Sleep Token release epic new single The Summoning

Vessel of Sleep Token — (Image credit: Andy Ford)

You wait for ages for new music from Sleep Token, then two songs arrive before the first week of the new year is over. Following yesterday's launch of the typically atmospheric Chokehold, a swift follow-up has arrived in the shape of The Summoning, which finds the band painting very much from the prog-metal section of their palette.

As is usual with the ever-mysterious Sleep Token, information about what the hell is going on is scarce. There's the single word "Worship" that accompanies the video post on Facebook, but no clue as to whether The Summoning is the second of a scheduled run of releases, or whether that's it for now.

If we had to guess - and we hate guessing - we'd guess that there's an album on the way and that the rest of the album will have "dropped" by the time the band's UK tour commences on January 17 (full dates below). But we've been wrong before and we'll be wrong again.

In the meantime, as there's so little other information forthcoming, we'll turn to the YouTube comments section for inspiration.

"Best fking track I heard from them," writes Gonçalo Vasques. "And their previous album had hard contenders. The switches, the genres. What an amazing piece of music writing."

"Back to back drops!" confirms Alex Kenchel. "What a treat! This is probably the weirdest release yet, and it’s absolutely beautiful. What an ending on this track!"

"I’ve been listening to music since the mid 1960s and I tell you that we are witnessing something special with Sleep Token," adds Mruppertrinity. "What a time to be alive. Will be worshipping on the 17th."

Good lad, that Mruppertrinity.

Sleep Token UK Tour 2023

Jan 17: Birmingham O2 Academy
Jan 18: Glasgow Barrowlands
Jan 19: Manchester Albert Hall
Jan 21: Bristol Academy
Jan 22: London Brixton Academy

Tickets are on sale now.

Sleep Token - The Summoning cover art — (Image credit: Spinefarm)

Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazine since 2014. 40 years in music industry, online for 27. Also bylines for: Metal Hammer, Prog Magazine, The Word Magazine, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Saga, Music365. Former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, A&R at Fiction Records, early blogger, ex-roadie, published author. Once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy, and thinks any situation can be improved by the introduction of cats. Favourite Serbian trumpeter: Dejan Petrović.