Opening with the lyrics “Will you listen?” Sleep Token frontman Vessel invites listeners old and new into its fourth studio album “Even in Arcadia,” a bold and personal musical reflection on identity.
This offering, released May 9, comes two years after the breakout success of its third album “Take Me Back to Eden,” which, according to Loudwire, took the band from under 300,000 monthly Spotify listeners to 1.58 million within the span of a single month and became Spotify’s most streamed metal album of 2023, outshining even Metallica’s latest album “72 Seasons.”
“Even in Arcadia” is the band’s biggest release yet, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 and topping charts worldwide, continuing the band’s unprecedented explosion of popularity.
Hailing from London, England, the enigmatic masked band has made waves in the rock and metal scene through its genre-bending style and arcane lore. Led by its vocalist and songwriter, known simply as Vessel and Il, its drummer, the band describes itself as an anonymous collective of musicians united in worship of an ancient deity, known as “Sleep.”
Combining a mix of soulful gospel influences, heavy guitars and technical drums weaving blistering progressive metal riffs, R&B and club beats, Sleep Token’s characteristic sound defies convention, choosing musical innovation and intrigue over genre consistency.
“Even in Arcadia” shows continued musical innovation and growth with callbacks to past albums. Each of Sleep Token’s previous albums has used its track list to weave a narrative, and the band continues this trend in its latest album.
Largely a reflection of frontman Vessel’s struggle with identity after finding commercial success singing about personal trauma from behind a mask, this album continues Sleep Token’s consistent musical and lyrical excellence without stagnating or becoming predictable. While in previous albums, Vessel always used a layer of lore to cloak the direct subject matter of his lyrics, “Even in Arcadia” pulls off the veil and addresses the audience directly.
Album opener “Look to Windward” lyrically introduces listeners to the identity crisis growing behind Vessel’s mask, singing “well I, I used to know myself, and you, you used to know me well.”
“Look to Windward” is one of the band’s most musically complete songs, bringing in atmospheric soundscapes and high falsetto vocals that defined Sleep Token’s early work on EP’s “One” and “Two,” contrasted with heavy progressive metal riffs familiar to listeners of the band’s previous albums.
“Caramel,” initially released as a single, is a direct, unflinching address to the fans following a string of incidents involving doxing band members. It calls out the toxic and parasocial behavior that has long plagued the anonymous band, while still expressing gratitude for the overall fanbase and its dedication to the music.
“Provider” stands as the odd song out in the album; a fun, sexy gospel jam complete with tasty vocal melodies and a mix of organ and electronic backing tracks. It is as musically as it is sensual in its lyrics.
Sandwiched between the title track and deeply emotional “Damocles,” it feels like a bit of an awkward break in the musical and narrative flow of the album.
Another standout, “Gethsemane,” is perhaps the most personal and emotionally vulnerable song in the band’s history. It is the only track on the album to directly reference relational trauma, which is the main subject matter of Sleep Token’s past work.
The song acknowledges Vessel’s struggle navigating a world where his success is built directly on his deepest traumas. Musically, it feels like a callback to Sleep Token’s first extended play “One,” featuring a ballad section featuring guitar and drums playing in multiple time signatures and using asymmetric phrasing, falsetto vocals and ending with an aggressive progressive metal outro.
While not everyone will like every Sleep Token song, and the musical direction of this album may divide some long-term fans because of its heavier use of electronic trap beats and pop elements, it is tremendously exciting to see this once niche band continue its meteoric rise, and it’s hard to argue with the success it has found.
Its discography will captivate fans of any genre.
So settle in, get your best pair of headphones, and let Sleep Token take you on one of modern music’s most extraordinary and introspective journeys.
Rating: 4.5/5
