yeah thats kind of how critiques work though, the people who agree with everything he says arent gonna comment about it. people are way more likely to go on yelp to complain about something rather than say how great everything was
@AugustCrossroads I watched it to see if I should lose my faith in humanity or not. It's satisfying to see someone give an objective opinion on objectively bad music
wow, I didn't expect Anthony Fantano to like this record, but a perfect 10/10? my favorite part of the review was when he took off his red flannel and face mask to reveal that he actually was Vessel all along. amazing review.
@@xenderknight Fantano just doesn't like modern mainstream metal, straight up. I love melon but at this point I know if I love a modern, proggy metal album, he's gonna hate it, and essentially for all the reasons that make me love it. Music tastes be like that sometimes
I am an in-between. The good songs are truly incredible and I could talk all day about how much I like them. But this album is by no means short of bad songs. Some just mid and others plain ass terrible like DYWetc. So yeah, Sleep Token Vessel dude, keep writing stuff like Chokehold and Summoning and keep for yourself the Aqua Regia 🤷🏻♂️
@@antoniotabacu5911 of all the genre-mashup songs ive heard from this band i think Ascensionism is the only one ive actually enjoyed but i completely agree with what you said. vore, chokehold, summoning, and ascensionism are amazing. aqua regia and the other songs on the album are pretty forgettable for me, with the caveat that im an avid listener of the deathcore, prog metal, post-blackmetal genres (shoutout to Vore that song fucks) and not the more mainstream genres that those other songs probably appeal to
Honestly I don't like the production and this kind of modern metal. The melodies aren't incredible and I don't like the singer. It's neither bad nor good, it's just "okay". Not my style tbh
@@antoniotabacu5911 Definitely think DYWTYLM is the only ass song on the album, might as well listen to LANY if you want that sound. The rest though range from good to fantastic, even including Aqua Regia and Are You Okay?
I really don't know why the community wanted this review so bad. I mean you had to know it was gonna go like this, right? I personally love the record but if anyone is shocked or mad about this.. idk man, you just had to know.
@@drc9374 I do want to apologize for the "you just had to know" part of my original comment because that's honestly a pretty conceited thing for me to say. As I'm seeing this review starting to make its rounds in some of the Sleep Token fan groups I'm in, starting to see a lot of people didn't know who Fantano was before today. So again my bad on that.
He never said she has a bad voice but that evanescence has some corny singing parts and that sleep token sounds like those parts. obviously amy lee is undeniably a good singer.
@@zackjoseph9127 Amy Lee's voice and Sleep Token's singer's voice have nothing in common. One is female, one is male, and their tones couldn't be more different, the way they sing couldn't be more different, their pitches couldn't be more different, their enunciantions couldn't be more different, their phrasings couldn't be more different, their vocal rhythms couldn't be more different, their ranges couldn't be more different, pretty much every quality a voice can have couldn't be more different between them. You want to blankly group what you think are "melodramatic voices" all together you might as well group hundreds of voices from different genres that are dynamic and express emotions, including the likes of Freddie Mercury, Soundgarden's Chris Cornell, Janis Joplin, Zepellin's Robert Plant, Ann Wilson, Stevie Nicks, Kurt Cobain, Axl Rose, Hayley Williams, Kate Bush, and hundreds of other known singers. Guess what? They all sound completely different to each other. The comparison is nonsensical, but Fantano long showed himself to be an arrogant, lazy, sexlst prlck and his butt Iickers just take whatever nonsense he blabs at face value. His fans don't even realize how much he contradicts himself and his baseless premises.
This has to be one of the most polarizing albums I've ever seen, I find myself somewhere in the middle. There's a lot of moments I really enjoy, the end of The Summoning is amazing. But I can also agree with a lot of the criticisms against it, I'm not really into the R&B stuff and some of the beat choices at those points feel extremely generic, but I like that they're able to move between a softer or heavier sound and keep it cohesive. Probably like a 6/10 for me, flawed but a lot of cool ideas and a few songs thatll probably make some playlists. edit: Also the title track overstays its welcome Edit 2: the title track has grown on me I like it now
I heard this album once and have had "Aqua Regia" and "Granite" on repeat since. I don't remember any other track, and honestly, I am okay with that. The few songs I do like off the album are bangers
@@Der_ZeusI think that’s the thing about their sound. If you graphed their songs on a big ol’ grid of genres and styles and tried to map their songs across all of them, they would be all over the place. Most people who like them enjoy a song or two, but hate everything else, and it seems to be endemic of their style.
@ashleyfretz8687 I gave it another listen and I think you are right. The rest of this album is certainly sinking in slowly but I'm appreciating it all more, though it wasn't the kind if vibe I was expecting to enjoy so much
I’m a sound guy primarily for corporate conferences and stuff and I added Aqua Regia and DYWTYLM to my work playlist that I play in the background during events lol. Aqua Regia in particular is probably my favorite song on the album and I typically gravitate more towards the heavy stuff on any album.
My feelings on this album aside, I think the “eh, agree to disagree” attitude St fans have towards negative reviews, few and far between as they might be, is really refreshing to see. The most animosity I see on this review are people upset that this album is regarded highly. What a respectable following they’ve cultivated, especially by the standards of metal.
ST fans were content enjoying their music when the world didn’t care, makes sense they wouldn’t care if people liked the album. To me, it’s a masterpiece and I don’t feel nearly insecure enough about that opinion to feel the need to defend it.
I do totally agree with sounding like it's capturing music of the current era It just also captures certain sounds I know you've grown to dislike (I do get Godsmack vibes from this music too), so to have that mixed together is just not going to be enjoyable for ya.
@MyDarkTwistedSilentPlanet I see where you get that from in the music, but I think that’s a deliberate artistic choice so the album is more accessible while still pushing boundaries. It’s hard to make an album experimental and still fun to listen to casually and I think it works personally.
They're definitely not for everyone. Some people will love them, some people won't. I personally love them, but it's perfectly fine if you don't. Enjoy what you enjoy. 😁🤘
@@TreyDZdsleep token do sound original there's not really a band out there that does screams mixed in with rnb and metal, imagine dragons (cause everyone is apprantly comparing them) is not close to sleep token imo
I actually just heard about this band today because I saw a post talking about how Corey Taylor said that Sleep Token “sounds like early Slipknot” …idk if that was some kind of misquote but I do not hear that at all whatsoever. Listened to this album then checked to see if Fantangnis did a review on it and I feel, for the most part, a very similar way. It feels, imo, (similar to Imagine Dragons) very processed and ‘faux emotional’…it’s not *bad* per say it just feels like a band that decided on what they wanted to sound like without letting their music speak for itself. Like instead of getting in a room and jamming to see what happens, it feels like the sound was decided artificially. At least that’s what I personally hear anyway?
he said sleep tokens current status with their anonymity etc. reminds him of how slip know were back in the days, just fully committed to the masks and the outfits and so on
> Like instead of getting in a room and jamming to see what happens, it feels like the sound was decided artificially. At least that’s what I personally hear anyway? The vast majority of music written today is written by someone with distinct influences and a sound in their head that they know they want to achieve before ever starting to write. Very few people sit down and "jam" without having an idea of what they want to sound like. What's wrong with that? The originality is in the distinct mix of influences and how they come together.
Always intrigued by Anthony's takes on prog and metal because I don't necessarily think he's wrong, but I simply disagree. Really emphasizes how the things one person likes about music can be anathema for someone else. The choices on this album are baffling sometimes, but I keep listening to it. Steven Wilson's Raven is overblown, but it resonates with me. Meshuggah's TVSOR is repetitive and very similar to other Meshuggah, but I bang my head. Would love to see a new Haken or Mars Volta review.
I would also love Anthony to review the new Haken album. It's a shame his 'community' whatever that means makes him review crap like this and every year there is always a few amazing albums he misses that deserve to be heard by more people.
@@jvictor3048 it's so fun this fits to any Deftones album but WP, the only album Anthony has called good (and i feel it's just 'cause the general opinion about WP is that).
@@miserirken Lol that's true. I just think it's Ohms that other reply is talking about because that's the most backlash Anthony's got in a Deftones review yet.
I think what I find compelling about Sleep Token is that they do this pretty insane genre blend that people might think wouldnt work, but they just do it and own it. I really like that. And of course great melodies, riffs, production, singing etc.
Except these particular genre blends do not work and singing is tedious at it's best and horrendous at it's worst. And that's coming from someone who adores many acts that blend genres, like Igorrr, Devin Townsend, Poppy, Mr. Bungle.
@@labbern It's actually rare when pop & metal blend doesn't work for me. Sleep Token unfortunately falls into that category and the constant overenunciated singing really doesn't help. I'd listen to Periphery, Spiritbox, BTBAM or VOLA any day of the week over these guys. But I don't have to like everything so it's ok :)
Really enjoyed the album... obviously The Summoning blew up on tiktok, but a couple other songs helped get my GF more into metal (She really likes Bad Omens now) Album was a fun ride, listened through it on a road trip. Perfect passing of the time, of course thats compared to the last album for the same trip which was Limp Bizkit - Still Sucks lol
damn this is a brutal review tbh, don't see where you're coming from with the void of 'human touch' as you put it. loved this album from them, still liked Sundowning a little more. respect the review still
i cannot take seriously anyone who thinks this has genuine emotional depth. its pandering and gimmicky and completely melodramatic in such a hamfisted way. are you really ok is such vapid emotion-bait and is tacked onto a record with tracks called vore and singing about squirting.
You know what, I like this album for whole different reasons so I can't even disagree with with melon has to say here. For me it works cause the ache for more heaviness and more chunk works perfectly to emphasise the the heartache and regret that's the theme for this album. You start of with the heaviest songs and slowly lose it. You want more metal but you just dont get it. And that makes it resonate imo.
Enjoying listening to the album a lot but its definitely got its flaws. The slow repetition of the same vocal lines on the verses of almost every song (thats always been my criticism of Sleep Token) It's a bit strange to me how everyone's saying this album is the best thing since sliced bread. I like it, but some of the compliments need to calm down a bit.
I’m a new listener and I found that I like the first half of the album. The second half did not resonate with me at all for some reason and I don’t even really listen to it much, but I’ll give it time. Much of the rest of their catalogue feels the same to me- I like about half of it. I do like the mix of styles and modern vocal processing and that is what kinda reeled me in with these guys. They’re able to pull it off without sounding cheesy, some times. I’d give this record a 6/10 with hope for a possibly incredible record, end to end, on their next outing. I can see anywhere between 4-7 as a rating, depending on what the listener usually listens to. I will say, the songs that stuck have been on a loop for the past few weeks.
I've been with Sleep Token since their first album, and this one for me it's their best album. I think since they got this big, there is a lot of "lets compliment them even tho I don't really think it's that good because it gets a lot of views" kind of comments. For me this album have a huge emocional connection, and FOR ME it is awesome, and I think it is the album that they figured out what really is their style. But I see a lot of flaws as well on the album, it's not PERFECT, it never was for me. I totally agree that throughtout the album, some elements feels the same and predictable, such as the style change for a more trap style on the songs, the "huge epic" moments that every song has.
Agree with Will. I've listened to all of Sleep Token's music back to front, and really don't see how this is genuinely so much better than Sundowning or TPWBYT. The hype bemuses me. Some songs are great (GOATed in the case of Euclid) but my God please no more monotone verses with a trap beat....
Idk about all that. A lot of the people I know who love this band also love some of the most technical and progressive metal around. Not because this band is those things, but because of the combination of it having a good mix & production, catchy vocal melodies, good sound design/atmosphere/ambient layering, etc... It's just solid, well constructed dark ambient rock music. Most of the people I see trashing it are people who tend to like the super raw "sounding bad on purpose" sorts of music production and tend to strongly have that contrarian/indie hipster personality trait ingrained into them as part of their identity.
Love some of the songs, but they got a large chunk of fans that act like bots who have never listened to anything outside of a top 100 radio chart. It's actually weird how "off" the comments on all their videos look....
The comments give off "I'm trying to be "alt" because its trendy now but can't stand heavier stuff." I like the instrumentals to some of the songs but the overdramatic pop vocals being what most of their giant fanbase like being horny over, I cba to take them too serious in a genre that falls under the "alternative" name. For me it just waters down the good parts of their music that I wish I could hear more of. But who knows, maybe the vocal deliveries just aren't for me. They're still good musicians at the end of the day.
@@rodrigoperez244 I can tell you've never listened to them If you think they sound anything at all like Imagine dragons. Last time I checked, Imagine dragons didn't have heavy breakdowns or loud screaming vocals. Maybe you know some unreleased Imagine Dragons songs or something where they tried out metal.
@@Tsunamiar chokehold is as “if imagine dragons were metal” as it gets. that djent breakdown in the middle bores me to tears. more than that, the vocals throughout the album are so heavily processed that it doesn’t even sound like a real person, which is exactly the issue with 90% of top 40 singles and especially imagine dragons. then there’s DYWTYLM… holy shit. that might be the worst, most out of place sounding, soulless electro pop song i have ever heard. unironically sounds like virginia to vegas.
@@swissidol8403 I disagree with everything you've said. Sleep Token sound absolutely nothing like Imagine Dragons, in any way, shape or form. Sleep Token have some very entertaining breakdowns, but where they shine is in the song progression. Just the way they are able to change up songs into different genres and perform well throughout the entire song. Vocals definitely do sound like a real person, being processed only makes them sound better and clearer for a better effect with the instruments. DYWYTLM is a great paced and quite emotional song for me. I didn't like it at first but it grew on me heaps. It has its place.
I mean.. a lot of the criticism for this record is 100% deserved. But I absolutely feel that the album as a whole is hard done by a little. I don't think even the most passive prog metalcore fan will fully compare the mild Djent of this album to the likes of Meshuggah or even the latest offering from Periphery or unprocessed. I respect your opinion a lot but to drop a comparison to 2003 evanescence is so reductive to the genre as a whole, that it's even sounding personal to a point! Mad respect but damn! 😳
I listen to such a mix of genres, i was able to find some parts in their album I really enjoyed. There are some songs I like better than others (Aqua Regia, Rain, Vore, The Summoning and the title track are currently my top 5), and there are a few I'm not crazy about at all. But I feel like its possible to be in betwen the 🙌🏿WORSHIP🙌🏿 fans and the ones that seem to viscerally hate them. Also, the Evanescence slandar will not stand, Melon...
man... i keep trying but i unironically just can't get into them. i agree with every bit of this lmao. i didn't know the imagine dragons thing was like a meme but holy shit i immediately thought it sounded like imadjent dragons
Same tbh, everyone was saying how good the album was, 3 songs in it literally sounded like low-tuned Imagine Dragons. Sounds incredibly bland and boring to me.
The two new metal records I recently listened to were ST’s album and The Acacia Strain’s new record. They literally are polar opposites, production wise. It’s a funny experience listening them one after another, the same day they got released
@@themightymcb7310 wait my bad, forgot to mention which one 😅. Definitely Step Into the Light wins the spot for me, the pacing of the record and the sheer rawness kinda reminds me of old school crossover, but on steroids.
@@gracex3217bro wouldn’t get good music even if you were forced to listen to it lmao. U most def listen to Taylor swift on repeat and catch every single chiefs game live.
@@UberSmoth ur so right ubersmoth im the biggest swiftie ever 😍 no i am a massive metal fan i have actually been exposed to real metal for years now thankfully so i can weed out this apple commercial sounding music
Instantly knew it that Melon (who, let's face it, was kinda hard-pressed by fanbase to do this review) will give it something around 2-3. That's good. Or, rather, that's normal and expected, and that's one of the reasons why i deeply respect both Anthony and his opinions, even though i almost always strongly disagree, lol. Thought about everything Anthony said here for some time, and, i think, i know why this is the case. Especially the, to sum up, "it's just Imagine Dragons for alternative listeners" part. I think it's because Anthony grew up with and mostly... not even listens, but prefers to listen to a very... humane? music. Something that can be tied to an individual or a group, THEIR opinion, THEIR feelings, expressed through music. Let's also not forget the hardcore punk scene that Anthony was and still is a part of. The scene as a whole demands "rawness", demands you to be yourself, to speak about whatever bothers you honest and unfiltered. Rap also goes the same way, it's YOU who speaks up about something. Also both scenes praise DIY, again, as a part of the ties that bind performer and performance together. Thing is, Sleep Token's music is... uh, detached? It was like that from the very beginning, from the "One" EP. It was obviously like that when the "Sundowning" came out, from start to finish. It still is, after two more full-length albums. It's detached, it's the condensed essence of a certain emotions, and the group acts more like a vessel (ha) to an art, rather than wearing it on a sleeve. I mean, shit, the decision to stay anonymous was originally made to focus the attention on WHAT they do, not WHO's doing it. They're here to give this art to those who want it, period. It's more of a fact that is happened and that's it. So yeah, the glossy, very modern production seems more than fitting. It's the removal of that "human touch", because the less personified the music is, the more it hits and the more relatable it can be. And still, there's plenty of that human touch left. Blood Sport, Take Aim, Missing Limbs, Aqua Regia from this album... Directly comparing it to Imagine Dragons (whom i don't even hate tbh, and some songs are okay) is... well, it's kinda funny, tbh. It's like a last-ditch argument, an attempt to cover up the "i didn't understood it, it's too alien for me" line of thought. Considering the pressure on Anthony as a de-facto one of the most influential people who will come, save the day, and will tell people which music they should like and which they shouldn't... damn, that's hard, and i understand him, in a way. But point stands. It's the same tool - the mastering, i mean - but used radically different, and that difference is that Dragons never owned it. I can barely remember any songs from them that would painfully scrape the soul, stir up something inside, you get it. Yeah, their songs are polished and glossy, but... it's basically not that far from Ed Sheeran in terms of what being said. Sleep Token, on the other hand, own it. Mastering here is a tool, it's used to deliver an emotional bomb, and, usually, some clever experiments or ideas - and to make sure that there will be no "human contaminants" inside, unless it's needed. It's just two VERY different strains of... not even music - art. Yeah, strains. And they are barely comparable. Another nice example of such strain - STARSET (is it me, or those bands are actually eerily reminiscent in their career paths and decisions?). i'm willing to bet 1000$ that Anthony would rate their last album, "HORIZONS", somewhere around 1-2. Yet it's also based upon a vision of a single, highly charismatic individual (Dustin Bates); it also heavily uses the background and fluff stuff, weaving it with the art itself; it uses genre blending and very polished, very processed modern-metal sound with limited "human touch" in it, and, finally, it relies heavily on the ideology, on the general knowledge of a listener, citing a lot of, sometimes, rather niche things without it feeling like "well, akshually". Also, STARSET makes heavy use of strings, and i can already hear Anthony mocking them for it, because "what is it, le epic moment? x-d". But... yes? It's that. And they know how to use it properly, just as Sleep Token knows how to properly use djenty roaring guitars and soaring keys, not even mentioning Vessel's vocals. In the end, it's about the result. Because - and, again, no offence to Imagine Dragons - but none of their songs ever made me actually feel something. Sleep Token's music (and also STARSET, but that's a different story) makes me feel so much i don't even think there's words for some of the feelings already invented. Especially something like "The Apparition". The ends justify the means, and, let's say it straight, it takes BALLS - and a lot of faith in what you believe is right - to not become an outright poster boy when you are Vessel or II, and to continue just doing instead of talking. Still, Melon's awesome. It's just that music is changing a lot, and he has his right to be, well, himself. Worship.
I gave this album a shot yesterday because it seemed popular and I hated it. Everything Fantano said here I was thinking the exact same thing while listening to it
i dont get the hype. i love pop with heavy elements, i love metal thats progressive and does genre experimentation. this shit sounds like 2010s post-metalcore. it sounds like omarossa but without the michale jackson vocals.
I'm not accusing them or anything but it's a very common thing in metal currently to overlay the studio version of a track with the live one so that might be a part of it. He sounds great anyways tho
The truth here is that coming from someone like fantano who listens a lot of different music, he has found cliches which he dislikes. It just happens that sleep token hits all of those boxes so of course he's gonna hate it. I am personally on the other side, I mostly listen to alternative and core stuff, so a lot of elements that sleep token has introduced are pretty new to me as I don't listen pop, etc that much. So for me it's a solid album. It's the same as having an RnB fan listen issues, I doubt they would think the ex-vocalist sounds as impressive as he does to me who only has surface level experience with the genre they pulled from.
He’s supposed to be a “professional reviewer” if he has a bias coming into it then the review is automatically not objective. Basically he has pet peeves.
@@EthanRom he's not a professional reviewer though. He's an internet blogger. All his reviews, no matter how "professional" they do sound are his opinions. Also music is very very subjective, it's like a favorite color so if someone is going to give a detailed review of any piece it will be filled with their personal taste. He's not wrong at all, neither are the people who absolutely love sleep token. My only gripe is that imagine dragons take, that's just awful lol.
@@mattmorgan7172 the way music feels and how it touches you is subjective. What is objective is complexity, writing, performance etc. these are called criterias. The same metrics that music instructors employ in music school
@@EthanRom I'd say those elements are somewhat more objective than how it makes you feel, but I don't think I'd agree that they're entirely objective. Like, whether or not one piece of music is more complex than another could be objective, but whether that added complexity has a positive impact on the music is absolutely not. And the latter is FAR more important for a critic to discuss.
I'll admit... 90% of what I don't like about Sleep Token is the way the vocalist chooses to sing. Like... why does he sing like that? Does he have a mouthful of marbles? Is he burping? Is he on sedatives? Did he have a stroke? Just the instrumentals I don't think I'd love it. I might not even like it. But I don't think I'd hate it.
Funny how instead of having a different opinion than fantano, everyone is coping so hard in the comment section. “If fantano hates it it must be good” no you’re coping lol
Sleep Token fans are like "OMG the R&B section makes me wanna fucccccccc" and then you hear it and it sounds like the dude from Shinedown karaokeing Justin Timberlake.
"Hey lets do Imagine Dragons but with completely sanitised djent guitar riffs and Hozier vocals and trap beats and then sometimes i growl, okay?" How do people like this shit?
I remember saying this as far as 12 years back and I've gotten called an elitist a whole lot by insecure and fairweather music fans but people would not only buy a box of dog feces if it moved enough units but convince themselves it rocks. It's the emperor's new clothes. Aesop predicted this rubbish all the way back in ancient times.
I thought the same thing hearing The Summoning(my first exposure to the band), and giving the album a run through after all of the fuss Fantano’s reaction is getting…Granite, Aqua Regina, Are You Really Ok?, DYWTYLM,and Take Me Back to Eden could absolutely be Imagine Dragons songs.
Do people actually like Sounding the Seventh Trumpet? I think the band did a decent performance and one or two songs do sound pretty enjoyable but the production quality is so awful that I can barely get through the whole record. But hey, it's subjective of course, if you like it, more power to you :)
idk how people are still ravaging over this shit there’s so much absolutely mind blowing metal out there and anthony has reviewed and given good scores to a lot of newer metal adjacent projects. people just want to listen to the garbage they grew up with in a newer format.
I can barely finish a damn song by them. Can’t put my finger on it but this ain’t special or never been done before. The slow parts are so boring and the heavy stuff just isn’t anything exciting or can’t get anywhere else.
I feel like the fact that everyone is saying sleep token is a metal band is a huge reason why people don’t like it they have metal aspects but it’s not metal and if you go in thinking it is your going to be disappointed Also it really just comes down to taste if I went and listened to the newest rap album out right now I would probably give it a 2/10 and say it’s boring as well
How could he listen to tracks like Take Me Back To Eden and Euclid, then say it is devoid of human touch. It's one of the best crossover metal records I have heard in years. Honestly, it's a 9/10 record.
The breakdowns on The Summoning are actually pretty good sounding, but that’s pretty much it in terms of me enjoying this record. It’s really painful to listen to much of the time.
I usually enjoy alternative takes on genres incorporating different elements. The imagine dragons parallel is almost spot on tho. It's more alternate pop than metal, which is fine. But it doesn't have particularly interesting ideas. It can be good, amazing even. The potential is there but it just keeps disappointing
i personally enjoyed the record, but i understand it’s not for everyone. i’m convinced that the people crying over this review are completely forgetting that this is just an opinion. music is subjective. you like it? cool. you don’t like it? that’s okay. there’s nothing stopping you from going and listening to somebody else. some of y’all need to go outside.
@@BruceTheMoose96 Again, that's your opinion. I've been watching melon for a couple of years to know he's pretty honest with his takes. Likes a lot of popular stuff, dislikes a lot of popular stuff. Also pretty consistent with his opinions, which is why this score wasn't surprising to me nor to anyone who knows his taste.
i liked this album a decent amount, but he also doesn’t rate every album on the same scale. he’s gonna review a metal album on a metal scale of his choice and a rap album an a rap scale of his choice. this is a misguided opinion, but i agree with the sentiment
I don't care for Fantano but he's on the money here. Boring af album. It's probably epic in concert and would make for a good gym session but it frankly sounds like Volbeat or Nickelback with 8 string guitars.
I'll never understand people like this who seem to completely hate all things related to good music production and mixes that actually sound polished and have impact. This mix is incredible. Super polished, hard hitting drums, perfect usage of effects and layering. I know quite a few people who mostly listen to very niche genres like tech death and jazz fusion who actually love this album and appreciate it for what it is. It's just very well done dark melodic metal-tinged rock in the vein of Deftones. Good production, interesting melodies and atmospheres. What's not to like? It's odd to complain about the production when you review so much pop favorably, when that pop music is just as heavily produced if not more so.
its not hating "good" production simply for the sake of it, its addressing how everything is so polished and buttoned up that it doesn't have any soul left. it's as if they edited all the different audio tracks one by one and forgot to conjure up some sort of idea of how they should sound together. its pretty devoid of nuance and inspiration, its manufactured to be as easy to listen to as possible for the average consumer. Also saying their melodies are "interesting" is pretty questionable. he tends to repeat the same exact melody for an entire track with little to no change AT ALL. i actually really enjoy some of sleep tokens songs but i agree with almost everything AF said here surprisingly. the attempt at using all of the basic elements of like 8 different genres comes off tacky and annoying. i almost think take me back to eden is a good song but when he starts rapping (kinda) im like jesus christ man what are we even doing???its like the first 2 1/2 minutes are teasing you into thinking youre about to hear an amazing prog metal adjacent track but nope he starts spittin a bunch of random garbage and the song is mid at best now. it genuinely frustrates me when the track ends with that awesome screamed part, like all of the pieces are there to be a good metal/ prog metalcore band its just not being executed and im not surprised, obviously their intention is to gain an audience, not make great music. which i understand but as someone who cares about what im listening to it kinda blows chunks and leaves me dissastisfied. having said that though i have 0 gripes with Aqua Regia, it is a bit bland on paper but it doesnt try to do to much, it has good atmosphere, and that little piano interlude towards the end is actually really pleasant and well placed.
There is a difference between “polished” and “good”. If you enjoy a raw sounding record and you listen to a song that fits that aesthetic that then it is well produced. Raw production is a preference Fantano and myself have for metal and rock music. It’s no different to any other preference. Reviewing a different genre you might have different preferences.
@@morbideddieI agree. And also, I feel that Blood Incantation’s production is raw. It’s organic. It’s very live. Sleep Token, while I kind of like some of their work, I dislike the polished production, imo.
I get why Melon wouldn't dig it, but the variety of sound and vocal strength feels fantastic to just let yourself get absorbed by it. I personally give it a low 8, feels great sounds great.
False. The vocals..idk if they were autotuned or pitch-shifted or mega-processed or whatever, but throughout the whole damn album they sound really weird and off and robotic. I just hate the way those vocals sound.
@@curly_wynts fine if you personally didn't like the way the vocals sounded, but that doesn't mean they're opinion is "false". Get outta here with that, Dwight 🤣
@@whitemountainlandscapethe guy who only listens to overproduced pop music, generic rap, and nonsensical noise like death grips, his opinions on a metal or rock album is pretty much null and void. He can not like it but nearly all of his criticisms apply to albums he’s ranked 9 and 10s. And saying they’re imagine dragons basically means he’s tone deaf
My favorite thing about theneedledrops reviews is if he doesn't like an album the comment section is always the exact opposite of what his opinion is.
even if he likes it
yeah thats kind of how critiques work though, the people who agree with everything he says arent gonna comment about it. people are way more likely to go on yelp to complain about something rather than say how great everything was
@@callmesubby People who don't care about the record wouldn't watch the review either unless it's a big landmark moment. Only those who love it.
@AugustCrossroads I watched it to see if I should lose my faith in humanity or not. It's satisfying to see someone give an objective opinion on objectively bad music
He’s literally the worst “critic” on RUclips. Trash
wow, I didn't expect Anthony Fantano to like this record, but a perfect 10/10? my favorite part of the review was when he took off his red flannel and face mask to reveal that he actually was Vessel all along. amazing review.
I actually lol'd
I can't trust melon anymore. How dare he not reveal himself as Vessel sooner.
you should peep my DYWTYLM remix tho 👀
@@toadcouch you talking about the heavy versions fans made on RUclips?
@@Greatlakeskyle. noeeeee i did like a chill house edit and its on my channel
more evidence of anthony's prejudice against Sleepy Music
Somehow Loathe got a positive score from melon. Crazy as Deftones got a negative one that same year.
@@miserirken loathe got a 5 which is absurd for one of the most innovate metalcore records of the last 10 years.
The madman did it again
@@xenderknight Fantano just doesn't like modern mainstream metal, straight up. I love melon but at this point I know if I love a modern, proggy metal album, he's gonna hate it, and essentially for all the reasons that make me love it. Music tastes be like that sometimes
You a honk shoo honk shoo or a mimimimi sleeper
everyone either hates this album or think it's the best metal album they've ever heard, I've yet to see an in-between
I am an in-between. The good songs are truly incredible and I could talk all day about how much I like them. But this album is by no means short of bad songs. Some just mid and others plain ass terrible like DYWetc. So yeah, Sleep Token Vessel dude, keep writing stuff like Chokehold and Summoning and keep for yourself the Aqua Regia 🤷🏻♂️
@@antoniotabacu5911 FINALLY
@@antoniotabacu5911 of all the genre-mashup songs ive heard from this band i think Ascensionism is the only one ive actually enjoyed but i completely agree with what you said. vore, chokehold, summoning, and ascensionism are amazing. aqua regia and the other songs on the album are pretty forgettable for me, with the caveat that im an avid listener of the deathcore, prog metal, post-blackmetal genres (shoutout to Vore that song fucks) and not the more mainstream genres that those other songs probably appeal to
Honestly I don't like the production and this kind of modern metal. The melodies aren't incredible and I don't like the singer. It's neither bad nor good, it's just "okay". Not my style tbh
@@antoniotabacu5911 Definitely think DYWTYLM is the only ass song on the album, might as well listen to LANY if you want that sound. The rest though range from good to fantastic, even including Aqua Regia and Are You Okay?
my favourite album of the year got a 2/10? LETS GOOOOOOOOOO
lol bro HOW is this your favorite album
@@CryWolfFilms HOW isnt it YOURSSSSSS?
@MyDarkTwistedSilentPlanet music is subjective im afraid :/ dick ridaahhh
@@drc9374 bc Cattle Decapitation blows it out of the water
@@CryWolfFilmsbecause opinions exist
I really don't know why the community wanted this review so bad. I mean you had to know it was gonna go like this, right? I personally love the record but if anyone is shocked or mad about this.. idk man, you just had to know.
I like Melon sometimes but I agree, he's kind of up his own arse
I've never seen this guy review an album. So no. I wouldn't have known.
I just avoid these reviews usually. We all know what Melon is biased against. This album had literally zero chance to get any higher than it got.
At this point, anything metal would be nice. Fantano's only reviewed like 2 or 3 metal albums this whole year.
@@drc9374 I do want to apologize for the "you just had to know" part of my original comment because that's honestly a pretty conceited thing for me to say. As I'm seeing this review starting to make its rounds in some of the Sleep Token fan groups I'm in, starting to see a lot of people didn't know who Fantano was before today. So again my bad on that.
Not even a fan of many of these types of bands but The Summoning has been stuck in my head for weeks
What are some other of these types of bands
@dannydemers2028 Right? I still don't get why they mash together the sounds they do but it just works somehow. This is at least an 8.5/10 album
I like the Summoning but unfortunately it kind of stops there
Specifically the last minute and 30 for me
@@dannydemers2028 If you like Sleep Token you might like Ghost or Imagine Dragons
Bro threw a random stray at evanescence outta nowhere. Amy Lee has an amazing voice
It's all head voice
He never said she has a bad voice but that evanescence has some corny singing parts and that sleep token sounds like those parts. obviously amy lee is undeniably a good singer.
@Bl3ckedOutInStillW0rld😂
So does the singer of Sleep Token. Doesnt mean his delivery isnt annoying, over the top, and so melodramatic it borders on cringe.
@@zackjoseph9127 Amy Lee's voice and Sleep Token's singer's voice have nothing in common. One is female, one is male, and their tones couldn't be more different, the way they sing couldn't be more different, their pitches couldn't be more different, their enunciantions couldn't be more different, their phrasings couldn't be more different, their vocal rhythms couldn't be more different, their ranges couldn't be more different, pretty much every quality a voice can have couldn't be more different between them. You want to blankly group what you think are "melodramatic voices" all together you might as well group hundreds of voices from different genres that are dynamic and express emotions, including the likes of Freddie Mercury, Soundgarden's Chris Cornell, Janis Joplin, Zepellin's Robert Plant, Ann Wilson, Stevie Nicks, Kurt Cobain, Axl Rose, Hayley Williams, Kate Bush, and hundreds of other known singers. Guess what? They all sound completely different to each other. The comparison is nonsensical, but Fantano long showed himself to be an arrogant, lazy, sexlst prlck and his butt Iickers just take whatever nonsense he blabs at face value. His fans don't even realize how much he contradicts himself and his baseless premises.
I'm getting the sense that he doesn't like it.
After running a couple of analyzations and digging deep into Fantano's criticisms, I'm coming to that conclusion as well.
This has to be one of the most polarizing albums I've ever seen, I find myself somewhere in the middle. There's a lot of moments I really enjoy, the end of The Summoning is amazing. But I can also agree with a lot of the criticisms against it, I'm not really into the R&B stuff and some of the beat choices at those points feel extremely generic, but I like that they're able to move between a softer or heavier sound and keep it cohesive. Probably like a 6/10 for me, flawed but a lot of cool ideas and a few songs thatll probably make some playlists.
edit: Also the title track overstays its welcome
Edit 2: the title track has grown on me I like it now
Ur mom overstayed her welcome
RoachdoggJr
@@BuyRawrXD hello
That’s interesting because the title track is my favourite and think it’s structure and length is perfect
@@CloneCommando501st it's grown on me quite a bit over time
I guess the album didn’t take you back to Eden lol
lmao best comment in here
Comedy genius
I heard this album once and have had "Aqua Regia" and "Granite" on repeat since. I don't remember any other track, and honestly, I am okay with that. The few songs I do like off the album are bangers
I believe those are the worst ones...such annoying Tracks 😂
@@Der_ZeusI think that’s the thing about their sound. If you graphed their songs on a big ol’ grid of genres and styles and tried to map their songs across all of them, they would be all over the place. Most people who like them enjoy a song or two, but hate everything else, and it seems to be endemic of their style.
I also think you would enjoy Rain, that one and Granite are very alike in terms of sound I think to me personally
@ashleyfretz8687 I gave it another listen and I think you are right. The rest of this album is certainly sinking in slowly but I'm appreciating it all more, though it wasn't the kind if vibe I was expecting to enjoy so much
I’m a sound guy primarily for corporate conferences and stuff and I added Aqua Regia and DYWTYLM to my work playlist that I play in the background during events lol. Aqua Regia in particular is probably my favorite song on the album and I typically gravitate more towards the heavy stuff on any album.
Jokes on you Anthony! I already have my own thoughts and opinions on this album! And I love it.
bro you aren't allowed to do that....
*furiously presses backspace*
How
you'll be ready for imagine dragons soon
My feelings on this album aside, I think the “eh, agree to disagree” attitude St fans have towards negative reviews, few and far between as they might be, is really refreshing to see. The most animosity I see on this review are people upset that this album is regarded highly. What a respectable following they’ve cultivated, especially by the standards of metal.
Yeah, when I saw the genre and the score I was like "Here we go again💀"
So I'm kinda suprised this isn't getting as much hate as I thought
As an immense Sleep Token fan, this is shocking to me. I personally figured people would be more up in arms in the comments.
ST fans were content enjoying their music when the world didn’t care, makes sense they wouldn’t care if people liked the album. To me, it’s a masterpiece and I don’t feel nearly insecure enough about that opinion to feel the need to defend it.
Check the subreddit 🤣 They're all whining
This album is a masterpiece and Sleep Token is one of the greatest bands of the latest years
Im very hit or miss with the songs but i am enjoying them on repeat listens more, a lot of the instrumentations with vocals are fun.
I do totally agree with sounding like it's capturing music of the current era
It just also captures certain sounds I know you've grown to dislike (I do get Godsmack vibes from this music too), so to have that mixed together is just not going to be enjoyable for ya.
@MyDarkTwistedSilentPlanetI highly doubt that lol
@MyDarkTwistedSilentPlanet I see where you get that from in the music, but I think that’s a deliberate artistic choice so the album is more accessible while still pushing boundaries. It’s hard to make an album experimental and still fun to listen to casually and I think it works personally.
@Operation: Heavener I see your point but I just wanted to say that A Thousand Suns was absolutely ripped to shreds when it came out
Sleep Token's previous album "This place will..." has a special place in my heart, but this new album is ok to listen to.
I just cannot get into this band at all but I’m glad others enjoy them
They're definitely not for everyone. Some people will love them, some people won't. I personally love them, but it's perfectly fine if you don't. Enjoy what you enjoy. 😁🤘
See, THAT'S how you RESPECTFULLY say you don't like a band's music. Not how this jackass does it.
I want a Prince, meets Meshuggah, meets Faith no more album now 😂
Haken came to my mind.
The latest album from The World Is Quiet Here ticks some of those boxes.
You just described Faith No More.
Faith no shugah
This review feels a lot like Fantano's Dance Gavin Dance reviews. It's probably just not music that's made for him.
Don't compare DGD to this garbage. At least they actually sound original
@@TreyDZdsleep token do sound original there's not really a band out there that does screams mixed in with rnb and metal, imagine dragons (cause everyone is apprantly comparing them) is not close to sleep token imo
@@TreyDZd DGD is dogwater compared to Sleep token and I like DGD
@@TreyDZd tell me a band that sounds like Sleep Token then
@@benedekistvan2655 don broco
this is the least surprising 2 from fantano in a long time
I actually just heard about this band today because I saw a post talking about how Corey Taylor said that Sleep Token “sounds like early Slipknot”
…idk if that was some kind of misquote but I do not hear that at all whatsoever. Listened to this album then checked to see if Fantangnis did a review on it and I feel, for the most part, a very similar way. It feels, imo, (similar to Imagine Dragons) very processed and ‘faux emotional’…it’s not *bad* per say it just feels like a band that decided on what they wanted to sound like without letting their music speak for itself. Like instead of getting in a room and jamming to see what happens, it feels like the sound was decided artificially. At least that’s what I personally hear anyway?
pretty sure the quote was that they as a band, not their music, reminds him of early slipknot.
@@someguy7448 Ah, yeah that would make more sense.
he said sleep tokens current status with their anonymity etc. reminds him of how slip know were back in the days, just fully committed to the masks and the outfits and so on
He said it reminds him of early slipknot of the masks and the mystery behind it.
> Like instead of getting in a room and jamming to see what happens, it feels like the sound was decided artificially. At least that’s what I personally hear anyway?
The vast majority of music written today is written by someone with distinct influences and a sound in their head that they know they want to achieve before ever starting to write. Very few people sit down and "jam" without having an idea of what they want to sound like. What's wrong with that? The originality is in the distinct mix of influences and how they come together.
Was waiting for this one, immediately disappointed when I saw the red flannel 😩
terribly outdated cliché
@@MadailinBurnhope your mom. (Have a terribly outdated comeback)
@@MadailinBurnhope but somehow still accurate
Always intrigued by Anthony's takes on prog and metal because I don't necessarily think he's wrong, but I simply disagree. Really emphasizes how the things one person likes about music can be anathema for someone else. The choices on this album are baffling sometimes, but I keep listening to it. Steven Wilson's Raven is overblown, but it resonates with me. Meshuggah's TVSOR is repetitive and very similar to other Meshuggah, but I bang my head.
Would love to see a new Haken or Mars Volta review.
the most baffling thing about this album to me is their choice to fade out so many songs, like WHYYYYYYY
Literally not metal
@@joeylummox7330 Literally does not matter at all.
I would also love Anthony to review the new Haken album. It's a shame his 'community' whatever that means makes him review crap like this and every year there is always a few amazing albums he misses that deserve to be heard by more people.
@@val3489 it matters. Up is not down. Men are not women. Pizza is not a taco. Pop is not metal.
HOT TOPIC GON GET U FOR THIS ONE
lmao
Imagine Djentons.
This reminds me of that one Deftones review from a few years back
at least Deftones is genuinely good.
Except Deftones are actually good
@@Dan-ji4dbHe's probably referring to Ohms, actually.
@@jvictor3048 it's so fun this fits to any Deftones album but WP, the only album Anthony has called good (and i feel it's just 'cause the general opinion about WP is that).
@@miserirken Lol that's true. I just think it's Ohms that other reply is talking about because that's the most backlash Anthony's got in a Deftones review yet.
I think what I find compelling about Sleep Token is that they do this pretty insane genre blend that people might think wouldnt work, but they just do it and own it. I really like that. And of course great melodies, riffs, production, singing etc.
Except these particular genre blends do not work and singing is tedious at it's best and horrendous at it's worst. And that's coming from someone who adores many acts that blend genres, like Igorrr, Devin Townsend, Poppy, Mr. Bungle.
@@No.Man.Is.An.Island9 defending your argument about being open to genre blends by saying you are not open to genre blends
@@labbern It's actually rare when pop & metal blend doesn't work for me. Sleep Token unfortunately falls into that category and the constant overenunciated singing really doesn't help. I'd listen to Periphery, Spiritbox, BTBAM or VOLA any day of the week over these guys. But I don't have to like everything so it's ok :)
"Good melodies" lmao. The Summoning vocal literally being one note for the majority of the verse. Until he does the cheesy portemento glide thing.
@@PearLock a one note melody can be really good sometimes.
Oh, man. This is going to attract a certain viewership…
Really enjoyed the album... obviously The Summoning blew up on tiktok, but a couple other songs helped get my GF more into metal (She really likes Bad Omens now)
Album was a fun ride, listened through it on a road trip. Perfect passing of the time, of course thats compared to the last album for the same trip which was Limp Bizkit - Still Sucks lol
"metal" "bad omens" lmaoooooo
@@stevenlaporta2507I also started listening to more metal music by the last BO album, so I don't see the problem of it.
damn this is a brutal review tbh, don't see where you're coming from with the void of 'human touch' as you put it. loved this album from them, still liked Sundowning a little more. respect the review still
It's one of the most emotional albums I've heard in a while. This man just hating for no reason
i cannot take seriously anyone who thinks this has genuine emotional depth. its pandering and gimmicky and completely melodramatic in such a hamfisted way. are you really ok is such vapid emotion-bait and is tacked onto a record with tracks called vore and singing about squirting.
@@sinternet_2250 who is it pandering to may i ask?
@Sinternet_ way to let everyone know you haven't checked out the lyrics to any of their songs, especially that one.
@Tabby With Mittens a fan making a theory doesn't mean that's what that song is about...
Oh boy, this is Deftones all over again.
Don't compare Deftones with this, Deftones is at least genuinely good.
@@miserirken I like both sleep token and deftones.
@@miserirken Sleep Token & Deftones are very similar and they’re my favourite bands
@@miserirkenDeftones is overrated to a hilarious degree
@@gghhyo5799they've made a couple of good albums through, whereas sleep token have never even made a good verse.
Suburban white people who've only ever heard of Nu and Alt-Metal gonna be mad as hell about this one lol
Who else is scared for the A7X review?
Welp
That album is trash flat out😂
You know what, I like this album for whole different reasons so I can't even disagree with with melon has to say here. For me it works cause the ache for more heaviness and more chunk works perfectly to emphasise the the heartache and regret that's the theme for this album. You start of with the heaviest songs and slowly lose it. You want more metal but you just dont get it. And that makes it resonate imo.
I love this interpretation, thank you
this sounds like a metal album for people who still unironically say epic win
Literally not metal
@@WhiskArlingtonthey are pop with very infrequent metal adjacent parts
Enjoying listening to the album a lot but its definitely got its flaws. The slow repetition of the same vocal lines on the verses of almost every song (thats always been my criticism of Sleep Token)
It's a bit strange to me how everyone's saying this album is the best thing since sliced bread. I like it, but some of the compliments need to calm down a bit.
I’m a new listener and I found that I like the first half of the album. The second half did not resonate with me at all for some reason and I don’t even really listen to it much, but I’ll give it time.
Much of the rest of their catalogue feels the same to me- I like about half of it. I do like the mix of styles and modern vocal processing and that is what kinda reeled me in with these guys. They’re able to pull it off without sounding cheesy, some times. I’d give this record a 6/10 with hope for a possibly incredible record, end to end, on their next outing.
I can see anywhere between 4-7 as a rating, depending on what the listener usually listens to. I will say, the songs that stuck have been on a loop for the past few weeks.
I've been with Sleep Token since their first album, and this one for me it's their best album. I think since they got this big, there is a lot of "lets compliment them even tho I don't really think it's that good because it gets a lot of views" kind of comments. For me this album have a huge emocional connection, and FOR ME it is awesome, and I think it is the album that they figured out what really is their style. But I see a lot of flaws as well on the album, it's not PERFECT, it never was for me.
I totally agree that throughtout the album, some elements feels the same and predictable, such as the style change for a more trap style on the songs, the "huge epic" moments that every song has.
Agree with Will. I've listened to all of Sleep Token's music back to front, and really don't see how this is genuinely so much better than Sundowning or TPWBYT. The hype bemuses me. Some songs are great (GOATed in the case of Euclid) but my God please no more monotone verses with a trap beat....
@@JB-mh5xy 😂 careful you don't bang your head on the doorframe with that inflated sense of self-importance
I think it's a great album for people who don't like metal but would like to roleplay that they do.
Exactly. The worst part is when I was a teenager getting into metal I probably would've hated you for saying this lol
@@HeavyReign12 lmao this shit literally reminds me of the garbage metal I used to listen to as a freshman in high school. Bands I outgrew.
Fucking spot on.
Idk about all that. A lot of the people I know who love this band also love some of the most technical and progressive metal around. Not because this band is those things, but because of the combination of it having a good mix & production, catchy vocal melodies, good sound design/atmosphere/ambient layering, etc... It's just solid, well constructed dark ambient rock music. Most of the people I see trashing it are people who tend to like the super raw "sounding bad on purpose" sorts of music production and tend to strongly have that contrarian/indie hipster personality trait ingrained into them as part of their identity.
@@PearLock🎯 💯 🎯 💯
Aqua Regia goes hard ngl
you should peep my DYWTYKM remix tho 👀
Not going to lie, I wanna hear the Prince, Meshuggah, Faith no More inspired band
Leave out the Meshuggah entirely and dial down the prince and make the production sound old school and not modern and I'm in 💯
@@joeylummox7330You just want Faith No More. That's what it already sounds like
@@joeylummox7330lol so just faith no more.
I can give you two out of three, if you want Meshuggah and Faith no more put together listen to “Car Bomb”
Love some of the songs, but they got a large chunk of fans that act like bots who have never listened to anything outside of a top 100 radio chart. It's actually weird how "off" the comments on all their videos look....
The comments give off "I'm trying to be "alt" because its trendy now but can't stand heavier stuff." I like the instrumentals to some of the songs but the overdramatic pop vocals being what most of their giant fanbase like being horny over, I cba to take them too serious in a genre that falls under the "alternative" name. For me it just waters down the good parts of their music that I wish I could hear more of. But who knows, maybe the vocal deliveries just aren't for me. They're still good musicians at the end of the day.
also. The vocal style for some of the stuff just reminds me of like 2008-2015 WWE smackdown VS raw the video game music
Well, their name is spot on - they've made a token effort and their music sends me to sleep.
It cracks me up how they try so hard to come off as mysterious and edgy but their music is just paint by numbers 😂
🎯 💯 🎯 💯
so true
I don't love every song in the album but a 2? Damn
you should peep my DYWTYLM remix tho 👀
Melon is just an arrogant snob. If he says one thing than the opposite is probably more accurate. So it’s an 8
Yes, a 2.
More like a 3. There was about 10 seconds that wasn't mediocre or actively awful.
My hot take on this band is that it is just metal Imagine Dragons with a really good marketing budget.
they sound nothing like imagine dragons.
@@Tsunamiar they sound a lot like early-2010 pop, like bastille and imagine dragons.
so, cope.
@@rodrigoperez244 I can tell you've never listened to them If you think they sound anything at all like Imagine dragons. Last time I checked, Imagine dragons didn't have heavy breakdowns or loud screaming vocals. Maybe you know some unreleased Imagine Dragons songs or something where they tried out metal.
@@Tsunamiar chokehold is as “if imagine dragons were metal” as it gets. that djent breakdown in the middle bores me to tears. more than that, the vocals throughout the album are so heavily processed that it doesn’t even sound like a real person, which is exactly the issue with 90% of top 40 singles and especially imagine dragons. then there’s DYWTYLM… holy shit. that might be the worst, most out of place sounding, soulless electro pop song i have ever heard. unironically sounds like virginia to vegas.
@@swissidol8403 I disagree with everything you've said. Sleep Token sound absolutely nothing like Imagine Dragons, in any way, shape or form. Sleep Token have some very entertaining breakdowns, but where they shine is in the song progression. Just the way they are able to change up songs into different genres and perform well throughout the entire song. Vocals definitely do sound like a real person, being processed only makes them sound better and clearer for a better effect with the instruments. DYWYTLM is a great paced and quite emotional song for me. I didn't like it at first but it grew on me heaps. It has its place.
I mean.. a lot of the criticism for this record is 100% deserved. But I absolutely feel that the album as a whole is hard done by a little. I don't think even the most passive prog metalcore fan will fully compare the mild Djent of this album to the likes of Meshuggah or even the latest offering from Periphery or unprocessed.
I respect your opinion a lot but to drop a comparison to 2003 evanescence is so reductive to the genre as a whole, that it's even sounding personal to a point! Mad respect but damn! 😳
I listen to such a mix of genres, i was able to find some parts in their album I really enjoyed. There are some songs I like better than others (Aqua Regia, Rain, Vore, The Summoning and the title track are currently my top 5), and there are a few I'm not crazy about at all. But I feel like its possible to be in betwen the 🙌🏿WORSHIP🙌🏿 fans and the ones that seem to viscerally hate them. Also, the Evanescence slandar will not stand, Melon...
Evanescence is garbage as is Sleep medicine Token
Your insult is as cringe as your name
@@dorkknight42 what do YOU listen to then, lets hear ur opinions
@@dorkknight42 Just a reminder that your anger didn’t stop them from selling out a 10k cap arena show in less than 30 minutes. Stay mad ❤
@@christianryan9989yeah it's called ticket scalping and it happens with every "flash in the pan" band.
man... i keep trying but i unironically just can't get into them. i agree with every bit of this lmao.
i didn't know the imagine dragons thing was like a meme but holy shit i immediately thought it sounded like imadjent dragons
IMADJENT DRAGONS‼️‼️
Same tbh, everyone was saying how good the album was, 3 songs in it literally sounded like low-tuned Imagine Dragons. Sounds incredibly bland and boring to me.
It's the same thing with most media these days. Everyone is watching or listening to mid and I can't understand it lol.
It sounds way more like Deftones than Imagine Dragons, tbh.
Using the return youtube dislikes plugin, this video is currently at 1.2k likes to 614 dislikes for those wondering.
How do you find this out bro
@@Joeh2o Firefox plugin called 'Return RUclips Dislike'
What about now?
@@hotmilkwill 1.9k to 1.1k
@@theseanie9958 thanks!
The two new metal records I recently listened to were ST’s album and The Acacia Strain’s new record. They literally are polar opposites, production wise. It’s a funny experience listening them one after another, the same day they got released
Wait, which new TAS, they put out two records that were very different back to back
@@themightymcb7310 wait my bad, forgot to mention which one 😅. Definitely Step Into the Light wins the spot for me, the pacing of the record and the sheer rawness kinda reminds me of old school crossover, but on steroids.
you’re so real for this fantano thank you for speaking what i’ve been trying to say about sleep token
most annoying sound in years
@@W0LF2612 it is annoying. and devoid of any emotion. it literally sounds like ai generated rock music
Y'all are bitches sleep token is the best new band and take me back to Eden was album of the year. Perud!!
@@gracex3217bro wouldn’t get good music even if you were forced to listen to it lmao. U most def listen to Taylor swift on repeat and catch every single chiefs game live.
@@UberSmoth ur so right ubersmoth im the biggest swiftie ever 😍 no i am a massive metal fan i have actually been exposed to real metal for years now thankfully so i can weed out this apple commercial sounding music
This album was for certain the definitive example of 2023 modern metal (pejorative). Just listen to Loathe.
Instantly knew it that Melon (who, let's face it, was kinda hard-pressed by fanbase to do this review) will give it something around 2-3. That's good. Or, rather, that's normal and expected, and that's one of the reasons why i deeply respect both Anthony and his opinions, even though i almost always strongly disagree, lol.
Thought about everything Anthony said here for some time, and, i think, i know why this is the case. Especially the, to sum up, "it's just Imagine Dragons for alternative listeners" part.
I think it's because Anthony grew up with and mostly... not even listens, but prefers to listen to a very... humane? music. Something that can be tied to an individual or a group, THEIR opinion, THEIR feelings, expressed through music. Let's also not forget the hardcore punk scene that Anthony was and still is a part of. The scene as a whole demands "rawness", demands you to be yourself, to speak about whatever bothers you honest and unfiltered. Rap also goes the same way, it's YOU who speaks up about something. Also both scenes praise DIY, again, as a part of the ties that bind performer and performance together.
Thing is, Sleep Token's music is... uh, detached? It was like that from the very beginning, from the "One" EP. It was obviously like that when the "Sundowning" came out, from start to finish. It still is, after two more full-length albums.
It's detached, it's the condensed essence of a certain emotions, and the group acts more like a vessel (ha) to an art, rather than wearing it on a sleeve. I mean, shit, the decision to stay anonymous was originally made to focus the attention on WHAT they do, not WHO's doing it. They're here to give this art to those who want it, period. It's more of a fact that is happened and that's it.
So yeah, the glossy, very modern production seems more than fitting. It's the removal of that "human touch", because the less personified the music is, the more it hits and the more relatable it can be. And still, there's plenty of that human touch left. Blood Sport, Take Aim, Missing Limbs, Aqua Regia from this album...
Directly comparing it to Imagine Dragons (whom i don't even hate tbh, and some songs are okay) is... well, it's kinda funny, tbh. It's like a last-ditch argument, an attempt to cover up the "i didn't understood it, it's too alien for me" line of thought. Considering the pressure on Anthony as a de-facto one of the most influential people who will come, save the day, and will tell people which music they should like and which they shouldn't... damn, that's hard, and i understand him, in a way.
But point stands. It's the same tool - the mastering, i mean - but used radically different, and that difference is that Dragons never owned it. I can barely remember any songs from them that would painfully scrape the soul, stir up something inside, you get it. Yeah, their songs are polished and glossy, but... it's basically not that far from Ed Sheeran in terms of what being said.
Sleep Token, on the other hand, own it. Mastering here is a tool, it's used to deliver an emotional bomb, and, usually, some clever experiments or ideas - and to make sure that there will be no "human contaminants" inside, unless it's needed.
It's just two VERY different strains of... not even music - art. Yeah, strains. And they are barely comparable.
Another nice example of such strain - STARSET (is it me, or those bands are actually eerily reminiscent in their career paths and decisions?). i'm willing to bet 1000$ that Anthony would rate their last album, "HORIZONS", somewhere around 1-2. Yet it's also based upon a vision of a single, highly charismatic individual (Dustin Bates); it also heavily uses the background and fluff stuff, weaving it with the art itself; it uses genre blending and very polished, very processed modern-metal sound with limited "human touch" in it, and, finally, it relies heavily on the ideology, on the general knowledge of a listener, citing a lot of, sometimes, rather niche things without it feeling like "well, akshually".
Also, STARSET makes heavy use of strings, and i can already hear Anthony mocking them for it, because "what is it, le epic moment? x-d". But... yes? It's that. And they know how to use it properly, just as Sleep Token knows how to properly use djenty roaring guitars and soaring keys, not even mentioning Vessel's vocals.
In the end, it's about the result. Because - and, again, no offence to Imagine Dragons - but none of their songs ever made me actually feel something.
Sleep Token's music (and also STARSET, but that's a different story) makes me feel so much i don't even think there's words for some of the feelings already invented. Especially something like "The Apparition". The ends justify the means, and, let's say it straight, it takes BALLS - and a lot of faith in what you believe is right - to not become an outright poster boy when you are Vessel or II, and to continue just doing instead of talking.
Still, Melon's awesome. It's just that music is changing a lot, and he has his right to be, well, himself.
Worship.
Too long; didn't read.
Sleep Token is overrated as all shit.
all I had to read was "worship" at the end to save my time reading all that. sleep token is mid
Ain't nobody reading this essay lmao
I gave this album a shot yesterday because it seemed popular and I hated it. Everything Fantano said here I was thinking the exact same thing while listening to it
Sleep Token is if Imagine Dragons went metal. Facts.
i dont get the hype. i love pop with heavy elements, i love metal thats progressive and does genre experimentation. this shit sounds like 2010s post-metalcore. it sounds like omarossa but without the michale jackson vocals.
Unless theyre overprocessing the vocals live, vessel just sounds like that naturally.
which is fking amusing...i wanna hear him do a guttoral or a lornashoredeamonthingy
@@lackofcreativity913 okay try hard
I'm not accusing them or anything but it's a very common thing in metal currently to overlay the studio version of a track with the live one so that might be a part of it. He sounds great anyways tho
If he naturally sounds like THAT, then fucking yikes.
@@curly_wyn you either like it or ya dont, no ones a casual sleep token listener
Sleep token? That’s correct, I’m always token’ when I listen to Sleep!
i’m always sleeping when i listen to Token
oooooooophh d for effort
@@360.Tapestryit's the stoner metal way
Sad it even has to be said but Sleep>Sleep Token
@@MrGallade475 then i give it a drop d
The truth here is that coming from someone like fantano who listens a lot of different music, he has found cliches which he dislikes. It just happens that sleep token hits all of those boxes so of course he's gonna hate it. I am personally on the other side, I mostly listen to alternative and core stuff, so a lot of elements that sleep token has introduced are pretty new to me as I don't listen pop, etc that much. So for me it's a solid album. It's the same as having an RnB fan listen issues, I doubt they would think the ex-vocalist sounds as impressive as he does to me who only has surface level experience with the genre they pulled from.
He’s supposed to be a “professional reviewer” if he has a bias coming into it then the review is automatically not objective. Basically he has pet peeves.
@@EthanRom he's not a professional reviewer though. He's an internet blogger. All his reviews, no matter how "professional" they do sound are his opinions. Also music is very very subjective, it's like a favorite color so if someone is going to give a detailed review of any piece it will be filled with their personal taste. He's not wrong at all, neither are the people who absolutely love sleep token. My only gripe is that imagine dragons take, that's just awful lol.
@@EthanRom Reviews of art, whether that be music or movies or whatever, are never objective - nor are they supposed to be.
@@mattmorgan7172 the way music feels and how it touches you is subjective. What is objective is complexity, writing, performance etc. these are called criterias. The same metrics that music instructors employ in music school
@@EthanRom I'd say those elements are somewhat more objective than how it makes you feel, but I don't think I'd agree that they're entirely objective. Like, whether or not one piece of music is more complex than another could be objective, but whether that added complexity has a positive impact on the music is absolutely not. And the latter is FAR more important for a critic to discuss.
All the Disney metal heads mad af rn
🎯 💯 🎯 💯
I'll admit... 90% of what I don't like about Sleep Token is the way the vocalist chooses to sing. Like... why does he sing like that? Does he have a mouthful of marbles? Is he burping? Is he on sedatives? Did he have a stroke?
Just the instrumentals I don't think I'd love it. I might not even like it. But I don't think I'd hate it.
Funny how instead of having a different opinion than fantano, everyone is coping so hard in the comment section. “If fantano hates it it must be good” no you’re coping lol
Sleep Token fans are like "OMG the R&B section makes me wanna fucccccccc" and then you hear it and it sounds like the dude from Shinedown karaokeing Justin Timberlake.
🎯 💯 🎯 💯
W review. I will say II's drumming deserves to be recognized.
"Hey lets do Imagine Dragons but with completely sanitised djent guitar riffs and Hozier vocals and trap beats and then sometimes i growl, okay?"
How do people like this shit?
I remember saying this as far as 12 years back and I've gotten called an elitist a whole lot by insecure and fairweather music fans but people would not only buy a box of dog feces if it moved enough units but convince themselves it rocks. It's the emperor's new clothes. Aesop predicted this rubbish all the way back in ancient times.
what the fuck does ‘sanitised’ even mean bro these riffs are the shit
@@atomictoaster8013 okay, consooomer
“Sleep Token is Imagine Dragons for alternative people” is the best description I’ve seen about this album
I thought the same thing hearing The Summoning(my first exposure to the band), and giving the album a run through after all of the fuss Fantano’s reaction is getting…Granite, Aqua Regina, Are You Really Ok?, DYWTYLM,and Take Me Back to Eden could absolutely be Imagine Dragons songs.
Man... I mean yes, but like.. no.
It would be great to see your take on an older, more raw sounding metalcore album like Ascendancy or Sounding the Seventh Trumpet
He did a classic review for Jane Doe by Converge
Bleeding Through - 'Portrait of the Goddess'.
Do people actually like Sounding the Seventh Trumpet? I think the band did a decent performance and one or two songs do sound pretty enjoyable but the production quality is so awful that I can barely get through the whole record. But hey, it's subjective of course, if you like it, more power to you :)
@@yannizo my guilty pleasure is older metal that sounds like it was recorded with a potato mic and prayers so it could be up to taste
@@xangrycatmanx5104 honestly I just want to his opinion on trivium, they have 10 albums out and he’s never said anything about them
I can’t defend my opinion, but I love it. I don’t know why, but I do.
Why should you? If you like it that's fine,!!
I really don’t enjoy it, but if it speaks to you, blast it! Don’t let anyone tell you not to enjoy what really connects with you.
@@daikiraihatesu yeah I personally don't like it but I don't wanna take enjoyment away from anyone
idk how people are still ravaging over this shit there’s so much absolutely mind blowing metal out there and anthony has reviewed and given good scores to a lot of newer metal adjacent projects. people just want to listen to the garbage they grew up with in a newer format.
Man I have no idea what he would think of the new Avenged Sevenfold record
That’s some of the worst dog shit music that’s been released in many years
He would most likely enjoy it a lot more, but i would be surprised if he put it above a 5
much much better, there's no possible comparison
Uhhhh yeah about that...
*Michael Jordan voice*
stop it,get some help
I can barely finish a damn song by them. Can’t put my finger on it but this ain’t special or never been done before. The slow parts are so boring and the heavy stuff just isn’t anything exciting or can’t get anywhere else.
I feel like the fact that everyone is saying sleep token is a metal band is a huge reason why people don’t like it they have metal aspects but it’s not metal and if you go in thinking it is your going to be disappointed
Also it really just comes down to taste if I went and listened to the newest rap album out right now I would probably give it a 2/10 and say it’s boring as well
W take. You nailed this review, Melon 👏
Imagine Dragons with royalty-free 'Djent' riffs in a couple songs, throw in some "deep, emotional" lyrics for alt-metal pretention points.
Imagine Djragons
Imadjent Dragons
I see that fantano wasn't a fan of the only metal artist tiktokers have heard of. Great review honestly.
Well stated, only this really should not be classified as metal or even metal adjacent for that matter.
@@joeylummox7330 I don't gatekeep like that. Album had enough alt metal and djenty shit.
Glad someone agrees, Sleep Token is SO incredibly boring.
I was glad when Melon dropped the Imagine Dragons bit, cuz I kinda thought the same thing...
How could he listen to tracks like Take Me Back To Eden and Euclid, then say it is devoid of human touch. It's one of the best crossover metal records I have heard in years. Honestly, it's a 9/10 record.
Because he is a hater
1000% Euclid is a beautiful song
Bands like that are the reason why rock is not popular anymore
The breakdowns on The Summoning are actually pretty good sounding, but that’s pretty much it in terms of me enjoying this record. It’s really painful to listen to much of the time.
I’m curious what you expected, they’re building on a style and direction they’ve been on since at least Sundowning.
I usually enjoy alternative takes on genres incorporating different elements. The imagine dragons parallel is almost spot on tho. It's more alternate pop than metal, which is fine. But it doesn't have particularly interesting ideas. It can be good, amazing even. The potential is there but it just keeps disappointing
i personally enjoyed the record, but i understand it’s not for everyone.
i’m convinced that the people crying over this review are completely forgetting that this is just an opinion. music is subjective. you like it? cool. you don’t like it? that’s okay. there’s nothing stopping you from going and listening to somebody else.
some of y’all need to go outside.
Giving it a 2 is criminal
@@BruceTheMoose96 why? Thas literally his opinion.
@@joeylummox7330 and my opinion is he's doing it for views.pretty sure he gave mgks ep a higher grade that was utter garbage
@@BruceTheMoose96 Again, that's your opinion. I've been watching melon for a couple of years to know he's pretty honest with his takes. Likes a lot of popular stuff, dislikes a lot of popular stuff. Also pretty consistent with his opinions, which is why this score wasn't surprising to me nor to anyone who knows his taste.
i liked this album a decent amount, but he also doesn’t rate every album on the same scale. he’s gonna review a metal album on a metal scale of his choice and a rap album an a rap scale of his choice. this is a misguided opinion, but i agree with the sentiment
I dont get this band, its not even heavy.
Ik ppl love this album but I agree with him, my friend recommended me this and I was immediately like "what the fuck does this guy listen to??? 🤢"
Wtf do you listen to? Drake?😂
Sounds like a Mix between Imagine Dragons and the Ocean and i dont like it too...
Sleep token is certainly one of the bands of all time
Honestly alt Imagine Dragons is brutal but surgically accurate
Melon, you missed. I’ll forgive you immediately however
I don't care for Fantano but he's on the money here. Boring af album. It's probably epic in concert and would make for a good gym session but it frankly sounds like Volbeat or Nickelback with 8 string guitars.
I predicted Melon would hate this album and I was correct.
Yeah this album is whack, he's on point IMO.
I’ll take Prince x Meshuggah x Faith No More over Ima-djent Dragons anytime
I'll never understand people like this who seem to completely hate all things related to good music production and mixes that actually sound polished and have impact. This mix is incredible. Super polished, hard hitting drums, perfect usage of effects and layering. I know quite a few people who mostly listen to very niche genres like tech death and jazz fusion who actually love this album and appreciate it for what it is. It's just very well done dark melodic metal-tinged rock in the vein of Deftones. Good production, interesting melodies and atmospheres. What's not to like? It's odd to complain about the production when you review so much pop favorably, when that pop music is just as heavily produced if not more so.
its not hating "good" production simply for the sake of it, its addressing how everything is so polished and buttoned up that it doesn't have any soul left. it's as if they edited all the different audio tracks one by one and forgot to conjure up some sort of idea of how they should sound together. its pretty devoid of nuance and inspiration, its manufactured to be as easy to listen to as possible for the average consumer. Also saying their melodies are "interesting" is pretty questionable. he tends to repeat the same exact melody for an entire track with little to no change AT ALL.
i actually really enjoy some of sleep tokens songs but i agree with almost everything AF said here surprisingly. the attempt at using all of the basic elements of like 8 different genres comes off tacky and annoying. i almost think take me back to eden is a good song but when he starts rapping (kinda) im like jesus christ man what are we even doing???its like the first 2 1/2 minutes are teasing you into thinking youre about to hear an amazing prog metal adjacent track but nope he starts spittin a bunch of random garbage and the song is mid at best now.
it genuinely frustrates me when the track ends with that awesome screamed part, like all of the pieces are there to be a good metal/ prog metalcore band its just not being executed and im not surprised, obviously their intention is to gain an audience, not make great music. which i understand but as someone who cares about what im listening to it kinda blows chunks and leaves me dissastisfied.
having said that though i have 0 gripes with Aqua Regia, it is a bit bland on paper but it doesnt try to do to much, it has good atmosphere, and that little piano interlude towards the end is actually really pleasant and well placed.
There is a difference between “polished” and “good”. If you enjoy a raw sounding record and you listen to a song that fits that aesthetic that then it is well produced.
Raw production is a preference Fantano and myself have for metal and rock music. It’s no different to any other preference. Reviewing a different genre you might have different preferences.
@@morbideddieI agree. And also, I feel that Blood Incantation’s production is raw. It’s organic. It’s very live. Sleep Token, while I kind of like some of their work, I dislike the polished production, imo.
I get why Melon wouldn't dig it, but the variety of sound and vocal strength feels fantastic to just let yourself get absorbed by it.
I personally give it a low 8, feels great sounds great.
False. The vocals..idk if they were autotuned or pitch-shifted or mega-processed or whatever, but throughout the whole damn album they sound really weird and off and robotic. I just hate the way those vocals sound.
@@curly_wynts fine if you personally didn't like the way the vocals sounded, but that doesn't mean they're opinion is "false". Get outta here with that, Dwight 🤣
Every time I kinda start vibing with a song the vocalist just really overdoes it. Imagine Dragons comparison is accurate.
it's god awful, the more I hear the vocals rhe worse they get.
They hated him because he told the truth..
Yep, dynamite review by Melon!
One of his rare Ws tbh
Thank goodness someone said it. Hozier type vocals over metal really ain’t it guys sorry
Watching two fandom's collide. Sleep Token's and this guy's. :D
If an album is bad it’s bad
If an opinion is an opinion it's an opinion.
@@Olordrin valid
it's more clout for him and these comments won't win over any new fans
@@whitemountainlandscapethe guy who only listens to overproduced pop music, generic rap, and nonsensical noise like death grips, his opinions on a metal or rock album is pretty much null and void. He can not like it but nearly all of his criticisms apply to albums he’s ranked 9 and 10s. And saying they’re imagine dragons basically means he’s tone deaf
Why is there a track called vore. Imma listen to this just for that
That’s my fav one on the record
On the head, the nail, has been hit.
Banger review. Exactly what I felt trying to find something deeper here. Last song has some depth, but that’s about it