While She Sleeps - SLEEPS SOCIETY - Spinefarm
Track List:
ENLIGHTENMENT(_)
YOU ARE ALL YOU NEED
SYSTEMATIC
NERVOUS ft. Simon Neil of Biffy Clyro
PYAI
KNOW YOUR WORTH (SOMEBODY)
NO DEFEAT FOR THE BRAVE ft. Deryck Whibley of Sum 41
DIVISION STREET
SLEEPS SOCIETY
CALL OF THE VOID ft. Sleeps Society
DN3 3HT
If you don't enjoy CAPITALIZATION, While She Sleeps may not be for you...(kidding, of course)
In their highly-anticipated follow-up to 2019's 'SO WHAT?', Sheffield UK's While She Sleeps seems to not only draw inspiration from their fans but have also created an album specifically for them.
That's not to say that 'SLEEPS SOCIETY,' the new album by While She Sleeps (WSS), can't, and won't, be enjoyed by many, it's just that the very name of the album is the name given to supporters of WSS. Not only is 'SLEEPS SOCIETY' the name of the album, but there's also the title track, and in the track' CALL OF THE VOID,' Patreon supporters of WSS make an actual appearance. If you ever felt like a band created music for you and only you, it might actually be true in this case.
WSS has gone through some significant changes over the years. There have been label structure changes, CAPITALIZATION, but also massive changes in sound. 'SLEEPS SOCIETY,' WSS's 5th full-length album, is a more refined, maybe sharper update to 'SO WHAT?', but they're both very different from 'You Are We' or 'Brainwashed,' for instance. 'SO WHAT?' started the capitalization trend and added a significant amount of electronics and genre shifts. Anyone expecting a straight-up metalcore band, I've got news for you; this isn't them. 'SLEEPS SOCIETY' continues the direction of 'SO WHAT?' with more of a mixture of electronicore, metalcore, nu-metal, and alternative rock.
The start of 'SLEEPS SOCIETY' is pretty unique in that it isn't a short intro track, and it isn't a single. It's actually five minutes and three seconds long, which is a rather long intro in most cases, but it keeps the listener's attention right away, which can be challenging to do with a track that long. 'ENLIGHTENMENT(_)' begins with an uplifting spoken-word call to arms that transitions into a fun guitar riff and hard-hitting instrumentation. The mixture of clean (singing) and unclean (screaming) vocals haven't changed and add a catchy balance, especially in the chorus. The track showcases everything you'll hear in the rest of the album from mixed breakdowns, progressive guitar, uplifting lyrics (albeit with an edge), and heightened genre mixing.
The tradition continues with the following tracks 'YOU ARE ALL YOU NEED' and 'SYSTEMIC.' It'll be tough to not bob your head in unison and imagine how well these tracks will play live when live shows are back. The tracks start furious with quick pacing but then pull back to give the listener a breath before hitting them hard again. "SYSTEMATIC' also really plays well as an updated nu-metal sound.
Things slow down in a way with 'NERVOUS,' a single released earlier and the first track to have a feature. Simon Neil does an excellent job of adding an extra layer to the vocal style of Loz, and the track balances the heaviness and melody well. That's definitely a theme as the album progresses. As mentioned before, there's a lot of genre mixing, emphasizing nu-metal additions, which play well when combined with a metalcore backbone.
'DIVISION STREET,' besides the interlude, is the first significant departure in the sound of the album. It's a piano-backed sing-along that I imagine would be an excellent intermission song live. Easy for fans to sing along to while giving the band a much-needed break. And just like that, it's back to the WSS's sound for the remainder of the album. 'CALL OF THE VOID' could play well on alternative rock radio and could easily be a closing song in a live set. It's anthemic, passionate, and once again, speaks directly to, and with, the listener. But it's also a trick ending...
The final track' ND3 3HT' isn't necessarily a song, but more the band stripping things down and speaking directly to the fans. With the piano in the background and the band members' voices distorted like an old-school, incoming transmission from outer space, the members describe their personal feelings and give their thanks. The track lasts seven minutes and three seconds and may not be one that many listen to again, but for the long-time and biggest fans, this track will mean a lot and have multiple repeat listens. For While She Sleeps, this is the most fitting end to 'SLEEPS SOCIETY' I can imagine.
'SLEEPS SOCIETY' probably won't bring back any fans While She Sleeps might have lost through their changes in sound over the years, but that wasn't the point of the album. With the refinement to 'SO WHAT?' in 'SLEEPS SOCIETY,' While She Sleeps seem to have found precisely the sound they want, but more importantly, the fan base they need. So far, While She Sleeps may have the most interactive band/fan relationship, it seems to bring out the best in the band, which is all a listener can ask for. 'SLEEPS SOCIETY' is a passionate, hard-hitting, dark, uplifting, and possibly a fantastic album to play live. Time will tell, of course, but until then, 'SLEEPS SOCIETY' is an "ode to the fans" that has long-lasting appeal to anyone in the scene.
