BLIND REACTING to SLEEP TOKEN

[@Annabellelinker]

CLARIFICATION: I listened to the entirety of each song in real life. I just fast-forwarded in the edit for the audience because I thought you would be bored watching a 30 to 40 minute video of someone listening to music 😂 However, many of you have expressed you hated that. So I have 2 questions for you. Would you prefer a long video reacting to multiple songs, or would you prefer one song per video? And do you like when the person reacting pauses the song a few times throughout to discuss it, or would you prefer I wait till it’s finished to talk about it? Thanks everyone for your feedback!

[@Erichwanh]

The general consensus is one song per video, which also helps narrow down what songs/bands do better on your channel. As for pausing, that's up to you. No, seriously, that is an entirely you choice. There will be people that hate pausing, and also people that hate when you just sit and listen to the song with no commentary until the end. You will not come to a consensus about that, ever, so you do what feels best for you, and the folks that don't like it can find a different reaction channel to watch.

[@Caldyman]

My preference: 1 song per video. No fast-forwards. Pauses are ok, just try not to overdo it.

[@Cxax]

Sleep Token reaction viewers can be overwhelming with their excitement when they find someone new to the band. They can be annoying or pushy for reacting to things in whatever order or whatever way they think is best and come off as rude even if they are really just happy to share in the experience with you. I *think* most of us would be happy to watch almost anybody listen to every single Sleep Token song from the beginning of their discography to the end. Generally, this is done one song at a time and with no jump cuts so we get the full authentic reaction and feel the music progressing as you feel it. People kind of feed off reliving their first listens of songs through watching people react. When there are skips it throws the viewers experience off even if it is all authentic in your original recording lol. Posting full song reactions sometimes causes problems with KZbin copyright sensors and makes your job of recording and editing more of a hassle though, so be mindful of that. Ultimately, I think we would watch you listen/react/analyze Sleep Token songs in whatever way you like doing it.

[@Kira-qc4qi]

Prefer one song per video, and pausing is actually encouraged instead of talking over the music. Just rewind 5-10 secs after you give your take to get the momentum back. Super looking forward to more Sleep Token content!

[@BryanTheCEO]

1 per song starting from the first album and going in order song by song. The songs and albums are all intertwined.

[@MrMellovv]

The “me” part in alkaline was recorded that way deliberately. As in a sigh like shes changing me and i cant resist anymore..but yeah.

[@Annabellelinker]

Yeah another guy commented this too! And mentioned Vessel has some unusual vocal choices. I’ll have to listen to their other stuff because I’m really curious about that

[@ILoveLamp-sj4bx]

He is very artsy with his lyrics lol

[@turnbasedtoddy7664]

How do you know that?

[@spyder6423]

You have to imagine a band as particular as them and how much studio time they do, every piece of their master track was decided on. I get that vibe from listening to their mixing.

[@dkorody81]

There are no accidents. The ME is absolutely intentional to sound exactly the way it does for a reason.

[@JariJuslin]

If you want to hear Vessel really communicating emotion just with his voice and a piano, check Blood Sport (from the room below)!

[@DrkNinja_]

WHOA WHOA WHOA! You gotta give her some fucking warning ahead of time bro! That song is makes you feel things, like a LOT of things... like make you wanna cry your eyes out and not know why kinda shit... Great suggestion, it's my favorite ST song, which I know is shitty cuz it's basically just Vessel but... Vessel's voice is mesmerizing

[@joesinclair9731]

Vessel writes the guitars, bass, piano and obviously the vocals. 2 comes and lays down the insane drums. 3 and 4 come along on the tours to play guitar and bass. Love or hate the band, no one can deny how talented vessel is.

[@DrkNinja_]

I just learned this fact recently and it reminds me a lot of Trent Reznor and how he does all the recording for NIN in studio, such a cool factoid.

[@vybz987]

5:00 yep that part blew up on tiktok. One of the main reasons they got so popular. Also ascensionism by them is my favourite song ever and Atlantic has one of, if not his best vocal performances

[@Annabellelinker]

That makes so much sense because as soon as I heard that part I thought “wait, this sounds familiar”. It’s mind-blowing how much TikTok has changed the music landscape. I’ll have to check out ascensionism in a part 2

[@scribblygjl]

i know people are suggesting other songs to listen to, but i think hypnosis really showcases what vessel can do with his breath/singing through his teeth/sighing out notes.... so so good.

[@brandonb.5304]

I think the trail off and off-key note on the "me" was intentional and an artistic choice. He's hurt and realizing it aloud leads him to vocally break. All of Sleep Token's albums are extremely well-produced, so I don't think they'd accidentally let something like that get past them if it weren't intentional. Vessel does this in other songs too, leaves breaths in, voice cracks, etc. It's part of his vocal technique--trying to portray human emotion.

[@eracer776]

Im glad you liked them! The first time i listened to them i didnt care much for it but they really grew on me. Now im a huge fan.

[@Annabellelinker]

They’re super unique for sure! A great addition to the music scene

[@TheCyberpolicedept]

The most dead fish reaction to the summoning I’ve seen so far.

[@Annabellelinker]

😂 I’m hard to impress

[@EverAfterPilates]

😂😂😂

[@EverAfterPilates]

I can’t imagine how you could be hard to impress. It’s almost like you come from some kind of super hard-core family where you can fail auditions to sing at your grandmother’s funeral or something. 😂

[@thelostsouls11]

@@EverAfterPilates😭😭

[@Alchemymetalist]

Imagine saying “Vessel didn’t have enough breath support”. Ohh wait! 😂

[@Annabellelinker]

I can imagine saying it because I did say it 😂. And I stand by it. However, if it was intentional for stylistic purposes I understand

[@JariJuslin]

Knowing his capabilities as a singer and how he tweaks every part of every song til there's nothing left to chance, I'm pretty sure it's a stylistic choice. Did you for example notice that the "bird" sounds in TMBTE were actually digital glitches? Which fits the theme of the song perfectly - what first seemed natural and beautiful was actually unnatural and twisted. Like the story the song tells.

[@leaanthony858]

Dude has a set of lungs for sure. The end of Chokehold is a great example of just how much air he can use. 💯a stylistic choice.

[@stacygibson6074]

I am fully sure it was a stylistic choice and not a breath support issue from a man who can do 17 push ups on stage and get up and sing like he didn’t even move a muscle

[@Ennui.]

​​@@stacygibson6074wow, 17 pushups? Get of his dick ffs

[@corey0623]

found this by randomly scrolling through sleep token reaction videos. Your editing is good! subscribed for more videos edited like this condensed.

[@Annabellelinker]

Thank you for enjoying it! 😅 well I’ve had a lot of hate on this editing style, it’s nice to hear you liked it. I think for the next video I will play the full song for those who enjoy that, and put an option to fast forward to the end for the main commentary

[@corey0623]

@@Annabellelinker My personal rabbit hole on this was id already listened to the song myself and I wanted to see other people experience it for the first time. Most videos I skip to the dramatic drops and just watch the ~30 seconds leading up to each twist and the music pause commentary. Since you did that in post I was able to watch your video without skipping. Its a tough question to answer since every viewer is different but that was my experience and why I appreciated your cuts that I know took you more time than just uploading it raw.

[@Annabellelinker]

@corey0623 thank you for replying I appreciate your feedback! 🙈 okay so I also prefer summed up videos, but SO many people want the entire song. I’ll give an entire song video a shot, but I’m glad someone else likes a summary. If the full song video doesn’t do well I’m sticking with this

[@bradleyhall4315]

Hey liked your format and analysis was sure to leave a thumbs up. I will say on the Alkaline critique: I understand why you would think that specific part was unsupported or off-key, with most metal singers being, lets be honest, sub par. However, if you continue your listening you will probably find that everything Vessel does is intentional. He will often leave in breaths, sing through his teeth, or not use his tongue at all to add some color to the tone.

[@jasonnielsen9683]

Agreed. That effect was intentional. It is all about emotional effect with Vessel.

[@Annabellelinker]

That’s good to know, thank you for telling me. A few other people commented this too. There have already been requests for more songs so I’ll have to do a part 2 and look at more of Vessel’s vocals. I’m really curious to hear some of these other effects you’ve mentioned

[@FengshenNL]

@@Annabellelinker Nice! Glad to hear you liked it and found the comments encouraging enough to do a part 2! I'm subscribed and will be ready for a part 2 when it comes out! Will check some of your other vids in the meantime. :)

[@tomstessl7919]

@@Annabellelinker Looking forward to more!! Definitely dive into some older tracks on your next Journey! Jaws, The Night Does Not Belong To God, Dark Signs, Higher just to suggest a few. 😁

[@thisischeesecake847]

Love ur ST react. Please include their under rated but yet super catchy song “the love you want”. Will be waiting for the next one

[@inviz88]

They're not music videos they're just visualizers. Thanks for the video!

[@strkilla89]

Listening to all three of their albums in order back to back is a serious trip. It’s got an excellent continuous story and there’s tie-ins across the albums

[@dumbstupid5065]

Ascensionism though. That track has some of the best lyrics ever. Literally.

[@mauriciomenj]

Hi. I suggest the next Sleep Token songs: Ascensionism, Chokehold, Vore, Higher, The Offering, The Love You Want, DYWTYLM, Euclid

[@Annabellelinker]

Thank you for suggesting them, I will add these to the list! ✅

[@eliahdayton3448]

This is a good spread. Some of their chiller songs such as Atlantic, Bloodsport (from the room below version), and The Night Does Not Belong to God should be added too. They are a band with wide reach in tone and genre. Good luck!

[@CosmoLad]

​@@AnnabellelinkerI can't believe you're not using headphones, doing the band a big injustice!

[@Annabellelinker]

@@eliahdayton3448​​⁠I’m definitely adding The Night Does Not Belong to God because I love that name

[@Annabellelinker]

@@CosmoLad😂yeah you’re right! When I was listening to the songs again on my couch with AirPods in, I considered furiously re-recording because I wanted to talk about all the nice bass parts that were difficult to hear on speaker (but then figured that would make the reaction less blind). In part 2 I will do earbuds. I had them on speaker so it would be easier to line up the audio and video when editing. However I’ll just have to figure out a hand signal or something

[@HolyBurntTrephines]

I'm pretty sure the breathy pronunciation of "me" in Alkaline was definitely on purpose. He does a lot of breathing sounds throughout different songs. Personally I'm a big fan of the way it sounds, conveys a lot of emotion to me. Check out choke hold or hypnosis, in both of those songs he also demonstrates a few other ways he can manipulate his vocal cords. Curious to see part two.

[@Amiamigg]

Wish you would've included aqua regia in this for the full trip, hahahaha

[@steveyraeyne8493]

Yes, and Vore or Gods to get a better vision of their metal side

[@run4walk]

Genre-bending is clearly their intention. Some think they do it immaculately and other's think it just comes across as clunky and doesn't fit well. The RnB/rap vibes are something that was only really introduced in the Take Me Back to Eden Album (where The Summoning, Take Me Back to Eden, Granite and Chokehold are all from) but their previous albums still mix metal/rock/electronic/pop instrumentals into one song.

[@dkorody81]

Granite is conaidered "Dark Pop".

[@jasonnielsen9683]

I think taking the "God" lore too seriously is a bit of a disservice to what the overall theme and storytelling are about. That being said, there is a large fan contingency that follow the "Sleep" lore as the only meaning of the songs/lyrics. However, I tend to feel that the message is more around worship of toxic relationships that destroy and change us. What that relationship is is the mystery of Sleep Token.

[@Annabellelinker]

So do you think the lore is more of a fun creation on the band’s part to give the fan base something to hold onto, or do you think the guy’s take it seriously? 🧐 from just my intro to them it seems like interesting storytelling, and not actually a real cult basis 😂 however I could definitely see how an audience could take it to an extreme level

[@jasonnielsen9683]

@@Annabellelinker I wouldn't call the God lore fun. The idea is that Sleep is a manipulative and toxic deity that promises fame and glory for complete worship. My thoughts on it is that there is something in Vessel's past that has given him an overwhelming feeling of sorrow and guilt that has engulfed his being and all the music he creates. Maybe Sleep is a creation to be a symbol of that guilt or he is mentally unstable, but I don't believe the emotions that Vessel displays live are fake. The man literally cries during performances so I don't feel that is for effect. Hope that answers your question.

[@Annabellelinker]

@@jasonnielsen9683 Wow that takes my perception of the band in a completely new direction. I was thinking of Sleep the deity as an idol Vessel WANTED the audience to adore. Perhaps it’s more that he’s trapped as an acolyte for Sleep, and Sleep is a representation of the darker parts of human nature? Or his own nature? Now I have to watch some live videos of them. Thank you for giving me this background info!

[@SJFord]

They probably just made those music videos on blender themselves so probably not that expensive haha

[@mikedraper9572]

If you do a part 2 some songs that I personally love (as do many others) would be these: Ascensionism Are you really okay Rain Chokehold The apparition Also first time watching and liked your breakdowns of these songs

[@danandersson7768]

Definetely not out of breath. Artistic choice for sure. Vessel uses a lot of breathing sounds ”and singing through his teeth” so to speak.

[@josephdaughtry1371]

You had me right up to the point you started skipping parts of the music. Best of luck ..

[@Annabellelinker]

You’re not the only person who felt this way. I listened to the entire songs in real life; however when I went to edit I realized the video would have been 30-40 minutes long and worried that was boring to watch So I want to ask you also: do you prefer a long video reacting to multiple full songs, or would you like on song reaction at a time? Also, do you like when the person reacting pauses the song to talk about it a few times, or would you rather they wait to the end to discuss it?

[@josephdaughtry1371]

@@Annabellelinker pausing is good. It's a reaction vid. I'm looking for your take. But The essence of the music gets lost when it gets hacked up. Your channel Miss, do it how you like. My advice would be to be careful when you edit...😎🎏

[@stacygibson6074]

The me part was for sure a stylistic choice. The man can do 17 push ups on stage and get up and sing like he wasn’t even doing anything. Additionally they aren’t just metal. At all. They’re all about music and they don’t claim to be any genre.

[@NerdyDumb]

I lived in England for a year. Sleep Token is a popular band there. The whole identity thing is new. Everyone knew who they were. I don't understand why everyone is making a fuss now.

[@DarthLetalis]

The algorithm brought me here.... I've seen many reaction channels, but I don't know if I've seen one that did multiple songs at once. I liked that. The first song of theirs I heard was The Summoning, and I liked it. But when I heard Chokehold, I was all in on hearing everything they've recorded.

[@Annabellelinker]

I still haven’t gotten to chokehold yet! I made a part 2 and was spinning a wheel to determine the next songs, but it didn’t come up. Hoping it and Bloodsport come up in part 3 (I’ve had Bloodsport recommended the most I would say)

[@DarthLetalis]

@@Annabellelinker The wheel will decide. Blessed be the wheel.

[@DubbaToob]

You really should listen to the full Take Me Back to Eden album with headphones on like you mentioned it’ll take you sad, beautiful, joyful etc places lol

[@syther112]

I feel like this video NEEDS a part 2. There's so much more to explore from the 2 previous albums if you're curious.

[@Annabellelinker]

For sure! I’ve actually recorded a part 2 that should be on the way this week 😂 at this point I think I’m going to have to do a deep dive into their entire discography

[@syther112]

@@Annabellelinker yes please! With such a variety of music they produce, you've kinda got to 😂😂

[@kylewelsh_krossdesu7700]

Hey Annabelle. So, I primarily watch music reaction content and I think you did a great job here. As far as my personal preferences go, I'd say that I enjoy commentary throughout if it doesn't interfere with the vibe of the song too much. I guess to me that would be making more concise commentary during the song (without too many breaks) and then going back to discuss things in more detail after the listen is complete. I think it's great to react to multiple songs at once, but that can take up a lot of time. Some people don't want to listen to entire album reactions like I enjoy, so I'd probably focus on a single song at a time. You can always release longer reactions every once in a while or even release extended versions on another channel, a Patreon, or something like that. I'm excited to see what you release next!

[@jessicar5748]

They’re next level.

[@moldovancristian639]

I suggest less fast forward People are watching for the reaction

[@Annabellelinker]

Okay thank you for saying that. I listened to the entire songs in real life; however when I went to edit I realized the video would have been 30-40 minutes long and worried that was boring to watch Question for future videos: do you prefer multiple songs in one longer video, or would you like one song at a time?

[@MrCladious]

One at a time.@@Annabellelinker

[@arimewillow4278]

They write soundscapes and stories. Its not any one genre. ❤

[@LorenzoFrausto]

I think you would really find Ren - Hi Ren, the video, very interesting. He’s an independent artist. It’s what I gathered from your comments. Enjoyed the reaction. If you do react to it, keep in mind it’s a live one take. Have a great day, cheer’s!

[@Annabellelinker]

Is the artist named Ren and the song called “Hi Ren”? I will look it up

[@LorenzoFrausto]

@@Annabellelinker Yes, that's correct.

[@edgarnotley5062]

love sleepy token

[@carlingram1003]

I'm curious what the visualizers cost too... they look cool but would be super easy to make in Blender.

[@Annabellelinker]

Really? I don’t know much about art. Maybe they aren’t as expensive as I would assume?

[@ernonikkola1084]

Worship

[@maudjito]

When editing the song in, why is the audio monoaural? It sounds so bad for the video

[@Annabellelinker]

Can you give me some more info-are you only hearing the sound out of one ear if you’re listening with headphones? I had that audio problem on the first video I uploaded to this series 😕 I’m not sure why these issues are persisting

[@maudjito]

@@Annabellelinker The original songs have different audios for the left and right sides. On the video, both sides play the same audio. You're probably transforming your Mic audio into mono, but the song audio should not be captured in mono. Try comparing the original songs (using earbuds or headphones) and the ones played in this video and you'll hear the difference.

[@Annabellelinker]

Hey thank you so much this was helpful!

[@thehurtfam]

Gotta get some invent animate on here stat !

[@Annabellelinker]

Cool I’ll check them out! Never heard of them

[@thehurtfam]

@@Annabellelinker without a whisper ….shade astray …..false meridian …..Elysium ……heavener …..sleepless deathbed ……just as few ……oh and the sun sleeps , as if it never was

[@Frank_Serota]

You should definitely invest in some good headphones or IEM's in the future so you can hear production/details better while you react

[@Annabellelinker]

For sure. In the part 2 I recorded (still editing it) I used AirPods-would you recommend something different? I’d love to have a higher quality way to listen

[@Frank_Serota]

@@Annabellelinker Honestly there's nothing wrong with airpods, when I'm at home I have a pair of open-back Hifiman Sundara's that I drive with the JDS labs atom stack (highly recommend that combo if you want an intro to audiophile gear), but everywhere else I'm more than happy with my airpod pro 2's. On youtube there's not much of a difference between the two, Apple music lossless or streaming from TIDAL would let you get the most of the audiophile gear but then you don't get the videos👍 My bad I started yapping lol but in short the airpods are perfectly fine for the reaction videos

[@Frank_Serota]

For great quality that's not taxing to the ear, open-back planar headphones like my Hifiman's are my pick, I think they even have some affordable planar IEM's now but i haven't tried them out myself

[@Annabellelinker]

You aren’t yapping at all, I appreciate your advice! Perhaps I should look into Apple or Tidal and upgraded gear in the future to get a better listening experience. Thank you for your audiophile knowledge

[@Frank_Serota]

@@Annabellelinker You definitely won't regret it!

[@dallasbagley]

Cinemetal.

[@Annabellelinker]

Is this a real genre or did you just make it up? 😂 because you’re 100% right, that’s EXACTLY what they are

[@dallasbagley]

@@Annabellelinker No, ha. I think you called it Cinematic Metal or something. I just shortened it.

[@dallasbagley]

@@Annabellelinker You ever listen to Lacuna Coil? If not, check out their album titled, Comalies. The whole record is a play-through. No bad songs. They're also cinemetalish.

[@realisticthought1781]

If by tool you meant progressive, then yes

[@avi3020]

Please react to slaughter to prevail 🙏🏼❤

[@Annabellelinker]

Okay I’ll add it to the list! ✅

[@J.J.Gosnell]

Edit yourself talking not the song.

[@Annabellelinker]

Watch part 2-it has full length songs

[@kevinmyles6369]

Yeah, they're defo not like Slipknot 😆🤘🏻

[@turnbasedtoddy7664]

Their sound is not like slipknot but their gimmick absolutely is. It’s nothing new. Yeah they are good but let’s not act like the whole gimmick is some genius idea.

[@AlienPsyop]

😈👽

[@paulrytima]

Welcome to the world of Sleep Token. You may regret entering the realm of some of the most insufferable and self-serving fans in the metal scene.

[@Annabellelinker]

@paulrytima 😂 your comment is quite apt. Over the past few days I’ve been bombarded with comments - some people have been awesome, and others have been….