Single Slam – You Are We by While She Sleeps (You Are We)

While She Sleeps have released their 3rd single and title track from their upcoming album, You Are We. The new album is due out on the 21st of April and will be immediately supported by a UK tour which you can read about here. You Are We is a big album for While She Sleeps and the title is a nod to the fans of this band who have supported them through their relatively short but inspirational career so far meaning that the band and the fans are as one – are the collective we. This close relationship has been even more clear and important after the band took the decision to release this 3rd album independently. Instead they chose to run a Pledge Music campaign and I am sure they were thrilled to see that they had no problems at all reaching their target.

An independent release is always a slight risk, of course, but it seems to be going well so far and the quality of the music released since the decision is certainly not suffering and is still of the highest standard. Following up a debut like This Is The Six was always going to be tough but they managed to not only do it, but to release arguably an even better album in Brainwashed. They are a band that raise the bar with every release so far and the first two singles from You Are We – Civil Isolation and Hurricane – are exceptional and poignant slabs of heavy metal. Can they do it again?

The title track of the new album, You Are We, is 4 minutes and 46 seconds long. It leads in with a small acoustic melody over an accordion. This band are not afraid to try out different things. It works well and kind of lulls you into a false sense of security because after this nice melody, you expect maybe a softer song, or one packed with clean vocals like Hurricane but instead, after around 25 seconds, Lawrence Taylor (Loz) roars out the title, the heavy riff kicks in with thumping drums, heavy bass and higher toned guitar lines and the song explodes into life and refuses to give you a breather for the rest of the track.

The verses are heavy and fast paced, their is a building pre chorus that leads you directly into an absolutely massive chorus with all instruments and all singers melding together into perfect heavy metal harmony. It may be the best chorus they have ever written which is saying a lot. Another furious verse leads into a breakdown with a drawn out guitar and drum fill as Loz shouts at a slower pace. Then, musically and vocally, it starts to build, and build and then explodes into a wonderfully heavy riff before the song switches into a cleaner sung section with the band’s wonderful singing harmonising over huge sounding guitars for a verse that is nothing short of beautiful and, as that leads straight back into the wonderful chorus, it can leave you feeling quite emotional. The huge music continues until the end from here while Loz screams out the title a few times.

This song is nothing short of breathtaking. This isn’t just a song, it’s a sign of love and respect from a band to their fans – like a pact that we are in this together, all of us. It is a powerful track that will have the hairs on your arms standing on end and will become an absolute anthem of While She Sleeps fans thanks to the equal measures of pure heaviness and deep meaning. To everyone else releasing albums this year, this is what you have to measure yourself against. Good luck.

There are points in the song where I felt it didn’t necessarily have all the signature groove and rhythm I would normally expect to hear from these guys but that is more of an observation than a complaint. I love the heaviness of the verses and can already imagine how brutal the pit is going to be for these sections and I think the chorus and that verse leading into a final chorus are nothing short of beautiful. This song is up there with the best the band have ever written.

Check it out for yourself on their Facebook page here and why not follow or like them on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter to keep up to date with information on the band, their tours and the new album. More importantly, if you like what you hear, then head over to their pledge campaign and pre order the new album. Maybe pick yourself up some of the excellent items available for purchase? Finally, if you think this is good, well, you need to see them live and can pick up tickets for their upcoming tours from here.