Sundowning (2019)
On November 12, 2019 Sleep Token officially unveiled their first weighty opus. Building on the mystique and distinctive sonic template of their early EPs, their debut album proved immensely enriching for fans who were quickly becoming fascinated by their unusual approach to releases and promotion. In the run-up to release, the band released a new single every fortnight at sundown, only enhancing the sense that this was something special and there was a wider Plan for everything they had in store.
The Night Does Not Belong To God
On the surface, The Night Does Not Belong To God lauds of Sleep and His nocturnal domain. Floating in like a prayer, the track likens slumber to paradise. However, despite the initial sense of beauty, it actually hints at Sleep’s darker intentions. As the title suggests, the night is ruled by Sleep, who follows His own rules, unbound by concepts of omnibenevolence.
Rather than solace, Sleep deceives Vessel with a false taste of divinity in order to make Vessel a dependent servant. Sleep’s control mirrors the neurological phenomenon of ‘Sundowning’, the sensations dementia sufferers may experience in the evening – a reflection of Vessel’s heightened confusion.
The Offering
The Offering follows Vessel’s descent into the dark depths of sleep. As Vessel tumbles down into a void of unconsciousness, synths clashing with embittered riffs, he slowly succumbs to Sleep’s control. As the track tussles between piano-led introspection and furious rumbling, the conflicting tone conveys the complexities of holy devotion, yet this quickly transforms into resentful snarls of ‘take a bite’.
Worship once seemed to offer salvation, yet the relationship has devolved into something parasitical. If nothing changes, Vessel’s loyalty to his god could consume him entirely.
Levitate
Sleep isn’t the only relationship Vessel tackles on Sundowning. Basking in a soft haze of piano, Levitate vulnerably hints at a lost love. The track seems to suggest Vessel felt inadequate in the previous relationship; he insists he wont be able to reach his ex-partner ‘where the angels inhabit’, deeming himself unworthy of Heaven while his partner is deserving of a place beyond the pearly gates.
Throughout, Vessel seems to consider his love an anchor, ashamed to be dragging down a lover that is destined to fly. After leaving his partner, he needed to fill the void with a new obsession – enter Sleep
Dark Signs
Amid Vessel’s battle with Sleep, he nestles in more details about his complex past relationship. Pitch black omens and alarm bells are among the many Dark Signs that Vessel ignores while pursuing his ex-partner.
Sadly, the end result was toxic; nowadays, the partner would prefer Vessel to ‘forget that you know me’ entirely. In the aftermath, Vessel barely knows himself, admitting, ‘I miss the man I was… I hate who I have become.’ The track also mentions ‘marks on the dashboard’, alluding to the car crash later depicted on Take Me Back To Eden’s Granite. Foreshadowing? You bet.
Higher
Higher blurs the lines between pain and pleasure, traversing a diverse palette as it explores the ‘blood and fury’ that dominates Vessel’s life. Switching between dreamy synths and light post-metal breakdowns, it’s unclear whether Vessel truly wants to escape the pain, or whether he lusts for it.
‘We just can’t resist the violence’, Vessel implores. While the track could be reflecting on his past relationship, the lyrics also explore Vessel’s obligation to Sleep, referencing how Sleep needs ‘a melody’ to repay ‘the debt’ that Vessel owes.
Take Aim
Take Aim exists in an effervescent haze, gentle and vulnerable in its lovesick musing. It paints Vessel as prey, constantly at the mercy of his lover, a hunter poised and ready to shoot.
For Vessel, love stings ‘like weapons kill’, desperation to please making him ‘hate himself’ – yet, despite all the pain, he longs for the brutality of love. If love is pain, then Sleep’s intoxicatingly cruel autocracy is the height of affection.
Give
Vessel takes centre stage throughout Sundowning, but Give hands the reins over to Sleep. High vocals dance over a backdrop of castanets, a swell of transient instrumentals tempting Vessel to give in to Sleep’s command.
Sleep promises he ‘will be there’ for Vessel, vowing to watch out for him and protect him from enemies, if Vessel simply ‘gives in’ to Sleep’s command and embraces his dark impulses.
Gods
Sundowning tends to exist in softer alt metal soundscapes, but Gods is another beast entirely. It takes place after submitting to Sleep’s seduction on Give, leaving him fearsome enough that even the ‘Gods avert their gaze’ from him.
As soon as it rips open, the track is tyrannical, Vessel transforming from crooning boy next door to a raw, rampaging metal howler, rebuking the god for luring him down a dark path.
Sugar
There’s something bewitching about Sugar. Curious synthetic arpeggios lure you in, a bubble of intoxication as Vessel admits he’s ‘developed a taste’ for the pain he experiences in a toxic partnership.
Whether the ‘chains’ he finds himself addicted to are literal (naughty, naughty) or figurative, Vessel is fully consumed by the control he once resisted. It’s a sharp twist from the venom unleashed on Gods, but perhaps a sign of Vessel accepting the inevitable. It is easier not to fight.
Say That You Will
The vulnerability is back in full force for Say That You Will. Once again Vessel is divulging his unhealthy history with love; as Gods and Dark Signs show, when Vessel surrenders to his subject of obsession, he can transform into someone quite violent.
Reflecting on his ex, we learn that Vessel’s relationship was painted with ‘sorrow’ as well as ‘blood’, the ‘impulse to love and the instinct to kill’ becoming entangled. Rather than trying to change the narrative, Vessel seems to be addicted to the violence of love, doomed to repeat the same tale in his devotion to Sleep.
Drag Me Under
Drag Me Under is a sedative in sonic form, soporific piano sinking you deeper into its clutches. It almost mirrors the album’s opener, emulating a liminal headspace. While Vessel tries to fight back throughout the record, Drag Me Under admits defeat – and Vessel sounds positively angelic as his falsetto cries ring out, not an ounce of anger in his voice.
It’s as if any love is good enough for him, no matter how bloody – he implores Sleep, or a lover, to ‘drag me under again’, no matter how bruised he may end up. The track’s final section also seems to plunge underwater, perhaps preluding This Place Will Become Your Tomb.
Blood Sport
Blood Sport is a fluttering display of regret and suffering in the face of love. The track sees Vessel mourning his past relationship, sombrely wishing he could ‘be forgiven’ and have his partner back. Yet Vessel is aware of his mistakes; he confesses he played a role in destroying his partnership, admitting he ‘made loving [his partner] a blood sport’.
The song seems to reflect how violent delights often have violent ends – and, unfortunately for Vessel, he’s destined to have another violent relationship with Sleep.
Shelter
Recorded for 2020’s stripped-down From The Room Below session and released on the deluxe edition of Sundowning, Shelter is simultaneously bittersweet and tender. It adds another layer to Vessel’s regret over his old partner, reliving memories with fleeting ‘what ifs’.
It’s a sign that Vessel is still lovestruck, longing for a second chance in hopes that ‘this time’ he will do things right.
