Sleep Token is ushering in a new blend of their progressive metal-rock sound. Only two years since their 2023 Take Me Back to Eden, the shadowy band is in full form with their new album, Even in Arcadia. The band does a masterful job of staying the course of their musical journey while branching out with fresh sounds. Their status in the rock space has only continued to grow brighter as the gets set to embark on a massive sold out US arena tour. On their fourth studio album, Sleep Token forces themselves into uncharted musical territory and finds fate staring back at them.
On the 7 minute opening of "Look to Windward," lead singer Vessel urges his followers to let loose and forgive all past transgressions in search of a better future. The first half of the track pulls listeners into a confusing landscape of chaos and blissful harmony. The low frequency dominates the beginning of the track. As the second half of the track picks up, so do the tempo and vocals. More like a warning, "Look to Windward" gives caution to a coming storm.
The eye of it emerges in hushed tones and outspoken rock sound. Sleep Token doesn't hold back throughout the project and it shows why they are where they are. Bold and powerful in their precision of the production, the masked figures stay to their the genre that molded them.
With their rapidly rising fame, the idea of appealing to their amassing fanbase can be tempting. Cracking the top of Billboard charts brings in an entirely unfamiliar voice in the back of a musician's mind. Sleep Token is sitting on a goldmine of stardom. How do they answer? "Past Self" might hold the key in that.
The track plays like a fairytale tune, soft but quick in its pace. Now under the titan that is RCA, Sleep Token tries to keep sane. "Past Self" is a standout track that probably won't show up in the chart or even Spotify plays. For hardcore fans of the band, the track is Vessel at a state rarely seen before. Flowing right into "Dangerous" and "Carmel" helps further expand on that loveless.
Even in Arcadia is very much a blend of cultural and progressive genres as "Carmel" begins with a topical style beat. Much like the reggae style, it fades off while the metalness of the band picks up. By song's end, Vessel is screaming out the pain.
Much of the album deals with fame and how the band is adjusting to it. "Emergence" gave Sleep Token their first Billboard Hot 100 hit at no.57. Such an incredible feat for a metal band no longer rookies in the game. Making both fans and their new label happy, Sleep Token is finally getting the spotlight they deserve and running away with it.
It calls this project a progressive metal seems like such a disservice. From jazz outros to pop breaks and 80s synths, there's so much to unpack with the band's fourth outing. The hints of new age soft rock plays nicely with Sleep Token's brass metal sound with tearing up the record. Sleep Token's rise to mainstream popularity seems to be happening rapidly, leading many to ponder caution. Once out the bottle, it's hard to go back to the underground metal sound they have crafted. The band stays true to themselves and no amount of sold out date or chart hits will change that.
Even in Arcadia is out May 9th.
