Established in 2006 in Sheffield, the band is best known for their relentless touring schedule and no-holds-barred live shows. Named the Best British Newcomer at the Kerrang! Awards in 2012, the group went on to release four acclaimed albums and perform at Download Festival, Vans Warped Tour of the US and Canada, Graspop Metal Meeting, and Hellfest.
Some bands play it safe when it comes to taking their next steps. But then, While She Sleeps have never been "some band". The Sheffield quintet has made a career of confounding expectations, be it through a blend of crushing metal, guttural hardcore and arena-worthy hooks, or how they've carried themselves over an explosive 14-year career.
2017's "You Are We" album was a testament to self-belief and determination; crowdfunded and released on the band's own Sleeps Brothers label, it earned award nominations from Metal Hammer, and a Best Album win at the HMAs, as well as landing them in the top 10 UK charts.
With "You Are We" wrapped up, the band decamped to their self-built Sleeps Audio complex were spent 5 months recording the next chapter. Produced by Carl Bown, "So What?" is another defiant step forward. It's punk, it's heavy metal, and yet it sounds, unlike anything you've heard from them before. It's the sound of While She Sleeps reborn.
While She Sleeps
Released on Sleeps Brothers label and in collaboration with metal mega-label Spinefarm, "So What?" sees While She Sleeps working with a major for the first time since 2015's "Brainwashed" album and the band are at pains to point out this won't mean a compromise in their vision. With a bigger platform to get their music into the world, 2020 is shaping up to be the year of While She Sleeps. For a band who've spent over a decade redefining modern metal, it seems the best is yet to come.
