While She Sleeps - 'SO WHAT?' Album Review

Tracklist:

1. ANTI-SOCIAL

2. I'VE SEEN IT ALL

3. INSPIRE

4. SO WHAT?

5. THE GUILTY PARTY

6. HAUNT ME

7. ELEPHANT

8. SET YOU FREE

9. GOOD GRIEF

10. BACK OF MY MIND

12. GATES OF PARADISE

While She Sleeps have locked themselves in the studio for months on end and came back with their new album “SO WHAT?” which is due to drop 1st March. Loz Taylor, lead vocalist said “We’ve let our hair down and we’ve got our bollocks out. I’m not fucking about. I’m not cutting corners. I’ve been writing like this will be my last album.”

With that said, opening track “ANTI-SOCIAL” feels like your entering into the mind of the band through an ally way, dogs barking and sirens faintly in the background, you then turn a corner and hear that recognisable While She Sleeps riff. This track brings the whole package, as the leading single track - it’s an outstanding follow up from “You Are We”. “'You Are We' got us to this special position, and it’s given us a platform,” says guitarist Sean Long. “For us, it’s like, ‘What can we do to really stick this in people’s faces? What can we put out there that we’re buzzing off?’ I don’t want to be following everyone else; I want people to follow us.”

Mat adds “We felt excited about 'ANTI-SOCIAL'. It’s such a heavy tune, but it’s a different way of heavy than we’ve been before. It feels like you want to be out and drunk, throwing beer over your mates while it’s on. In a world where everyone expects you to be softening up or getting more generic, I think it’s fun to just throw out a song that’s just, like, ‘Nope! We’re not doing that!’”

“I’VE SEEN IT ALL” brings a high tempo of energy. With many cleaner and almost choir like vocals, it’s another step in progress for the Sheffield five-piece. It’s incredible break down will ignite circle pits across the world. Next up “INSPIRE”, a more classic sound from the band but with the influence of current music out at the moment, Techno is dropped in, which adds depth to the track.

The title track of the album “SO WHAT?” brings huge bass lines and heavy guitars. While She Sleep have crafted an exciting and unique sound which suits them and they believe in, it works but is it coming a little bit all the same? Do they need to switch it up on their next release?

We have three out of the four singles up next, “THE GUILTY PARTY”, “HAUNT ME” and “ELEPHANT”. All outstanding songs in their own right, these songs together have created the next phase for the band. They have built up the energy towards their recent Europe and UK tour. The marketing ideas for this album cycle have been inspiring yet simple, “ANTI-SOCIAL” was given out in both London and Sheffield on a usb memory stick by people in white boiler suits and white gas masks (scary right?!). “HAUNT ME” was blasted out during Christmas time in Sheffield city centre with the sign next to it stating “Not another Christmas song”.

Slowing things down as much Sleeps can, we welcome “SET YOU FREE”. It’s still fast beat keeps the toes tapping and before you know it, it’s not slow, it’s full on While She Sleeps in the ears but the track does have a gentle touch - now and again. “GOOD GRIEF” is the shortest track of “SO WHAT?”, clocking in at three minutes and thirty-nine seconds - it still packs a punch. We keep with the gentle tone for just a short while before crashing into “BACK OF MY MIND”. A track which brings petrol to the already burning fire, we spin back around to the Techno slightly but I doesn’t seem needed.

Tidying things up with “GATES OF PARADISE” - begins with a distorted sound and tapping drums before going into that classic Sleeps rhythm but with more energy, more guitar and even more passion!

“SO WHAT?” is the album which will cement While She Sleeps in Academy venues across the country. It’s sound is a comfortable step for the band and it’s fan base.