Earlier this month, Sleep Token set the scene ablaze with the surprise release of two singles, “Chokehold” and “The Summoning”, on consecutive days. Looking to be the first two tracks from their likely upcoming record, Take Me Back To Eden (to which this cryptogram alludes), many ardent fans hoped the masked collective would release a song a day in the run up to the first date of their UK tour with Northlane, which kicked off tonight in Birmingham. Such a sequential release did not manifest, yet the enigmatic quartet provided worshippers with something more to chew on; at Birmingham’s humble O2 Academy, they debuted four new tracks from the forthcoming album live, including the aforementioned singles.
The inaugural live performances of “Chokehold” and “The Summoning”, the latter of which appears well on its way to being one of the alt-metal outfits most successful songs, would under normal conditions be the highlight of the group’s first domestic concert since August. As it is, they are merely a footnote. The band also premiered two additional unreleased singles, entitled “Granite” and “Aqua Regia“. Sleep Token have never been strangers to novel release strategies, but this is by far the most interactive and personal for any lucky enough to have secured tickets for the sold-out venue. No doubt such a treat shall await the eager crowds assembling for the rest of the tour, which concludes on the 22nd in London. One can only imagine the songs shall make their appearance on streaming services swiftly.
The new songs mark the first of Sleep Token’s offering since their sophomore album, This Place Will Become Your Tomb, released in September 2021. The abrupt and theatrical nature of their release suggests that the follow up, the tentatively titled Take Me Back To Eden, might be sooner around the corner than expected. With the singles, as well as the switch from long-term producer George Lever to Carl Bown, the UK’s most promising metal group have demonstrated a reluctance to rest on their laurels.
Whilst instantly recognisable as Sleep Token, the anonymous project have pushed the boundaries of their sound in opposite directions with the ambitious, six-and-a-half-minute “The Summoning”. It jumps right in with severely downtuned, djent-inflected guitars and Vessel’s uncommon uncleans, eases into the groove and ambience that the group experimented so successful with on This Place Will Become Your Tomb, and departs with a funky, jazz-fusion section which simultaneously feels like a natural development yet would have been unthinkable just weeks ago. No doubt these new singles will set the internet and fan communities alight every bit as much.
For more coverage of Sleep Token, the UK metal scene, and music in general, including our forthcoming review of the record, keep it locked on Boolin Tunes.
Sleep Token – January Tour Dates
January 17 — O2 Academy, Birmingham [SOLD OUT]
January 18 — Barrowlands, Glasgow [SOLD OUT]
January 19 — Albert Hall Manchester [SOLD OUT]
January 21 — O2 Academy, Bristol [SOLD OUT]
January 22 — Hammersmith Apollo, London.
SETLIST:
Chokehold
The Summoning
Hypnosis
Mine
Dark Signs
Nazareth
Like That
Aqua Regia
Atlantic
Alkaline
Granite
Higher
The Love You Want
The Night Does Not Belong To God
The Offering