Emerging from the vibrant yet turbulent music scene of London, England, Sleep Stage carves out a striking presence in the realm of alternative rock. Rather than separating emotional rawness from intensity, his music leans fully into both. Drawing from the cinematic grandiosity of Muse, the dark emotional gravity of Deftones, and the unconventional swagger of Queens of the Stone Age, Sleep Stage constructs sonic landscapes that confront discomfort directly. With a sound that merges forceful instrumentation and melodic beauty, his compositions often delve into the emotional ruins left behind by failed or obsessive romantic ties. Rooted in unflinching honesty, Sleep Stage’s artistry explores the unsettling corners of human connection, particularly when affection curdles into fixation and intimacy evolves into an inescapable pattern.
There’s a refreshing lack of polish in his musical execution. Each detail, from the brutally honest lyrics to the chaotic, yet deliberate musical bursts, exists to serve the greater emotional message. Sleep Stage writes for those who have clung to love too tightly, remained in situations far too long, or confused emotional pain with romantic intensity. His work isn’t crafted to provide comfort, but to reflect the truths we often avoid, capturing inner emotional turbulence with precision and artistry. Released on the 4th of July, 2025, Warning: Toxic is a fearless record that bears vast sentiments, from fiery love to emotional emptiness. Featuring fierce, memorable guitar riffs and sharply crafted lyrics, the album dissects the way love, when misinterpreted or mishandled, can be just as addictive and destructive as any substance.
Track List for Warning: Toxic:
Sick of Love Songs:
The album kicks off with the explosive Sick of Love Songs, a track that storms in with unbridled energy and makes no attempt to ease into the listener’s consciousness. Right from the first note, you’re met with a rush of gritty sound, thunderous drumming, growling basslines, and aggressive guitar distortions that rip through the silence like a blast in a void. The chaos is strategic, a musical eruption reflecting rebellion and emotional upheaval. Yet amid the overwhelming force, there’s a momentary pullback, a brief silence that gives way to a striking vocal performance. The lead voice emerges clearly, with a richness that slices through the static like a ray of light through storm clouds.
This interplay of quiet and fury is masterful. The vocals are refined and emotionally resonant, layered with a backing voice that brings balance and a shared emotional resonance. Together, they form a vocal synergy that softens the blow of the earlier aggression. As the track builds again, you sense a rising pressure, drums beating like a countdown, electronic elements swelling in intensity, until the second wave crashes in with amplified force. The instrumentation grows even more wild and intense, but never drowns the vocals. Instead, the vocals glide effortlessly, carried rather than crushed by the instrumentation.
This dynamic control is what makes Sick of Love Songs more than just a powerful opener, it’s a showcase of musical tension and release, balancing ferocity with moments of vulnerable grace. Every section is crafted with intention, and the rhythmic consistency is enhanced by smooth transitions that maintain suspense throughout. The track sets the tone for the entire album: a sonic war zone where emotion is raw, the beauty is in the wreckage, and where Sleep Stage invites listeners into a place where passion and anguish coexist, unapologetically and unfiltered.
Love At First Bite:
One of the most aggressive offerings on Warning: Toxic, Love At First Bite begins in a cloak of shadow. A distorted guitar line, unsettling yet alluring, creeps into the mix like a velvet warning. The introduction carries an ominous theatrical energy, immediately enveloping the listener in a mood that’s more felt than heard. Beneath the surface, a menacing low-frequency hum brews tension until sharp, metallic percussion steps in, carving out a brutal rhythm with surgical precision. The drums snap in an industrial cadence, supported by tight hi-hats and ghost snares that inject unease into every beat.
The rhythmic structure is magnetic, fusing weight and momentum into something both dangerous and danceable. The bassline grooves with a grimy swagger, while the guitar parts churn through the verses with mechanical accuracy, only to explode into dramatic, tremolo-driven crescendos during the chorus. After each climax, the song pulls back into half-time interludes filled with ambient pads and eerie effects, giving the listener a brief moment of breath before plunging back into sonic chaos. These transitions are fluid and expertly paced, heightening the emotional push and pull without feeling abrupt.
Vocally, the performance is deeply immersive. The lead singer manipulates their voice with versatility, shifting from hushed whispers to powerful wails that sync perfectly with the track’s emotional arcs. The vocals are deeply embedded in the mix, enhanced by layered effects and harmonies that ebb and flow like haunting echoes. The chorus swells with overwhelming force, turning the song’s central theme of obsession into a visceral declaration. As the drums thunder and guitars wail, the vocals remain anchored, giving shape and focus to the storm around them. Altogether, Love At First Bite is a dark, groovy powerhouse, seductive, explosive, and emotionally raw, elevating alt-rock with cinematic flair and relentless intensity.
I Never Knew What You Want:
This track begins in near silence, with a stillness that feels as if the song is holding its breath. The atmosphere is delicate, hazy, and introspective, layered with subtle synths and ambient textures that evoke the feeling of floating in emotional limbo. Gradually, deeper elements surface, a slow, bass-heavy synthline draws the track downward, grounding it with emotional weight. Shimmering guitars dance above the mix like reflections on water, while restrained percussion provides just enough rhythm to maintain momentum without disturbing the serenity.
What stands out in I Never Knew What You Want is its emotional complexity. It carries energy without urgency, warmth without overindulgence. When the vocals arrive, they do so gently, barely louder than a whisper yet filled with purpose. Sleep Stage’s voice is soft and intimate, a quiet presence that sits delicately atop the arrangement. Backing vocals add richness and harmony, weaving a delicate tapestry of sound that feels deeply personal. Each vocal layer feels intentional, serving not as adornment but as essential strands of emotional storytelling.
As the track progresses, the guitar work becomes increasingly expressive, morphing from ambient background into a lead voice of its own. The rhythm, though subtle, provides a steady heartbeat, gently carrying the listener through waves of sound. This song feels like an emotional release, a reflection on unresolved feelings and miscommunication. I Never Knew What You Want is not just a track but an emotional state, capturing the ache of uncertainty with musical grace and sensitivity. It resonates long after it ends, leaving behind a trail of introspection and beauty.
Death In Those Arms:
Death In Those Arms bursts forth with raw energy, refusing to be ignored from the first note. The track is fueled by thunderous guitar work drenched in distortion, tearing through the atmosphere with relentless momentum. These riffs are dense, dirty, and driving, forming the foundation upon which the entire track is built. Yet despite its overwhelming power, the sound remains cohesive. The percussion complements the chaos, providing sharp, structured beats that give the song direction and balance. The effect is cinematic, like the climax of a high-stakes action scene where everything teeters on the edge.
The vocals arrive with equal force. Sleep Stage delivers a performance that is impassioned and commanding, his voice brimming with anguish, intensity, and defiance. Each line is delivered with conviction, meshing seamlessly with the instrumental barrage. The vocal delivery doesn’t fight the chaos; it harnesses it, becoming a force that rides the storm rather than being swallowed by it. Backing vocals don’t just provide support, they inject urgency and strength, contributing to the song’s ferocity rather than softening it.
This track is an immersive experience, demanding full attention and emotional investment. The pacing remains consistent, pulling the listener further into its whirlwind with each passing second. Death In Those Arms embodies controlled destruction, showcasing how Sleep Stage manipulates sonic aggression into something powerful and precise. It’s a song that floods your senses, leaving you both overwhelmed and captivated, a relentless force that imprints itself long after it fades out.
Each song on Warning: Toxic tells a story within a larger narrative. From the furious disillusionment of Sick of Love Songs to the seductive danger of Love At First Bite, and the quiet emotional reckoning of I Never Knew What You Want, the album charts a descent into emotional dependence and romantic dysfunction. The final track, Aching Pains, lands like the silence after the storm, a reflective moment spent sifting through emotional debris. Warning: Toxic isn’t a romanticized tale of heartbreak; it is a stark exploration of what remains when the illusion fades. It examines the emotional decay beneath romantic ideals. With its raw energy, emotional honesty, and sophisticated execution, this record stands as both a personal purge and a universal story for anyone who has ever been drawn to love for the wrong reasons or stayed despite the warning signs. Sleep Stage offers not sanitized sentiment, but something braver, something messy, real, and ultimately human.
