Sleep Token "Even in Arcadia"

Written by Callum Hales

Sleep Token has continued to split opinions on their newest release. They have received critical acclaim, with fans commending their genre-merging sound and others criticizing them as an overproduced, vapid grab bag of different genres. The group wears elaborate masked costumes in promotional material and on stage, has concealed their identities behind the stage names, and communicates with the public through cryptic messages. Some enjoy the pageantry while others see it as a faux-edgy gimmick just for the sake of being edgy. Occasionally, the mix of genres they incorporate falls short of creating something interesting, and other times it comes out as a unique and innovative sound. I think the biggest issue is how commentary on the band has shaped opinions. They are often referred to as a metal band without elaboration of all the different genres they combine. To list some, they have electronic, pop, ambient, and prog, in addition to metal elements in their sound. When I first listened to them, I did not enjoy them. I kept hearing about how they were one of the best things to happen to modern metal, so I was surprised when I heard softly sung melodies over pianos or R&B drums on their most popular tracks. When I realized the band themselves were not claiming to be heavy metal, and it was others commenting on the band assigning them this label, I was able to appreciate their sound more. There is a tendency to apply a singular label to bands; however, this falls short of accurately describing more genre-blending artists.

‘Even in Arcadia’ is Sleep Token’s most fluid album so far. Their former releases have some great songs, but they often failed to mesh the genres they explore together. Instead of blending different styles, they instead felt adjacent to each other with jaunty transitions. Their 2023 release ‘Take Me Back to Eden’ is when I first started to notice more coherent mixes of genres, best exemplified on ‘The Offering’ and the title track. ‘Even in Arcadia’ is their best amalgamation of genres to date. It feels like a natural progression from ‘Eden’. They improve on their genre, combining even more. As a result, no song feels out of place, and no transition is too jarring. Despite this harmony, there is no loss in experimentation. Near eight-minute opener ‘Look Windward’ starts slowly with bubbly notes before layering in more sounds spanning many of the genres the album contains. ‘Emergence’ is full of breakdowns while also featuring a saxophone and piano outro. ‘Past Self’ has a fantasy sound to it, opening with bright chimes before R&B-style drums are layered in with vocalist Vessel switching between semi-rapping and singing. This song has the most singular sound on the album; remaining constant throughout, it feels like a clean break between the more intricately composed tracks of the album. Single ‘Caramel’ lyrically explores Sleep Token’s rise to fame and the feelings that come with it. It has some of the softest instrumentals and reggaetron-inspired sounds while also containing heavy sections. The title track is filled with ambient background noises with Vessel singing over pianos, ultimately leading to a melancholic string outro. ‘Provider’ has a solemn opening, eventually increasing the energy with hard rock instrumentals bolstering emotional vocals. The album’s third released single is a well-placed ballad opening softly before guitars, bass, and drums come in at its climax. The end of this song feels like the natural climax to the album. ‘Gethsemane’ may be the best blend of different genres. It is difficult to realize where one ends and another begins. Outro ‘Infinite Baths’ contains some of the most conflicting elements. Choir-esque vocals, soft synths, and pianos are opposed with guttural vocals and a heavy breakdown before heading out. It has some of the softest and heaviest elements of the album, but balances them well, making it an excellent summation of the album.

There is a predictable song structure throughout the entire album, even when the elements of each song differ. There is a soft intro which builds to an energetic climax and an outro with descending energy. It’s not a bad structure, but the pattern becomes recognizable quickly and will be familiar to returning fans. Lyrically, the album deals with fame and public image as well as deep self-reflection. I have read other commentary on the album saying the “struggling from success” kind of lyrics feel disingenuous. Regardless of the criticism of Sleep Token and ‘Even in Arcadia’, it is an enjoyable album that displays the artists’ songwriting skill and evolution of sound. There are no particularly weak tracks, and it holds up when relistening to it. As a body of work, it feels complete, and the songs complement each other. However, they remain strong individually as well.

Rating: 7/10 Listen to: Emergence, Caramel, & Gethsemane