrics. However, when looking at the lyrics for the beginning half, it is hard to understand what it is about.
The last half of the song is where the real meat comes in. An example of this would be:
“Did I mistake you for a sign from God or are you really here to cut me off? Or maybe just to turn me on.”
In the case of these lyrics, the music and the vocals are equally important. However, the lyrics could stand on their own and still be iconic. They are well-crafted to fit the multiple tones of the song. Even though some of the lyrics have something to be desired, there is still plenty to adore about them.
Musical Overview - 9/10
This song goes through multiple different tones, and that is what is so admirable about it. At the beginning of the song, it is very heavy, and some might even consider it pure metal. As the song progresses, it does mellow out a bit to fit into metalcore standards. This is evident from the main clean vocals. About a minute and a half before the end of the song, the song flips itself on its head and goes for these groovy-sounding guitars, and that paired with the staccatoed rhythm of the lyrics truly gives it a completely different tone.
Vocally is where this song hits it out of the park. Predominantly in the chorus is where the frontman shines. Even though it is not lyrically dense, the frontman is able to show off his vocal range. This also becomes evident during the ending sequence. As mentioned previously, he lines up his vocals with the guitar to have these little punches to the words.
Overview - 7.5/10
Sleep Token is certainly not meant to be slept on. It is not every day people see a metalcore band gain traction through TikTok, so hopefully, they don’t just have a moment of fame. For those who like Bring Me The Horizon, this is a band to check out.
