@@nouscain I get where you're coming from but if it didnt sell well it wouldnt be considered pop and it has to be good to sell in the first place. The problem with pop for me personally isnt that they do what sells well. it's the trend chasing with formulaic design that every single pop song seems to follow. It's constrained by the weight its own genre with only a few stand out pieces remaining interesting. I mean, there is only so much lyricism you can fit into their song structure since it repeats so much but the repetition still irks me. Having said that, there are still a few stand out artists like Kendrick, Post Malone and Ed Sheeran that remain creative within the genre. I dont think there is much of an issue with bands in metal following an established path and doing what is known to work, nor should we expect them to actively try untested methods and fail. As long as they experiment here and there with some creativity [which ST is doing by blending rap into their music] we're fine. I mean take Septic Flesh - big orchestral feel with metal vocals and riffs. It's technically the same thing we've seen in metal time and time again, but the orchestral backing track makes it into something more. Many of the top metal artists at the moment are blending one or two styles and I think thats something to be celebrated. Good music is just good music.
@rasmachris94 The problem is not chasing money though. It is doing while not caring about the art itself. Yes blending genre's is good but the problem with st in my opinion is that they do it in a too generic way. Blending rap like you said, the rap part sounds too generic. Nu metal bands did that do they sound generic? Most of them don't, is nu metal can be mistaken for rap? Not if you have understanding of music. ST just sounds like trying out different genres top songs while blending it with metal. Do they do something unique? Yes. Do they sound unique? I don't think so.
I can't understand people hating bands so passionately. If you dont like their music, thats fine, move on with your life. Other people can like whatever the hell they want.
Let's just say they influence people to be a certain way and some deserve the hate because they hate others and they're open about it. Yet, you're surprised? 😂
no the fuck it isn't lol. Every day there's some article posted that gets tons of love talking about how godly his drumming is. meanwhile the actual best, underappreciated drummers sit on their albums that maybe get a few thousands a listens a month.
@@adammorris2725 professional drummers vary in quality and there are plenty of professional drummers that call him reasonably good. Hell, even I said he's par for the course in extreme metal which is a compliment. Many of those are the best drummers in the world. My problem is moreso that IIs druming isn't underappreciated, it's that so so so many other drummer's are. II is just a clear symbol of it.
I grew up on death metal and black metal but im a huge sleep token fan hell i went to see them live in birmingham the other week and they were fantastic. I love the fact that they just do whatever they feel like at the time if it makes sense or not plus the lore behind the band with the cult theme is amazing
I still don't think they're at all like Imagine Dragons, largely because hearing them doesn't make me think about being in any literally retail or fast food place in America. Also they honestly don't sound much alike at all.
theyre definitely not like imagine dragon but much like a band like ghost theyre boring neurotypical music in the likes of like bad omens and in lesser case spiritbox, but its alright to like that kind of music. for me they arent really doing anything new and they do the issues r&b meets metalcore sound in an unnecessarily stretched ambient way in the most boring uninteresting way possible in my personal opinion, but hey if it gets you going its alright lol and i do agree some people dont give anything constructive in their own criticism to the band besides parroting what internet people are already saying.
Thirty years of listening to metal and some things never change. It's because Sleep Token are popular and appeal to people who might not like a lot of heavier stuff. Metal fans are just hipsters in denial and can't stand not feeling like they are part of some special little club. It's the exact same type of people who started saying Metallica wasn't 'real metal" once they hit it big. Hell, I see people calling Meshuggah overrated and generic now because they have become a lot more popular in the last decade. Some of us grew up and realized that it's about how music makes you feel, but a lot of metal heads don't even care about the music. It's just about being a contrarian to the mainstream.
It's a tale as old as metal. Metallica still gets called sellouts. Slipknot gets called a business (like that's bad or something). Bring Me the Horizon getting called commercial pop metal, I can go on. It's nothing new. Fact is, metal will always be around and will never die.
I always think it's so hypocritical of metal fans to shit on ballads and softer songs when some of the best ballads out there come from metal bands like Metallica, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Five Finger Death Punch or even Rammstein. Those bands have also touched on heavier and more personal subjects the same way that Sleep Token does. What's more interesting is the fact that Sleep Token have never claimed to be metal, and I've honestly not seen a lot of fans claim that they are either - they have a blend of metal in their sound, definitely, and they count as alternative, which is why they pop up so much in the metal community.
I had an uncle that was into black sabbath and he called that metal, he could not fathom how 9 clowns (slipknot) on stage with synths and turntables could be considered metal, same thing is happening now with Sleept Token, they've taken genres that they like and they're doing their own thing, it's beautiful, fuck the haters.
Pure metal head here hated it when I first heard some of their music could not understand all the hype………BUT I gave in to curiosity and listened to take me back to Eden the whole album annnnnnnnnnnnnd it’s fucking epic made me cry like a baby I’ve not cried in 24 years ……..got to Euclid and that was it I was a quivering wreck lol the bastards broke me
They're hated because they're successful lol. Knocked Loose is a more recent example. Before they really blew up, they were almost universally praised by the metal community (besides the folks who dont like Brian's vocals). Since their popularity spiked, I'm noticing WAY more hate on them than usual.
I don't hate them because they are popular. I don't like them because I don't like their music. I heard about them before they blew up. I didn't like them when I first heard them. I checked them out later after they blew up and still don't like them. As far as Knocked Loose I just don't like the vocals. That is the reason why I don't like them.
54yo Gen X metal head here and I love Sleep Token as much as Metallica, Slaughter to Prevail and others. Dexcore is also a favorite of mine and some of their songs break into bits that would fit in anime shows and movies. I enjoy different genres of metal and would absolutely LOVE to go to Download and Wakken.
Metal fan here. Sleep Token is my favorite band. Their music is so complicated, Imagine Dragons wishes they could write music like ST. 😂 People are sick of the same old shit from metal bands.
complicated doesn't mean good. Diablo Swing Orchestra, IOTUNN, Amiensus, and so many others are WAY more complicated, and also good. I wish ST fans gave a shit about new shit from metal, but by and large they don't. They sit and spam ST and whine about metalheads.
@@mortuarymax Another metal fan here. Sleep Token is also my favorite band. I also enjoy the following bands: Until I Wake, Black Veil Brides, Bad Omens, Falling In Reverse, Fame on Fire, Ice Nine Kills, I Prevail, Motionless In White, From Ashes to New, Linkin Park, Evanescence, Archetypes Collide, Rain City Drive, AVOID, Slaughter to Prevail, Lorna Shore, Worm Shepard, Immortal Disfigurement, Chelsea Grin, Asking Alexandria, Breaking Benjamin, Dayseeker, BMTH, Thousand Below, A Day to Remember, 30 Seconds to Mars, We Came as Romans, Beartooth, Memphis May Fire, Escape The Fate, Holding Absence, BABYMETAL, Sabaton, Asmodai, The Veer Union, Hollywood Undead, Patient Sixty-Seven, Of Virtue, Architects, IF, Larcenia Roe, and mental cruelty. Obviously, not all of the bands I listed are metal, but the majority are, and the ones that aren't often draw from metal influences in their music. Does liking sleep token mean you aren't a metal fan?
Some form of "they're too weird" and some form of "they're too mainstream" in the same sentence is wild, but funny enough, it's not unusual from metal fans. I can totally understand just not liking the sound, some people think Vessel sounds like he's singing with a mouthful of peanut butter and that's fine, but some of the reasons I see people give for why they're "objectively" bad are straight up absurd. The goofiest argument I heard against them recently is "Sleep Token is just pretentious music for horny people to feel sophisticated." Girl what? There's just so much to unpack in that one statement lmao. My 2 cents on this (regarding the modern scene in general, not *just* ST) is that people get so blinded by nostalgia and are unwilling to admit it. The norm they grew up with is the only "right" way to do things, and any deviation from what they're used to is met with derision. If anything, imo, "purists" are the ones ruining metal (or trying to lol). You telling me you want the same stagnant bullshit for decades to come? The future is now, old man. Minor correction tho, the core Metallica/Slayer fanbase are pushing 60 at this point, if not older. *I'm* 40, and BMTH and Sleep Token are two of my faves. I point this out because think of the other kinds of opinions people in that age range tend to hold and it all starts making sense. Also I just don't want to be lumped in with boomercore lol.
@@Gregbaltzer That image of you commenting so desperate on that doesn't wanna leaf my head anymore, it's amusing somehow. Next time pls make sure to point out, what you dislike about their music in particular, so people can at least discuss about it (e.g. lyrics, vocals,...).
@@jen5879 There's nothing about them I do like. I dislike his vocals, they're too R&B, and I hate R&B. I don't like the genres of music they fuse with such as R&B(one of my most hated genres of music), I hate pop music, i don't like jazz. I like thought of liking jazz, I just don't. And I can't stand deathcore and metalcore. I can't stand how overused breakdowns have become in metal/hardcore. And knowing the metal friends I have they wouldn't like Sleep Token either. I honestly don't consider them metal.
I've been a metalhead since around 1997 and love Sleep Token. I listen to a lot of music from death metal to pop to electronic to hip-hop. You can't pigeonhole yourself to just one genre, you need to have a variety for your mood and sanity. If you don't like a band/singer then don't listen to them and move on but bands that mix genres are like a gateway to metal for people who don't listen to metal so then we win as a metal community in the end.
agree with this so hard. If anything, on average people probably listen and are big fans of more than one genre. Pigeon-holing yourself also makes you more susceptible to adopting a pretentious attitude towards music. My philosophy has always been, if the song is good, i don’t care what genre the band is and i don’t even need to like the rest of the band’s stuff but i will listen to the songs i like!
I'd never heard of Sleep Token until I learned yesterday that Bilmuri was opening for them. Listened to a couple songs on my commute home. Heard some riffs that reminded me of Meshugga. Immediately a fan. Take Me Back to Eden is wonderful.
Sleep Token deserve to be headliners just because of their metaphoric rise in the last few years. As an old school ST fan, it’s amazing to see them get so much appreciation to their music. People need to embrace a band that’s different and are brave enough to tackle different genres head on and blend them into a new style of music that kicks ass.
Growing up I used to be very close minded. I was that purist going only 80s and 90s metal was real metal. In 2019 Sleep Token really surprised me. Now they are literally my favourite band. In 2021 when they released their second album, it perfectly encapsulated my depression. My general disdain for myself and my life. It was the first time music truly moved me on an emotional level leaving me to tears on my first listen. Thanks to Sleep Token I have a whole new appreciation for music and it changed how I listen. I welcome ST to the expansive umbrella that is metal with open arms. And to bands wanting to explore new boundaries like they did, please dream big and dare to fail. There will always be room for you in metal
I don’t personally like ST, and definitely don’t think they are metal. That said, I’d never be that guy to say “they didn’t earn it”. So I’ll just say congrats to them for getting the headline gig at DL.
Unpopular comment here but it's always the same people complaing or making digs - the "purist" metal fans. Any one I know who is a musician or just appreciates music in general is a huge fan. There's a huge gap in maturity between those who slam them and think they know what heavy music should sound like and people who appreciate music in multiple genres.
I feel like sleep token blending so many different types of music together just makes the drops and break downs hit that much harder and I absolutely love it! Take Me Back To Eden drew me in to Sleep Token and I’ve been binge listening for awhile now
'emotional ballads arent metal' - Slipknots discography - Linkin Parks discography Metal has always been about raw expression of emotion, now that emotion has usually been anger or frustration, but it's still an emotion. Heartbreak, longing, caring for someone dysfunctional are all emotions and what better way to express them than through the most emotive genre we know? Honestly, i think it's people upset that metal is being 'diluted' when in actuality it's evolving. I mean Opeth were doing genre switches years ago and nobody complained, in fact people said it was revolutionary and great. Same for Nu Metal. And yet for ST it's suddenly not okay? It's cherry picking. No real criticism or logical consistency.
I love how you touch on seeming contradictions, and instead of investigating them, you just backfill the rest. Metalheads aren't frustrated with ST because they're emotional. There's a bunch of reasons on that front, but I don't like it because their "emotions" are layered in so much excessive language. When everything is allegorical, metaphorical, etc, it turns into spoken word. Even artists like the weeknd know how to be literal when it matters. Metalheads aren't frustrated with ST because they genre switch. It's because their genre switching 1. is often times painfully forced 2. has no compositional weight or satisfaction. Take one of this years most beloved albums, Blood incantation's, that album takes straight up progressive death metal and blends it perfectly with full on pink floyd. And the transition between these sections are STARK, but they are built up to and placed in such way to where the transition feels natural and satisfactory. My biggest gripe about the "anti-anti ST" crowd is that it seems like there is a fundamental misunderstanding in what the criticisms of ST actually are, and no curiosity to question the seeming contradictions.
it depends on how the genre mixing happens. For me, this last album missed the mark in so many places like with the awful trap beats, painful rapping, etc. Clearly a lot of people like it, but I can't stand most of the album, just comes off inauthentic and showey, playing a character and a role instead of just being real. I like some of the Summoning, some of Rain, some of the title track, but even in those songs there are parts that just serve as poor choices in my opinion. I think bands just need to be more thoughtful when making those leaps to mix genres in. But hey, it's successful and people like it so surely they made all the right choices.
@@jeffreychandler8418the best thing about liking something is that you don’t need to justify WHY you like it, nor do you need to understand others criticisms. I am sure there is music you are into that just ain’t for me… and it’s ok. You can still like it, regardless.
@joeguardiola1993 a lot of people who don't like it arent discrediting it as metal, they're just not a fan of the messages, lyrics, vocals, performative masked mystery, or creative choices. It's a personal distaste for the band, not always an attempt to say it's not metal. People who say it isn't metal are just butt hurt
Im a "metal head," and I love Sleep Token. I don't know any "metal heads" in real life that hate Sleep Token. The closet I've personally met is the older Metal Heads that think any Metal after The 90s isn't "Metal." Also see a lot of strangers on the internet that hate them, but people on the internet seem to hate everything, lol.
There are tons of people that love them and tons that hate them. There's nothing wrong with not liking a band, regardless of genre. My friend doesn't like them just cuz it's not her thing, nothing wrong with that. It has nothing to do with "closed mindedness" or being a "metal purist" or whatever, some people just don't like them, and that's perfectly fine
I'm legit hooked on them right now thanks to this video... I was always like "ah, I'll listen to them later" but I kept putting it off, now I love them
Ive been into music in general (mostly rap, r&b, and grunge, etc) since I was very young. I have never seen a fanbase connect with a band like this before, and thats why the level of love/hate is about the same. They make meaningful music with many messages, its creative, catchy, and doesnt wear out its welcome and makes you want more. Lets he honest, most music downright sucks nowadays and bands dont care about making music that connects the fans to it.
I’m a metal head, but I listen to a little bit of everything. Sleep Token is amazing. So fresh. Been with them for about 4 years now, since before they blew up. Great music.
I don't like Sleep Token, but they attract people and listeners, and somehow people are mad at that just because it doesn't align with their tastes lmao...
Ghost isn't metal either despite their devil lyrics from their first few albums. Of course, the conditions for what makes a metal band has obviously expanded, because people labeled Motley Crue as metal too.
At the end of the day it really doesn't matter what genre they are, the band is a group of people that are exceptionally passionate about what they do. I'm sure none of them really didn't expect to blow up as quickly as they did but I genuinely think they deserve it. Have seen them twice now, once in a smaller venue and earlier this year as Radio City Music Hall. What an insanely good show with and without their current production. Even as good as they are in recordings the live atmosphere really elevates it.
yeah ST fans are. I listened to 400 albums this year, most of which metal from bands with under 1 million spotify listeners. There is so much great metal out there, and it's frustrating to see ST fans sit on their one band and cry about everyone else. for the record, a shortlist of better and similarly accessible bands are Diablo Swing Orchestra, IOTUNN, Blood Incantation (especially their new album), Unto Others, and Sunburst.
I'm an older millennial who grew up listening to old school metal with my Grandad and Uncles, I love the old guard. But I also love the new sounds of bands like Sleep Token, Bad Omens and the fun bands like Electric Callboy. Metal is such a great genre as it mixes so well with many others and is so wide ranging, and it always has been.
40 something Gen X'er here who grew up on the old school metal and the Nu Metal era and Sleep Token is my favorite band right now. They are a breath of fresh air in a stagnant genre.
well to be fair,i still remember old heads dogging on nu metal in the early 200's for being different from the previous bands. then metalcore became the new enemy along with deathcore. sadly it seems metal fans for the most part hate for a band to rip up the rule book and bands like sleep token and bring me show a middle finger to that rulebook.
its not an issue of ripping up the rule book, it's an issue of tastelessly grabbing parts from other genres and replicating them in a passable way that helps sell the image. The way they did it makes my ass clench. Makes me want to rip my fingernails off because the summoning is such a good song until the "make a good girl bad" type lines like jesus fuck
I'm a metal musician and 41. Absolutely LOVE Sleep Token. Their albums are more like a journey than a bunch of songs put together. And they've been very consistant for 8 years now. Sure they "blew up" after The Summoning, but they've been putting in work for years. Constant touring with a new album every 2-3 years is a ton of work.
Sleep Token has actually gotten heavier... I've been through the albums One and Two, and the newer albums are actually way heavier and way more on the metal side of things
Just listen to music that moves you. Arguing over genre lables is meaningless. I enjoy Sleep Token, I also enjoy Suffocation, and Geto Boys, and Jinjer, and Igorrr, and on, and on... I've been listening to metal since '76, and I enjoy hearing something new. Sleep Token blew up because of that newness and their own efforts, good for them, what kind of person would I be to say that they're not entitled to the rewards of their efforts and fortune? They're doing something new and they're being rewarded for it.
Imma old school metal head from as far back as the invention of thrash, and I genuinely enjoy Sleep Token. To give you an idea: i prefer Megadeth over Metallica, and I have seen both Slayer and Ozzy more times than I can count. However the majority of my concert going has been at festivals that feature Manson, Slipknot, Korn, Disturbed, In Flames, Amon Amarth, Cradle of Filth, Dimmu Borgir, Emperor, and Behemoth. One band I finally got to cross off my bucket list recently is Ministry. I am not nearly as hardcore as some ST fans tend to be but they are in my library and they see a good rotation. That being said I am an artist myself and am all for experimentation and self expression, and completely against censorship and elitism and my interest in them didn't come around until after a devastating breakup from my 23 yr relationship. I became a big fan of Poppy because I thought it was such an interesting project, and the same goes with Die Antwoord, and even The Weeknd. I thrash, I mosh, I surf and I even like to dance from time to time. I don't understand why ST gets so much chit. If you don't like them then good for you. Keep your mouth shut and have a nice day, it is that simple. You know what they say; the ones who take the most offense are often the loudest, but that doesn't mean they speak for everyone or even the majority we just let them think their opinion matters to us.
It just shows that Gen-Z has a wider musical palate than previous generations. Look at how bands like Polyphia incorporated the 808s and Trap beats of the Southern Hip-Hop scene seamlessly into their music. These young folks don't just like one Genre of music anymore, and it shows.
I wonder after Download Festival what's next for them,surely the new album and selling stadiums,they're capable of doing that and headling other international festivals 🔥🔥?
The funny thing is that music has no rules; you can do whatever you want to. Also, genres are extremely arbitrary and, nowadays with so much music available, it's practically impossible to put bands into old genres of music. They say X or Y is not metal. Who cares? The only people limiting themselves are the haters.
It's an anti cynical metal band 😂 of course cynics will be pissed. And below the masks and all this crazy amount of production is a very genuine emotion. Not all the music in the world is made for you, but you can't take it away, there hasn't been a band for a long time that would get people obsessed. Just let people be and don't listen what you don't like
Where my problem lies in the whole Download fiasco is that whilst they’re huge ticket movers and massive on streaming, I’m not seeing the overlap in those people attending a festival like Download. Anecdotally I know people that worship ST and go to see them in the arenas and buy the merch, but they don’t listen to anything else on the Download bill. They’d never be caught dead at something like Download. There are Sleep Token fans, and they’re not necessarily metal fans. And this happens. Not every hugely popular band should play something like Download. My Chemical Romance famously tried back in the mid-2000’s and got bottled to high heaven. Nowadays they’d be welcomed with open arms but at the time, at the height of The Black Parade, they were not seen as Download material by attendees because MCR fans typically weren’t listening to the rest of the line ups music. I know people reselling their weekend ticket because they’re that disinterested in seeing this band. I think they just might not be the best fit. I think Sleep Token would absolutely kill it at Leeds and Reading festival because I think there’s way more overlap in audience taste compared to Download. It’s like having Green Day headline Bloodstock purely because of the amount of monthly listeners they get and the stadiums they can fill. It just seems like, if social media backlash is to be believed, that it’s a square peg in a round hole situation. Personally they’re not to my taste. There’s just too much ambiance for my liking. They take about 5 minutes longer getting to the point than they need to, which is why all the TikTok clips you find is just clipped to be “the good bits.” But I’m not gonna waste my time hating a band. I was there for the Slipknot hate, and the MCR hate. I know what it’s like for the metal elite to thumb their noses at your music. I just hope for their sakes they can hold on to the rocket to the top they’re getting. For every Bring Me, there’s a The Darkness style fall from grace after a meteoric rise. Good luck to them.
Also can we talk about how the same people hating them for not being ‘metal enough’ are the same people who CLASSIFIED THEM AS METAL IN THE FIRST PLACE? The band itself has never claimed anything about it being metal.
Great material Mate,I'm over 40,raised on punk HC metal,in some point I've stop searching new bands to listen, in some moment I've decided to check what's all noise is about,noise named Sleep Token, decision 👌 For me as a music not genres lover,perfect creation, more haters,better commercial to me 🤘
To me, they are hated because they are setting the bar so high. Creativity actually becomes work when the talent you face is equal or greater than your own.
Sleep token has the right to exist and be enjoyed. If it gets more people into the scene, that's good. I don't like them, I don't listen to them simple as that. Don't need to talk shit.
I've been a fan since 2017, I think the hate only started recently once they got big on tik tok, they never claimed to be metal, they're a mix of many different styles
I've been metal fan since I was at for over 20 years and I absolutely love Sleep Token. At first I didn't dig them but they are all I listen to at the moment.
Because they got really popular. Period. People are so into their own image that any time something becomes popular they immediately dismiss it. It's not cool to like something that's popular.
I was a fan with every other band he listed that received hate. I dislike ST because there seems to be little to no respect given by the fans towards metal as a genre. Like I sit here and listen to truly revolutionary metal, and then I hear a ST person go "sT iS tHe BeSt anD nEwESt ThINg eVeR aND mETaL iS OlD" when that's just not true, you're just incurious and uninvested in the genre.
@jeffreychandler8418 so what you're saying is, you dislike their fan base? Cuz I don't believe ST claims to be a metal band. if your interest in a band is weather or not they uphold the standard of a genre you covet, I don't think that's the same thing as not liking the band. That's like saying I don't like Pink Floyd because they're not country
@@prideofalion I mean, the cynic in me says ST deliberately doesn't talk because it benefits them. A better analogy to describe my perspective is"I don't like machine gun kelly because he's not pop punk." There is a genre overlap, but not very much. They're not really that that good. And the genre they are trying to work within isn't being adequately leveraged. Like, if ST were like the thousands of self funded bandcamp bands with 1000 fans, I would hear their album and go "eh, that was boring, nothing special" and move on. But no, instead I have to deal with them in the community, and that community is so frustrating. Actually, as I wrote that, I realized this. "atleast imagine dragons fans don't pretend they're metal" lol. That's more of a cynical joke rather than an actual criticism of mine, but it is similar. The fans are here in metal and they are loud and not very good.
Metal can alloy with all genres, and I like the variety, even if something is not to my personal tastes. Not experimenting will probably end in atrophy. Even if you don't like the sound, you can still appreciate the talent, and work put into it.
Crediting them for making metal that is emotional and themes of love is like praising someone for inventing the wheel in the current year. It's not new 😂
There's PLENTY of metal bands I absolutely do not like. I don't hate on anyone who likes those bands. Because, preference is subjective. What I like, you don't have to like. Metal fans gatekeep harder than ANY other genre of music and it's exhausting.
Sleep Token changes genres in 1 song more than imagine dragons changes chords in a whole albums. People who compare them instantly out themselves as not knowing anything about music.
I don’t like sleep token, I just don’t like how they sound, but I think everyone is entitled to enjoy whatever they want. Additionally, with bands like sleep token and knocked loose getting so big it helps everyone in the metal scene out by bringing in new fans, so I think they are good for metal either way.
Sleep Token might not be my style of metal, but I respect what they bring to the genre and the fans who enjoy their music. Disliking a subgenre doesn’t negate their legitimacy, talent, or success. If they’re on your mind or in your conversations, they’re clearly doing something right.
I'm a nearly 40 year old metal fan, and I always felt like metal was about self-expression. I have always pushed back against people gatekeeping metal, because I don't want to hear the same song I've heard 100 times. Every time we expand metal, it gets better to me. Not every metal band is for me, and Sleep Token isn't for everyone either, but I fucking love them,
Been a metal head for years. Favorite bands were We came as Romans, SOAD, Slipknot or Demon Hunter tbh. But Sleep Token is my favorite band and always will be, it's not just songs it's a story. About someone's past. Accepting their flaws and becoming better. The way they blend metal with other genre's is perfect. Some of you say they aren't heavy, go ahead and listen to Vore, Gods, or Hypnosis. 3 of my favorites of their songs. It's music with deeper meaning that can touch your soul. And a touch of the best Vocals in music history. 🤍Worship.🖤
It’s definitely due to the aesthetic being so “aggressive and hardcore” but their sound being actually friendly. 🤷🏻♂️ I tried to like them but I just couldn’t, that’s just my taste.
I love ST and im a huge metal head… the idiots that always smell like beer cheese and screaming about how Slayer is the 1 true metal band are the type that hate ST and I’m fine with that….
So download is a Metal festival, and people are saying Sleep Token isn't metal enough, let alone to headline.. Meanwhile, Green Day just sitting there quiet ere like 👀👀👀 lmao
I'm not picky when it comes to a genre label, I like bands considered punk, hardcore, deathcore, black metal, and so on. Usually what I like involves prominent, heavy guitar playing. I love Sleep Token but you don't have to. To each their own.
Problem is that the diehard metal heads, just have not progressed themselves. They have not, or simply do not cross over to other genres at all. As a metal head, I have progressed past metal to country, drum n bass and have seen Taylor Swift twice. I have seen Sleep Token and I’m glad I did. They are the future, they bring in other elements, they bring in trap beats, bring in jazz elements and also pop production. They fucking slap!!! Some I have read is that those “real metal heads” are forcing them to listen to a metal song as if it was written by Chris Martin. As Taylor Swift sings “Haters gonna HATE HATE HATE”.
Metal fans are stereotyped as "nicest" people in the world, but then I remember that metal purists and elitists existed, and I'd be reminded why it's just a stereotype. Hear this crazy thing: how about if you don't like a music style, then just ignore and don't friggin listen to it, maybe... What's the "mainstream" got to do about your hatred??? You enjoy what you like to listen to anyways. Just ignore.
I never heard from them, but I'm older in 36 so when I saw all their merchandise at Spencer's I was interested cuz it looked cool but won't buy things like that if I haven't heard it.
It's a niche metal fan thing not a normal person thing. Most metal fans are normal, but some want to listen to their german throat singing death metal and watch as everybody else in the room gets annoyed. It's like some weird fight to find the most niche genre that pisses off the most people, and it only seems to happen in the metal scene (like you would think it would happen with dubstep, but I guess not because they're a genre based on modern music?). Like, I've never seen this happen in any other genre of music. It's so weird, but I guess metal has a history of trying to be the "hated" genre. So when Sleep Token arrives it's all gatekeeping and shit, but also just about every metal band is "not real metal" or "pop metal" depending on who you ask lol.
I personally love Sleep Token, but I will fight until my dying breath that they aren't a metal band. Firstly, their R&B and pop parts are much more predominant in their sound, so they should really be those genres with heavy rock and metal influence. This is also why I consider bands like Pierce the Veil not to be metal. You can have heavy influence from a genre without your music being that genre. Secondly, confining what they do to a singular genre is just stupid. They combine so much shit together that there really is no singular genre or subgenre they can fit into.
26 Year old metal enjoyer here ! I don't like the over the top distorted guitars, weird masks and theatrical approach that ST, Slipknot, Ghost and such bands take, but I'm not gonna gate keep music, that's not cool !! I'm not into those kinds of bands, maybe I'll throw petty jokes and criticism to my IRL friends about how djent sucks, but really, if they play some ST, I'll gladly listen to it !! Keep rocking 😉
By the way, which one of these established metal bands can say they are "fighting the system" with a clean face? Rage Against the Machine? They've became the machine.
"They're only popular because they're doing the successful thing!"
Weird how doing something successful makes you successful...
How dare they be successful! The nerve!
Well thats literally why pop sucks doesn't it? Most of them try to do what sells not whats good.
@@nouscain I get where you're coming from but if it didnt sell well it wouldnt be considered pop and it has to be good to sell in the first place.
The problem with pop for me personally isnt that they do what sells well. it's the trend chasing with formulaic design that every single pop song seems to follow. It's constrained by the weight its own genre with only a few stand out pieces remaining interesting.
I mean, there is only so much lyricism you can fit into their song structure since it repeats so much but the repetition still irks me.
Having said that, there are still a few stand out artists like Kendrick, Post Malone and Ed Sheeran that remain creative within the genre.
I dont think there is much of an issue with bands in metal following an established path and doing what is known to work, nor should we expect them to actively try untested methods and fail. As long as they experiment here and there with some creativity [which ST is doing by blending rap into their music] we're fine.
I mean take Septic Flesh - big orchestral feel with metal vocals and riffs. It's technically the same thing we've seen in metal time and time again, but the orchestral backing track makes it into something more. Many of the top metal artists at the moment are blending one or two styles and I think thats something to be celebrated.
Good music is just good music.
@rasmachris94 The problem is not chasing money though. It is doing while not caring about the art itself. Yes blending genre's is good but the problem with st in my opinion is that they do it in a too generic way. Blending rap like you said, the rap part sounds too generic. Nu metal bands did that do they sound generic? Most of them don't, is nu metal can be mistaken for rap? Not if you have understanding of music. ST just sounds like trying out different genres top songs while blending it with metal. Do they do something unique? Yes. Do they sound unique? I don't think so.
@rasmachris94 You can mix genres thats okey, I like polyphia for example. But you have to create a unique sound that defines you.
I can't understand people hating bands so passionately. If you dont like their music, thats fine, move on with your life. Other people can like whatever the hell they want.
I hate their music, but I can agree with that. Their existence doesn't effect my life
Let's just say they influence people to be a certain way and some deserve the hate because they hate others and they're open about it. Yet, you're surprised? 😂
IIs drumming is underappreciated
Very true. He's an absolute God of a drummer isn't he?
no the fuck it isn't lol. Every day there's some article posted that gets tons of love talking about how godly his drumming is.
meanwhile the actual best, underappreciated drummers sit on their albums that maybe get a few thousands a listens a month.
@@jeffreychandler8418considering how many professional drummers comment on how good he is, just shows he's up there with the best.
@@adammorris2725 professional drummers vary in quality and there are plenty of professional drummers that call him reasonably good. Hell, even I said he's par for the course in extreme metal which is a compliment. Many of those are the best drummers in the world.
My problem is moreso that IIs druming isn't underappreciated, it's that so so so many other drummer's are. II is just a clear symbol of it.
Facts
I grew up on death metal and black metal but im a huge sleep token fan hell i went to see them live in birmingham the other week and they were fantastic. I love the fact that they just do whatever they feel like at the time if it makes sense or not plus the lore behind the band with the cult theme is amazing
I still don't think they're at all like Imagine Dragons, largely because hearing them doesn't make me think about being in any literally retail or fast food place in America. Also they honestly don't sound much alike at all.
Agreed. I've never understood the comparison.
they sound nothing like imagine dragons people are trying so hard to hate them 😭
@fav0ur1te_r3gret fr
@@ajshfkenfkrjfmfk Yeah, I personally can't hear it, but honestly I think most people don't and they're just bandwagoning for fake internet points.
theyre definitely not like imagine dragon but much like a band like ghost theyre boring neurotypical music in the likes of like bad omens and in lesser case spiritbox, but its alright to like that kind of music. for me they arent really doing anything new and they do the issues r&b meets metalcore sound in an unnecessarily stretched ambient way in the most boring uninteresting way possible in my personal opinion, but hey if it gets you going its alright lol and i do agree some people dont give anything constructive in their own criticism to the band besides parroting what internet people are already saying.
It's not really for "metal" fans
It's for music fans
The talent and vision is all there
Thirty years of listening to metal and some things never change. It's because Sleep Token are popular and appeal to people who might not like a lot of heavier stuff. Metal fans are just hipsters in denial and can't stand not feeling like they are part of some special little club.
It's the exact same type of people who started saying Metallica wasn't 'real metal" once they hit it big. Hell, I see people calling Meshuggah overrated and generic now because they have become a lot more popular in the last decade.
Some of us grew up and realized that it's about how music makes you feel, but a lot of metal heads don't even care about the music. It's just about being a contrarian to the mainstream.
It's a tale as old as metal. Metallica still gets called sellouts. Slipknot gets called a business (like that's bad or something). Bring Me the Horizon getting called commercial pop metal, I can go on. It's nothing new. Fact is, metal will always be around and will never die.
this, so much!
Bad take
>heavier
yeah ok
Most of this is dead on, brother!! The gatekeepers are the most closed-minded goons on planet Earth.
I always think it's so hypocritical of metal fans to shit on ballads and softer songs when some of the best ballads out there come from metal bands like Metallica, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Five Finger Death Punch or even Rammstein. Those bands have also touched on heavier and more personal subjects the same way that Sleep Token does. What's more interesting is the fact that Sleep Token have never claimed to be metal, and I've honestly not seen a lot of fans claim that they are either - they have a blend of metal in their sound, definitely, and they count as alternative, which is why they pop up so much in the metal community.
People compainint about them crossing genres miss the entire point: They make MUSIC. Genres are a box we put around styles of music, it isn't law.
I had an uncle that was into black sabbath and he called that metal, he could not fathom how 9 clowns (slipknot) on stage with synths and turntables could be considered metal, same thing is happening now with Sleept Token, they've taken genres that they like and they're doing their own thing, it's beautiful, fuck the haters.
Pure metal head here hated it when I first heard some of their music could not understand all the hype………BUT I gave in to curiosity and listened to take me back to Eden the whole album annnnnnnnnnnnnd it’s fucking epic made me cry like a baby I’ve not cried in 24 years ……..got to Euclid and that was it I was a quivering wreck lol the bastards broke me
They're great at doing that. I hope you're doing OK now and can accept a hug from this internet stranger.
@ of course sending hugs to you to x
My experience as well. I was shocked. I thought “meh” initially. Once I listened to TMBTE when I “needed it” and game over. They are amazing.
Yep lol listened to sundowning to that is also excellent
They're hated because they're successful lol. Knocked Loose is a more recent example. Before they really blew up, they were almost universally praised by the metal community (besides the folks who dont like Brian's vocals). Since their popularity spiked, I'm noticing WAY more hate on them than usual.
I don't hate them because they are popular. I don't like them because I don't like their music. I heard about them before they blew up. I didn't like them when I first heard them. I checked them out later after they blew up and still don't like them. As far as Knocked Loose I just don't like the vocals. That is the reason why I don't like them.
It should say something that their US mid-size arena tour completely sold out in under 5 minutes.
54yo Gen X metal head here and I love Sleep Token as much as Metallica, Slaughter to Prevail and others. Dexcore is also a favorite of mine and some of their songs break into bits that would fit in anime shows and movies.
I enjoy different genres of metal and would absolutely LOVE to go to Download and Wakken.
Metal fan here. Sleep Token is my favorite band. Their music is so complicated, Imagine Dragons wishes they could write music like ST. 😂 People are sick of the same old shit from metal bands.
complicated doesn't mean good. Diablo Swing Orchestra, IOTUNN, Amiensus, and so many others are WAY more complicated, and also good. I wish ST fans gave a shit about new shit from metal, but by and large they don't. They sit and spam ST and whine about metalheads.
You are not a metal fan lollllllll. What is a band that you liek that isn't sleep token ?
@@mortuarymax Another metal fan here. Sleep Token is also my favorite band. I also enjoy the following bands: Until I Wake, Black Veil Brides, Bad Omens, Falling In Reverse, Fame on Fire, Ice Nine Kills, I Prevail, Motionless In White, From Ashes to New, Linkin Park, Evanescence, Archetypes Collide, Rain City Drive, AVOID, Slaughter to Prevail, Lorna Shore, Worm Shepard, Immortal Disfigurement, Chelsea Grin, Asking Alexandria, Breaking Benjamin, Dayseeker, BMTH, Thousand Below, A Day to Remember, 30 Seconds to Mars, We Came as Romans, Beartooth, Memphis May Fire, Escape The Fate, Holding Absence, BABYMETAL, Sabaton, Asmodai, The Veer Union, Hollywood Undead, Patient Sixty-Seven, Of Virtue, Architects, IF, Larcenia Roe, and mental cruelty. Obviously, not all of the bands I listed are metal, but the majority are, and the ones that aren't often draw from metal influences in their music. Does liking sleep token mean you aren't a metal fan?
sleep token is pop not metal
@@BobTheAnimeDude So I don't believe this, but I know a lot of metalheads that would take issue with most of your list lolol
Some form of "they're too weird" and some form of "they're too mainstream" in the same sentence is wild, but funny enough, it's not unusual from metal fans. I can totally understand just not liking the sound, some people think Vessel sounds like he's singing with a mouthful of peanut butter and that's fine, but some of the reasons I see people give for why they're "objectively" bad are straight up absurd. The goofiest argument I heard against them recently is "Sleep Token is just pretentious music for horny people to feel sophisticated." Girl what? There's just so much to unpack in that one statement lmao.
My 2 cents on this (regarding the modern scene in general, not *just* ST) is that people get so blinded by nostalgia and are unwilling to admit it. The norm they grew up with is the only "right" way to do things, and any deviation from what they're used to is met with derision. If anything, imo, "purists" are the ones ruining metal (or trying to lol). You telling me you want the same stagnant bullshit for decades to come? The future is now, old man.
Minor correction tho, the core Metallica/Slayer fanbase are pushing 60 at this point, if not older. *I'm* 40, and BMTH and Sleep Token are two of my faves. I point this out because think of the other kinds of opinions people in that age range tend to hold and it all starts making sense. Also I just don't want to be lumped in with boomercore lol.
Well, none of my metal friends dislike Sleep Token. Their songs are full of earcandy, it's worth checking them out.
I'm a metal dude and I dislike Sleep Token, but I'm also not your friend lol
@@Gregbaltzer That image of you commenting so desperate on that doesn't wanna leaf my head anymore, it's amusing somehow. Next time pls make sure to point out, what you dislike about their music in particular, so people can at least discuss about it (e.g. lyrics, vocals,...).
@@jen5879 There's nothing about them I do like. I dislike his vocals, they're too R&B, and I hate R&B. I don't like the genres of music they fuse with such as R&B(one of my most hated genres of music), I hate pop music, i don't like jazz. I like thought of liking jazz, I just don't. And I can't stand deathcore and metalcore. I can't stand how overused breakdowns have become in metal/hardcore. And knowing the metal friends I have they wouldn't like Sleep Token either. I honestly don't consider them metal.
@@Gregbaltzer post metal is its own subgenre of metal
@@sirkelendor5429 They're not metal.
I've been a metalhead since around 1997 and love Sleep Token. I listen to a lot of music from death metal to pop to electronic to hip-hop. You can't pigeonhole yourself to just one genre, you need to have a variety for your mood and sanity. If you don't like a band/singer then don't listen to them and move on but bands that mix genres are like a gateway to metal for people who don't listen to metal so then we win as a metal community in the end.
agree with this so hard. If anything, on average people probably listen and are big fans of more than one genre. Pigeon-holing yourself also makes you more susceptible to adopting a pretentious attitude towards music. My philosophy has always been, if the song is good, i don’t care what genre the band is and i don’t even need to like the rest of the band’s stuff but i will listen to the songs i like!
I'd never heard of Sleep Token until I learned yesterday that Bilmuri was opening for them. Listened to a couple songs on my commute home. Heard some riffs that reminded me of Meshugga. Immediately a fan. Take Me Back to Eden is wonderful.
Sleep Token deserve to be headliners just because of their metaphoric rise in the last few years. As an old school ST fan, it’s amazing to see them get so much appreciation to their music. People need to embrace a band that’s different and are brave enough to tackle different genres head on and blend them into a new style of music that kicks ass.
Growing up I used to be very close minded. I was that purist going only 80s and 90s metal was real metal. In 2019 Sleep Token really surprised me. Now they are literally my favourite band. In 2021 when they released their second album, it perfectly encapsulated my depression. My general disdain for myself and my life. It was the first time music truly moved me on an emotional level leaving me to tears on my first listen. Thanks to Sleep Token I have a whole new appreciation for music and it changed how I listen. I welcome ST to the expansive umbrella that is metal with open arms. And to bands wanting to explore new boundaries like they did, please dream big and dare to fail. There will always be room for you in metal
I don’t personally like ST, and definitely don’t think they are metal. That said, I’d never be that guy to say “they didn’t earn it”. So I’ll just say congrats to them for getting the headline gig at DL.
Thank you, a sensible comment. Well put!
If you listen to their music you'll soon realise that a lot of it is Metal but with a twist...🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻
Unpopular comment here but it's always the same people complaing or making digs - the "purist" metal fans. Any one I know who is a musician or just appreciates music in general is a huge fan.
There's a huge gap in maturity between those who slam them and think they know what heavy music should sound like and people who appreciate music in multiple genres.
I feel like sleep token blending so many different types of music together just makes the drops and break downs hit that much harder and I absolutely love it! Take Me Back To Eden drew me in to Sleep Token and I’ve been binge listening for awhile now
People only dislike the sound because they don't understand the lyrics.
It’s not like they’re hard to understand pretty sure some people just don’t like them
'emotional ballads arent metal'
- Slipknots discography
- Linkin Parks discography
Metal has always been about raw expression of emotion, now that emotion has usually been anger or frustration, but it's still an emotion.
Heartbreak, longing, caring for someone dysfunctional are all emotions and what better way to express them than through the most emotive genre we know?
Honestly, i think it's people upset that metal is being 'diluted' when in actuality it's evolving.
I mean Opeth were doing genre switches years ago and nobody complained, in fact people said it was revolutionary and great. Same for Nu Metal.
And yet for ST it's suddenly not okay? It's cherry picking. No real criticism or logical consistency.
I love how you touch on seeming contradictions, and instead of investigating them, you just backfill the rest.
Metalheads aren't frustrated with ST because they're emotional. There's a bunch of reasons on that front, but I don't like it because their "emotions" are layered in so much excessive language. When everything is allegorical, metaphorical, etc, it turns into spoken word. Even artists like the weeknd know how to be literal when it matters.
Metalheads aren't frustrated with ST because they genre switch. It's because their genre switching 1. is often times painfully forced 2. has no compositional weight or satisfaction.
Take one of this years most beloved albums, Blood incantation's, that album takes straight up progressive death metal and blends it perfectly with full on pink floyd. And the transition between these sections are STARK, but they are built up to and placed in such way to where the transition feels natural and satisfactory.
My biggest gripe about the "anti-anti ST" crowd is that it seems like there is a fundamental misunderstanding in what the criticisms of ST actually are, and no curiosity to question the seeming contradictions.
it depends on how the genre mixing happens. For me, this last album missed the mark in so many places like with the awful trap beats, painful rapping, etc. Clearly a lot of people like it, but I can't stand most of the album, just comes off inauthentic and showey, playing a character and a role instead of just being real. I like some of the Summoning, some of Rain, some of the title track, but even in those songs there are parts that just serve as poor choices in my opinion. I think bands just need to be more thoughtful when making those leaps to mix genres in. But hey, it's successful and people like it so surely they made all the right choices.
@@jeffreychandler8418the best thing about liking something is that you don’t need to justify WHY you like it, nor do you need to understand others criticisms. I am sure there is music you are into that just ain’t for me… and it’s ok. You can still like it, regardless.
Gatekeeping Haters! 😅 lol
There’s nothing more metal than Sleep Token! . And I’m a lifelong Metal Head!!!!
@joeguardiola1993 a lot of people who don't like it arent discrediting it as metal, they're just not a fan of the messages, lyrics, vocals, performative masked mystery, or creative choices. It's a personal distaste for the band, not always an attempt to say it's not metal. People who say it isn't metal are just butt hurt
Listened to all their albums recently and theyre absolutely amazing. Lyrics are deeper than the ocean and so relatable.
Im a "metal head," and I love Sleep Token. I don't know any "metal heads" in real life that hate Sleep Token. The closet I've personally met is the older Metal Heads that think any Metal after The 90s isn't "Metal." Also see a lot of strangers on the internet that hate them, but people on the internet seem to hate everything, lol.
Metal is about all I listen to. Sleep Token are amazing.
There are tons of people that love them and tons that hate them. There's nothing wrong with not liking a band, regardless of genre. My friend doesn't like them just cuz it's not her thing, nothing wrong with that. It has nothing to do with "closed mindedness" or being a "metal purist" or whatever, some people just don't like them, and that's perfectly fine
I've a metal fan for 30 years, ST is in my top 5, easily.
I have not heard one metal fan say they hate them. Unless you’re talking about those dweebs who think there’s only one style of music
I'm legit hooked on them right now thanks to this video... I was always like "ah, I'll listen to them later" but I kept putting it off, now I love them
It’s crazy to me that people hate when musicians actually take the opportunities put before them to make a decent living doing what they love
Ive been into music in general (mostly rap, r&b, and grunge, etc) since I was very young. I have never seen a fanbase connect with a band like this before, and thats why the level of love/hate is about the same. They make meaningful music with many messages, its creative, catchy, and doesnt wear out its welcome and makes you want more. Lets he honest, most music downright sucks nowadays and bands dont care about making music that connects the fans to it.
I’m a metal head, but I listen to a little bit of everything. Sleep Token is amazing. So fresh. Been with them for about 4 years now, since before they blew up. Great music.
I don't like Sleep Token, but they attract people and listeners, and somehow people are mad at that just because it doesn't align with their tastes lmao...
Ghost isn't metal either despite their devil lyrics from their first few albums. Of course, the conditions for what makes a metal band has obviously expanded, because people labeled Motley Crue as metal too.
At the end of the day it really doesn't matter what genre they are, the band is a group of people that are exceptionally passionate about what they do. I'm sure none of them really didn't expect to blow up as quickly as they did but I genuinely think they deserve it. Have seen them twice now, once in a smaller venue and earlier this year as Radio City Music Hall. What an insanely good show with and without their current production. Even as good as they are in recordings the live atmosphere really elevates it.
Ppl are close minded.
They always come off as the biggest hypocrites too
yeah ST fans are.
I listened to 400 albums this year, most of which metal from bands with under 1 million spotify listeners. There is so much great metal out there, and it's frustrating to see ST fans sit on their one band and cry about everyone else.
for the record, a shortlist of better and similarly accessible bands are Diablo Swing Orchestra, IOTUNN, Blood Incantation (especially their new album), Unto Others, and Sunburst.
No I just don't dig them, I think it's the vocals that don't do it for me and the pop element
@J.X.Sanchez777 just say you hate clean vocal because vessel is a top tier vocalist
@J.X.Sanchez777 the fact you say pop element when they legit have always stayed metal just shows you hate anything that isn't 100% heavy
I'm an older millennial who grew up listening to old school metal with my Grandad and Uncles, I love the old guard. But I also love the new sounds of bands like Sleep Token, Bad Omens and the fun bands like Electric Callboy. Metal is such a great genre as it mixes so well with many others and is so wide ranging, and it always has been.
40 something Gen X'er here who grew up on the old school metal and the Nu Metal era and Sleep Token is my favorite band right now. They are a breath of fresh air in a stagnant genre.
well to be fair,i still remember old heads dogging on nu metal in the early 200's for being different from the previous bands. then metalcore became the new enemy along with deathcore. sadly it seems metal fans for the most part hate for a band to rip up the rule book and bands like sleep token and bring me show a middle finger to that rulebook.
BINGO
its not an issue of ripping up the rule book, it's an issue of tastelessly grabbing parts from other genres and replicating them in a passable way that helps sell the image. The way they did it makes my ass clench. Makes me want to rip my fingernails off because the summoning is such a good song until the "make a good girl bad" type lines like jesus fuck
I'm a metal musician and 41. Absolutely LOVE Sleep Token. Their albums are more like a journey than a bunch of songs put together. And they've been very consistant for 8 years now. Sure they "blew up" after The Summoning, but they've been putting in work for years. Constant touring with a new album every 2-3 years is a ton of work.
Sleep Token has actually gotten heavier... I've been through the albums One and Two, and the newer albums are actually way heavier and way more on the metal side of things
Saw them in cardiff, fucking fantastic live. Old heads need to stop bitching and whining.
Just listen to music that moves you. Arguing over genre lables is meaningless. I enjoy Sleep Token, I also enjoy Suffocation, and Geto Boys, and Jinjer, and Igorrr, and on, and on... I've been listening to metal since '76, and I enjoy hearing something new. Sleep Token blew up because of that newness and their own efforts, good for them, what kind of person would I be to say that they're not entitled to the rewards of their efforts and fortune? They're doing something new and they're being rewarded for it.
Imma old school metal head from as far back as the invention of thrash, and I genuinely enjoy Sleep Token. To give you an idea: i prefer Megadeth over Metallica, and I have seen both Slayer and Ozzy more times than I can count. However the majority of my concert going has been at festivals that feature Manson, Slipknot, Korn, Disturbed, In Flames, Amon Amarth, Cradle of Filth, Dimmu Borgir, Emperor, and Behemoth. One band I finally got to cross off my bucket list recently is Ministry. I am not nearly as hardcore as some ST fans tend to be but they are in my library and they see a good rotation. That being said I am an artist myself and am all for experimentation and self expression, and completely against censorship and elitism and my interest in them didn't come around until after a devastating breakup from my 23 yr relationship. I became a big fan of Poppy because I thought it was such an interesting project, and the same goes with Die Antwoord, and even The Weeknd. I thrash, I mosh, I surf and I even like to dance from time to time. I don't understand why ST gets so much chit. If you don't like them then good for you. Keep your mouth shut and have a nice day, it is that simple. You know what they say; the ones who take the most offense are often the loudest, but that doesn't mean they speak for everyone or even the majority we just let them think their opinion matters to us.
Great video as always mate and I enjoyed your guitar play of the Offering the other day Keep it up.
A lot metal fans seem to define themselves more with what they hate rather than what they enjoy, it is sad.
It just shows that Gen-Z has a wider musical palate than previous generations. Look at how bands like Polyphia incorporated the 808s and Trap beats of the Southern Hip-Hop scene seamlessly into their music. These young folks don't just like one Genre of music anymore, and it shows.
I wonder after Download Festival what's next for them,surely the new album and selling stadiums,they're capable of doing that and headling other international festivals 🔥🔥?
If their next album ends up being successful, they could easily get into the top 50 metal/hard rock bands and possibly even the top 25 at some point
The funny thing is that music has no rules; you can do whatever you want to. Also, genres are extremely arbitrary and, nowadays with so much music available, it's practically impossible to put bands into old genres of music.
They say X or Y is not metal. Who cares? The only people limiting themselves are the haters.
If people don't like emotional songs about heartbreak, then they probably shouldn't listen to Numenorean.
It's an anti cynical metal band 😂 of course cynics will be pissed. And below the masks and all this crazy amount of production is a very genuine emotion. Not all the music in the world is made for you, but you can't take it away, there hasn't been a band for a long time that would get people obsessed. Just let people be and don't listen what you don't like
I have not run into a single metal fan in real life that doesn't worship like the rest of us. They are gods among men
😅😂😅
Seeing people call them Coldplay/imagine dragons metal honestly really annoys me. Their music is complicated, beautiful, it’s deep, it’s brilliant.
Huh? I'm a metal head through and through, and I love Sleep Token. I saw them live in OKC this last year and it was absolutely amazing.
Where my problem lies in the whole Download fiasco is that whilst they’re huge ticket movers and massive on streaming, I’m not seeing the overlap in those people attending a festival like Download. Anecdotally I know people that worship ST and go to see them in the arenas and buy the merch, but they don’t listen to anything else on the Download bill. They’d never be caught dead at something like Download. There are Sleep Token fans, and they’re not necessarily metal fans. And this happens.
Not every hugely popular band should play something like Download. My Chemical Romance famously tried back in the mid-2000’s and got bottled to high heaven. Nowadays they’d be welcomed with open arms but at the time, at the height of The Black Parade, they were not seen as Download material by attendees because MCR fans typically weren’t listening to the rest of the line ups music. I know people reselling their weekend ticket because they’re that disinterested in seeing this band.
I think they just might not be the best fit. I think Sleep Token would absolutely kill it at Leeds and Reading festival because I think there’s way more overlap in audience taste compared to Download. It’s like having Green Day headline Bloodstock purely because of the amount of monthly listeners they get and the stadiums they can fill. It just seems like, if social media backlash is to be believed, that it’s a square peg in a round hole situation.
Personally they’re not to my taste. There’s just too much ambiance for my liking. They take about 5 minutes longer getting to the point than they need to, which is why all the TikTok clips you find is just clipped to be “the good bits.” But I’m not gonna waste my time hating a band. I was there for the Slipknot hate, and the MCR hate. I know what it’s like for the metal elite to thumb their noses at your music. I just hope for their sakes they can hold on to the rocket to the top they’re getting. For every Bring Me, there’s a The Darkness style fall from grace after a meteoric rise. Good luck to them.
Also can we talk about how the same people hating them for not being ‘metal enough’ are the same people who CLASSIFIED THEM AS METAL IN THE FIRST PLACE? The band itself has never claimed anything about it being metal.
Great material Mate,I'm over 40,raised on punk HC metal,in some point I've stop searching new bands to listen, in some moment I've decided to check what's all noise is about,noise named Sleep Token, decision 👌 For me as a music not genres lover,perfect creation, more haters,better commercial to me 🤘
To me, they are hated because they are setting the bar so high. Creativity actually becomes work when the talent you face is equal or greater than your own.
Sleep token has the right to exist and be enjoyed. If it gets more people into the scene, that's good. I don't like them, I don't listen to them simple as that. Don't need to talk shit.
That Corey Taylor clip is taken out of context.
I've been a fan since 2017, I think the hate only started recently once they got big on tik tok, they never claimed to be metal, they're a mix of many different styles
I remember when I found tool 25 years ago.... I had to listen to a song to see what this was about. Bro is popular cause he's got a cool costume
They saved me from a relapse
I've been metal fan since I was at for over 20 years and I absolutely love Sleep Token. At first I didn't dig them but they are all I listen to at the moment.
Because they got really popular. Period. People are so into their own image that any time something becomes popular they immediately dismiss it. It's not cool to like something that's popular.
I was a fan with every other band he listed that received hate. I dislike ST because there seems to be little to no respect given by the fans towards metal as a genre.
Like I sit here and listen to truly revolutionary metal, and then I hear a ST person go "sT iS tHe BeSt anD nEwESt ThINg eVeR aND mETaL iS OlD" when that's just not true, you're just incurious and uninvested in the genre.
@jeffreychandler8418 so what you're saying is, you dislike their fan base? Cuz I don't believe ST claims to be a metal band.
if your interest in a band is weather or not they uphold the standard of a genre you covet, I don't think that's the same thing as not liking the band. That's like saying I don't like Pink Floyd because they're not country
@@prideofalion I mean, the cynic in me says ST deliberately doesn't talk because it benefits them.
A better analogy to describe my perspective is"I don't like machine gun kelly because he's not pop punk."
There is a genre overlap, but not very much. They're not really that that good. And the genre they are trying to work within isn't being adequately leveraged.
Like, if ST were like the thousands of self funded bandcamp bands with 1000 fans, I would hear their album and go "eh, that was boring, nothing special" and move on.
But no, instead I have to deal with them in the community, and that community is so frustrating.
Actually, as I wrote that, I realized this.
"atleast imagine dragons fans don't pretend they're metal" lol. That's more of a cynical joke rather than an actual criticism of mine, but it is similar. The fans are here in metal and they are loud and not very good.
Metal can alloy with all genres, and I like the variety, even if something is not to my personal tastes. Not experimenting will probably end in atrophy. Even if you don't like the sound, you can still appreciate the talent, and work put into it.
Crediting them for making metal that is emotional and themes of love is like praising someone for inventing the wheel in the current year. It's not new 😂
There's PLENTY of metal bands I absolutely do not like. I don't hate on anyone who likes those bands.
Because, preference is subjective. What I like, you don't have to like.
Metal fans gatekeep harder than ANY other genre of music and it's exhausting.
crossover anything was and is always a point of discussion in music. people are scared of new stuff and the easiest reaction is talking down on it
Musicians seem to like them more than non musicians do
Sleep Token changes genres in 1 song more than imagine dragons changes chords in a whole albums. People who compare them instantly out themselves as not knowing anything about music.
i love sleep token with the "we want you to listen to the music not to look at us"
Love your pronunciation. What region in the UK are you from?
I'm old, and I wish Sleep Token all the success in the world.
They’re about to headline on one of the biggest music festivals in the world…hate on that dookie brains!
Hate would imply emotional investment.
I don’t like sleep token, I just don’t like how they sound, but I think everyone is entitled to enjoy whatever they want. Additionally, with bands like sleep token and knocked loose getting so big it helps everyone in the metal scene out by bringing in new fans, so I think they are good for metal either way.
Sleep Token might not be my style of metal, but I respect what they bring to the genre and the fans who enjoy their music. Disliking a subgenre doesn’t negate their legitimacy, talent, or success. If they’re on your mind or in your conversations, they’re clearly doing something right.
I'm a nearly 40 year old metal fan, and I always felt like metal was about self-expression. I have always pushed back against people gatekeeping metal, because I don't want to hear the same song I've heard 100 times. Every time we expand metal, it gets better to me. Not every metal band is for me, and Sleep Token isn't for everyone either, but I fucking love them,
Been a metal head for years. Favorite bands were We came as Romans, SOAD, Slipknot or Demon Hunter tbh. But Sleep Token is my favorite band and always will be, it's not just songs it's a story. About someone's past. Accepting their flaws and becoming better. The way they blend metal with other genre's is perfect. Some of you say they aren't heavy, go ahead and listen to Vore, Gods, or Hypnosis. 3 of my favorites of their songs.
It's music with deeper meaning that can touch your soul.
And a touch of the best Vocals in music history.
🤍Worship.🖤
as an old metal head, i like really like Sleeptoken. metal is all about innovation, and they have it in spades.
It’s definitely due to the aesthetic being so “aggressive and hardcore” but their sound being actually friendly. 🤷🏻♂️ I tried to like them but I just couldn’t, that’s just my taste.
Genre elitism is just silly. Its never even based on any sort of standard or quality marker, its just meaningless.
It sounds like the band is more mainstream than the fans who don't like them.
I love ST and im a huge metal head… the idiots that always smell like beer cheese and screaming about how Slayer is the 1 true metal band are the type that hate ST and I’m fine with that….
So download is a Metal festival, and people are saying Sleep Token isn't metal enough, let alone to headline..
Meanwhile, Green Day just sitting there quiet ere like 👀👀👀 lmao
Yes, they're absolutely expanding it.
I'm not picky when it comes to a genre label, I like bands considered punk, hardcore, deathcore, black metal, and so on. Usually what I like involves prominent, heavy guitar playing. I love Sleep Token but you don't have to. To each their own.
Problem is that the diehard metal heads, just have not progressed themselves. They have not, or simply do not cross over to other genres at all.
As a metal head, I have progressed past metal to country, drum n bass and have seen Taylor Swift twice.
I have seen Sleep Token and I’m glad I did. They are the future, they bring in other elements, they bring in trap beats, bring in jazz elements and also pop production. They fucking slap!!!
Some I have read is that those “real metal heads” are forcing them to listen to a metal song as if it was written by Chris Martin.
As Taylor Swift sings “Haters gonna HATE HATE HATE”.
Metal fans are stereotyped as "nicest" people in the world, but then I remember that metal purists and elitists existed, and I'd be reminded why it's just a stereotype. Hear this crazy thing: how about if you don't like a music style, then just ignore and don't friggin listen to it, maybe... What's the "mainstream" got to do about your hatred??? You enjoy what you like to listen to anyways. Just ignore.
I never heard from them, but I'm older in 36 so when I saw all their merchandise at Spencer's I was interested cuz it looked cool but won't buy things like that if I haven't heard it.
It's a niche metal fan thing not a normal person thing.
Most metal fans are normal, but some want to listen to their german throat singing death metal and watch as everybody else in the room gets annoyed. It's like some weird fight to find the most niche genre that pisses off the most people, and it only seems to happen in the metal scene (like you would think it would happen with dubstep, but I guess not because they're a genre based on modern music?).
Like, I've never seen this happen in any other genre of music. It's so weird, but I guess metal has a history of trying to be the "hated" genre. So when Sleep Token arrives it's all gatekeeping and shit, but also just about every metal band is "not real metal" or "pop metal" depending on who you ask lol.
I personally love Sleep Token, but I will fight until my dying breath that they aren't a metal band. Firstly, their R&B and pop parts are much more predominant in their sound, so they should really be those genres with heavy rock and metal influence. This is also why I consider bands like Pierce the Veil not to be metal. You can have heavy influence from a genre without your music being that genre. Secondly, confining what they do to a singular genre is just stupid. They combine so much shit together that there really is no singular genre or subgenre they can fit into.
whats more authentic then relying on the music fully instead of their faces? I love them.
26 Year old metal enjoyer here !
I don't like the over the top distorted guitars, weird masks and theatrical approach that ST, Slipknot, Ghost and such bands take, but I'm not gonna gate keep music, that's not cool !!
I'm not into those kinds of bands, maybe I'll throw petty jokes and criticism to my IRL friends about how djent sucks, but really, if they play some ST, I'll gladly listen to it !!
Keep rocking 😉
By the way, which one of these established metal bands can say they are "fighting the system" with a clean face? Rage Against the Machine? They've became the machine.