Album: Sleep Token - Even In Arcadia

It has never been an exact science understanding when something will capture lightning in a bottle and go viral. Even less expected is for an anonymous metal band to become a social media sensation, but in early 2023 that's exactly what happened for Sleep Token.

The anonymous UK metal collective had been slowly cultivating their following since arriving on the scene in 2016. Their gothic stage presence and mysterious lore set them aside from their contemporaries immediately, as did their playing with various genres around a modern metal sound. And though they had achieved steady success across their first two albums (2019's Sundowning and 2021's This Place Will Become Your Tomb), their trajectory skyrocketed with third album, Take Me Back To Eden, thanks to social media.

What's followed has been a whirlwind of sold-out tours in Europe and the US. To remain anonymous in the face of mainstream popularity and exposure has clearly been tough for the group, as album four Even In Arcadia, continues their world building while contemplating the complexities of such sudden fame and attention.

Atop their customary genre bending, from trap beats to downtuned guitar riffs that hit with total power and precision, the lyrics survey the impact of deep personal commitments. This comes into focus on “Caramel”, as the anonymous vocalist and songwriter known only as Vessel, reveals the mental and emotional toll from some of the most toxically parasocial sections of their fanbase.

Elsewhere, the band balance refining their sound while playing with different textures and elements of styles with confident ease. “Dangerous” pushes deep into a hip-hop trap style beat, while the title track sits halfway through proceedings as a moment of calm, with deep emotive piano chords punctuated by digitised percussion.

In a similar vein to the previous album, Even In Arcadia reaches a dramatic crescendo across the closing two tracks. The aural wizardry dials up with “Gethesmane” which dances breathlessly through stylings of math rock, midwestern emo and atmospheric balladry. While “Infinite Baths”, even by the bands high standards, is unmatched in its position as the dramatic, graceful closer. Any notion Sleep Token may struggle to follow the heights of their previous have long been quashed. Their hype and burgeoning reputation as one of the most inventive and exciting acts is demonstrated faultlessly once more.

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