#tourmates

[gentleoverdrive]

[7/300] The world has seen the last of you!

I think one of the things that we, as internet denizens, need to really do is encourage ourselves to let go and fully embrace that change that's coming. It's fine. Leaving things behind isn't as scary as it sounds sometimes. I often see people talk about changing themselves and see them go through these seemingly incredible processes of cut-from-the-cloth metamorphoses... ---- ...only for it to hit you and realize how the change was, seemingly, just for show. And it's fine: Changes can be scary. We humans are fucking uncanny on zeroing into that thing that's going to change and having a "normal one" about it. And again, it's fine to have second guesses about any change coming down the pipeline. ---- You know what's not fine, though? Treating whatever may come as some sort of "other" or something to that effect. Again, it's fine to find yourself at a crossroads and feeling that you are lacking on something to further progress down that path. That fear? Normal as can be. Just don't let those fears rule over you for everything. ---- Life is already so goddamn weird + hard, and the amount of control we exert over our very lives keeps getting smaller and smaller. Embrace the changes as best you can and stop letting things that act more as hangers-on to finally shuffle themselves off of you. I hope you remember to change for the better, and I'll read you later, alligator!

[blue-lollipops-and-ice-clouds]

Vessel.

Rock Sound Issue 311 - Sleep Token

(Source - Rock Sound)

Sleep Token are Rock Sound 25 Icons

With a meteoric rise unlike anything the heavy music world has seen before, Sleep Token have become one of the biggest success stories in modern rock history. We explore how their genre-pushing vision has resonated with fans across the world, with some of the band’s former tourmates and superfans reflecting on their incredible journey.

[phleagues]

PHIGHTING!Leagues comes to Tumblr!

Hello! This is Phighting! Leagues comin' to you live from hit platform Tumblr! That's right, an all exclusive league tourmate (created by StrikeTV & artyroast) made strictly for Phighting! over on Roblox.com I'll cut straight to the chase and tell you what we're about. Phighting!Leagues is esentially an e-sports hosted live over on YouTube and Twitch. You can check us out here and whether you plan participate or to show love for your respective team-- we welcome one and all! If that sounds like your kinda thing, consider checking out our Discord and we'll see YOU on the pheild.

[miasiegert]

In response to a great question by @etchif (I hope I’m doing this correctly again—bear with me still learning tumblr, probably will never learn on my phone, trying though?)

ANSWER:

Okay LISTEN HERE YOU, while for this production a strict NO ONE GETS MORE NOTICEABLE DICKS, I can confirm that a dear friend I will NEVER name (and no one will ever guess, don’t try, seriously, even tourmates were STUNNED and if it was anyone except me would think it was BS, I’m no snitch) tried to gift me his padded Tugger dance belts from US Tour V that all Tugger actors (except one I also will not name because not sure his fiancé wants that going around) were given/made/constructed and was legitimately baffled as to why I was not interested in his dancebelts as I hadn’t done my first pro show then/was a superfan still/sort of not sure how close friends I was with everyone.

“But they’re clean. I’d never give you anything not-washed.”

Bless him so much. He could not see the comparison of like used underwear sales or anything and thought, “well superfan, cats collector… I have something no one else has!!!”

As for why I didn’t take it and sell it, I was not exploiting a friend, ever. Especially one who genuinely was thinking, “what could I give Mia besides luggage tags?” That’d have been wrong. It also had his name sewn into it (same as all actors) for their unders/washing.

Please no jumping on an actor for being gross, btw. The intent was SO kind although… oh no! Lol!

And again I’m not sharing which actor did NOT have a padded one because of his fiancé. I’m not sure they’d actually care but rather safe than sorry.

THE MORE YOU KNOW (even if you don’t want to).

[granddelusions]

IF YOU LIE DOWN WITH ME - JOHN FRUSCIANTE

john frusciante x reader!

warnings: VERY VERY BRIEF talk of smut, but besides that enjoy this fluff i wrote instead of working on finals <3 18+

“hey, you awake?”

you groaned in response. the crowd tonight in california was louder than usual. hometown show.

you were grateful for your fans, sure, but you’ve been left with a pounding headache that was not accompanied well when you take into account the four belligerent men you happened to share the tour bus with — not to mention the beers you pounded with chad right after the gig.

it was 2am and they’d finally started to settle down until john, the guitarist and the most reserved of the four, peeked into your little crevice of the bus, tapping on the wall to get your attention.

“my head hurts.” not even a yes or no reply, just unintelligble drivel into your pillow.

you heard him laugh, inching himself closer towards you and sitting down on the side of the pull-out bed.

“well, i thought you did great tonight.”

john told you this every night. since the beginning of the tour two months ago, without fail, he’d compliment you. in the past week, you started to notice that he’d began to compliment you more and more on your outfits. your eyes. your hair.

at this point you’ve turned to face john. even in the dark, you could still make out all of the features that have made you fall in love with him — like the fucking idiot you were.

similar to how john marveled at you, you couldn’t help but admire him right back — his dark eyes, his long, curly hair, and those fingers, always battered and bruised from his guitar playing.

“well, i’m opening for the best band in the world… i do my best.” you finally replied with half lidded eyes, giving him a smile and a tired thumbs-up.

all of a sudden, he grabbed your hand. this was new. he brought it to his cheek — also new. at this point, you sat upright, letting john’s hand drape over your own as you readjusted on the bed.

“you know i was the one who suggested you for the opening act?” he admitted, letting his thumb trace over your own hand.

“are you fucking with me?” you said.

“no, god no… i think you’re incredible. i know i tell you that all the time, but i’ll keep doing it. you have such a talent. jesus christ, everything about you …”

he trailed off, looking you up and down. his eyes were dilated, the size of the fucking moon. in that moment, the mood changed.

you smiled.

“— is just fucking incredible.”

he pulled you in, throwing his arms around you and pressing your lips together.

his lips tasted like cigarettes. yours tasted like cheap beer and you wished you’d have taken an aspirin before your tourmate was grabbing your head and running his fingers through your hair. as he worked his kisses down to your neck and bare shoulders, you felt your nipples harden as his hands worked their way towards your breasts.

“johnny?” you finally said, breaking the silence between your moans.

now slowly pressing kisses atop your sensitive breasts, he looked up at you.

“mmm?”

“how long have you wanted this?”

he took your face in his hands, gently pressing a kiss to your cheek.

“your song.”

“my song?”

“the night i met you. when i saw your show at the troubador and you played that cover of your song. you on stage with that guitar — no one’s ever looked more beautiful. that passionate.”

your foreheads pressed together.

you could feel john tense up after his confession. sweat beads dripped down his face and his hands, intertwined with yours, were trembling.

“do you want this?” he finally said.

you nodded. you wanted all of him. you’ve wanted him since the two of you had met.

and now those dark eyes? that long, curly hair, and those fingers, always battered and bruised from his guitar playing? they want you too.

you pulled yourself onto his lap. nestling against his shoulder, you whispered softly in his ear.

“john frusciante, you don’t know the fucking half of it.”

he relaxed.

“i’m all in. but for now, all i want is sleep.”

respecting your sudden wish to sleep off your headache — the beers you had surely weren’t helping it— he started to get up from the bed, but you grabbed his hand.

“wait. johnny, will you lie down with me?”

[supergirlmayhem]

Build your expectations Saturated and Inflated ('Cause I was born to be your Favorite)

When they were little girls, Lena and Andrea promised each other to fulfill their respective dreams of achieving fame in acting and music. What the sisters didn't expect was to also find love. Lena never thought she would form a friendship with and a crush on Kara Danvers, a Rolling Stone reporter who would come to tear down all the walls she built for fear of the pain and disappointment she has been living with for as long as she can remember. Only Kara and her sweetness are able to stand against the black cloud that surrounds Lena. Andrea hated pop with all her soul for being so plastic and soulless, as the eternal rivalry of metal and rock against commercial music has taught her. But Samantha Arias — the powerful, talented, beautiful, and enigmatic former StarGirls United member who is now her tourmate — makes Andrea eat her words as she steals Andrea's self-proclaimed rebellious, cold, and unattainable heart. Or: A "No Love in LA" SuperCorp and RojasArias AU.

Check out this new work added to the 2024 collection by @BottombyKMG HERE and accompanying artwork by @unnaturalceilings HERE.

[atcostmag]

A visual diary of Fazerdaze on support for POND's "STUNG!" North American tour

Words and Photos: Peter Quincy Ng

What’s it like to catch Fazerdaze on tour? Well, for one, it was a bit over 7 years ago when Fazerdaze's frontwoman Amelia Murray last visited Toronto on November 11, 2017, so I suppose it would exciting for a fan like me to say the least! However, I would also contrast excitement with a decidedly shorter half-hour set, as Murray's roles were largely delegated for support, opening for Western Australia's POND, and their more dedicated fans given their extensive discography and profile as an offshoot of Tame Impala.

Fazerdaze played at the Danforth Music Hall, a mid-size venue that gives a theater-like setting, offering seats for those who like cozy dates and panoramic views and no-nonsense security staff which would shake the last clump of lint from your back pocket before letting you in. Given the disparate costs of touring as an independent artist from New Zealand/Aotearoa, Amelia performed a no-frills set with just her on guitar and drum pads/sequencer and her plucky tourmate Dave Rowlands mirroring with synths.

Though playing songs largely from her recently released album "Soft Power", Amelia opened up with the grungy charge of "Break!" the title track from her previous EP. Pairing to the tête-à-tête of conversational self-talk, the track drifted along to its mellow grooves sardonically routing with Amelia's notions of emotional meltdown. Following was her only other track from her previous EP "Winter", slowing the pace with the wry melancholy of her soothing vocals and gentle scale of her light guitar riffs.

Suitably, "Soft Power" played soon succeeded her EP tracks, the title track from her latest full-length release. Frosty vocals and distant guitars drift into the foggy mist of smoke machines and harsh pastels from the stage's spotlights. Perhaps her most convincing track followed promptly and invited Murray's most invigorated performance of her short set. Though Amelia notably without a drummer instead opted for drum pads/sequencers, and it's this lo-fi and mild electronic aesthetic which really sold Fazerdaze's energy throughout the show. Though Amelia regrettably stood perpendicular to the audience while performing, we got to see the reserved singer dance and swing her hips about a tad more, as she loosed to crisper lighting and beat-driven melodies. Amelia yielded a subtle sensuality with the gentle romance of its bluesy synth keys and smoky vocals that were juxtaposed to the robotic electroclash of her stern dictation.

Fazerdaze's "A Thousand Years"

It's not an exaggeration to say Amelia is more of a reserved performer, but it would be unfair to go without mentioning the simple joy she carries on her face that comes with her quiet enthusiasm. Murray thanked the audience remarking how exciting it was to play in a larger venue with POND and directed her bandmate to explain how great it is to be visiting all the way from New Zealand, who culturally is often shadowed by their larger neighbor Australia. They continued with the restrained psychedelica of "Purple" with its gentle cascade of drum snares, followed by Fazerdaze's marquee "Cherry Pie". "Cherry Pie" contrasted with a brighter and more choral tone, with Amelia shouting and exclaiming her lament on her youth slowly fading away. As a fun farewell, Fazerdaze closed with "Bigger" a misty dream-pop sound that closes with the arc of wide-reaching synths. Overall, it was a fun concert, and despite its short duration and limitations; enjoyable. To be brutally honest, I came to see Fazerdaze, not completely aware of her latest LP, and at the risk of insulting more enthusiastic POND fans, I left early, fully satiated and smiling from my Fazerdaze experience.

FAZERDAZE's Toronto Setlist BREAK! WINTER SOFT POWER A THOUSAND YEARS PURPLE CHERRY PIE BIGGER

You can check out Fazerdaze's latest video for "So Easy" with its burnished grain and DIY aesthetic below:

[5woon]

how many people have you killed?

the question had been poised to Ji-Woon... her tourmate for this leg of it. walking in on him in the midst of killing someone hadn't been on betty's bingo card, but neither had what happened that followed next. she had been sure that @nosp1n was going to end if all right there, he'd made it clear he was planning to. she was dressed still from her performance, clean and beautiful-- but painted with a fear she'd never displayed before. she was scared and all she could do was start to whimper, nearly begging for a chance to say she wouldn't tell anyone! but as the moment advanced there was a cold grasp that took over her, something consumed her in a way that brought fear worse than Ji-Woon had conjured in her.

it pulled her into a darkness and for a moment she thought she was dead, thought it was ji-woon who ended her. but it wasn't-- not yet at least. the dark energy that grabbed betty pulled her into a realm she could never imagine existed. when her vision came back she was standing with Ji-Woon still, both of them trying to make heads or tails or what had just happened. She went to say something, but she was quick to remember what happened... quick to recall what was going on moments before. So she ran. She turned and she ran from Ji-Woon... and thus began the biggest game of cat and mouse. Trial after trial... learning this, learning that, meeting this unfortunate soul and that one. becoming close to just survive. and no amount of time at the fire could ever prepare her for facing Ji-Woon again. every other monster in this fog? it didn't compare to the one that was him.

[thesearenotphotographs]

The Hives and Bad Nerves at Kings Theatre

Swedish quintet The Hives returned to New York City for their third headlining gig since 2023 for a performance at Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, NY. They were joined by their tourmates, Bad Nerves, from Essex, UK.

I covered the great show for Impose Magazine and the full gallery is now available on their website here.

[shefanispeculator]

Blake Shelton Drops Cryptic Teaser: What's the 'DL' and 'EAR' All About? - Country Now

Blake Shelton sent his devoted fans into a frenzy on Wednesday morning when he shared what appears to be a tour teaser across his social media platforms. The cryptic clip included a neon sign that reads, “Back To The Honky Tonk Tour.” 

Is The “Ol’ Red” Singer Teasing A 2024 Tour With Dustin Lynch and Emily Ann Roberts?

The caption quoted Shelton’s 2015 chart-topper, “Neon Light” with the text: “There’s a neon light at the end of the tunnel…” It was soundtracked by his massive hit, “God’s Country.”    

Beneath the sign were two smaller signs that read “DL” and “EAR.” Those signs presumably signify Shelton’s tourmates, which could very likely be Dustin Lynch and his former Team Blake The Voice runner-up, Emily Ann Roberts. In fact, both artists quickly responded to Shelton’s cryptic teaser with eyeball emojis, adding even more speculation to the tour announcement. 

[blue-lollipops-and-ice-clouds]

Rock Sound 25 Icons - Sleep Token Article (Transcript).

Transcript written by yours truly!

(Original Article Link)

(Google Doc Version Link)

ROCK SOUND 25 ICON

SLEEP TOKEN

WITH A METEORIC RISE UNLIKE ANYTHING THE HEAVY MUSIC WORLD HAS SEEN BEFORE, SLEEP TOKEN HAVE BECOME ONE OF THE BIGGEST SUCCESS STORIES IN MODERN ROCK HISTORY. AS THEY ACCEPT THEIR ROCK SOUND 25 ICON AWARD, WE EXPLORE HOW THEIR GENRE-PUSHING VISION HAS RESONATED WITH FANS ACROSS THE WORLD, WITH SOME OF THE BAND'S FORMER TOURMATES AND SUPERFANS REFLECTING ON THEIR INCREDIBLE JOURNEY.

WORDS

MADDY HOWELL

PHOTOS

ANDY FORD

[page break]

LIVE PHOTOS

ADAMROSS WILLIAMS

It took less than seven minutes for the Sleep Token explosion to hit.

Gathering momentum in the UK underground scene with their 2019 debut 'Sundowning' and its 2021 follow-up 'This Place Wil Become Your Tomb', in early 2023 the masked collective set the internet ablaze with 'The Summoning'.

Nonchalantly dropped just 24 hours after the emotionally driven 'Chokehold' arrived, the inferno came out of nowhere for many heavy music fans. The song's gnarly down-tuned guitars and crushing metal riffs resonating deeply, its ominous, poetic lyrics searing with passion, and the voice of the band's masked frontman —Vessel — soaring over its huge, otherworldly chorus. It was the kind of mastery that proved difficult for any metal fan to ignore, but after five minutes, something wholly unexpected happened The riff-laden chaos segueing into a two-minute funk outro, from that moment - the stage was set for a revolution.

Forging their sound whilst remaining insistent on resisting genre classification, Sleep Token had been darting between progressive metal, R&B, and glossy pop with ease since their formation in 2016. Adding new styles and influences into their arsenal at every opportunity, from the second they erupted into the mainstream consciousness their expansive vision was impossible to ignore.

Capturing something elusive, something that had long felt absent from the contemporary heavy music scene, 'The Summoning' defied easy categorisation. Blending sounds in ways that were as unpredictable as they were seamless, the track catapulted the band to viral fame on TikTok. Clips of the song's outro paired with memes, fan art, and incredulous reactions from listeners flooded the app's feed, and within days the band's cult following began to expand rapidly, each new fan clamouring for more information about the mysterious masked group that were suddenly dominating their social media timelines.

"It's pretty crazy when you think about it,"' laughs John Famiglietti, bassist and producer of experimental band HEALTH.

"A lot of this stuff really doesn't have precedent but when TikTok was created, they built the concept of virality into the code. It needed to become the fastest route to virality, and they wanted to destroy YouTube. Sleep Token is the perfect example of that in action, because that song was released in what the music industry calls 'The No Zone'. It had a visualiser of a copyright-free Elden Ring boss, and it was nearly [page break] seven minutes long. That kind of thing just doesn't get big."

What John explains is vital to understanding the magic behind Sleep Token's rise, because simply put - the whole thing is almost impossible to believe. From making their live debut in front of less than 500 fans at London's The Black Heart in the summer of 2017, to dominating the social media algorithms of thousands, their sudden and overwhelming rise is entirely unprecedented.

The release of 2023's Take Me Back To Eden' swiftly followed by a Best UK Artist award win at the Heavy Music Awards and an announcement of a standalone headine show at Wembley Arena, the excitement surging through the scene was palpable — evident as fans scrambled to acquire tickets for the landmark evening. Selling out within ten minutes of going on general sale, Sleep Token were officially an arena-filling rock band.

"It's not often you see that kind of leap anymore," John continues.

"In the span of eight months, Sleep Token went from small clubs to headlining arenas. For me, that's the most exciting part. I can't remember the last time I saw a band do that."

With HEALTH playing alongside them that historic night in London, John recalls the atmosphere vividly. Looking back then, how does he think Sleep Token's stratospheric rise happened?

"They're bringing pop elements in through the language of heavy music, and that's a big part of the appeal," he explains.

"When you're at a Sleep Token show, you can see the kids connecting with that shit and singing along. It's a big show, it's theatrical, and when everyone's singing along…that's where you get the chills. The crowd makes it, and you can see the smiles on people's faces. For a lot of these kids, it's their first concert. If your music can bring new people into this world, that's the most powerful thing possible."

With 'Take Me Back To Eden' landing the band their first ever Top 5 album, as well as becoming the most-streamed metal album on Spotify in 2023, Sleep Token's Wembley Arena ritual served not only as a celebration of a remarkable year — but a declaration of the future of metal.

Asserting that the scene was ready for change, from the moment that Vessel emerged into the stage's central spotlight, all12,500 fans gathered in the room knew that a new era of heavy music was beginning. With striking [column break] nu-metal inspired masks for band members II, III and IV unveiled on Instagram just moments before the band's scheduled stage time, the energy surging through the crowd was nothing short of electric.

A sonic and visual spectacle, from the assaulting intensity of 'Vore' to the raw catharsis of 'Ascensionism' each moment of the show shone with intent. The night blooming into a powerful karaoke session as Vessel suddenly became unable to sing mid-performance, by the time proceedings culminated in a heartfelt rendition of 'Blood Sport", everyone filtering out the doors of Wembley Arena knew they had witnessed something groundbreaking.

A remarkable achievement from a simply remarkable band, to understand how Sleep Token ended up taking their songs to a stage like Wembley, we need to take things back to the beginning.

Debuting the project with 2016 EP 'One' and 2017's 'Two', the groundwork for the world they were about to build was lain. A world filled with technical metal, expansive atmospheres, and an unapologetic commitment to musical experimentation, the band's early releases demonstrated an unusual level of ambition for a fledgling band. Not just blending genres but entirely blurring the lines that segregated them, their metalcore and djent influences bled into lush soundscapes, with emotionally raw vocals and progressive song structures constantly throwing the listener off-guard.

Evading every potential classification, songs like 'Nazareth' and 'Calcutta' felt cinematic yet intimate, drawing from ambient electronica and R&B with a steadfast spirit of eclecticism, yet never feeling disjointed. Carrying a coherent emotional thread — a mood of longing, heartbreak, and spiritual seeking — their vision resonated deeply with a small but passionate group of early fans.

Among those early to hop aboard the Sleep Token train was Holding Absence vocalist Lucas Woodland, who recalls his first encounter with the band.

"The first song I listened to was 'Nazareth', and it just blew my mind," he nods.

"It was just so cool, and to this day, I think that's Sleep Token's greatest strength. It's cool for kids that are just getting into this genre of music, but it's also cool for people like me who listen to bands like Radiohead and Bon Iver. It somehow manages to scratch two very cool but very different itches. Throw that together with vocals that are so out of this world… you' ve got something special. I was shocked to discover how small they were at that point." [page break]

With that, Lucas became one of the band's earliest champions. After discovering them, he immediately shared Sleep Token's music in the Holding Absence group chat, urging his bandmates to check them out.

The Welsh band joining forces with Loathe for a split EP titled 'This ls As One' the two bands were in the process of mapping out a co-headline tour. With shows set to take place in early 2018, they knew they had to find a way to get Sleep Token involved. Picking a local band to join them on each date of their joint UK run, they decided to offer the slot for the two biggest shows — London and Manchester — to the genre-slashing newcomers. Witnessing the earliest iterations of the band's live show, their full vision may not have been realised back then but already something was brewing.

"It was surreal," Lucas nods.

"The first two times I saw them were supporting us on that 2018 tour, and it was early days for them, but there was still this magical element to them. I remember speaking to Vessel after the show, and he was like, 'Sorry can't catch your set, I've got to run off and wash this I paint off'."

"When you look back on that, it's crazy to think that there was a period of time where they painted up, got on stage, played to 50 people, and then quickly ran off to have a shower in a Travelodge," he laughs.

"The third time that I saw them though, they played St Pancras Church to around 120 people. By that point, the vision was realised, and that was the moment where I realised that this was their turf now. Everyone in that room saw what this could be. It was a seated show, and it almost felt like a sermon. For that to be one of your first headline shows, and for it to captivate people in the way that it did..that's crazy."

Looking back on what shift may have occurred between the band he saw onstage that evening and the band Sleep Token have become, Lucas explains.

"When 'The Summoning' came out, barely anything had changed.. everyone else had just woken up to it."

"I honestly believe that the vision of the band, the message, and the sound has been there since day one. It's so cool to think that the band I watched in that church all those years ago and the band that is now playing to tens of thousands of people now is the same band."

The heavy music world had long been craving the kind of shake-up Sleep Token brought. Much of the scene tired of existing in a lull of stagnation as artists began to take [page break] bigger risks with their sound and experiment with fresh influences, a sense of scepticism transformed into intrigue.

Despite a growing longing for something different though, it takes something truly special to bowl in and completely shatter the boundaries of everything that existed before it. With little of the band's core identity changing since its inception, for Sleep Token to achieve such an explosion — the moment had to be right. With the world emerging from a global pandemic and grappling with a growing reliance on social media, Lucas reflects on the circumstances that led the band to greatness.

"It's important to note that every important band ever was in the right place, at the right time to ignite the culture,"" he explains.

"If Slipknot came out today, they wouldn't be the band that they are. If Metallica came out in the 60s they wouldn't have been as successful. Everybody has lived their lives terminally online for so long now. As musicians, for so long we were told that we must engage with our audience, because it's never been so easy to do it. We're told that we should be tweeting every day, we should be posting photos every day, and nothing is sacred anymore."

"You can engage with your fans at any given moment, but we reached a point where that almost plateaued. People are sick of hearing everyone's opinions, and they just want to hear the music. There are music fans who can't remember a world without the internet, and they can't remember a world where anonymity existed. They can't remember a world where mystery exists."

It's understandable then how the band's anonymity and carefully curated lore have forged a large part of their appeal. Whilst they are far from the first band to adopt masks and a hidden identity — with the likes of Slipknot, Ghost, and Hollywood Undead coming before them — Sleep Token's anonymity feels different. With social media making it easier than ever to know everything about a band, the collective have chosen to withhold almost everything, and that has only elevated fan's desperation to unearth more.

In a world obsessed with personal branding, where artists often cultivate parasocial relationships with their fans through constant interaction and engagement, Sleep Token's decision to remain an enigma marks a decidedly different approach to their peers. Their identities remaining closely guarded secrets Vessel- who has spoken just a handful of times in interviews early in the band's [page break] career has built a persona around the idea of serving an ancient deity known only as Sleep.

Carving out a role that feels entirely other-worldly, at the same time, there is something deeply human in Vessel's character, Wracked with emotion, pain, and a desperation to grow, their ability to tap into the deepest, darkest caverns of the human feeling is unrivalled. Their larger-than-life image clashing with the humanity and vulnerability of Vessel's lyrics, whilst fans may not know the identity of the men behind the mask, they can connect deeply with every word he says.

Because of this, the band's anonymity has proved much more than a gimmick, it's become a vital part of the identity that has forged a fanatical community. Stripped of a name and a human visage, Vessel is not a rock star in the traditional sense. He doesn't present himself as a relatable figure or even a person at all — he's an idea. An invitation to immerse yourself in the band's universe, the inability to put a face to the name makes every part of Sleep Token feel universal. Stripping away the distractions of celebrity and ego, it's allowed listeners to project their emotions and interpretations onto the songs like never before.

"They managed to line up this beautiful thread through the needle moment because everyone is so hungry to find out more about them," Lucas nods.

"We live in a world where we know everything about everyone, and they have been able to use that in a backwards sense. They've not only kept hold of the anonymity, but they've embraced it. They've turned II, III and IV into characters, and they're relevant parts of the band and the culture. They've always been important musicians on stage, but I remember being drunk at a house party and seeing the mask reveals on my Instagram feed. It felt like a new character had just been unlocked. It was such a moment."

That feeling of grandiosity is something that Sleep Token have become well-versed in creating. Each fresh reveal feeling monumental, it's elevated their live shows from simple performances to powerful rituals [column break] as though they've been a part of something much bigger.

As Sleep Token's rise has continued, word of their live shows has spread far beyond the UK. Kickstarting a new era after wiping their Instagram in early 2024 — leaving just a bio that read 'Nothing lasts forever' — North America were invited to bear witness to 'The Teeth Of God' tour.

A 21-date run taking place throughout April and May, they were joined by Empire State Bastard for the shows, with both bands playing to packed out venues night after night.

"It was an incredible spectacle to witness each night," guitarist Mike Vennart reflects.

"Their audience is hardcore. The most dedicated and obsessed fans. The best audience a band could hope for, really. Not to ruin the magic, but the lads in the band are wonderful too."

While many bands take years, even decades, to build up a loyal fanbase, Sleep Token have culminated a rabid community of fans in record time. Their collision of influences uniting people from vastly different sonic backgrounds, there are moments that speak to every kind of music fan.

Whether it's the ethereal melodies of 'Alkaline', the crushing heaviness of 'The Offering', or the gutting piano melodies of 'Blood Sport', their refusal to be confined has become their calling card. Retaining a core heaviness whilst pulling from pop, R&B, progressive rock, and jazz, they've spawned a sound that speaks to people from all walks of life, never alienating any one group.

Before they were headlining rooms to thousands of fans Stateside though, one of the first US bands to recognise Sleep Token's potential was Issues. Looking for an opener for their 'Beautiful Oblivion' tour — celebrating their third and final allbum — their booking agent threw Sleep Token's name into the conversation. Having recently begun working with them, he sent over their debut EP, and bassist Skyler Acord felt an immediate connection to their willingness to push boundaries.

"It felt like it came completely out of left field," he recalls.

Everybody who's a fan of Sleep Token knows the feeling of finding them where you're like, 'What the hell am I listening to? Where did this come from? Why does he sound like that? Where are the masks for?' … I went through that whole experience." [page break]

With only a few songs out in the world at that point, a series of internal discussions took place about whether it would be a better move for the band to acquire an opener who was little more well-known However, with Acord recognising the potential Sleep Token had it didn't take long before they were on the bill for their first US tour. Watching the British band play some of their earliest shows, each night Issues felt more and more certain that they'd made the right choice to take a chance on Sleep Token.

"They're doing something really interesting and really different, and rock absolutely needs that," Skyler nods.

"I could tell that they were going to be huge, and I wanted to be the first to take them out. I love giving a leg up to anybody doing something different, because rock is so boring. especially in America. In America, rock is the most conservative popular genre I can think of. If you stray a little too far outside of the norm, you get shut down. However, Sleep Token found a niche. A vacuum that was just dying to be filled."

"As soon as we started playing with them, I could tell that they really wanted it. The crowd would start with confusion, it would slowly develop into intrigue, and by the end of their set it was all they were talking about."

Since forming in 2012, Issues have made it their mission to change the shape of rock's future, and whilst the sound and aesthetics of their respective projects may differ — Skyler recognised a kinship between the two bands. A drive to alter the music world's perception of rock, and a passion to confuse, captivate, and involve fans, he was instantly in awe of the world they were creating.

"Vessel is the creative force behind a lot of the project, and you can tell that he is coming from the perspective of a piano player," he says.

"That was confusing at first because I was like, 'Where are these riffs coming from?' They're cool, they're simple, but they're heavy. That dude is just a sick keyboard player, and any time you hand that type of great musician a guitar, they're going to come up with something that you never would have dreamed of coming up with."

Inviting Vessel to rip piano solo in the middle of the band's 2019 track 'Get It Right" throughout the run, Skyler and his bandmates had no doubt that Sleep Token would go on to accomplish huge things. Admittedly though, they never expected them to get to where they are quite so rapidly. [page break]

"I'm a huge metal fan, and the only bands that really make a diference are the ones doing something different, and doing it well," Skyler nods.

"Every once in a while, there's a band with a lot of hype, and when you check them out, they just sound like everybody else. There's nothing that special about it when you peel back. By removing identity out of the equation and digging into the mystery of it…Sleep Token mastered it. That approach worked for basically all the bands that I love who have mattered. It worked for Ghost, it worked for Black Sabbath, and it worked for all the black metal bands loved when I was in high school."

For Lorna Shore vocalist Will Ramos, Sleep Token's success also represents a turning point for the entire metal genre. A self-proclaimed superfan of the band, he penned an impassioned essay on the band to celebrate them taking home the title of Best British Artist at the 2023 Rock Sound Awards.

In the piece, Will spoke about seeing the band perform for the first time at the Blue Ridge Rock Festival, rushing over to the stage from Lorna Shore's own 'meet and greet' elsewhere on site.

"Ten seconds into running turned around and saw Of Mice & Men's singer, Aaron Pauley, following me. We started running through this huge crowd together, and everybody was so excited I'm not the type of guy to leave a meet and greet early, but I needed to witness that set. It was an act of true love!" He laughs.

"That's where it started to set in how freaking massive Sleep Token were becoming. They're one of the biggest metal bands that I'm aware of right now, and there were so many people watching that set. They refer to their live shows as rituals, their fans are the congregation, and the stage as a place of worship. It's something that could easily seem tacky if a band did it with little consideration for the details, but they're so committed to what they do."

"Even when they post on Instagram after shows, the captions are always like, 'The ritual has been completed in Copenhagen'. They totally absorb themselves in the spiritual aspect, physically, visually, and sonically. It's a brand, and they completely own that brand. They've made it exactly what it is, and they stick to it."

"The whole experience does feel super spiritual, and they don't just give 50 per cent to the theming, it's 100 per cent. People feel the emotion, see the way they embody this ideal, and hear this incredible music — and I think thats why people are so ready to absolve themselves in this spiritual moment. Everybody has a different connection to every song because of the different things [column break] everyone goes through in life, but they get to experience all of that in a place where everybody else is feeling something too."

Speaking on his admiration of their ability to bring new fans into the heavy music world, the frontman is quick to point out that Sleep Token's genre-blurring tendencies have not only broadened their fanbase, but have also breathed new life into the scene.

"For a long time, metal bands have been putting themselves in a box," he explains.

"It's so refreshing to see the evolution of music, and bands like Sleep Token out there bringing in all these different genres. Doing that brings in a whole bunch of different people, which is so important for the metal world. Half of the time, this genre is seen as dying, but then you hear something like this. There are all these people who didn't listen to metal before listening to Sleep Token, and I love that. It feeds into this community, because people who listen to R&B are listening to this band, and they're venturing further into the genre. It's welcoming to a lot of people, which is a beautiful thing."

What Will describes is a feeling that spreads far beyond music. Bringing together music fans from worlds that once would have clashed, Sleep Token's story is the perfect example of how a movement begins.

Embracing our differences and welcoming all into a world devoid of boundaries and specifications, behind the mystery and the lore, Sleep Token have tapped into some of the most vital, vulnerable parts of our human need for connection. Each note speaking to each person in a uniquely different way, their ability to unite has positioned them as one of the most important bands of this generation, and somehow it still feels as though this is just the beginning.

Reaching heights that most bands work for decades to hit, there is simply no other story quite like Sleep Token's. Each release taking a step forward, a deeper dive into their evolving, immersive sound, they continue to push the boundaries of not only what heavy music can be — but what it should be.

An invitation to feel, to come together, and be a part of something, they've given us a front-row seat to one of the most explosive musical phenomena of our time. Swerving all expectations pushed by the industry, their rise has become a reminder of why music matters. Inspiring a new generation of heavy music artists to strive for something bigger, Sleep Token are proof that with enough belief and commitment in a cause, there are truly no limitations on what you can achieve.

[doomandgloomfromthetomb]

Emily Robb - If I Am Misery Then Give Me Affection

Philly guitarist Emily Robb is back with another slab of unearthly (but also quite earthy somehow) six-string workouts. Robb's sometime tourmate Rosali Middleman recently released a great collection of electric guitar instrumentals under the Edsel Axle moniker and If I Am Misery is a perfect chaser. The pieces here take great pleasure in the simple essentials — pure volume, amp buzz, feedback, raw melodies. Robb is a master at coaxing unusual sounds from her axe, always going in unexpected directions, but still remaining deeply rooted to the source. While this is a solo album, it definitely rocks — like a VU bootleg or a vintage PSF LP. Don't forget to boogie.

[suffer-forever]

the fact that 3/5 of them at least are wearing shirts of their current tourmates

[colorisbyshe]

also shout out to the emo/pop punk scene for also inventing the concept of probably actually gay/bisexual people gaybaiting. like to this day i don’t know how many of the band members actually meant it in a gay way but in many ways... it doesn’t matter. they were out there kissing bandmates and tourmates and doing Gay Things and they knew it would sell and it DID and it was very fun for me at age 13. thank you gaybait soldiers. thank you even more to the sincerely gay soldiers. but honestly i think that is a heavily overlapping circle.

[sethshead]

Trump himself hailed in a tweet these ReAwaken America rallies that included McKay and Charlie Ward as speakers.

At least they’re honest about whose side they’re on.

[chickrawker]

Jimmy Eat World at the Skyline Stage 8/26/23

Another end of the tour show. Best vibes for sure! I had been checking set lists (of course) and there were two that were being played and we got this one.

Jimmy Eat World

Skyline Stage at the Mann

Philadelphia PA

8/26/23

Pain

Just Tonight...

Sweetness

Something Loud

For Me This Is Heaven

Kill

Dizzy

555

Lucky Denver Mint

Big Casino

A Praise Chorus

Hear You Me

Blister

Work

23

Bleed American

The Middle

Very bold to start out with "Pain" if you ask me! Jim was very talkative (even saying he was gonna tone it down tonight. No Jim, don't tone it down, talk all you want!) Like for "Something Loud", he said it was about finding yourself in Rock and Roll. He had effusive praise for tourmates Middle Kids (who were great) and Manchester Orchestra (who played next as they were swapping headlining all tour.) As usual lots of 1-2 punches. "For Me This is Heaven" into "Kill" which happen to be my two fave songs by them as well as "Praise Chorus"/"Hear You Me" and of of course the set ending "Bleed American"/"The Middle".

A thoroughly enjoyable set on a beautiful night in Philly.