Reaction to Sleep Token - Chokehold

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Original Video: • Sleep Token - Chokehold
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[@13lueBerryBluntz]

The whole catalogue is dedicated to someone vessel loved and lost. Now he only sees this person in his dreams and it torments him. Every single song by ST follows this motif, and Euclid being the final songs gives closure to the entire collective.

[@BUGG1257]

In terms of the bands lore, could this be "Sleep" The deity he saw perhaps?

[@glyoung99]

@@BUGG1257 Not sure, but I like that the way you're thinking.

[@BUGG1257]

@glyoung99 I was thinking this mainly because of "Take Me Back To Eden". Perhaps "Eden" is his maybe purpose/innocence as "Vessel". So the intro is him as vessel, but perhaps like I said Sleep has left him, leaving him as himself and not vessel. So the more anguished side towards the end is potentially him trying to reach out by any means? Just my interpretation!

[@glyoung99]

@@BUGG1257 I know who he is (found out accident) so I'm pretty sure I know who he's singing to if that's the case. I do like your interpretation.

[@BUGG1257]

@glyoung99 I know who he is as well, do you think it relates to, his "Real" side?

[@FreeAtlas.]

“It’s almost like he wants to be asleep” “sleep has him in a chokehold” Exactly correct. Sleep visits him in his dreams. In TMBTE “I dream in phosphorescence” and in The Apparition: “But I know that you will disappear just as I awake” and “Let’s make trouble in the dream world” and finally “Why are you never real, the shifting states you follow me through” all alluding to this. Of course looking at it through the scope of real life, then perhaps he lost someone he loved even if the relationship was toxic and the only happy place he can see that person is in his sleep. In his dreams

[@silentamarok7089]

When he says "above the mountain peaks", I close my eyes and i can really feel like I'm soaring high in the clouds. Vessel is able to paint such a vivid picture with his music.

[@LFV_1]

He actually reprised the entire first half of the first verse of chokehold at the end of the last chorus of TMBTE, just before the djenty outro drops

[@nahreallytho6583]

i only heard 'it was no accident' but now youve said that i can hear it clear as day

[@sdmakeupandentertainment]

Im a singer songwriter musician and ive been playing metal, rock, contemporary rock, and rap since i was a teenager and there hasn't been a band that inspires me in years as much as this band. I absolutely love them. ❤️

[@ekatyawa6714]

bloody hell, this fellow's reacting to SLEEP TOKEN in a hurry back to back, he's SOLD!!!

[@JariJuslin]

I tried to subscribe the second time already. Worship.

[@cristycarlton4547]

I love how you interpret the lyrics and the music. You've got some nice, insightful thoughts. Loving the Sleep Token journey so far Dave!

[@AMikeStein]

I think the line “even if it hurts me, even if o can’t sleep.” Refers to another desperate need to be perfect, like if you ask your wife what she thinks you need change about your self…. People naturally don’t want to think about their imperfections and even if it hurts me, I need to know. But it if hurts you an it’s a serious issue chances are you’re losing sleep over it after you’re told you need to change something it’ll eat away at your because hard truths hurt man.

[@MazzVG]

Cant get enough of people hearing ST for the first time!

[@DanSkinny]

This song dropped with no announcement on the first full moon of this year. It was the greatest surprise! Then the next day we got the Summoning. On the next full moon of 2023, we got “Granite” and “Aqua Regia” on the next day. I think these two should be the next two reacts for you bro!

[@cristycarlton4547]

OMG YES!! Granite is my absolute most favorite right now! Would love to see Dave do a reaction to that one!

[@snoozey_bear]

6:15 when you said the beat sounded like someone trying to catch their breath I actually tried breathing to the beat. If that is what they were going for it is spot on and wow to you for hearing it

[@KartalaBreed]

Finally, a reactor obsessed with the same parts of the song that I am! I love your focus on lyrics, and musicianship. Peep that crazy breath control at the end. As a trumpet player and singer, I appreciate his use of breath greatly.

[@Swishyhead]

It's so cool to see you reacting to Sleep Token! 🤩 I also really loved the line "I'll turn my walls to gold to bring you home again", but I had a slightly different take on it. Yes, gold is something shining and precious, and turning your walls to gold can be seen as an impressive and practically impossible feat - but gold is also the softest metal, meaning those walls can be very easily breached. This soft, shining thing they're offering is making them vulnerable, or is maybe the concept of vulnerability itself.

[@oviate1]

Loving all the Sleep Token reactions. But it’s time to start dipping into the back catalog. You need to experience Bloodsport (from the Room Below). Alkaline, Hypnosis, The Offering, Dark Signs, Higher, The Night Does Not Belong To God, Atlantic, Nazareth, Jaws, Sugar There isn’t a bad song

[@JustCammie]

Omg yessss Dark Signs!!

[@sdmakeupandentertainment]

Best band ever!

[@thesundrinker]

​@@JustCammiethat song sold me on this band for life. Absolutely a masterclass.

[@SingerslashNovelist]

OMG YES! Bloodsport makes me bawl every time! 💜

[@mudd4561]

I hope you give Vore a reaction soon. I love hearing your interpretation of each of Sleep Tokens songs so far and it has helped me grasp a better understanding of them.

[@thesundrinker]

I always image "So you keep me sharp and test my worth in blood" and when the choke hold is released, the drop is this instrument of violence being released.

[@mack2132]

Love all the nuances you point out in the music, makes me hear things I never noticed before

[@Foxxy_420]

Loving the speed of these reactions 👍💜🕯️

[@alexasginsburg4361]

Im loving your reactions! ( Ive been through all Sleep Token and making my way through Tool :) ) I realized this the other day, and Im not sure if youve made it to Aqua Regia, but by Vessel referring to this toxic love/partnership as Aqua Regia ( the chemical compound that dissolves precious metals like gold) and him wanting to turn his walls to gold to bring them back to him un this song, hes willing to put himself in a position to be destroyed again just because he wants to be with this person again. Its so thoughtfully done!!

[@whatitdodave]

Well, I haven’t made it to that video yet, and I would have liked to see if I figured the song out on my own before reading this haha. At least I will have context going into the song whenever I get to it.

[@alexasginsburg4361]

@whatitdodave ahh so sorry :( I just got so stoked about your conclusions. Ill shut up now lol but Ill keep watching :)

[@annettebogart]

I love your analytical approach to reviewing music.

[@xtop23]

There's 4 levels going on simultaneously....... and it's magnificent. It's not TOO demanding audibly ....... but, it expects you to be capable. If you don't hear "it",.... it's NOT the music......... it's you. Deal with it.

[@scottdolohite9261]

You have a very intriguing and insightful perspective on breaking down the lyrics. Also, top 2 stank face, right up there with Sean Staxx!

[@rileysmith6030]

Loving the reactions man, appreciate you taking the time to dive into this whole album with us!

[@MagnusXAlec4ever]

That sound in the beginning reminds me of a Tesla coil. The sound it makes when you touch something to the outside glass and the electricity is drawn to it. Which sums up Sleep Token's songs pretty well. That longing for what you can't have and the pain of that realization.

[@rob3040]

Ya know, many reactions from people who are not highly trained vocalists often leave me feeling like the “reactor” had nothing to offer other than their own opinion of whether they liked the track. You give some great insight into lyrics and how they interact with melody and other production elements. I gain a new appreciation for something I already loved. That’s fairly special and rare. Wonderful job, and thank you.

[@Titsuka420]

Listen to Will Ramos cover of this soooo good!

[@grischad20]

I was looking exactly for that comment

[@Foxxy_420]

To me part of what makes the lyrics so impressive is you can look at it through so many lenses, Almost every song seems to be talking about something very real and also talking about the lore, the songs are tokens to the deity of Sleep. And to me 'Sleep' can represent anything you worship, real sleep included 😊

[@parafluxuation]

Yo your reasoning through this is why I subscribed. Keep thinking brother

[@Shawayze]

The lyrics just hit different compared to alot of modern music out there these days. Excited to see your thoughts on Ascensionism when you get there 😍 Worship 🙏

[@whatitdodave]

That was my first reaction to this group. Reaction to Sleep Token - Ascensionism kzbin.info/www/bejne/jpPRZnVpiLmLhpY

[@gerardomorales4078]

Yes! This was the track that opened the can of worms for me and made me a ST fan for life! I can't wait to see what others you check out. I'd like to see what you think of The Love You Want and what the video means. Great lyrics too!

[@tracihoeflick666]

I feel like you and I are discovering Sleep Token at the same time. I found out about them through Will Ramos of Lorna Shore, as I've been a metalhead since highschool (44yo now). I gotta tell ya, this shit that Vessel is doing is god damn revolutionary. If this is the direction metal is going then im def here for it! Metal needed something to happen and I feel like this is it!!!! Also, Im really enjoying your content!!!

[@mvpbass]

Such great reviews of this band! Much more involved and insightful. Love your thought process of it. Can't wait for more!

[@JariJuslin]

Interesting analysis of the vocals and lyrics! There are layers and layers here, like in all good poetry. Officially the trilogy is about a god-like entity Sleep that shows Vessel visions in dreams. But it's quite clear Vessel has been in a very toxic and tormenting relationship - it's just so recurring theme and you just cannot fake the emotions in for example Are You Really Okay? Or Blood Sport (from the room below) without having actually experienced them in your life. He might be acting out that torment when he performs, but it's blatantly clear he's intimately familiar with how those settings feel, and has experienced it for real.

[@gmdragon117]

You said it! SLEEP!! sleep has him in a chockhold!! If you know the lore all of the three albums tell a story about vessel and sleep!

[@JustCammie]

You're so observant! I feel like you could appreciate something in almost any piece of music picking up on everything like you do.

[@azraelcales]

The character from TMBTE is Azrael. The angel of death. Most don't know the actual lore because the church doesn't like associating death with angels. They are genderless but also both. If you notice in the video it looks at times like the left side of the chest is more male. It's because they are anamorphic.

[@Jrocka7x]

Will Ramos from Lorna Shore has an amazing Cover of this song.

[@Necromattik]

Man, I really appreciate your insights on these songs! ✌️🤘

[@mAimAtsUki]

The energy of this band is so infectious; it's impossible not to get swept up in their sound. I also think Nick Thurl's new song is mindlowing! React to it, you won't be disappointed 🔥

[@DarkestofTimes]

The distortion in the background always sounds like Spirit in the Sky to me, by Norman Greenbaum.

[@Siendorf]

Love this song! I thought i was the only one who focused on how it sounds like vessel is choking when he says chokehold brfroe the drop! Its my favorite part and then boom drop

[@Sticky_Monke]

You need to watch Sleep Tokens Drum play through of their song “Hypnosis”. Their drummer doesn’t get the love he deserves.

[@earthscorcher]

(en)tangling/entwining is one of the recurring motifs across all of the albums!

[@jonathanmahl]

The tangeled part is included in the song TMBTE, right before the last breakdown. And a hot tip: before listening to Euclid you gotta hear the night does not belong to god and fall for me! Cheers bud!

[@allenatwell8]

One of my favorite songs ever but I never disected the lyrics the way you did. That was great

[@damiandusk]

A lot of people dont realize hes not saying "even if i cant sleep" hes saying "Even if i can't, Sleep" theres a very deliverste pause because remember he refers to his deity as sleep.

[@MajaZaguan]

Check out the cover done by Will Ramos from "Lorna Shore", it's beautiful! Appreciate you doing another Sleep Token reaction, thank you!

[@wishnewsky]

That is a specific type of cymbal, unironically called "china cymbal"

[@lc81002]

Did you recognize the opening lines from the end of TMBTE? The opening synth from The Summoning is in there too, along with some references to much older songs. Go back and listen to it again now that you've heard this one. I love how Vessel tied in so many things from other songs at the end of the album. It's supposed to be the conclusion of this story arc, so I'm really curious to see where they go next.

[@shadowstalker1120]

Waiting patiently for you to discover Euclid. My favorite track from this album

[@DanSkinny]

You know he’s gotta get through the rest of this album and then hear “The Night Does Not Belong To God” before he touches the first millisecond of Euclid.

[@shadowstalker1120]

@@DanSkinny It would definitely maximize the impact

[@dominicscotti8602]

Bro said chainsaw in human form, boy do I have a show for you

[@iwad4]

The apparition

[@earthscorcher]

Also, love how you really are kinda figuring things out without even knowing what's going on fully 😂 can't wait for you to just figure out all the lore as you go, simply by being a perceptive, insightful human.

[@armadyllan2351]

What it dooooo

[@olREDEMlPTIONo]

DAVEEEEE

[@denielf.7169]

Granite is a good one too. If you want hard, Gods is fantastic as well. I'm partial to Levitate, Mine and Fall for me as softer ones.

[@Nightbender509]

With death and loss being the theme, sleep is actually death, i think. Grief and loss are choking the life out of him. The "holy duty to stay awake" "even if i cant sleep" parts are life and staying alive. "Show me the way" is i want to die and be back with you. If i cannot to anything physically including, turning walls to gold, show me how you died so i can do it too and we can be together... might be way off but, death is a consistent theme in this album and all the angels/demons have syths or some other weapon eluding to death.

[@paravarium]

Hope this train isn't slowing any time soon🙌🙏

[@kamenboneff2270]

Brother, you must see Will Ramos' cover of this. He's the biggest metal vocalist right now with his band Lorna Shore

[@whatitdodave]

I have reactions to Lorna Shore on this channel, but stopped because their label started blocking my reactions 😒

[@dalj4362]

​@@whatitdodaveI wouldn't bother with the Ramos cover. It's just an imitation of the original.😒

[@akindheartedmetalhead2318]

Rain is a must

[@adriansmith6993]

Tricky metaphors

[@GankScythe]

he saaaid, the clippers are talkin to me 👁👄👁

[@DracoJ]

Something to take note of that i still dont fully understand is their is some Cult element to the band in worship of a diety known as Sleep. So "Sleep has him in a chokehold might not be far off" But i dont know for sure.

[@whatitdodave]

I did some research after this. Despite what people are saying this is about in the comments, it looks like this song is about selfless devotion and the trials and sacrifices that comes with it. With the devotion being to Sleep.

[@DracoJ]

@@whatitdodave ok thanks. Guess we both know a little more now.

[@nmitrading]

Honestly apparition has the most stank to it

[@ChloeeBingham]

Please do Bloodsport (I orefer og but FTRB is also incredible), alkaline, hypnosis, the summoning and rain. Tried to limit my choices but they're just so good

[@SFWUxSavage]

This whole album is amazing I would definitely recommend aqua regia or DYWTYLM (do you wish that you loved me)

[@jamesblazer9836]

I find myself wondering how you'd feel about music in other languages

[@whatitdodave]

I have a buch on this channel. Here’s some. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rJrCc31qaZuDr7M kzbin.info/www/bejne/qWe5in-MgLaml7c

[@jamesblazer9836]

@@whatitdodave only recently found you. My bad

[@TheGregh1977]

granite next!

[@kyleburns1340]

I has the same feeling. To me the drop feels like a release not a high point.

[@ingovonderluhe2174]

Beleave it or not....the WILL RAMOS (Lorna Shore) Cover Version of this Song is even BETTER !!!!!

[@J.J.Gosnell]

13:30 You know

[@jscott7490]

Love the reaction … but man… the pausing is killing me lol

[@TwPpopcorn]

🔥🔥💣😶‍🌫️🍻🍿

[@elbeetlebeasto]

Some constructive feedback here: On your first listen through a Sleep Token song, maybe don't try to analyze the lyrics so much. I only say that because it takes several listens to really pick these songs apart, and with every listen you will uncover the meaning a little more. You only get one shot at hearing these songs for the first time though, and we are here to see your _reaction_ to that, after all. So just focus on giving us your reaction in real-time and try not to get too profound about it. And if you want to do a follow up video to really dig in and analyze the song and find it's meaning, that would be awesome as it's own video. And you get to make 2 videos out of 1 song. But yeah, great content man, I like what you're doing, keep it up