ALBUM REVIEW: Self Hell – While She Sleeps
WHILE SHE SLEEPS‘ sixth album Self Hell proves why good things come to those who wait. After working their way up from clubs to Alexandra Palace over the course of 17 years, 2023 set the Sheffield five-piece up for even greater success; with Self Hell, 2024 will be the tipping point. It is unlike anything that the band have made, ranging from pop-metal and drum ‘n’ bass to heartfelt ballads, and yet it all works thanks to the fantastic production by guitarist Sean Long and the band’s longtime producer Carl Brown.
Peace Of Mind sets the stage for what’s to come as a choir, instruments and vocals build to a crescendo. After the release of the title track back in September last year, fans were worried that WHILE SHE SLEEPS had lost their edge and ‘sold out’. The opening verse of Leave Me Alone puts those doubts to bed as the band declare “We are WHILE SHE SLEEPS” before launching into one of the heaviest riffs that has been put to any of their songs. The vocals are another beast entirely, as Loz Taylor switches from vicious screams in the first verse to rapping in the second verse, while the chorus provides the perfect sing-along backed up by a dance-influenced beat.
The dance influences continue on Rainbows, with trippy-sounding vocal distortions, before the title track switches things to a nu-metal groove. In the context of the album, it fits right at home. Whilst every song having a different genre might sound like a recipe for disaster, here it works really well. Of course, it’s not perfect, as the title track doesn’t stick out as much when sandwiched between Rainbows and Wildfire, which are two of the most outstanding songs on the album. It sounds like the band recorded one of their live shows as an album. Whilst the pacing of the songs might be all over the place, as an album it holds well together as it is essentially a record of two halves, with the first being incredibly fast and in-your-face, before going into the second half.
It is the latter half of the album that provides most of its best. Notably slower than the first half, the lyrics of Dopesick discuss the warnings of identifying yourself by your mental illness, and provides a nice nod to the Eye To Eye video with the lyric “You are not your mind“. But the best song on the album is To The Flowers, which is about death; the lyrics are raw and heartbreaking, and this will be one song that will undoubtedly bring the audience to tears when played live. It also provides Adam Savage with the opportunity to show off the best of his drumming skills.
After the interlude Out Of The Blue, Enemy Mentality brings the energy back up. It has huge guitar riffs and a fantastic sing-along chorus. However, it is bassist Aaran McKenzie who really shines through in the quieter moments of the song. Radical Hatred/Radical Love might be a bit cliché as it’s an acoustic song that closes out the album. However, it is a masterful song that feels like a warm hug from the band through their music, especially with the lyric “I will be here for you when no one is.”
Overall, WHILE SHE SLEEPS have created their magnum-opus. Self Hell is the band at their very best. They have dared to throw the metalcore rulebook out of the window and carve their own path and the results are outstanding. Whilst they’ve flirted with electronica in the past, here WHILE SHE SLEEPS throw everything but the kitchen sink. There’s something for everyone on this album, whether you like metalcore, pop, rock or electronic music, while the production ensures that it doesn’t fall apart because it is clear that it has been given the utmost care and attention. This is an album that will go on to define WHILE SHE SLEEPS in years to come.
Rating: 9/10
Self Hell is set for release on March 29th via self-release.
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