The press release for Sleep Token’s second EP ‘Two’ describes the band as “an entity unlike any encountered before. The mortal representatives of the ancient deity known only as ‘Sleep’, Sleep Token are led by the masked and cloaked figure appointed ‘Vessel’. Encountering Sleep in a dream, Vessel was led by a promise of glory and magnificence and as a result endowed with a voice not of this Earth.” This statement, alongside an image of the aforementioned ‘Vessel’ in full-length cloak and ornate mask, gives an early impression of pretentiousness. That the band members wish to remain anonymous does little to dissuade this notion.
With this mystique around the band and the mention of Deftones and Meshuggah as comparisons, opening track ‘Calcutta’ is the last thing you expect. The crooning, soulful vocals and minimal instrumentation give a vastly different perspective to the band’s marketing materials. The beautifully sung indie-pop melodies and light electronic effects soon make way for guitars and drums and as ‘Calcutta’ reaches its closing stages, djent-like guitars punch through, finally adding context to the Meshuggah comparisons.
‘Nazareth’ follows suit, opening with gentle vocals and sparse synths, before the djent-style rhythms return again towards the end. This combination of styles is unique and intriguing, however as both opening tracks follow the same pattern and progression, you get the sense that you know what closing track ‘Jericho’ will sound like before it happens. There’s slight differentiation on ‘Jericho’, the instrumentals more prominent throughout and the djent-patterns less pronounced, however the vocals follow the same style as rest of the EP and if the band progress to a full length record, a bigger variation than this is needed to prevent predictability.
Musically, there’s a level of sophistication and integrity that contradicts the amount of pretension in the press release, which questions whether the image and philosophy of the band is more satire than something to be taken seriously. With the mystique surrounding who and what this project actually is, it’s too early to bet one side or the other, but whether or not this is a clever marketing ploy or something much deeper is just one of their many layers of intrigue. The combination of soothing, indie-pop with tech-metal rhythms is not something you hear every day, nor is the idea of a deity called Sleep, who communicates through the band’s secretive cloaked front man Vessel. With so many unexplained aspects to the band, sadly the most predictable part is the music itself. The three tracks of ‘Two’, while enjoyable and interesting in isolation, are far too similar when played as a collection.
There’s certainly enough ability and quality here to warrant keeping an eye on, and if Sleep Token can inject the same level of creativity into their songs as they have in their marketing, this could be a very successful project. ‘Two’ is an interesting teaser, but for all the potential bubbling under the surface, ‘Two’ is not as interesting as the band’s persona leads you to expect.
MARK JOHNSON