Nu metalcore with trap influence — if there was ever a genre description that could send purists into apoplectic fits, it would be this one. Sleep Waker are the newest addition to StaySick Recordings, a label run by a man hellbent on becoming metal's own Lil Pump.
Debate the merits all you want, but Chris Fronzak's results speak for themselves. The Attila frontman has amassed a $5.5 million fortune simply by throwing a grenade labelled "PARTY!" into metal's introverted underground. But is the world really ready for "trapcore"?
It might be, but Sleep Waker aren't the best representatives. If you get past their confusing name (and the fact that "II: Eclipse" comes before "I: Don't Look At the Moon" for some reason) there just isn't much here. The monotone guitars plug away at the same notes throughout the album, aside from a weird Deftones-ian interlude in the form of "Dream Eater." Plus, the lyrics on "Broken Teeth" and "Tongues" are so generic they could have been written by a deathcore autocorrect. It makes Emmure sound like Dream Theater.
While most of StaySick roster sparkle with the sort of gleeful dumbness that made bands like Limp Bizkit and Insane Clown Posse irresistible guilty pleasures, Sleep Waker try to play it serious — to their great detriment. Inject a little humour and they could have had a crossover hit. Now, all they have is subpar trap-hardcore that won't attract people from either side.
(Stay Sick Recordings)Debate the merits all you want, but Chris Fronzak's results speak for themselves. The Attila frontman has amassed a $5.5 million fortune simply by throwing a grenade labelled "PARTY!" into metal's introverted underground. But is the world really ready for "trapcore"?
It might be, but Sleep Waker aren't the best representatives. If you get past their confusing name (and the fact that "II: Eclipse" comes before "I: Don't Look At the Moon" for some reason) there just isn't much here. The monotone guitars plug away at the same notes throughout the album, aside from a weird Deftones-ian interlude in the form of "Dream Eater." Plus, the lyrics on "Broken Teeth" and "Tongues" are so generic they could have been written by a deathcore autocorrect. It makes Emmure sound like Dream Theater.
While most of StaySick roster sparkle with the sort of gleeful dumbness that made bands like Limp Bizkit and Insane Clown Posse irresistible guilty pleasures, Sleep Waker try to play it serious — to their great detriment. Inject a little humour and they could have had a crossover hit. Now, all they have is subpar trap-hardcore that won't attract people from either side.