Sundowning is the debut studio album by anonymous English rock band Sleep Token.
"When the anonymous collective emerged [in 2017], dressed in Death Eater-style robes and looking ready to sacrifice your pet goat, their leader, known only as Vessel, told of an age-old deity called ‘Sleep’ – a name chosen as no proper translation exists in any modern tongue. They also came bearing allusions to ancient civilisations, with early songs named Calcutta, Nazareth and Jericho.
This weaving of the occult into the band’s tapestry has grown smarter as they’ve journeyed towards this, their debut full-length. With the album named after the syndrome associated with dementia, where patients can become further confused and agitated as dusk settles in, its first single The Night Does Not Belong To God was unveiled upon the summer solstice in June. Subsequent tracks have been ritualistically released every two weeks since, always at the time of sundown in accordance with Greenwich Mean Time (perhaps a clue towards the group’s Earthly origins).
And yet for all this dark mystery and carefully constructed enigma, perhaps what surprises most about Sleep Token is the way they sound. Despite a supremely witchy aesthetic that hints at the gloomiest doom unearthed from some rotting catacomb, the main fabric of their debut is a mix of chilling electronics and otherworldly pop, with a sinister heaviness only intruding on the fringes. These are songs that share less with the metal of the similarly-robed Sunn O))), and more with, say, Deaf Havana’s slower, more pensive and thoughtful moments.
... The band’s lyrics also go a long way in helping to construct this ethereal world, as they collide images of divinity with flashes of what seems to be their own lives. And while convention may have taught us that emotions mean more when pinned to a personality or some real-life flesh, the facelessness of these private sermons can make them feel shared and empathetic, or perhaps like being inside a confession booth.
Admittedly, save for Gods – the record’s only true out-and-out metalcore song – the continuous nature of this dark mood entwined with the group’s slow-burning, listless pace does begin to drag across Sundowner’s 50-minute runtime. But there are moments here to truly savour, and ideas and experiences that feel unique. The band have shown they can create vast episodes that exist primarily within their ancient universe, while also feeling very vulnerable and human at their core. 4/5" - Kerrang!
"Sleep Token have been causing a stir with their deeply emotional sound and theatrical appearance. Sundowning brings together the twelve tracks Sleep Token have released over the period from June to November [of 2019]. The anonymity surrounding the band members maintains an air of mystique around the group.
Sleep Token have created a very distinctive sound. The soaring vocals are instantly recognisable with such a unique tone and texture. Musically they combine heavy guitars with serene synth lines. The variety of their tracks shows the flexibility of their sound as they venture into the realms of different genres. But ultimately, their music remains easily identifiable. The title of the album establishes the concept that runs through the tracks: “Sundowning, or sundown syndrome, is a neurological phenomenon associated with increased confusion and restlessness in patients with delirium or some form of dementia. The term ‘sundowning’ was coined due to the timing of the patient’s confusion. For patients with sundowning syndrome, a multitude of behavioural problems begin to occur in the evening or while the sun is setting…”" - The Soundboard
Digipack CD
Tracklisting:
1. The Night Does Not Belong To God
2. The Offering
3. Levitate
4. Dark Signs
5. Higher
6. Take Aim
7. Give
8. Gods
9. Sugar
10. Say That You Will
11. Drag Me Under
12. Blood Sport