While She Sleeps often feel like the model metalcore band. Entirely independent, fiercely productive and extremely successful. Anyone involved in the UK metalcore scene knows of just how much they tour, the huge crowds they pull, and the insane supports they seem to bring every time without fail. So, two years on from their second independent smash hit So What? in 2019, the metalcore outfit are back with Sleeps Society, an album that further expands upon their lyrical themes of societal and political disillusionment. The more prevalent question though, is does Sleeps Society expand the band’s sound in a similarly meaningful and radical way?
I’ll be the first to admit, I didn’t love So What? much. While having its high moments and fair share of that signature Sleeps energy, I felt it faltered when stacked up against their previous releases. As a result, going into the process of this album’s release I was cautious, yet quite optimistic. Lead single and title track “Sleeps Society” impressed me quite a bit upon the album’s announcement back in October of last year. The frenetic synth-work, the heavy riff work, the massive chorus; it really felt like a culmination of the very best of Sleeps and, as a result, quickly became one of my favourite tracks this band had ever penned. It also contained, as a result of the context of its release, this sense of brotherhood that I’ve always admired in the band. They really seem to care about their fans, and with this record being fully fan-funded through their Patreon, it felt as if they were doing everything they could to break down that wall between the artist and the fan in a time where, due to the absence of live music during the pandemic, it’s been quite hard for fans and artists alike to meaningfully interact.
I remained hesitant, though. As the album was still about six months out and not fully recorded yet at this point, tempering my expectations as not to expect another “Sleeps Society,” and to absolutely not expect it soon. By the time the second single, “You Are All You Need” dropped earlier this year, however, I was fully on board with the album, and the hype train had left the station. Yet again, Sleeps had surpassed themselves with another high-octane, headbang-til-your-neck-falls-off banger, and the only hesitance I had was if they could keep up that quality and energy for the rest of the record. Third and final single “Nervous” featuring Simon Neil of Biffy Clyro—who seems to be making the rounds in metalcore for some reason, given he was also featured on Architects album just a couple of months ago—brought down the tempo in a really nice way. The song features some insightful and meaningful themes of anxiety and mental health struggles, which given the state of the world right now is likely quite a common thought for many of us still cooped up indoors. Admittedly, I wasn’t as ecstatic about this track upon its release as I was about the others, but its lyrical content and nice chorus became something I more than warmed to in the weeks leading up to the album’s release. I do wish Neil had a more pronounced role in the song, however, as he feels more like he’s been regimented to being an extra member of the band in this song, but his unique vocal timbre is still unmistakable and welcome here. I was definitely still hoping the record would deliver more energy and aggression, though, and I was keeping my fingers crossed the entire time despite my better judgment give metalcore bands’ tendencies nowadays to drop the very heaviest they have to offer before an album’s release, leaving many fans hoping for more in the dust.
“Oh ye of little faith” it felt as if the band were saying to me as I hit play on the record, immediately dispelling any worries I had of a lack of aggression or creativity across this thing.
Opening non-single tracks “Enlightenment(?)” and “Systematic” (sandwiched slyly around the previously discussed “You Are All You Need”) seek to make a statement right off the bat: While She Sleeps aren’t here to play around. This is a gargantuan flurry of punches to start the record off with a major bang. The frenetic synth work of “Sleeps Society” is found on these tracks in droves, along with some appropriately energetic riffage and huge, scream-til-you-pass-out choruses to boot. “Systematic” in particular surprised me, likely being the heaviest song this band has written since Brainwashed and giving off a vibe more akin to Bring Me The Horizon’s “Obey” than anything off So What? or You Are We. It’s an extremely welcome opening to the record, and one that I assume will catch a lot of long-time fans off guard. It’s quite obvious that they knew these tracks would set the bar high, and thankfully the album seems to carry that momentum effortlessly throughout most of its first half or so. Mid-album track “No Defeat for the Brave,” featuring legendary pop-punk vocalist Deryck Whibley of Sum 41, particularly brings those signature Sleeps riffs and freneticism. While the cut may suffer from the same issue as “Nervous,” in that I wish Whibley had a more pronounced role in the song, the raw aggression on display across the verses on this track, along with its lovely soulful guitar solos and stadium-screaming chorus are more than enough to make up for it.
Sadly, it’s not all good though.
Late-album track “Division Street” brings the tempo of the record down to a grinding halt, cutting the cord on these massive circle pit-inducing and stadium-filling anthems in favour of a fairly hollow and musically uninteresting piano ballad. It’s majorly disruptive to the flow of a mostly otherwise great record, and a track that I found myself growing more and more tired of upon repeat listens that I removed it from my album folder entirely.
Similarly, closer “DN3 3HT,” while sounding novel on paper, feels like a majorly wasted opportunity. Not only does it discount what would have been an amazing, emotional closer in “Call of the Void” (which features guest vocals from a number of their Patreon subscribers, in a really nice and much more effective way of involving their fans in the album’s production) but it really feels more like a waste of time. The song ostensibly revolves around the band talking, thanking their fans and discussing the album process for a whopping seven minutes, with this grating distortion filter on their voices that makes the ‘track’ a considerably draining endeavour, given they could’ve likely fit anything they wanted to say here into the liner notes. As stated, it’s a novel concept, and one that 100% falls in line with their image and ethos of breaking the barriers between fans and artists down, but in my opinion it should’ve been left off the album, or should have at the very least been a Patreon-exclusive ‘thank you’ to the fans instead of being part of the main track list. A less egregious example of this would be mid-album interlude “Pyai,” which, much like “Division Street,” serves to do very little other than seemingly fill out the track list, giving a minute of breathing room to an album that doesn’t particularly need it. It’s definitely not as offensive as the other examples, and it’s quite easily skippable, but I still question its efficacy and intention as part of the track listing.
Overall, Sleeps Society is a mostly great metalcore album, which sadly falters and trips over the very last hurdle, having a major detriment on the quality of the overall package. I’d like to say those few tracks don’t put a major damper on an otherwise stellar album, but they really do. It’s such a bizarre dichotomy to me, to have eight tracks of their best and most creative work yet, disrupted and bookended by the most hollow and useless trite I’ve heard from the band to date. It should not be understated though, those eight main tracks really are fantastic, and I am absolutely sure almost all of these will become mainstays in the band’s famous fantastic live experience. I, for one, cannot wait to get ignorant in a pit for “Systematic” once live music returns. Until then though, keep your eyes peeled on Boolin Tunes as we delve into the many inevitable lockdown-recorded albums from all your favourite bands that will likely start dropping fast, very soon.
7.5/10