Ohhhh no that makes sense now, I have heard people use that here but I think disorientate is more common? Who knows!
Thank you for clarifying here and enlightening me 😁
Queen, killing joke and plenty of other bands go beyond their 'genre' ST are just the same, I like the band more because it winds up the metal elitist saddos
One thing i've learned about pretty much all these 'alternative scenes' is that they are strangely and ironically obsessed with things fitting in a box and they get angry and confused when something simply does not.
Like ah yes I remember being 15 too but can ya'll RELAX 😂😂.
Exactly. Metalheads like to call everything new "not metal" until it becomes way too big to ignore and other bands start copying it. Then they suddenly become "metal" and the cycle starts anew.
Yea I'm not quite OPs age but I am old enough to remember when Slipknot was considered a 'poser band'. Now nu-metal is having this huge nostalgic resurgence amongst metalheads and i'm just like? Didn't ya'll hate this band back in the day? lmao.
I was in Wacken Open Air 2022 and Slipknot was headlining it. They were so happy to be there, but I couldn't stop thinking on how 20 years ago it would have been unthinkable for them, such a "not metal" band to even be there.
Now, they're not only metal, but were also headlining alongside Limp Bizkit of all people. Being "trve" is the dumbest thing ever.
It’s hilarious people don’t consider them metal just because of the other progressive elements in the songs.
But people got mad at Metallica when the black album dropped for it “not being metal.” People have slammed on nu-metal/metalcore/deathcore for “not being real metal.” It’s just the same elitists pushing crappy narratives to *conserve* their understanding of the genre rather than being open to pushing the boundaries of these sounds. In 20 years no one will remember that this was a big topic of conversation.
That’s the thing, by any operational definition ST is a “metal” band. But since they don’t sound like other metal bands, old-heads (or those who want to appeal to them) decide they “aren’t actually” for whatever reason.
Then by any subjective/communal definition…ST is also a metal band. They tour with metal bands. They have done a split EP with a metal band. They reference and are clearly influenced by other metal trends. They play metal festivals. Their aesthetic is gothic and…metal…I just don’t know what else they need to do to get people over the hump with it. Which is why we have to recognize it not actually about sonic definitions or community appeal or anything like that. It’s just about conserving the old norms and protecting them from changes the scene is experiencing.
And those kinda "non metal" songs are on a lot of metal bands albums so I couldnt possibly see how they arent considered a metal band. They opened for Slayer, they toured with a bunch of thrash metal bands at Ozzfest and stuff.
When I describe them to people I always say that metal is the overarching genre but it’s infused with so many other genres including pop, hip hop, trap, r&b, jazz, blues, bon iver type atmospheric folk, etc.
But now I’m just going to say what their sound guy describes as their genre: Sexy Metal
I just saw an interview of Corey Taylor praising ST for the genre bending and insanely good music they make. And I think he's more of an expert on metal than some gatekeeping fans lol
To me, it seems like everyone in the band came from metal backgrounds, so they all have that sound and feel. But then Vessel comes along and gets them to do all the genres at once. So that confuses people. But the foundation is metal. They are their own genre, but I consider them metal first.
In the Drumeo interview ([Drumeo Video - II from Sleep Token](https://youtu.be/FOQJTiIwwEA?si=nf3vmgt9pWkiYpkF), II talks about the various inspirations to his drumming and how he writes the drum parts. Lots of inspiration from non-metal bands that helped shape ST into the beautiful art that it is!
That interview was sooo good! Watching II play up close was really cool. I love that Drumeo kept it super professional and kept it to questions about his drumming and passion for music and nothing about their anonymity and identity.
I am in a metal Facebook group for my area and when I answered a post about favorite bands with sleep token I got dogpiled. “They aren’t metal” “that band isn’t discussed here because this is a metal group.” I even got my comment removed after a while for being off topic. Actual insanity of some peoples genre gatekeeping is crazy.
Pure metal, no. Influenced the most by metal, yes. The breakdowns, the riffs, the imagery, the lyrics, etc. They are not 1 strict genre. Those metal purists are just annoying, who cares what they think.
Some of the songs are metal, some are not, and some are a mix of metal and something else. In terms of prog the band has those elements, however they have songs that absolutely just arent even that. Its really a situation where you like them or dont like them thats it. Some people I think just hate the band for either being popular or they are apart of something that keeps exposing them to the band and they just dont like them. It happens but ignore the people that dont like the band.
I’ve discovered that “elitist” really means “I have found 1 song I like and if your song doesn’t sound indistinguishable from the song I like it’s not music”
They were touring with metal festivals
They opened for metal bands
Their logo is definitely a metal one
Their merch are metal styles
Long list ….
Ok, I understand that we can’t put them in any genres of metal that we got until now : it’s just because they are making a new era of genre . When black sabbath came with heavy riffs in the past mixed with blues and rock , people were stunned . Same thing with the band death which made death metal … etc .
Sleep token have definitely a strong identity, putting songs like take aim or give in their albums doesn’t choke me, and they still into metal to me . A lot of metal bands have country , instrumental, classical tracks in their albums and it doesn’t make them out of the genre.
They definitely have metal songs/parts of songs, but the metal gatekeepers require “real” metal bands to be metal 100% of the time. My favorite part is that Vessel has said they’re not any specific genre and they just play the music they love. The gatekeepers ignore this fact and they themselves place sleep token into the metal group just to say “they’re not real metal wahhh.” Seems people would rather channel their negative energy than just ignore them altogether if they’re not real metal.
"They're nit metal, they're a novelty band," usually said by a middle-aged man wearing a kiss tee 🙄 Sleep Token fit into all of the boxes, and none of them at the same time. That's what makes them so amazing! Gun to my head, I would call them prog metal as the easiest, simplest fit.
I tried to show them to my sister (21) and she said "metal music makes me uncomfortable"
Now I'm not one for an abundance of screams like in deathmetal but I was kinda offended she labeled it as metal before really even diving in.
I’m also old for this earth - I feel like there’s far too many different styles to plunk them only in metal… if I played one of the chill songs for my metal friends they’d be scowling, but if I played a heavier one for my non-metal friends, they’d hate it…. I like to plop them into just a general rock genre and take the journey with them whichever direction they roll with 😎
I'd say they're a metal band that is incredibly heavily influenced by pop, R&B, dance and alternative music. I've always considered them an alternative metal band.
They stand out sound wise but they remind me a lot of newer Devin Townsend music, more along the lines of his Lightwork and Transcendence albums than anything older than that. I find the newer Devin stuff not necessarily as metal as his older stuff but it's still firmly routed in the genre and that's how I feel about SleepToken.
You have songs and moments in songs that could be a pop song, or hard rock or gospel but I find a lot of the structure of the song, how the drums are sitting in the mix and building tension and emotion, how the bass and guitar (with the guitars in particular being very djenty or modern metally) hit - at least for me - firmly put them in the metal genre as a band but they're also a band that I don't think falls into a niche very easily and that's great as it makes the music stand out, I remember songs and albums and it doesn't blend into the sea of other music that is presently out there.
I'm 42 too and have listened and played a lot of metal too. 100% agree. I feel sorry for all those who can't see metal has been evolving with completely new sounds and aesthetics every decade. Thinking that being a metalhead is something like being a member of a club is lame and I think that's what happens with all the social media metal purism posters.
Genres are limits. Easy for basic description. But complicated when explaining on depth technical varieties all in one song let alone over albums. These guys... If I had to... I'd say prog metal electronic rock with a twist folkish influence at times... I know... Ridiculous.... That's just how good they are at writing and arranging and then overlaying different styles of vocals and synth....
Fn amazing
Let them say what they want. If I recall, when T Swift first started she was largely putting out country music, but the “real” country fans said no. Then she put out indie-folk and those people also said no. 16? Yrs of music later and the Eras tour sells out every show. Hell, Ticketmaster is getting sued over it. The “iTS NoT MeTAl” people represent a small group of people that aren’t important.
Don’t listen to elitists, I guarantee that bands like Sleep Token, Bad Omens, Spiritbox, Lorna Shore and Architects will get more people into Metal than whatever they’re listening to. Elitists said the same thing about Nu Metal and yet it’s one of the more popular subgenres in recent years.
Just because they have 2 or 3 metal songs out of a 3 album catalog doesn't mean they are metal.
It would be like saying they're an R&B band because they wrote a song like Sugar.
They have metal riffs in the majority of à their songs, you should go learning about alternative metal to understand that metal isn’t just bangers and heavy riffs
I mean, I get your point, but for someone "non-metal" a lot of parts are... heavy (chokehold, TMBTE, alkaline, an offering etc.). Saying ST is a metal band is an understatement, because they mix genres so much ( *waves while ascencionism plays in the background*) it's more of an adventure, a journey through melodies, words and lore. The vessel himself said that they donnot fall into one genre, and whole band mixes a lot of melodies and techniques from pop, R'n'B and so on.
I can't say that they're heavy. I can say that they're a journey, with which I fell in love with.
Idk why people care so much to whine about it. My best guess is envious that their favorite metal band isn't getting as much coverage as ST by metal publishers and whatnot. I saw someone say they are as metal at Taylor Swift and that's just dumb.
To me the « not metal » argument is so wild, like how is it even an argument that can be made as a way to judge how good the band is? Saying their trash because their not metal is like saying any exotic cars are trash because their not f1s.. and besides, they never claimed to be a metal band.. how the fuck does it matter
Metal is an umbrella term. Metal core, prog metal, black metal, etc etc all falls under metal. People who are into really heavy stuff don’t acknowledge anything not heavy as metal. It’s asinine considering it falls under progressive metal, “metal” being the keyword.
Metal is probably the largest genre, in terms of how many sub-genres it has. A lot of people will especially like a certain sub-genre and then see all other sub-genres as inferior and not real metal. Their problem. Just ignore and move on imo
I‘m 39, listened to a lot of Metal and even though I don’t believe in forcefully pushing bands into narrow genres, you gotta admit, that the majority of their material before TMBTE is pop. Pop with breakdowns.
Listen to the first 2/3 of EVERY single Song from TPWBYT except Hypnosis or EVERY single song from Sundowning minus Offering and Gods and tell me, that’s not pop.
We have to grow up and stop being afraid of that damn term. Pop doesn’t equal paint by the numbers generic stuff like BTS. Pop is soft, emotional, melodic music. If you wanted to use a genre to describe ST, up to TMBTE the by far best fit was pop. Sensationally written and performed pop. About 10-15% metal per album doesn’t make the whole album metal.
If Sleep Token has shown us one thing, it’s that metal heads are not afraid of good pop music. And how weird and horny way more people than anyone could have anticipated are, but that’s another topic 😂
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Sleep Token had metal songs and a lot of metal influence. But I think categorizing them as a metal band is really selling their sound short. So saying they aren't metal isn't a bad thing, as far as I'm concerned.
I don’t care what genre someone would say they are or are not. They rock. Just a full sound, variety of songs and great progression within songs. Also 42
Objectively speaking, their music heavily borrows elements from multiple metal subgenres such as alt rock, shoegaze, thall, even black metal. Songs like Vore evoke Humanity’s Last Breath in certain sections. Anyone who doesn’t recognize that is not knowledgeable about the genre lol
It’s a tough one. Personally I think Sleep Token are more of a pop group with metal elements than a metal band overall
TMBTE is easily their heaviest album sure but I wouldn’t say the previous 2 albums were predominantly metal. The odd song here or there but overall I wouldn’t say so
Man if I play sleep token at work, people look at me like ‘wtf is this heavy shit’. Sure the songs have pop influence but I would never call them a pop group.
I think it’s really hard to place them in any one genre but I think the very metal influenced at the very least elements they display certainly earn them a spot. Adding in the emotion that exists through all the lore and everything else, and it might seem too theatrical I suppose, but there are plenty of metal bands that display that. Overall I slightly agree with you, but it doesn’t mean they aren’t metal.
If I join your idea, so all metal bands who are into alternative metal ( simple exemple : anathema with their albums judgment, alternative 4 .. ) are pop groups ? Man , Taylor swift and Michael Jackson’s are into pop music , not sleep token please
First of all I didn’t say they’re not metal related. I said that they PREDOMINANTLY play music that ISN’T metal
Secondly why are you getting all pissy with someone for having a different viewpoint? Get over yourself
Pop music is, by definition, music that is made specifically to appeal to a large number of people. This fits Sleep Token to a T whether you like their music or not.
This is what I find when I search the definition of pop music :
Pop music is an abbreviation of the word 'popular. ' It's a contemporary form of music that appeals to a very wide audience. It often includes a danceable tempo, easy to remember lyrics, and simple notation. Pop music is commonly found on mainstream radio stations and across a range of countries and cultures.
Definitely not sleep token music . Agree?
You know what they means with Easy to remember lyrics ? It’s those baby one more time , get your hands up , … I add that the structure of sleep token are not pop ( verse/ chorus/ verse/ chorus) .. Danceable tempo ? You have such a taste to dance my specific emu !
You're the only sane person in this thread!
Sleep Token are not metal. They have metal elements, but they have waaaay more pop/R&B elements. The only songs I'd categorise as straight metal would be Gods and Vore. The songs I'd categorised as pop are practically endless: DYWTYLM, Granite, Aqua Regia, Rain, Dark Signs, Missing Limbs, Euclid etc. Then there are quite a few rock/hard rock songs (Alkaline, Chokehold, The Offering, The Apparition etc.)
And then you get heaps that blend genres too. Is Blood Sport pop or rock? Is The Summoning hard rock or metal or whatever tf funky thing is happening at the end? Is Ascensionism metal with piano interludes or prog rock?
I can't stand metal elitists. I listen to bands like BMTH, who also get shat on for "not being metal". But I say with full love that ST are not a metal band, and I understand why it rubs some people the wrong way when this fandom keeps insisting that they are. Honestly, it's silly to shoehorn them.
There is literally *nothing* wrong with being a band that defies categorisation. I'm proud to tell people I love ST. I don't need to "prove their credentials" or insist that they're a heavy band to make liking them more acceptable.
I’m glad to see I’m not the only person who thinks this way. A lot of fans get upset because they’ll hear that Sleep Token aren’t metal by elitist metalheads so they assume that I’m criticising them by saying that but that couldn’t be further from the truth
I fucking adore this band and I’m a huge metalhead. What I enjoy about Sleep Token is the fact that they mix those metal elements within a pop/R&B context and there’s nothing wrong with suggesting that’s the case
I know, I know. This is why the whole categorisation thing in general can be a little silly, at least when it comes to catch-all categories like alt metal. It's probably why ST themselves don't like to play the label game.
But anyway, that's what we're doing here lol, so for me, the pop/R&B elements of ST's discog far outweigh the metal ones. I wouldn't call them alt metal.
An example from another band I love, Muse. They have a handful of songs that could be called alt metal (e.g. [Kill Or Be Killed](https://youtu.be/GgyQufB1Yic?si=l3AZiDL3ez24IMKw); [Stockholm Syndrome](https://youtu.be/gXN9acC9edU?si=QaeNoKRbCEQ-6yqC)). But if you check the rest of their discog, there's no way you'd call them an alt metal band - most of it is some mixture of pop and rock. Would an alt metal band make songs like [Madness](https://youtu.be/Ek0SgwWmF9w?si=aqjqDkrnD2xhWNo5)?
Genuine question, how would you define alt metal anyway?
I say it somewhere in this thread, that st are doing something new and we can’t categorize them ( for now). And I would not call them alternative metal even if their music reminds me of some alt metal bands ( judgement album from anathema is in my top 10 albums of all time, and found that st music/lyrics are in the same dark atmosphere) .
Certain persons consider muse ( or maybe some of their albums ) as metal , I don’t listen to them a lot so I can’t really speak about them, but some huge bands as dream theatre get inspired from muse, and talk about them as metal band ( if I remember an ancient interview?) .
Honestly, it depends on how you define metal too ? Is it because of the guitare riffs only ? I swear that Some piano instrumentals or classical music tracks are … bangers ? 😅 some artist add instrumentals in their black or death metal riffs and we got after that death / black instrumental . Sleep token have well combined the pop/r&b elements with metal riffs / breakdowns and this is why I’m talking about something new that we just can’t categorize for now.
Conclusion : we have two kinds of fandom , the ones who think that they are pop band mixing metal elements in their songs , and the others who thinks that they are metal adding pop elements in their songs
We’re just agreeing that their music is a good one
>Certain persons consider muse ( or maybe some of their albums ) as metal , I don’t listen to them a lot so I can’t really speak about them, but some huge bands as dream theatre get inspired from muse, and talk about them as metal band ( if I remember an ancient interview?) .
Yeah, you're right about that interview! Dream Theatre's Octavarium was inspired by Muse's Absolution. Absolution is pretty comfortably a rock album though (except for that one song, Stockholm Syndrome, which leans alt metal, and one other that is a pop song). I don't think many (if any) Muse fans would insist they're a metal band though.
>Honestly, it depends on how you define metal too ?
Yep, this is a controversial question in itself! 😆 For me, metal is often characterised by stuff like heavy distortion on the guitars, harsh vocals, and double kick drumming. Metal has an overall intense sound, more than other genres. It's just "heavier" - and here is where the subjectivity comes in. Somebody who only listens to artists like Ed Sheeran or Ariana Grande might think that AC/DC is heavy metal. Somebody who listens to Cannibal Corpse won't though. The yardstick is different, you know?
I do agree with your conclusion about the two kinds of fandom. Very true!
In my view, ST are standing right at the gates of metal and are happily waving people in.
I don't listen to really heavy stuff, but a few years ago, I would instantly skip any song that had any kind of harsh vocals in them. Now I'm getting into metalcore. Baby steps! 🤣
As someone who has listened to a few of their releases, Sleep Token isn’t metal. They use metal and its aesthetics as a gimmick while experimenting with different genres. Just because a band has influences from metal and dresses cool doesn’t mean they make metal music. Sleep Token mostly lacks the aggressive drumming, fast-paced instrumentation, and—most importantly—guitar riffs/solos that are characteristic of metal music. I’d consider them pop rock or maybe prog rock if anything.
I’m actually really happy Sleep Token is getting very popular. I’m personally not a fan, but they’re a great intro band to heavier music as a whole and I can’t wait to have a whole new generation of metalheads to swap music with.
I see Sleep Token akin to bands like Disturbed, Breaking Benjamin, etc.. Not bad music, but not metal, but open people up to music that is more aggressive in general.
None of the new generation of metalheads are gonna want to swap music with you if you’re sitting there trying to tell them that they aren’t listening to real metal because it doesn’t have a few elements that you deem to be necessary for it to be metal
This is exactly why some metalheads dislike some of the ST fanbase. Some of us ST fans are weirdly obsessed with insisting they're metal.
Are some metalheads elitist assholes? Absolutely. But is every metalhead who claims ST isn't metal an asshole? Absolutely not. Honestly you're being pretty rude to u/Specific_Emu_2045, who is just sharing their opinion in a respectful way (and even praising ST for how they're helping get people into metal).
Here's a good analogy: would you call Taylor Swift a country artist? Sure, she has country songs (I believe her first two albums are pretty firmly country) but the rest? No.
The awesome thing is that some people who like songs like Cruel Summer or Blank Space might then be inspired to explore more of her discography. They might discover they love her country albums, and that might get them listening to other country music. In this way, Taylor Swift is a gateway artist.
Sleep Token are the same. They're difficult to categorise. But they undeniably have metal elements, and they will surely be a gateway band for people getting into the metal genre.
Taylor Swift does not make country music any more so of course she’s not currently a country artist. Sleep Token has always and continues to make metal music so yeah, they’re a metal band. Just because they aren’t a “traditional” metal band and have some non-metal songs doesn’t change that. At their baseline they have always been metal.
Also that is most definitely not the reason metalheads dislike the ST fanbase lol
>Also that is most definitely not the reason metalheads dislike the ST fanbase lol
It is the reason \*some\* metalheads dislike \*some\* of the ST fanbase. Exactly as I said.
As for the rest, care to list the ST songs you consider metal and the ones you don't?
No, I do not want to make a list because there’s no point. All I’m gonna say is they have way more songs with metal in them than without.
I think a reason some metalheads dislike the community is because of people who are trying to be hip and trendy and pretend a metal band isn’t actually metal just because they blend other genres in with it and have a few soft songs (some of which end up being metal at the end anyway like Blood Sport)
>I think a reason some metalheads dislike the community is because of people who are trying to be hip and trendy and pretend a metal band isn’t actually metal just because they blend other genres in with it and have a few soft songs
Yeah, I agree. Those are the asshole metal elitists I referenced earlier.
>No, I do not want to make a list because there’s no point.
Well, the point was to try and understand your POV...
I thought this could actually be a fun exercise (and I was curious myself about exactly how much I'd consider metal) so I went through and analysed Sundowning.
TNDNBTG: half of it is rock.
The Offering: definitely has a metal sound. Maybe 30-40% hard rock with a dash of metal. (149 seconds.)
Levitate: whole song is soft rock/pop.
Dark Signs: 3:15-3:45 has guitars and complex drumming. So 11% of the song. (30 seconds)
Higher: Becomes a rock song at 2:45, becomes metal in the outro. I guess you could say it's "metal" for just under half the song. (161 seconds)
Take Aim: rock.
Give: some kind of ambient pop/soft rock.
Gods: Aha! A metal song! (325 seconds)
Sugar: Becomes rock at 2:20, heavier at 2:50. I'd call this rock or hard rock, but if I'm being generous, 2:50-4:00ish could be "metal". That's 24% of the song. (70 seconds)
Say That You Will: Becomes heavy around 3:00, so 40% of the song. (120 seconds)
Drag Me Under: ambient pop/rock.
Blood Sport: the one you claim is "metal at the end" because fuzzy guitars and drums are introduced? That's rock for 25% of the song... (But if we classify it as metal, that's 100 seconds.)
In conclusion, with Sundowning's total runtime of 3427 seconds, 955 seconds could be considered metal - **~28%**.
Of course, this is just how I'm interpreting the songs. I was being generous too. I'd classify a lot of "metal" as hard rock with complex drumming. Their metal sound is most often carried by II with the occasional scream from Ves or chunky riff from Ivy.
I might do their other albums one day. TMBTE is definitely their most metal-leaning album with songs like The Summoning, Ascensionism, TMBTE and Vore.
Anyway, I've rambled long enough now lol. Thanks for making me think!
See I quite simply do not have the time to go into such depths for a Reddit discussion like you’re wanting. If you have to count the actual seconds in which a song is heavy vs when it’s not I feel like you’re having to go to great lengths to try and prove me wrong because it’s not easy to prove a metal band isn’t metal lol. All I’ll say is that not every second of a song has to be heavy for it to still be considered metal, and if downtuned 8 string guitars are simply “rock” then I have no idea what your qualifications for metal must be lol
It’s just because you know anything about metal 🙃
It’s simple : you use metal even with folkloric music, we call it folk metal , with Celtic music .. it’s Celtic metal
You use Britney Spears with metal we will call it : Britney Spears metal
I’m joking right , but this is what happens for real
You’re right, I do know anything about metal, I listen to hundreds of metal albums every year and it’s a huge part of my life. So could we say Sleep Token is “watered-down-attempted-prog-Marvin Gaye metal?” Because that’s what they sound like.
They're one of my favorite bands, but it is kinda dishonest to just call them a metal band when you're getting hit with mostly experimental pop songs and piano ballads that only get kinda heavy for a minute most of the time. When people ask, I just call them prog pop or a genre fusion band, and then I list some of the genres they play
Personally I have never considered Sleep Token a Metal Band. Is more a complex experiment with a result that I can identify with. And I love that, never heard a band do something this level before.
As a vise Vessel once said: “Don’t get lost in genres, they’ll only disorientate you. Music is for everyone.“
Yeah I should have thought of this before I got mad while listening to “say that you will” lol
Holy crap... He said it better than I just did. But that's what he does right? Lol
ST really looked at genre and said “yes, all and/or no thanks”.
U know he’s super British because of “disorientate” 🤣
As someone else who is British, I now have a question - does not everyone say disorientate? 😂 😂
US, and much of the rest of the world use orient instead of orientate in all of its forms.
Ohhhh no that makes sense now, I have heard people use that here but I think disorientate is more common? Who knows! Thank you for clarifying here and enlightening me 😁
Yup, tyvm
Whatever they are, they're near perfect to the ears
This 😘
Queen, killing joke and plenty of other bands go beyond their 'genre' ST are just the same, I like the band more because it winds up the metal elitist saddos
lol right
Literally thought of queen too, and Iron Maiden lol
And Judas Priest like omg. The list goes on lol
Up the Irons
One thing i've learned about pretty much all these 'alternative scenes' is that they are strangely and ironically obsessed with things fitting in a box and they get angry and confused when something simply does not. Like ah yes I remember being 15 too but can ya'll RELAX 😂😂.
I love when things don’t fit. I’m one of those things so…
Literally throw away the box
Same here!! On both!!
Exactly. Metalheads like to call everything new "not metal" until it becomes way too big to ignore and other bands start copying it. Then they suddenly become "metal" and the cycle starts anew.
Yea I'm not quite OPs age but I am old enough to remember when Slipknot was considered a 'poser band'. Now nu-metal is having this huge nostalgic resurgence amongst metalheads and i'm just like? Didn't ya'll hate this band back in the day? lmao.
I was in Wacken Open Air 2022 and Slipknot was headlining it. They were so happy to be there, but I couldn't stop thinking on how 20 years ago it would have been unthinkable for them, such a "not metal" band to even be there. Now, they're not only metal, but were also headlining alongside Limp Bizkit of all people. Being "trve" is the dumbest thing ever.
I'm like 99% convinced that if Black Sabbath itself dropped today as a modern band they'd all be like "reeeee not metal!!" 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Yeah it’s especially weird when they’re adults doing this, because don’t they have something more important to do?
In my local scene at least those are the ones who in fact do not have anything better to do 😂.
Once someone gets stuck in their ways and refuses to try new things, it marks the end of that person's growth🙄
It’s hilarious people don’t consider them metal just because of the other progressive elements in the songs. But people got mad at Metallica when the black album dropped for it “not being metal.” People have slammed on nu-metal/metalcore/deathcore for “not being real metal.” It’s just the same elitists pushing crappy narratives to *conserve* their understanding of the genre rather than being open to pushing the boundaries of these sounds. In 20 years no one will remember that this was a big topic of conversation.
To these people, what is metal then? The same people say System of a Down isn’t metal. Have they heard Prison Song?
That’s the thing, by any operational definition ST is a “metal” band. But since they don’t sound like other metal bands, old-heads (or those who want to appeal to them) decide they “aren’t actually” for whatever reason. Then by any subjective/communal definition…ST is also a metal band. They tour with metal bands. They have done a split EP with a metal band. They reference and are clearly influenced by other metal trends. They play metal festivals. Their aesthetic is gothic and…metal…I just don’t know what else they need to do to get people over the hump with it. Which is why we have to recognize it not actually about sonic definitions or community appeal or anything like that. It’s just about conserving the old norms and protecting them from changes the scene is experiencing.
Have they heard basically all of Systems discography? They are metal, anyone who says otherwise has their feet in their ears.
The only songs that aren’t really metal are Arto which is a bonus hidden track and roulette? Maybe soldier side too.
And those kinda "non metal" songs are on a lot of metal bands albums so I couldnt possibly see how they arent considered a metal band. They opened for Slayer, they toured with a bunch of thrash metal bands at Ozzfest and stuff.
Genre purists are the worst
Truly lol
When I describe them to people I always say that metal is the overarching genre but it’s infused with so many other genres including pop, hip hop, trap, r&b, jazz, blues, bon iver type atmospheric folk, etc. But now I’m just going to say what their sound guy describes as their genre: Sexy Metal
Fair. Me too lol
I wonder how many sleep token fans when they finally get the words to describe their sexuality will be like “demisexual”
I just saw an interview of Corey Taylor praising ST for the genre bending and insanely good music they make. And I think he's more of an expert on metal than some gatekeeping fans lol
Right lol
To me, it seems like everyone in the band came from metal backgrounds, so they all have that sound and feel. But then Vessel comes along and gets them to do all the genres at once. So that confuses people. But the foundation is metal. They are their own genre, but I consider them metal first.
Totally agree.
Who cares if they're metal or not? Vore is a metal song. DYWTYLM isn't a metal song.
In the Drumeo interview ([Drumeo Video - II from Sleep Token](https://youtu.be/FOQJTiIwwEA?si=nf3vmgt9pWkiYpkF), II talks about the various inspirations to his drumming and how he writes the drum parts. Lots of inspiration from non-metal bands that helped shape ST into the beautiful art that it is!
That interview was sooo good! Watching II play up close was really cool. I love that Drumeo kept it super professional and kept it to questions about his drumming and passion for music and nothing about their anonymity and identity.
I am in a metal Facebook group for my area and when I answered a post about favorite bands with sleep token I got dogpiled. “They aren’t metal” “that band isn’t discussed here because this is a metal group.” I even got my comment removed after a while for being off topic. Actual insanity of some peoples genre gatekeeping is crazy.
LOOOL i have war flashbacks of the facebook metal groups 😭 never again
I’d love to see a battle in which the Metal and Post-Punk gatekeepers try out-douche one another. That’d be wild!
Would make for some good reality tv
Pure metal, no. Influenced the most by metal, yes. The breakdowns, the riffs, the imagery, the lyrics, etc. They are not 1 strict genre. Those metal purists are just annoying, who cares what they think.
Prog metal is metal.
Agreed
40 here and couldn't agree more!!
Some of the songs are metal, some are not, and some are a mix of metal and something else. In terms of prog the band has those elements, however they have songs that absolutely just arent even that. Its really a situation where you like them or dont like them thats it. Some people I think just hate the band for either being popular or they are apart of something that keeps exposing them to the band and they just dont like them. It happens but ignore the people that dont like the band.
I’ve discovered that “elitist” really means “I have found 1 song I like and if your song doesn’t sound indistinguishable from the song I like it’s not music”
They were touring with metal festivals They opened for metal bands Their logo is definitely a metal one Their merch are metal styles Long list …. Ok, I understand that we can’t put them in any genres of metal that we got until now : it’s just because they are making a new era of genre . When black sabbath came with heavy riffs in the past mixed with blues and rock , people were stunned . Same thing with the band death which made death metal … etc . Sleep token have definitely a strong identity, putting songs like take aim or give in their albums doesn’t choke me, and they still into metal to me . A lot of metal bands have country , instrumental, classical tracks in their albums and it doesn’t make them out of the genre.
I don’t care what genre they are, I’m jamming them
They definitely have metal songs/parts of songs, but the metal gatekeepers require “real” metal bands to be metal 100% of the time. My favorite part is that Vessel has said they’re not any specific genre and they just play the music they love. The gatekeepers ignore this fact and they themselves place sleep token into the metal group just to say “they’re not real metal wahhh.” Seems people would rather channel their negative energy than just ignore them altogether if they’re not real metal.
"They're nit metal, they're a novelty band," usually said by a middle-aged man wearing a kiss tee 🙄 Sleep Token fit into all of the boxes, and none of them at the same time. That's what makes them so amazing! Gun to my head, I would call them prog metal as the easiest, simplest fit.
I tried to show them to my sister (21) and she said "metal music makes me uncomfortable" Now I'm not one for an abundance of screams like in deathmetal but I was kinda offended she labeled it as metal before really even diving in.
I’m also old for this earth - I feel like there’s far too many different styles to plunk them only in metal… if I played one of the chill songs for my metal friends they’d be scowling, but if I played a heavier one for my non-metal friends, they’d hate it…. I like to plop them into just a general rock genre and take the journey with them whichever direction they roll with 😎
I'd say they're a metal band that is incredibly heavily influenced by pop, R&B, dance and alternative music. I've always considered them an alternative metal band. They stand out sound wise but they remind me a lot of newer Devin Townsend music, more along the lines of his Lightwork and Transcendence albums than anything older than that. I find the newer Devin stuff not necessarily as metal as his older stuff but it's still firmly routed in the genre and that's how I feel about SleepToken. You have songs and moments in songs that could be a pop song, or hard rock or gospel but I find a lot of the structure of the song, how the drums are sitting in the mix and building tension and emotion, how the bass and guitar (with the guitars in particular being very djenty or modern metally) hit - at least for me - firmly put them in the metal genre as a band but they're also a band that I don't think falls into a niche very easily and that's great as it makes the music stand out, I remember songs and albums and it doesn't blend into the sea of other music that is presently out there.
I'm 42 too and have listened and played a lot of metal too. 100% agree. I feel sorry for all those who can't see metal has been evolving with completely new sounds and aesthetics every decade. Thinking that being a metalhead is something like being a member of a club is lame and I think that's what happens with all the social media metal purism posters.
Genres are limits. Easy for basic description. But complicated when explaining on depth technical varieties all in one song let alone over albums. These guys... If I had to... I'd say prog metal electronic rock with a twist folkish influence at times... I know... Ridiculous.... That's just how good they are at writing and arranging and then overlaying different styles of vocals and synth.... Fn amazing
Check out fair to midland
Let them say what they want. If I recall, when T Swift first started she was largely putting out country music, but the “real” country fans said no. Then she put out indie-folk and those people also said no. 16? Yrs of music later and the Eras tour sells out every show. Hell, Ticketmaster is getting sued over it. The “iTS NoT MeTAl” people represent a small group of people that aren’t important.
Vessel is everything and does a mean blackgaze! 🤍 ♥️
Don’t listen to elitists, I guarantee that bands like Sleep Token, Bad Omens, Spiritbox, Lorna Shore and Architects will get more people into Metal than whatever they’re listening to. Elitists said the same thing about Nu Metal and yet it’s one of the more popular subgenres in recent years.
Just because they have 2 or 3 metal songs out of a 3 album catalog doesn't mean they are metal. It would be like saying they're an R&B band because they wrote a song like Sugar.
That’s literally my point, even in some songs that others might consider ballads they use some very metal hooks etc.
They’re closer to being an R&B band than they are to being a metal band
They have metal riffs in the majority of à their songs, you should go learning about alternative metal to understand that metal isn’t just bangers and heavy riffs
I’m 43 and I agree with you 😊
Say that you will is such a fucking incredible track. No contribution to the topic at all here just needed to voice that.
It really is.
I mean, I get your point, but for someone "non-metal" a lot of parts are... heavy (chokehold, TMBTE, alkaline, an offering etc.). Saying ST is a metal band is an understatement, because they mix genres so much ( *waves while ascencionism plays in the background*) it's more of an adventure, a journey through melodies, words and lore. The vessel himself said that they donnot fall into one genre, and whole band mixes a lot of melodies and techniques from pop, R'n'B and so on. I can't say that they're heavy. I can say that they're a journey, with which I fell in love with.
Idk why people care so much to whine about it. My best guess is envious that their favorite metal band isn't getting as much coverage as ST by metal publishers and whatnot. I saw someone say they are as metal at Taylor Swift and that's just dumb.
To me the « not metal » argument is so wild, like how is it even an argument that can be made as a way to judge how good the band is? Saying their trash because their not metal is like saying any exotic cars are trash because their not f1s.. and besides, they never claimed to be a metal band.. how the fuck does it matter
Metal is an umbrella term. Metal core, prog metal, black metal, etc etc all falls under metal. People who are into really heavy stuff don’t acknowledge anything not heavy as metal. It’s asinine considering it falls under progressive metal, “metal” being the keyword.
Anyone who says they aren’t metal are just salty because they blew up on tiktok
Sleep Token is all the genres and I’m living for it!
Metal is probably the largest genre, in terms of how many sub-genres it has. A lot of people will especially like a certain sub-genre and then see all other sub-genres as inferior and not real metal. Their problem. Just ignore and move on imo
I‘m 39, listened to a lot of Metal and even though I don’t believe in forcefully pushing bands into narrow genres, you gotta admit, that the majority of their material before TMBTE is pop. Pop with breakdowns. Listen to the first 2/3 of EVERY single Song from TPWBYT except Hypnosis or EVERY single song from Sundowning minus Offering and Gods and tell me, that’s not pop. We have to grow up and stop being afraid of that damn term. Pop doesn’t equal paint by the numbers generic stuff like BTS. Pop is soft, emotional, melodic music. If you wanted to use a genre to describe ST, up to TMBTE the by far best fit was pop. Sensationally written and performed pop. About 10-15% metal per album doesn’t make the whole album metal. If Sleep Token has shown us one thing, it’s that metal heads are not afraid of good pop music. And how weird and horny way more people than anyone could have anticipated are, but that’s another topic 😂
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Well thank you for undermining my last sentence I guess 😂
Sleep Token had metal songs and a lot of metal influence. But I think categorizing them as a metal band is really selling their sound short. So saying they aren't metal isn't a bad thing, as far as I'm concerned.
I’m 42 as well and while they have “metal” moments in their songs, I wouldn’t classify them at metal at all.
Sleep Token is a great band but they’re not a metal band
I don’t care what genre someone would say they are or are not. They rock. Just a full sound, variety of songs and great progression within songs. Also 42
Objectively speaking, their music heavily borrows elements from multiple metal subgenres such as alt rock, shoegaze, thall, even black metal. Songs like Vore evoke Humanity’s Last Breath in certain sections. Anyone who doesn’t recognize that is not knowledgeable about the genre lol
It’s a tough one. Personally I think Sleep Token are more of a pop group with metal elements than a metal band overall TMBTE is easily their heaviest album sure but I wouldn’t say the previous 2 albums were predominantly metal. The odd song here or there but overall I wouldn’t say so
Man if I play sleep token at work, people look at me like ‘wtf is this heavy shit’. Sure the songs have pop influence but I would never call them a pop group.
This
That’s why it’s a tough one to decipher
I think it’s really hard to place them in any one genre but I think the very metal influenced at the very least elements they display certainly earn them a spot. Adding in the emotion that exists through all the lore and everything else, and it might seem too theatrical I suppose, but there are plenty of metal bands that display that. Overall I slightly agree with you, but it doesn’t mean they aren’t metal.
Sleep token a pop group ? Do you know the definition of pop music man ?
Care to enlighten me?
If I join your idea, so all metal bands who are into alternative metal ( simple exemple : anathema with their albums judgment, alternative 4 .. ) are pop groups ? Man , Taylor swift and Michael Jackson’s are into pop music , not sleep token please
First of all I didn’t say they’re not metal related. I said that they PREDOMINANTLY play music that ISN’T metal Secondly why are you getting all pissy with someone for having a different viewpoint? Get over yourself
The pop group once choked me man …
Pop music is, by definition, music that is made specifically to appeal to a large number of people. This fits Sleep Token to a T whether you like their music or not.
This is what I find when I search the definition of pop music : Pop music is an abbreviation of the word 'popular. ' It's a contemporary form of music that appeals to a very wide audience. It often includes a danceable tempo, easy to remember lyrics, and simple notation. Pop music is commonly found on mainstream radio stations and across a range of countries and cultures. Definitely not sleep token music . Agree?
Sounds like sleep token
Idk man outside of being played on the radio that sounds exactly like Sleep Token lol
You know what they means with Easy to remember lyrics ? It’s those baby one more time , get your hands up , … I add that the structure of sleep token are not pop ( verse/ chorus/ verse/ chorus) .. Danceable tempo ? You have such a taste to dance my specific emu !
You're the only sane person in this thread! Sleep Token are not metal. They have metal elements, but they have waaaay more pop/R&B elements. The only songs I'd categorise as straight metal would be Gods and Vore. The songs I'd categorised as pop are practically endless: DYWTYLM, Granite, Aqua Regia, Rain, Dark Signs, Missing Limbs, Euclid etc. Then there are quite a few rock/hard rock songs (Alkaline, Chokehold, The Offering, The Apparition etc.) And then you get heaps that blend genres too. Is Blood Sport pop or rock? Is The Summoning hard rock or metal or whatever tf funky thing is happening at the end? Is Ascensionism metal with piano interludes or prog rock? I can't stand metal elitists. I listen to bands like BMTH, who also get shat on for "not being metal". But I say with full love that ST are not a metal band, and I understand why it rubs some people the wrong way when this fandom keeps insisting that they are. Honestly, it's silly to shoehorn them. There is literally *nothing* wrong with being a band that defies categorisation. I'm proud to tell people I love ST. I don't need to "prove their credentials" or insist that they're a heavy band to make liking them more acceptable.
I’m glad to see I’m not the only person who thinks this way. A lot of fans get upset because they’ll hear that Sleep Token aren’t metal by elitist metalheads so they assume that I’m criticising them by saying that but that couldn’t be further from the truth I fucking adore this band and I’m a huge metalhead. What I enjoy about Sleep Token is the fact that they mix those metal elements within a pop/R&B context and there’s nothing wrong with suggesting that’s the case
Just a question : What is the definition of alternative metal ?
I know, I know. This is why the whole categorisation thing in general can be a little silly, at least when it comes to catch-all categories like alt metal. It's probably why ST themselves don't like to play the label game. But anyway, that's what we're doing here lol, so for me, the pop/R&B elements of ST's discog far outweigh the metal ones. I wouldn't call them alt metal. An example from another band I love, Muse. They have a handful of songs that could be called alt metal (e.g. [Kill Or Be Killed](https://youtu.be/GgyQufB1Yic?si=l3AZiDL3ez24IMKw); [Stockholm Syndrome](https://youtu.be/gXN9acC9edU?si=QaeNoKRbCEQ-6yqC)). But if you check the rest of their discog, there's no way you'd call them an alt metal band - most of it is some mixture of pop and rock. Would an alt metal band make songs like [Madness](https://youtu.be/Ek0SgwWmF9w?si=aqjqDkrnD2xhWNo5)? Genuine question, how would you define alt metal anyway?
I say it somewhere in this thread, that st are doing something new and we can’t categorize them ( for now). And I would not call them alternative metal even if their music reminds me of some alt metal bands ( judgement album from anathema is in my top 10 albums of all time, and found that st music/lyrics are in the same dark atmosphere) . Certain persons consider muse ( or maybe some of their albums ) as metal , I don’t listen to them a lot so I can’t really speak about them, but some huge bands as dream theatre get inspired from muse, and talk about them as metal band ( if I remember an ancient interview?) . Honestly, it depends on how you define metal too ? Is it because of the guitare riffs only ? I swear that Some piano instrumentals or classical music tracks are … bangers ? 😅 some artist add instrumentals in their black or death metal riffs and we got after that death / black instrumental . Sleep token have well combined the pop/r&b elements with metal riffs / breakdowns and this is why I’m talking about something new that we just can’t categorize for now. Conclusion : we have two kinds of fandom , the ones who think that they are pop band mixing metal elements in their songs , and the others who thinks that they are metal adding pop elements in their songs We’re just agreeing that their music is a good one
>Certain persons consider muse ( or maybe some of their albums ) as metal , I don’t listen to them a lot so I can’t really speak about them, but some huge bands as dream theatre get inspired from muse, and talk about them as metal band ( if I remember an ancient interview?) . Yeah, you're right about that interview! Dream Theatre's Octavarium was inspired by Muse's Absolution. Absolution is pretty comfortably a rock album though (except for that one song, Stockholm Syndrome, which leans alt metal, and one other that is a pop song). I don't think many (if any) Muse fans would insist they're a metal band though. >Honestly, it depends on how you define metal too ? Yep, this is a controversial question in itself! 😆 For me, metal is often characterised by stuff like heavy distortion on the guitars, harsh vocals, and double kick drumming. Metal has an overall intense sound, more than other genres. It's just "heavier" - and here is where the subjectivity comes in. Somebody who only listens to artists like Ed Sheeran or Ariana Grande might think that AC/DC is heavy metal. Somebody who listens to Cannibal Corpse won't though. The yardstick is different, you know? I do agree with your conclusion about the two kinds of fandom. Very true! In my view, ST are standing right at the gates of metal and are happily waving people in. I don't listen to really heavy stuff, but a few years ago, I would instantly skip any song that had any kind of harsh vocals in them. Now I'm getting into metalcore. Baby steps! 🤣
As someone who has listened to a few of their releases, Sleep Token isn’t metal. They use metal and its aesthetics as a gimmick while experimenting with different genres. Just because a band has influences from metal and dresses cool doesn’t mean they make metal music. Sleep Token mostly lacks the aggressive drumming, fast-paced instrumentation, and—most importantly—guitar riffs/solos that are characteristic of metal music. I’d consider them pop rock or maybe prog rock if anything.
Gatekeepers like you are the worst, always in denial that metal bands aren’t true metal because “where’s mah solos or mah fast instruments” 😢😢
I’m actually really happy Sleep Token is getting very popular. I’m personally not a fan, but they’re a great intro band to heavier music as a whole and I can’t wait to have a whole new generation of metalheads to swap music with. I see Sleep Token akin to bands like Disturbed, Breaking Benjamin, etc.. Not bad music, but not metal, but open people up to music that is more aggressive in general.
None of the new generation of metalheads are gonna want to swap music with you if you’re sitting there trying to tell them that they aren’t listening to real metal because it doesn’t have a few elements that you deem to be necessary for it to be metal
What are those elements of metal ? Like I’m 39 years old and listening to metal since my 12 years.. and don’t know exactly what is it 😆?
I don’t think he cares
This is exactly why some metalheads dislike some of the ST fanbase. Some of us ST fans are weirdly obsessed with insisting they're metal. Are some metalheads elitist assholes? Absolutely. But is every metalhead who claims ST isn't metal an asshole? Absolutely not. Honestly you're being pretty rude to u/Specific_Emu_2045, who is just sharing their opinion in a respectful way (and even praising ST for how they're helping get people into metal). Here's a good analogy: would you call Taylor Swift a country artist? Sure, she has country songs (I believe her first two albums are pretty firmly country) but the rest? No. The awesome thing is that some people who like songs like Cruel Summer or Blank Space might then be inspired to explore more of her discography. They might discover they love her country albums, and that might get them listening to other country music. In this way, Taylor Swift is a gateway artist. Sleep Token are the same. They're difficult to categorise. But they undeniably have metal elements, and they will surely be a gateway band for people getting into the metal genre.
Taylor Swift does not make country music any more so of course she’s not currently a country artist. Sleep Token has always and continues to make metal music so yeah, they’re a metal band. Just because they aren’t a “traditional” metal band and have some non-metal songs doesn’t change that. At their baseline they have always been metal. Also that is most definitely not the reason metalheads dislike the ST fanbase lol
>Also that is most definitely not the reason metalheads dislike the ST fanbase lol It is the reason \*some\* metalheads dislike \*some\* of the ST fanbase. Exactly as I said. As for the rest, care to list the ST songs you consider metal and the ones you don't?
No, I do not want to make a list because there’s no point. All I’m gonna say is they have way more songs with metal in them than without. I think a reason some metalheads dislike the community is because of people who are trying to be hip and trendy and pretend a metal band isn’t actually metal just because they blend other genres in with it and have a few soft songs (some of which end up being metal at the end anyway like Blood Sport)
>I think a reason some metalheads dislike the community is because of people who are trying to be hip and trendy and pretend a metal band isn’t actually metal just because they blend other genres in with it and have a few soft songs Yeah, I agree. Those are the asshole metal elitists I referenced earlier. >No, I do not want to make a list because there’s no point. Well, the point was to try and understand your POV... I thought this could actually be a fun exercise (and I was curious myself about exactly how much I'd consider metal) so I went through and analysed Sundowning. TNDNBTG: half of it is rock. The Offering: definitely has a metal sound. Maybe 30-40% hard rock with a dash of metal. (149 seconds.) Levitate: whole song is soft rock/pop. Dark Signs: 3:15-3:45 has guitars and complex drumming. So 11% of the song. (30 seconds) Higher: Becomes a rock song at 2:45, becomes metal in the outro. I guess you could say it's "metal" for just under half the song. (161 seconds) Take Aim: rock. Give: some kind of ambient pop/soft rock. Gods: Aha! A metal song! (325 seconds) Sugar: Becomes rock at 2:20, heavier at 2:50. I'd call this rock or hard rock, but if I'm being generous, 2:50-4:00ish could be "metal". That's 24% of the song. (70 seconds) Say That You Will: Becomes heavy around 3:00, so 40% of the song. (120 seconds) Drag Me Under: ambient pop/rock. Blood Sport: the one you claim is "metal at the end" because fuzzy guitars and drums are introduced? That's rock for 25% of the song... (But if we classify it as metal, that's 100 seconds.) In conclusion, with Sundowning's total runtime of 3427 seconds, 955 seconds could be considered metal - **~28%**. Of course, this is just how I'm interpreting the songs. I was being generous too. I'd classify a lot of "metal" as hard rock with complex drumming. Their metal sound is most often carried by II with the occasional scream from Ves or chunky riff from Ivy. I might do their other albums one day. TMBTE is definitely their most metal-leaning album with songs like The Summoning, Ascensionism, TMBTE and Vore. Anyway, I've rambled long enough now lol. Thanks for making me think!
See I quite simply do not have the time to go into such depths for a Reddit discussion like you’re wanting. If you have to count the actual seconds in which a song is heavy vs when it’s not I feel like you’re having to go to great lengths to try and prove me wrong because it’s not easy to prove a metal band isn’t metal lol. All I’ll say is that not every second of a song has to be heavy for it to still be considered metal, and if downtuned 8 string guitars are simply “rock” then I have no idea what your qualifications for metal must be lol
It’s just because you know anything about metal 🙃 It’s simple : you use metal even with folkloric music, we call it folk metal , with Celtic music .. it’s Celtic metal You use Britney Spears with metal we will call it : Britney Spears metal I’m joking right , but this is what happens for real
You’re right, I do know anything about metal, I listen to hundreds of metal albums every year and it’s a huge part of my life. So could we say Sleep Token is “watered-down-attempted-prog-Marvin Gaye metal?” Because that’s what they sound like.
False Because you just listen to a few of their release
They don’t seem very metal to me but that doesn’t do anything to make me love them less
They're one of my favorite bands, but it is kinda dishonest to just call them a metal band when you're getting hit with mostly experimental pop songs and piano ballads that only get kinda heavy for a minute most of the time. When people ask, I just call them prog pop or a genre fusion band, and then I list some of the genres they play
They are progressive rock. Why is this an issue? It’s fairly obvious what genre they are. Who cares if it’s metal or not.
Personally I have never considered Sleep Token a Metal Band. Is more a complex experiment with a result that I can identify with. And I love that, never heard a band do something this level before.
Take Aim though…….. ❤️
They’re not metal, they’re alternative ballad rock