I have been told numerous times that Sleep Token has no linear narrative within it. I don't think they've looked hard enough.
Originally, when I sought out to consume and digest the lore of Sleep Token, I originally started by looking for a linear narrative. I found one.
The key is in the drums. They signify the change. The drive. The hunger.
This leads us to a very capitvating tale of our protagonist, Vessel, acting in a way that attracts his passenger, Sleep, into his body. He and Sleep then begin a courtship that seems rocky at first, but eventually becomes even kiltered only to be muted in the next album.
I am getting ahead of myself. Sleep uses Vessel to gain power and control, at the expense of his catalyst, so that one day he can return to the angels and the gods who wait for Sleep to fail and return with his tail between his legs.
I have really enjoyed pulling this narrative out of the songs and will begin to break down my process on this page. If you'd like to see the ritual I see, please follow along! Worship with me!!!
When discussing Narrative, I will be using highlights to show which character is speaking. I will use Vessel and Blue for Sleep.
ONE EP
Tracks
1. Thread the Needle
[Verse 1]
Bury me inside this Labyrinth bed
We can feel that time is Dilated
Vessel is captivated by this relationship. He even says so in the next line
If we look at it tonally, or through its "vibe", this song is soft, sullen, downturned, but also retrospective in how it presents itself.
It gives the feeling of making a decision that you aren't happy you have to make but know it is the correct way to go.
The music grows with a heartbeat as it nears verse 2. Then, it drops out. This shows that Vessel is giving a hard truth that quiets the room. It needs to be heard, so the sound drops out.
This is Vessel trying to find a way through what he sees as not working, he's threading the needle in his mind.
During the outro, we get dark and heavy guitars with strong drums... Sleep is taking notice.
2. Fields of Elation
[Verse 1]
The daylight recedes in unison, this room
Buries the hours, like death in motion
[Chorus]
Nobody else can pull me out
The fields of elation, quiet and loamy
[Verse 2]
Your name is a sin I breathe, like oxygen
Caught in the careless arms of lust again
[Chorus]
Nobody else can pull me out
The fields of elation, quiet and loamy
[Chorus]
And nobody else can pull me out
The fields of elation, quiet and loamy
And nobody else can pull me out
The fields of elation, quiet and loamy
[Instrumental Break]
[Outro]
I'm losing my faith in our lives apart
I'm losing my faith in our lives apart
I'm losing my faith in our lives apart
I'm losing my faith in our lives apart
The daylight recedes in unison, this room
Buries the hours, like death in motion
He is so far into depression over the failure of the relationship, that he is sarcastic and bitter. The fields of elation here are not literal, this is sarcasm. They are quiet and loamy. This gives the imagery of softness and quiet that can suffocate if you aren't careful.
Nobody else can pull me out
The fields of elation, quiet and loamy
Soon we get Sleep's influence slowly beginning to build into our world. The drums are soft. They mirror a heartbeat. This is a birth.
The drum line also comes in when Vessel is specifically thinking about the subject of his previous relationship. But he realizes that this is just a lustful desire and not a longing for the true love he craves.
Your name is a sin I breathe, like oxygen
Caught in the careless arms of lust again
By the time we get to And nobody else can pull me out The fields of elation, quiet and loamy we can hear that Sleep, is fully materialized in a bouncy beat that could symbolize a newborn sleep or even Vessel giving into Sleep's toxin and finding enjoyment.
I'm losing my faith in our lives apart This is a callout to his previous relationship. But, this is also the beginning of convincing Sleep that Vessel is a worthy conduit. He is losing faith that he can survive this without Sleep's poison. He is beginning to give into the draw he feels towards Sleep.
Originally, when I sought out to consume and digest the lore of Sleep Token, I originally started by looking for a linear narrative. I found one.
The key is in the drums. They signify the change. The drive. The hunger.
This leads us to a very capitvating tale of our protagonist, Vessel, acting in a way that attracts his passenger, Sleep, into his body. He and Sleep then begin a courtship that seems rocky at first, but eventually becomes even kiltered only to be muted in the next album.
I am getting ahead of myself. Sleep uses Vessel to gain power and control, at the expense of his catalyst, so that one day he can return to the angels and the gods who wait for Sleep to fail and return with his tail between his legs.
I have really enjoyed pulling this narrative out of the songs and will begin to break down my process on this page. If you'd like to see the ritual I see, please follow along! Worship with me!!!
When discussing Narrative, I will be using highlights to show which character is speaking. I will use Vessel and Blue for Sleep.
ONE EP
Tracks
1. Thread the Needle
[Verse 1]
Bury me inside this
Labyrinth bed
We can feel that time is
Dilated
We can spend the night in
Fascination
You can thread the needle
Time and time again
You turn the lights down
Come on and find out
You turn the lights down
Come on and find out
Something to confide in
Something to erase
Just look at where we're lying
An invisible space
We can spend the night in
Fascination
You can thread the needle
Time and time again
You turn the lights down
Come on and find out
You turn the lights down
Come on and find out
So, what's it mean?!?
When looking at the lyrics, we can see Vessel is in a relationship. They are deep into this relationship.Bury me inside this Labyrinth bed
We can feel that time is Dilated
Vessel is captivated by this relationship. He even says so in the next line
We can spend the night in Fascination
Eventually though, he states that there are big issues and he doesn't feel seen in the current dynamic.Something to confide in
Something to erase
Just look at where we're lying
An invisible space
If we look at it tonally, or through its "vibe", this song is soft, sullen, downturned, but also retrospective in how it presents itself.
It gives the feeling of making a decision that you aren't happy you have to make but know it is the correct way to go.
The music grows with a heartbeat as it nears verse 2. Then, it drops out. This shows that Vessel is giving a hard truth that quiets the room. It needs to be heard, so the sound drops out.
This is Vessel trying to find a way through what he sees as not working, he's threading the needle in his mind.
During the outro, we get dark and heavy guitars with strong drums... Sleep is taking notice.
2. Fields of Elation
[Verse 1]
The daylight recedes in unison, this room
Buries the hours, like death in motion
[Chorus]
Nobody else can pull me out
The fields of elation, quiet and loamy
[Verse 2]
Your name is a sin I breathe, like oxygen
Caught in the careless arms of lust again
[Chorus]
Nobody else can pull me out
The fields of elation, quiet and loamy
[Chorus]
And nobody else can pull me out
The fields of elation, quiet and loamy
And nobody else can pull me out
The fields of elation, quiet and loamy
[Instrumental Break]
[Outro]
I'm losing my faith in our lives apart
I'm losing my faith in our lives apart
I'm losing my faith in our lives apart
I'm losing my faith in our lives apart
So, what's it mean?!?
Fields of Elation is a misdirection. This is common in the narrative. We start out the song with Vessel giving us his feelings of numbness and deepening despair.The daylight recedes in unison, this room
Buries the hours, like death in motion
He is so far into depression over the failure of the relationship, that he is sarcastic and bitter. The fields of elation here are not literal, this is sarcasm. They are quiet and loamy. This gives the imagery of softness and quiet that can suffocate if you aren't careful.
Nobody else can pull me out
The fields of elation, quiet and loamy
Soon we get Sleep's influence slowly beginning to build into our world. The drums are soft. They mirror a heartbeat. This is a birth.
The drum line also comes in when Vessel is specifically thinking about the subject of his previous relationship. But he realizes that this is just a lustful desire and not a longing for the true love he craves.
Your name is a sin I breathe, like oxygen
Caught in the careless arms of lust again
By the time we get to And nobody else can pull me out The fields of elation, quiet and loamy we can hear that Sleep, is fully materialized in a bouncy beat that could symbolize a newborn sleep or even Vessel giving into Sleep's toxin and finding enjoyment.
I'm losing my faith in our lives apart This is a callout to his previous relationship. But, this is also the beginning of convincing Sleep that Vessel is a worthy conduit. He is losing faith that he can survive this without Sleep's poison. He is beginning to give into the draw he feels towards Sleep.
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