The easiest way to describe While She Sleeps' sound would be to lump them in with metalcore, but this does not do them justice. Metalcore has become a very stale sub-genre with a vast number of bands releasing effectively the same album over and over again, yet, with While She Sleeps, we have a strangely unique sound. There's just something about this record that separates it from the rest of the stuff that's out there. You've got gang vocals, guitar melodies, fills, riffs, solos, breakdowns; everything you could possibly need to produce a fantastic metal album but with that extra special something that they seem to possess. The songs themselves are of an extremely high quality. From the sheer brutality of Dead Behind The Eyes to the stop-start rhythms of Be(lie)ve to the heartfelt reminiscing of Seven Hills, this record is wall-to-wall bangers. Every track could be a single. It is undoubtedly one of, if not the, most consistent record I've heard all year.
It's the vocals that really do it for me on this album. Lawrence Taylor does an excellent job, it's constant ferocity and venom but with an occasional lighter touch. Even though the vocals are harsh there's a melody present and you just know that these songs are going to kill it live. The combination of crushing riffs, thundering drums and soaring vocals lead to a state of musical zen. This is an album that you'll just want to listen to over and over and over again - I know I have. The confidence is staggering. It's a near perfect record and the only issue I have is a very slight one; I find that the atmospheric parts such as the track The Chapel aren't really needed and don't really add anything. With that being said, this tiny issue does not detract from an album that is, overall, utterly superb and - unfortunately for While She Sleeps - creates a huge amount of expectation regarding a follow up album which I eagerly look forward to hearing. You need to own this album. Astounding. 9.5/10
