Metal Warfare - Irish Metal Forum

Metal Discussion => Metal Discussion => Topic started by: Eoin McLove on March 13, 2024, 11:10:22 AM

Title: Sleep Token
Post by: Eoin McLove on March 13, 2024, 11:10:22 AM
I've heard Alan bang on about these lads a bit on his podcast lately and they are completely new to me. It seems they are poised to be the next big thing... or are already a big thing perhaps? I checked out a song on YouTube and it has over eleven million views so they are clearly cool with the kids. Seems like big budget stuff with the video I looked at having a slick, made for Netflix look to it. The imagery looks like a combination of Ghost, Slipknot and Marilyn Manson filtered through The Matrix. The song was alright kind of pop music with background distorted guitars playing choppy nu metal/djent style riffs.

The vocoder effected vocals is a gimmick too far. If it's only on the odd song then fair enough but before the end of the song (I didn't make it all the way through to be honest) the robotic fx were beginning to grate, as were the slightly soulless, samey melodies.

What are people's opinions on them? I'm curious as if I hadn't heard them mentioned a few times on the podcast they would have completely passed me by but it seems like they are a big deal.
Title: Re: Sleep Token
Post by: Ollkiller on March 13, 2024, 11:21:19 AM
They have 1 or 2 good songs but I got bored really quickly.
Title: Re: Sleep Token
Post by: Eoin McLove on March 13, 2024, 11:26:24 AM
I tried another one there, Take Me Back To Eden, and couldn't get through the intro. Those X Factor vocals are tough going for me.
Title: Re: Sleep Token
Post by: Bürggermeister on March 13, 2024, 11:45:33 AM
Same. Heard the hype, checked them out, not for me at all.
Title: Re: Sleep Token
Post by: Sworntothecans on March 13, 2024, 11:50:46 AM
Terrible. Like some AI generated shite from data harvested from tiktok goths.
Title: Re: Sleep Token
Post by: ochoill on March 13, 2024, 12:04:38 PM
Not for me.  Tried a song or two on recommendation a while back but it does absolutely nothing for me.

https://youtu.be/v57pSLMvHGs?si=ipVO3VugF0TIQ8I5
Title: Re: Sleep Token
Post by: Anvil on March 13, 2024, 12:30:44 PM
An acquaintance of mine loves them and kept recommending them to me.  No desire to return to them anytime soon.
Title: Re: Sleep Token
Post by: Bürggermeister on March 13, 2024, 12:54:10 PM
Acquaintance  :laugh:

Love it. If you're not into Metal...  :abbath:
Title: Re: Sleep Token
Post by: Pagan Saviour on March 13, 2024, 01:16:03 PM
Woeful shite. I'd have time for pop type stuff but this is completely sterile and devoid of any character. One track is as soulless as the next. 
Title: Re: Sleep Token
Post by: Anton Arcane on March 13, 2024, 01:17:29 PM
There was a great live video doing the rounds a while ago of a lad letting a monster fart during the a quiet part in one of their songs.
Title: Re: Sleep Token
Post by: Giggles on March 13, 2024, 01:29:00 PM
They were playing in a tent towards the end of the night at Bloodstock '22. Never heard of then before, I walked in and walked back out after about 2 mins. Not for me. They blew up about 6 months later, much to my disbelief as I don't remember the place being packed out either
Title: Re: Sleep Token
Post by: KingHostile on March 13, 2024, 01:56:54 PM
I was in SpinDizzy one morning and the Lady behind the counter had them on full blast, sounded great. Got 2 of their albums and MEH! nah... I did try..... just not me.
Title: Re: Sleep Token
Post by: Pentagrimes on March 13, 2024, 02:47:03 PM
I'm sticking with my "Sam Smith for Tool fans" assessment. Dreadful shite, incredible marketing.
Title: Re: Sleep Token
Post by: ochoill on March 13, 2024, 04:39:42 PM
Quote from: Pentagrimes on March 13, 2024, 02:47:03 PMI'm sticking with my "Sam Smith for Tool fans" assessment. Dreadful shite, incredible marketing.
Ah jaysus the perfect description.
Title: Re: Sleep Token
Post by: Trev on March 13, 2024, 06:34:33 PM
They seem to have come from nowhere, from second stage at Bloodstock to arenas in less than two years is incredible. I wondered if they're amazing at marketing or just have great contacts in the industry
Title: Re: Sleep Token
Post by: Pagan Saviour on March 13, 2024, 06:35:17 PM
I'd say both!
Title: Re: Sleep Token
Post by: Eoin McLove on March 13, 2024, 06:40:24 PM
Sam Smith is exactly right. Overwraught emotional vomit.
Title: Re: Sleep Token
Post by: Skott Furys jizz rag on March 13, 2024, 08:00:13 PM
I suppose it's a natural enough progression from all those djent bands. Good for them I guess but yeah not for me.
Title: Re: Sleep Token
Post by: son of the Morrigan on March 13, 2024, 11:47:13 PM
Went to the youtube and tried to listen to them there, didn't get past 40 seconds of any song.
Wankus totalatarious, as I'd imagine the Romans would have called it, if they made up Latin words.
Title: Re: Sleep Token
Post by: Sworntothecans on March 14, 2024, 01:42:03 AM
Quote from: Trev on March 13, 2024, 06:34:33 PMThey seem to have come from nowhere, from second stage at Bloodstock to arenas in less than two years is incredible. I wondered if they're amazing at marketing or just have great contacts in the industry

Guaranfuckingteed

'tis the era of the industry plant after all!
Title: Re: Sleep Token
Post by: DJ Sniffles on March 14, 2024, 02:01:00 AM
Why they blew up as big as they did is so confusing they're not doing anything new or exceptionally amazing their live shows seem alright at best and I think their songs are very boring. I don't think they deserve hate but there's so much more bands out there that deserve that kinda success and attention way more than them 🙃☘️

 :sniffles:  :sniffles:
Title: Re: Sleep Token
Post by: Eoin McLove on March 14, 2024, 02:06:49 AM
I think that their sound is so far outside of metal and only qualifies as tangential to metal because of the background chugga riffs. But they are polished to within and inch of their life and not too imposing which might make them palatable to people who would normally run a mile from heavy music. The body of the style, from the bits I listened to, seems to be more of an electronic,  dreamy,  darkish pop music. If you were brought up on X Factor nothing there would really challenge you. Kind of gives kids the sense of listening to something new and exciting without pushing them out of their comfort zone.

A mere brainfart, but maybe I'm on to something.
Title: Re: Sleep Token
Post by: son of the Morrigan on March 14, 2024, 02:27:26 AM
Oh Christ, they have signature guitars and all.
Title: Re: Sleep Token
Post by: Pain Medicine on March 14, 2024, 10:07:25 AM
Still haven't actually listened to them but yeah was amazed to see them announce 2 nights at the O2 in London and the new 23k capacity place in Manchester, as well as other arenas, has to be the fastest rise to festival headliner status in a generation.
Title: Re: Sleep Token
Post by: Dark Stranger on March 14, 2024, 03:28:19 PM
I really don't understand it and can't understand their huge popularity, there's just no substance to the music.

Their image is absolutely fantastic though, I love how they look.
Title: Re: Sleep Token
Post by: Giggles on March 14, 2024, 06:43:19 PM
I'd say it's the image that sells them, not the music.
Title: Re: Sleep Token
Post by: stearl on March 14, 2024, 06:53:36 PM
Completely a case of style over substance.

Gave a listen to a good few tunes of theirs - to my ears the music is anaemic at best.
Title: Re: Sleep Token
Post by: The Great Cull on March 14, 2024, 07:24:04 PM
I just don't get them at all but then maybe this is how Deep Purple fans and the likes felt when Thrash came along all those years ago.
Title: Re: Sleep Token
Post by: Pentagrimes on March 14, 2024, 09:16:10 PM
I genuinely don't hear any metal of any kind in the music Ive heard by them at all. The only metal element from what I can make it the presentation/aesthetics.
Title: Re: Sleep Token
Post by: Mithrandir on March 14, 2024, 10:36:26 PM
Bands like Sleep Token and Ghost have just realised it's so easy to market pop music to people as long as you have a spooky shtick and fans will think they're being counter culture, completely overlooking the fact that they're  consuming music that could be played by hipsters on the main stage at glastonbury in tweed suits and raybans and would probably turn their nose up at.
Title: Re: Sleep Token
Post by: Eoin McLove on March 15, 2024, 06:45:40 AM
I could happily listen to a Ghost album but I'm not sure I would get far through a Sleep Token one. That said, I only have Opus Anonymous by Ghost and I haven't listened to it in years. I saw them headline Hell's Pleasure around ten years ago or more and it was a fun gig. I have much more time for them, if only in theory  :laugh:
Title: Re: Sleep Token
Post by: ldj on March 15, 2024, 12:39:01 PM
Yeah I've always thought Ghost get a bit of a bad rep, they're poppy sure but their main influences all clearly come from traditional heavy metal styles.

In saying that, they are incredibly inconsistent on record, the debut and Meliora are great, the rest very patchy.
Title: Re: Sleep Token
Post by: Yung Led Zeppelin on March 15, 2024, 12:42:21 PM
It's also the stupidest fucking name for a band I have ever heard in my life. I think that's what pisses me off the most about them.
Title: Re: Sleep Token
Post by: Bürggermeister on March 15, 2024, 12:44:48 PM
Sheep Woken, wha!
Title: Re: Sleep Token
Post by: Pentagrimes on March 16, 2024, 12:43:10 PM
Ghost are fine, not a band I've had any interest in for years but they're basically a hard rock version of Abba, and they're a bit of fun. Far less offensive than this over wrought Goth Daniel Beddingfield nonsense.