I have been so excited to bring Sleep Token's new album, Take Me Back To Eden to the table. This music typically isn't Ryan's favorite, but did he end up liking it? Watch and see! Watch UNCUT on Patreon: / 97540887
Great reaction. I did find this video through youtube algorithm. I found Sleep Token about 6 months ago and haven't listened to anything else since. As far as lore goes, I've gone back and listened to all albums and singles many many times. Everyone seems to have their different take on the story and Sleep Token have never released anything so it's all up to interpretation. For me, it seems like the album "Sundowning" is mostly about Vessel's relationship with the deity "Sleep". I feel like he used "Sleep" to escape the pain of a lover he lost to death...I think suicide. He talks about this relationship on "This Place Will Become Your Tomb". It was a very toxic relationship. The song "Atlantic" kicks off the album talking about his failed suicide attempt (his character on the album...I'm not saying he did that in real life). The rest of the album talks about the relationship that caused everything. In "Sundowning" some and in "Take me back to Eden" he eventually realizes "Sleep" isn't everything she says she is. She's using him to cure her loneliness and is very jealous, possessive and selfish. Hiding from his pain in her "Eden" isn't a paradise anymore. He takes an honest look back at his lost love and it wasn't a paradise either. He longs to go back to a place with no pain...to be in denial and hide from his feelings and memories in "Take me back to Eden" the song. And then in Euclid he finally makes peace with the ghost of his lost love and with "Sleep" and with himself. That's my take on it anyway. 😁
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this comment! I love your interpretation of when Vessel and Sleep first come to meet. I haven’t explored their prior releases yet as I’m still so stuck on this one! I definitely get the vibe that the latter half of this album is about him realizing that letting Sleep in was a bad idea and that he’s been deceived. Thanks so much again for listening along with us, and we hope you stick around! -Zach
Thank you ! You should go back to the beginning of the trilogy (Sundowning) or even the very first release (One) and do reactions from there. That would be AMAZING. @@WaveReact
@@WaveReact omg!! congrats hehe, I got my bestie to listen to enough songs that now she wants OTHERS to listen to them, and she genuinely dislikes metal and any harder music and e-guitars 🔥🔥🔥 Sleep Token making the impossible happen
The end of Euclid (and the reactions to said part) is what differentiates the old time fans from the post-Summoning era ones. First time I heard it made me tear up. Beautiful album, such a great ending to a 3-album story.
Yeah the throwback to the other albums bringing the story together the ending was like an amazing movie that took you a journey that you can’t believe is over. Hopefully they look more into this and see how much deeper this actually goes
This was awesome. The whole vibe of this video for a sleep token fan was genuine and hilarious. You’ve got one guy who knows and loves the album and having his own ST karaoke session, and the other guy just trying to figure it all out.
Ha thank you! Yep each week one of us brings an album that we love and show the other one who’s never heard it before. This week was my most ambitious choice yet and Ryan loved it! Thanks for watching. 🙌
@@WaveReact really cool concept that leaves open space in your videos for a fun and playful atmosphere. I’ll definitely catch some more of your videos!
I love how people develop all theories about this band but for me its really simple. 99% of all songs are about Vessel's toxic relationship with his ex (aka the goddess Sleep). From the Offering (his obsession in the beginning) through TPWBYT (he realises how toxic it is) and ends with TMBTE (he wishes for the happy live times again but finally lets go and moves on in Euclid). Its all "just" fancy metaphors about her and I absolutely love it
Enjoyed. I'm 49 and since i heard this album I listen to them so much. Sometimes I think a little to much. I've probably listened to Take me back to eden hundreds of times, that is my favorite song ever. I love them all
From what I heard Vessel pretty much writes all the instrumentation aside from the drum parts which is done by II. I also heard Vessel had a heavy hand in the production of all three albums. I personally think it is unfair how talented Vessel and II are.
I couldn’t agree more about Vessel and II’s insane talent! It’s crazy even thinking about working all of that out in your head, tracking it, and seeing the entire vision through. Wild. Thanks for watching! -Zach
I discovered sleep token about 3 months ago and it has very quickly taken over my playlists XD The way they blend all my favorite characteristics of each of my favorite genres is brilliant! They are masterful musicians who creates such soulful ambient metal. And the lyrics & meanings behind the songs/albums is absolutely wild to deep dive into all the little connections. It’s all up to interpretation to the listener - the perspectives of the songs, the story arc, and the relationship he’s talking about whether it is about the deity of Sleep or a past relationship & traumas he’s experienced. Vessel is a mad lyricist, coming up with metaphors & imagery, and references to mythology, spiritual/religious stories, ancient societies, and science themes (specifically chemistry, biology, and astronomy). All of which creates more meaning to the story & possible interpretations. The lore of the band runs soooo deep. It really is a trip that’s completely worth it to dive into XD
Thank you for listening with us! I love what you said about Vessel’s science themes, because I even picked up on some references to AI or the mixing or the organic and the digital throughout some of this albums songs. All mixed in a metaphorical way that once again makes you question and dig deeper into the story! Ha I hope that makes sense. Thanks for watching. -Zach
Something g I haven’t seen anyone comment about yet is Euclid! This is the end to the trilogy. And if you listen to the very first song on Sundowning (their first full length album), you’ll recognize the end of Euclid, because it’s the chorus from their very first song. That song is “the night does not belong to god.” As someone who has loved sleep token since 2018 well before they were big, seen them a few times in concert, and had them as my most listened to artist, hearing the chorus from their very first song on the last song of this album trilogy makes me tear up every time (and fully weep when I heard it for the first time!!)
I should’ve called out Euclid being the end to the trilogy, but I think I was so into the listen that I had forgot it was a trilogy by the end haha. I really need to dive into their older albums and fully immerse myself after studying this album so much. Thanks for watching! -Zach
Oh man since u are a new fan starting at the EP one, then got to the EP Two then the singles and the other 2 albums. Its a must. You will love the journey
We definitely will be digging into their entire discography! Ryan said this is one of the top three albums I’ve shown him since we started this channel, so we're bringing more Sleep Token! Thanks for listening with us! -Zach
When i heard all of their music one of my first thoughts was that Vessel lost someone very important in his life in an accident that he somewhat took part in the that accident and most of the songs are all the stages of his grief ending with Euclid which is him accepting and moving on..but again..just one guys opinion..worship 🙌🙌🙌
even after being a huge fan of sleep token for over a year & hearing this album so many times i’ll still watch every album reaction bc it always makes me incredibly happy to see others enjoy the music in the same way i do! came from your reaction to ethel cains album preachers daughter and had to see if you had done anything from sleep token and was not disappointed!🖤 Worship! :))
i must say, you have great taste in music! this album really took me by surprise and i was so glad Zach showed it to me. i discuss my love for it a little more in depth in our 2 weeks later review of you're interested 😊 thanks for listening with us and hope Zach brings some more albums of theirs to the table soon! -Ryan
Loved every minute of this full album reaction! I’ve been down the rabbit hole with this band and it has been the greatest music discovery of my lifetime. Fun fact: all the recordings since 2016 to present have been written and performed/recorded by Vessel and 2 ( the drummer). Band members 3 ( guitar) and 4 (bass) were brought in for live performances. Whether they contribute to new music moving forward, time will tell. As far as the lore. I believe that Vessel endured a life defining experience with someone he loved and lost. I believe that Sleep is a nickname, as we often lose sleep when going through heartbreak. Or you can believe that a deity named sleep came to him in a dream and promised greatness with caveat of worship through music ( more fun). Either way this is the most beautiful and innovative music I’ve ever experienced. Not a bad song in the entire discography! Pure Genius! Hope you continue with your journey down ST rabbit hole. It’s well worth it! Worship 💙
Knowing that vessel plays such a huge role in crafting the sound of sleep token makes me respect them so much deeper. I’m excited either direction they go! Worship. 🙌 - Zach
YES ! I've thought of this as well. I think Vessel may have lost someone he loved that inspired this trilogy. Sleep can be an escape from pain and depression. Or hiding away from everything in your life and being in denial is like a waking sleep. Either way, "Sleep" the deity could be a personification of either of these. He clearly lives with emotional pain from a trauma in the past. If this is the case, I really hope he gained some closure through the writing process and that finishing the trilogy brought him some peace. ❤
I have fallen in love with this band these past few months. I love how they are rebellious in sense they don’t want to follow a trend or a genre. Also the break up topics and mental health and religious elements. This have helped me a lot through the past few months as my Fiancé and I split up. Helped me grieve.
Really enjoyed this reaction!! I relate to the music on a deep level so I never got super deep into the lore. It is my absolute favorite album ever tho
The lore is essentially fan driven speculation, which makes the whole project exciting. I really think what he’s primarily wrestling with are “forms” for example when he’s singing about a relationship, or what seems like a relationship, he’s actually talking about how people interact with people in general. People are the deepest entity known to man. We don’t fully know reasons or motivations or meaning of what it fully means to be a person. There’s symbolism via Metaphore all over the place in the sleep token project. He talks about being in a car or things to do with cars, does he mean an actual car? Or does he mean car is a symbol of modernity? Cars have been referred to as the American death machine, that’s a very deep idea. It means many things. The song Ascensionisim I think is essentially about our instincts gone wild. We’ve walked ourselves into a dark ally motivated by a desire to explore and progress, what are we left with? Self, obsessing about the self, trying to peel itself off of self. More specifically humanitie’s obsession with digital and cyber medium. Diamonds in the trees pentagrams in the night sky (cell phone towers with unlimited potential) (and satellites flying over, transmitting the gods we worship) all of which tugs at our instincts, not only physical desires but spiritual natures as well. In fact I think he’s pointing to the idea that spiritual is the most real. Again in Take me back to Eden song there’s a clash between the ancient mythology and modernity. A longing to go back, sadly something we could never do by assertions of will. Dreaming in phosphorescent is consciousness given not achieved. Then we get to the rap part which is sonically modernity, and the lyrics point to modernity indoor plumbing phone calls and refrigeration as well as packaged meat. All signatures of modernity and our modern needs going array. Love is the answer to this, in other words God or spiritual realities are the only real answer. In our hands alone we fail. We are insufficient. We must tie back to the myth. Euclid had to do with math. But the over reaching of humanities hands into what already exists. It’s a farewell or a desire to turn away from such things. Any who. Thank you guys. I’d love some feedback on this comment.
Ahhh I love the connections you make to the diamonds in the night sky and that relating to phones! That’s one of my favorite lines on the album. I also agree with this and feel that there a similar lyrics in Aqua Regia that clearly paint the picture of the connections between organic and our obsession with the synthetic. Thanks for taking the time to share watch our video and leave this insightful comment, it made my morning to wake up and read such a well thought out comment. I hope you have an awesome day, and that we see you around the channel again! -Zach
A cool thing to think about when listening to any sleep token song is vessel and sleep song together. I mention this a lot in other reaction videos. If you listen to the lyrics and the voices vessel sing in, you have his normal deep voice you hear most (which is vessel), and his higher registered voices which is sleep singing. Sugar and decending are two great examples of what Im talking about. In sugar, you have sleep singing from the start until you get to vessels singing “do you wanna see how far it goes” and when I put this together, it made the songs more interesting. Not that they werent before 😅😅
he is jamming to the music so wildly to the point where its questionable if he‘s actually enjoying it for real. i cant help it but it looks off to me. like if he smoked a huge jay
Tough reaction to watch. Dude on the left, you're like my oldest daughter on family movie night. She's already seen it and for two hours is like, "Oh, watch this, wait for this part, ready, ready, look at this." Plus, you wave your arms around like you're the music conductor. It's pretty annoying. I had to just put the phone down and listen. I couldn't turn it off cause, you know, it's Sleep Token.
@@WaveReact That's actually the part I appreciated most - I loved seeing how excited you were to share the experience. I'm exactly the same sharing music I love with my friends and I was just as enthusiastic about this album and the depth of it, it's difficult not to react that way to Sleep Token haha. Found you through the Lana and Ethel reactions, so it was a nice surprise to see my favourite band pop up!
Thanks so much! I can’t help it ha. When we are both excited to bring something new it just comes out. Also it’s super cool you found us from those videos and also enjoyed this one! We’re happy to have you here. 😊
