Band:	While She Sleeps
Album:	Sleeps Society
Style:	Melodic metalcore
Release date:	April 2021

01. Enlightenment
02. You Are All You Need
03. Systematic
04. Nervous [feat. Simon Neil]
05. Pyai
06. Know Your Worth (Somebody)
07. No Defeat For The Brave [feat. Deryck Whibley]
08. Division Street
09. Sleeps Society
10. Call Of The Void
11. DN3 3HT

Sleep with one eye open.

UK metalcore has undergone a slow evolution since it advanced beyond its amoeba stage in the mid-2000's; while it never rose to the same peaks of success as its American equivalent, it did at least spawn a good handful of bands who have continued on long after the tide crashed in years ago. While She Sleeps return with their fifth album Sleeps Society and show that metalcore is far from a busted flush just yet.

While She Sleeps have shifted their style with each release; Sleeps Society continues this trend but does so by re-calibrating their formulas of their past, combining the aggression of their metalcore roots with a far more cutting purpose lyrically while weaving in more of the electronic direction of 2019's So What?. While I had hoped that latter album would have been the peak of the band's flirtation with electronic elements, and the band would have taken a step in the direction Bury Tomorrow took on 2020's Cannibal, Sleeps Society does stand on its own two feet and make a case that their chosen direction isn't necessarily the wrong one. The band are as charged as ever and adopt a take-no-prisoners approach as they charge headfirst into the political maelstrom that is the 2020's; coupled with catchy hooks and limited but well-timed doses of power, you have a potent mix that is ready to explode out of your speakers.

"No Defeat For The Brave" is perhaps the highlight of this album and features perhaps the best melding of the different elements that now comprise the band's sound; the ironclad breakdown is the conduit between the song's punk-cum-metalcore of old beginning and the shift towards the band's newfound sound towards its end, providing a balance that is likely to please more than it puts off. "You Are All You Need" shows that this sound is a compelling one and not one that is merely a one-track pony. "Systematic" changes the ratio of the balance more in favour of electronics than the two former tracks but without sacrificing any of the quality; anyone worried that this necessitates a lighter approach to metal need not worry, as the breakdown towards the end of the song is just as, if not more, crushing than on a standard song.

The production on the album is solid, able to juggle and balance these disparate elements into a functioning and enjoyable mix that allows the songs to carry power and melody in equal measure. Perhaps the best decision made was the one to weld the bass to the guitars; acting as a means to compensate for the electronic elements, the bass/guitar combination makes them hit so much harder and in turn makes the songs sound so much heavier when they want to be, such as on "Sleeps Society".

The band's current sound has the unfortunate side effect of seeing While She Sleeps place themselves in no man's land between two different firing lines and being hit from two different directions. The band's heavy focus on conveying a message does overstep the line and come off as proselytising, with tracks like "Division Street" sounding contrite rather than having conviction. The other side is that the use of electronics is still very hit and miss; as much as they enhance songs, they also hinder others, like on "Know Your Worth (Somebody)".

Perhaps the main problem with Sleeps Society is that the album drops in quality after hitting its high point; after "No Defeat For The Brave", the album bottoms out and, with the exception of "Sleeps Society", I can happily end the album three tracks early and feel that I'm improving the listening experience rather than missing out on something. "Call Of The Void" aims for grandiose epic but is wide of the mark, leaving you listening to a slow and sparsely filled out track, while "DN3 3HT" is fan service, a message behind static effects and a gentle piano track: advisably skippable unless you are a big fan of the band.

Sleeps Society is a strong album and one that exceeded my expectations going in; While She Sleeps manage to balance the act of looking to their past for inspiration without sounding like they are either stuck in it or rehashing it. Worthwhile listening for fans of rock and metalcore.