In My Feelings - Sleep Token Edition

So, I think it’s safe to say I skipped the ‘casual listener’ memo when it comes to Sleep Token. From stumbling across Gethsemane (I know, I’m gutted I didn’t know them from day 1) to having their whole discography on repeat constantly. How did this happen? In this edition, we will explore how ST have got me in a Chokehold.

The music itself, the intricacies of the melody just scratch that brain itch like no other. The syncopation in Emergence, the genre blending has them in a league of their own.

The lyrics: beautiful and dark. Sorrow and elation. Yearning beyond belief. Something that most of us can relate to.

Vessel writes in a way that we can draw on our own life experiences and vulnerabilities, whilst alluding to his; a shared experience. We can take what we want from it. As someone who would describe themselves as having Big Feelings, I feel the emotions in the core of my soul. The devastation and heartbreak. The longing and frustration speaks to all the difficult relationships we navigate. The lyrical imagery, as someone who enjoys and appreciates that, is second to none. ‘We were tangled up like branches in a flood’. ‘Our bodies converse like old friends, exchanging the years in silence’. Chefs kiss.

The romance. Ugh, the romance. Where to start, or maybe the better question, where to end? So many examples of pure love and adoration verbalised. ‘Yet in reverse you are all my symmetry, a parallel I would lay my life on’. ‘My, my, those eyes like fire. I’m a winged insect, you’re a funeral pyre’. A moth to a flame in the most beautiful syntax.

‘And I’ll live like I’ve got missing limbs for you’.

Telomeres in its entirety.

The subject matter within. Science - Aqua Regia, Telomeres, Alkaline.

IT - ‘glitches in the code’, ‘digital demons’, ‘half algorithm, half deity’.

The call backs to other songs. ‘This bough has broken through’ in Euclid.

Like little breadcrumbs for us to follow. Like a magical little treasure hunt.

Let’s not forget about Vessel himself. The man, the myth, the legend. What a guy. Not many people could pull off that attire whilst hopping around on stage like a flea. It works for him. The dark, almost menacing vibe of the mask, paint and wardrobe meets the ‘dance like no one’s watching’ energy. It’s a captivating watch. The raw emotion he puts into his music and live performances, often bringing him to tears on stage. Having never experienced a ritual in person (yet) I can only imagine the electric atmosphere.

II who is crucial to the percussive narrative of the songs. It is widely believed that the drummer is ultimately in control of the song. And III and IV, the touring members that provide a multitude of whimsy and sass which elevate the live performances. Their shenanigans as a whole prove further that you can have fun whilst singing the most heart-breaking of songs.

The mask. Figuratively and literally. I feel like we all wear a mask to some extent. His enables him to make music for us whilst shielding his image from muddying the waters. He is the Vessel for the music to live through. Hopefully also enabling him to have a somewhat normal life outside of it all. A boundary. I think the choice to forgo fame in this day and age is quite extraordinary. Formidable even. Does he associate the success with himself, I wonder.

I hope he can see what a difference the music makes to so many. Giving words to feelings people didn’t know how to express. Showing there is hope in even the darkest of times. A light at the end of the tunnel.

Is the channel two ways, does he feel the love we have for him and does it flow back to us? The sign held up at the crowd on the most recent US tour would suggest so. For a band that never speak, that moment said and meant a lot. We receive your love with open arms and shine it back to you tenfold.

All of this to say you absolutely can enjoy Sleep Token on a surface level but this is my take on something deeper, more meaningful. Just me In My Feelings.

Thank you for reading.