thecornerofdoom

[thecornerofdoom]

I still am absolutely floored by Even In Arcadia a month later, finally listening to this band with an orchestra backing them and violin (my second favorite instrument only beaten out by the cello kiss kiss kiss kiss) and it’s so fucking incredible and ups the music into this cinematic status of a real true narrative

And Sleep actually speaks. For the first time, it’s very very clear and obvious who’s speaking, by the harmonic and mocking tone in Even in Arcadia mixed with the demonic screaming when the entity seems to lose its composure. This is always prompted by Vessel seemingly not doing what it wants, not reacting in the way it needs. The vessel is no longer its own, speaking out of turn and fighting back actively.

It’s a version of our narrative that we’ve never seen before, giving power to a voice we’ve only ever heard whispered from the shadows, guiding Vessel’s hand. He mentions half life in Emergence, a famous scientific term that refers to the idea that at the halfway point of any life forms timeline it will start to decay at a more rapid rate than before. Sometimes, when animals are dying, they have a burst of energy before they collapse in on themselves.

I wonder if Sleep is actively dying without Vessel, and is using its powers more drastically in order to try and snag him back, speaking directly to the audience and actively trying to coax him back under their control in Provider.

Btw Provider is absolutely Sleep attempting to pull Vessel back under, whispering sweet words and promises to take care of him properly this time. Most of the song is in that same harmonic from Even In Arcadia, with spider like imagery that reminds me of the weird spider monster from the alkaline music video.

It’s why Damocles and Gethsemane and Infinite baths have this soulful, pained tone unlike the earlier half of the album. Vessel is fighting with himself internally as well as with Sleep externally, facing inner doubts (what if I can’t get up and win this) and past traumas (the entirety of Gethsemane) before looking to his new love that he’s found in Arcadia and using that as motivation to keep fighting (first half of infinite baths.)

I think that’s why in the latter half of Infinite baths that Sleep completely loses control, snarling and screaming and trying to drag Vessel back over the mental cliff into the ocean of despair. It sees Vessel’s devotion to a new entity- and it sees its control slipping further, further. So it rages, mocking him (will you halt this eclipse in me?) and begging him to help it stay alive (again, halt this eclipse- I am dying without you)

It’s insane the new amount of lore we’ve gotten, the clearest narrative we’ve been painted so far. Putting the pieces together and inferring the songs is so interesting and you can tell the very intense and careful thought process that went into this album.

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Girl I made a pride month post for st and somebody said I should’ve made it for men’s mental health awareness instead 😭😭😭 just for bringing up the stupidest point on the planet I’m actually eradicating the male population by 30% good luck finding a boyfriend now chuckle nuts

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i blame @vulcanette's tags on this post

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Maybe im projecting (probably) but we got our first clear shot of the feathered host in color and it’s in a pink tunic-like dress, which is a huge contrast compared to the fully shielded dark green knight. It almost feels like there’s a hint of gender identity hidden in there somewhere, in the sense of staying traditionally masculine and closing yourself off completely (the house must endure) versus the idea of exploring gender expression and letting go of stereotypes of stoic and strong men with no ability to express their vulnerability (the cycle must end).

It’s also interesting that the feathered host is a monster in this context, like it’s made out to be something scary and dangerous in spite of its soft color pallet. I doubt this is actually anything canon, but I did notice the small pieces put together in a way that made my gender bell ring a ding dings

Anyways her body is tea and mama’s eating that dress UP 🤭

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A good bit of Sleep Token hate is so oddly misogynistic for it being a band of four white guys, I think because of the large female audience but also the way they insult the band by taking away essentially their credibility as “manly tough metal artists.” Anybody I know who actually just isn’t into the band isn’t whining and complaining on the internet like these dudes (because every single time it’s ALWAYS a guy)

Like the fact that the band doesn’t “stay in their lane of musical genres” like it’s some gender role bullshit ? Like they genuinely cannot stand the fact that a band who does metal is having like. A good time? And branching out, and incorporating color?

Even like objectively, it’s just. Fun. There is no need to whine and cry that you think the album is shit as a way to try and virtue signal to your boys that you hate everything that women tend to like.

They even threw Ghost a huuuuge rock band that’s also got a super diverse audience and a very big ally as a front man and called them “Scooby doo rock” like girl. Isn’t Scooby doo good? Are you that afraid of having fun that you’re hating on SCOOBY DOO?

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Vessel saying “ICU- I see you” really outed himself as a cringe ass millenial real eyes realize real lies kind of bs

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There’s a reason Provider came RIGHT after even in Arcadia which was Sleep’s obvious entrance into the album completely, it’s leading me to believe that lore wise it’s from Sleep’s perspective trying to coax Vessel back under their thumb. I like to imagine the breakdown is Vessel finally fighting back and swinging his sword, only to have it snatched out of his hand from Sleep.

It would also make sense for Damocles to come right after, because it’s him having self doubts and wanting to be free from this awful reality the character endures as his kingdom that he’s sought safety in falls to Sleep. Then in Gethsemane it’s him finally admitting that Sleep was NOT kind at all to him, that this was an awful relationship and it needed to end. He thinks of his new partner, the person who he’s fighting for at the beginning of Infinite Baths, only for Sleep to lose their mind and tear him apart once realizing they cannot get Vessel back, that he’s already looking to someone else for hope and power 🤭

Anyways it’s 3 am and I’m just sitting here staring at this album and losing my mind because he almost set it up super specifically to be released like “okay guys lore. BUT BE COOL THIS TIME. FR IM STRUGGLING. Okay now the album”

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Alright y’all I know we’re all laughing cause Vessel sounds like a cringe ass dom daddy BUT HEAR ME OUT. SERVICE TOP ANTHEM. BECAUSE IM A SERVICE TOP AND THAT SONG SPOKE TO ME IN WAYS YOU HAVE NO IDEA !!! ITS A SERVICE TOP ANTHEM ‼️‼️

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I WAS WRONG !!!!! Okay so I thiiiiink he’s trying to get with a new diety or an actual person and Sleep’s throwing a tantrum about it ohhhhhhhh ohhhhhhhhh my bad okay sorry vessel my bad you are in fact NOT drowning in a kiddie pool

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Bitch I think Vessel Marie token fucked Sleep again and got sucked right back in this is like watching a grown man drown in a kiddie pool GET UP HOE ‼️‼️

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Unfortunately I’ve hit the point as an artist that Damocles has become extremely hurtful, is there no point in reaching for the stars like he did? Vessel achieved what he wanted, his music is listened to and taken apart and chewed by millions now. But he literally wrote a song about how unhappy he still is, how he thought his dream would help him feel better but he somehow feels just as bad as before.

Are we all doomed in our success? Is there any point to putting your work out, to trying if it only makes your life worse? Is it a maturity issue of understanding that achievements won’t fill the hole in your heart, that you can only find peace in letting go and living quietly? Or loudly? My professor told me today that even if you love what you do, your job shouldn’t be your life. He said it should just be the thing that helps you LIVE life.

I don’t know how to live, my work is what keeps me going. The idea of reaching out, reaching back to the next generation and giving them something to hold on to- to get through the worst in life with something meaningful. It’s all I’ve ever wanted, is to reach out. Is that a fruitless endeavor? How do I live if not in the pursuit of helping others like I’ve been helped?

There’s not really an answer to any of this. But I feel lost, like I don’t know what to do with this information. I’m so young, I want to try at least. Is that pointless? Maybe it doesn’t matter if it is, since on a technical level NOTHING matters, so you might as well right? Maybe vessel needs to remember that too.

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God this album so far has been SO honest and revealed so much about Sleep token’s creator, about his fears and interests and problems. Why? What’s the purpose behind it? Why is he pulling away from metaphors and telling us straight up that he’s scared to open his front door, that he’s scared of being forgotten? That he’s a nerd who likes the Alien movies and plays world of Warcraft?

It feels personal on a level he’s never done before- which is almost laughable, considering the other music is pretty obviously the guy working through some situationship with a girl with mad crazy BPD or something. But it still felt like you could put the curtain over it of being lore, the metaphor of sleep and its worshippers. This album feels like there’s no god- despite the new costume and the war and the crazy background stuff happening, it’s about him. Like- HIM him. The real guy for some reason. Which is confusing because of how earnest he wants to not be known, but he clearly in some way DOES.

Maybe it’s because he openly acknowledges the audience and breaks the fourth wall? Says “you” not like an individual, but a collective of people. It has the same sensation of a wild animal meeting eyes with you, and you’re just frozen staring back all the sudden. Cause what do you do? The audience has been acknowledged, but they’re cursed to remain completely helpless and just do what they came here to do- watch. Cheer. Sing along. But there’s this odd new sensation of that the vessel SEES everybody there, or maybe he doesn’t anymore and it feels awful because of that.

Maybe the stage is a prison not just because of the expectations, but because he can’t see anybody anymore either. Can’t grab an audience member’s hand, or scream along with them because they’re nothing but shadows now, screaming shadows from below the stage. That honestly sounds like hell on earth.

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Killing the game is so funny he knows he’s absolutely crushing it rn

I KNOW I SHOULD BE TOURING

I KNOW THESE CHORDS ARE BORING

BUT I CANT ALWAYS BE KILLING THE GAME

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Been listening to Damocles all day trying to sit with it. Somehow it was more jarring than Caramel, I truly wasn’t expecting another peek behind the curtain like this. Now I’m sitting here staring at the wall wondering what this albums really about, considering this is the most straightforward he’s ever been with lyrics- or maybe it isn’t, and this is just the first time there’s a big enough audience that he involved it.

The lyrics are riddled with imposter syndrome, a swinging back and forth of the fear of what comes after success and a desperate need to be released from the crushing expectations of it. It’s almost confusing, to be scared to be forgotten but afraid to be known in the first place. He hides behind a mask, but he wants to be remembered. It’s very human, contradicting himself openly and desperately as he’s trying to grasp at straws of what used to be his own life.

It’s almost funny, because he acknowledges at the same time that his band is doing absolutely stellar, that he understands that people love his work. That doesn’t matter anymore though- it no longer fills the hole inside him that he thought it would.

The voices from the shadows don’t make a difference stuck with me as well, so different from the digital speeches he gave in older performances. The crowd really is too far now, the stage too high and the lights too bright to make connections anymore. Vessel can no longer connect with his audience, too far removed and stuck on his prison of a stage to see anyone.

I’m just sitting here going in circles over this- I almost became frustrated by it, by the contradictions before I realized it was the point. That you can feel all these things at once, that life can be so grating and horrible despite how good you’re doing on a technical level.

It’s a gorgeous song and a beautiful soulful ballad, I really love the first “and I’ll be forgotten” and how he just drags that note like he’s trying not to crack and cry. But the content was a lot more complex than I anticipated, and damn vessel makes a lot of metaphors about wanting to die

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Vessel from sleep token will never know he made me realize I’m a man. He’ll never know he transed my gender by being emotionally vulnerable and pathetic on stage as this crazy concept of a man with no identity he could hold onto and I identified with it so hard that I’m a literal guy now.

Like I can’t tell if I should punch him in the throat with my mind for being the bump that cracked this egg or be grateful but there’s a white guy out there in this world who will never know what he’s done. That bastard.

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Look to Windward?? The classic sci-fi book from the 2000’s??? The book my grandpa loves ?? Jesus Vessel IS a nerd crazy style

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2 extra songs exclusively for Japan CD’s ??? Weeb ass dork, is that a clue or not I can’t tell