Sleep Token’s ‘Even In Arcadia’ Isn’t For Every Metal Fan

The hype surrounding the UK’s Sleep Token has been impressive. Over the last five years there hasn’t been a comparable band in the metal scene that sounds quite like Sleep Token, nor has there been another metal act that’s seen the same viral success as them, and in such a short timespan. Sure, Ghost might be the closest comparison in terms of pop-culture status, but Sleep Token seem to have already matched Ghost’s level of popularity in only four albums. In fact, it’s truly astonishing how quickly Sleep Token’s fanbase has grown since their last LP, 2023’s Take Me Back to Eden – Sleep Token has gone from selling out large club tours to selling out their first arena tour.

With all the success and hype that Sleep Token has garnered, their newly released fourth studio album, Even In Arcadia, is set to take them through the stratosphere. While many Sleep Token fans have already embraced this album as an instant classic, the bigger question this review aims to tackle is how does this album fair within the wider metal and heavy music genres?

Is Sleep Token Metal?

Sleep Token dabble in a myriad of genres and this is especially apparent on their latest work, Even In Arcadia. Synth-pop, trip-hop, R&B and djent are all ingredients to this LP, however, the brooding djent guitars and intricate progressive metal drumming are the most consistent elements that crop up throughout this album. Therefore, it’s completely fair to consider this a metal record, despite the fact Sleep Token take listeners through a whirlwind of unique sonic flavors.

It’s important to establish this context regarding genre because while many Sleep Token fans are already well-versed heavy music listeners, there is a significant portion of new fans who are just getting into the metal and heavy music genres via Sleep Token, some of whom might not be privy to the genre tropes Sleep Token utilize. This review aims to keep the latter perspective in mind, while also reviewing the album within the context of modern rock and metal music.

What’s Great About Even In Arcadia

Right off the bat, the performances on this record are generally impressive throughout. Sleep Token’s anonymous vocalist, Vessel, delivers some of the most beautiful and rhythmically unique melodies heard yet – the title track and closer “Infinite Baths” feature standout moments. It’s even more impressive how dynamic Vessel is as a vocalist. He effortlessly switches between soothing melodic singing to shrieking black metal-like screams on tracks “Look To Windward” and “Caramel.” Furthermore, the hypnotic flow he finds throughout many of the verses on these tracks, keeps the songwriting engaging, even if the melody itself isn’t always unique. In other words, Vessel is undoubtedly the focal point of Sleep Token and his performance on this LP certainly showcases why.

Sleep Token ii Is The Unsung Hero

While Vessel is the obvious focal point, the most satisfying element to this record especially as metal fan, is Sleep Token’s unapologetically brilliant drummer, Sleep Token ii. It’s hard not to appreciate the intricate grooves and syncopation on tracks like “Emergence,” or be fully mesmerized by the climactic drum fills at the end of “Damocles.” However, what’s more impressive is the way in which the drums play off of the vocals so well in many of these tracks. It’s easily some of the best drumming heard on a metal record from this year.

What’s Lacking In Even In Arcadia

When Sleep Token dabble with multiple genres in one song, it usually pays off handsomely, however, the same cannot be said when the band takes a more straight forward approach. “Past Self,” “Even In Arcadia,” “Provider,” all share great performances but they fail to impress from a songwriting and structural standpoint – “Provider” is about as stale a djentified-pop song can get and it’s easily the low point of the record.

Apart from a handful of underwhelming songs, an aspect that’s always lacked from Sleep Token is their ability to write interesting guitar parts. It’s a shame the guitars on this album don’t have the same unique flavor as the vocals and drums do throughout this LP. For the most part, the guitars feel as if they’re pulling the bare minimum weight and just filling up the background to sound full and ‘heavy’ for certain climactic moments without actually having anything interesting to say.

There are moments like in “Emergence” and the closer “Infinite Baths” where riffs do get their time to shine, but the riffs themselves still come off uninspired. Of course, not all Sleep Token tracks are heavy, nor does every track even utilize guitars. But the songs that are more guitar focused simply rehash stock djent tropes or hardly attempt to engage with the art of riff writing.

Bottom Line

If Sleep Token was already at the top of your rotation then Even In Arcadia is an album that’ll likely resonate strongly with you. Furthermore, if you’re fairly new to metal and/or you appreciate the many genres that Sleep Token experiments with, then this album is certainly worth checking out. However, if you’re looking for a groundbreaking album that pushes boundaries and delivers huge highs in metal songwriting, then you might be disappointed.

Verdict: 6.5/10