Review Summary: In defense of over polished pop metal worship.
I’m perfectly aware that if you’re reading this review on this website, you’re coming in hot with either an agreeable or dissenting take on Sleep Token—and more specifically, their new album Even In Arcadia. At the time of this review, Arcadia has been met with generally positive ratings, though it’s also received some notably harsh dissenting ones. Pitchfork gave it a 2.3, claiming Sleep Token represents a kind of metal that “has to reconfigure itself into Benson Boone with a Spirit Halloween gift card in order to reassert its commercial authority.” Anthony Fantano of The Needle Drop gave it a 2/10, diabolically yet hilariously describing it as “metal for Disney adults.” And our very own Jesper fired off: “album sucks and is probably the band’s best and worst work yet.”
I make no qualms about being a big Sleep Token fan—they’re genuinely one of my favorite bands right now. They jumped onto my radar sometime between One and Two EPs, when they were still more of an underground mystery, blending a curious mix of Bon Iver meets Deftones. I’ll admit I was suckered into their sound early on, and I got to watch them slowly rise in popularity as they refined their progressive yet genre-expanding style through their first two albums, Sundowning and This Place Will Become Your Tomb, before breaking out in a massive way with their grandiose magnum opus Take Me Back to Eden.
That album is long and epic, playing into what had by then become their distinct sound—a melting pot of metal, pop, post-rock, electronica, and R&B, laced with ambience, hip-hop, blackgaze, jazz, and even a funk breakdown. (That funk breakdown? From the unlikely hit “The Summoning,” which blew up thanks in part to some truly cringe TikToks.) Vessel’s vocals and melodies became stronger, with his Imogen Heap-like harmony stacking becoming absolutely enveloping. His genre-blending became a full-blown game of sonic alchemy, which also led to an insane fanbase obsessively trying to unmask him (newsflash: a Google search isn’t that hard) and even digging up birth certificates. Wild fandom aside, Eden is inherently a fun album—if you’re open to the genre-mixing. Its lyrical undertones of introspection, love, intimacy, and relationships pair well with the theatrics of their sound, even if it does come off cheesy at times.
Which brings us to Arcadia.
Arcadia follows logically from Eden. It leans into the strengths that made Eden so popular, while continuing the now-signature genre amalgamations. On the same token (har har), Arcadia is also their most predictable album in terms of formula: songs generally follow this structure—a slow, ambient buildup, some piano chords paired with achy vocals, electronics and pitch-shifted harmonies, a sudden electro-hip-hop beat, then a transition into heavy guitar layering or riffage. That’s not how every song goes, but I’d be lying if I didn’t acknowledge the pattern. The thing is, it’s this very formula that makes the music enjoyable. The magic of Sleep Token often lives in the “after” and “in-betweens” of many of their songs.
The opener, “Look to Windward,” is fun—its drop-tuned riff at the 3-minute mark builds even further through smart layering. But to me, the real magic kicks in around the 6-minute mark, when Vessel’s swirling harmonies begin to rise alongside harmony-rich piano chords, climaxing in the moment he belts out, “I wish I could leave myself alone,” juxtaposed against a low, crushing riff.
“Past Self” works as a fun palette cleanser—albeit early in the tracklist. Vessel’s syncopation is engaging, but the harmony stacking and gradual string incorporation elevate it even further. “Damocles,” musically speaking, might be Sleep Token’s smartest pop song to date. It maintains a catchy melody and hooky piano layers. It’s probably the closest we’ll get to hearing Coldplay if they decided to be a prog metal band (yes, that’s a compliment—guess that makes me gay). But again, what sets Sleep Token apart is their play with chorus chord progressions. “Damocles” shifts from I–II–iii to I–V–II, adding subtle color and tension to the emotional core of the song.
Meanwhile, “Gethsemane” might be their best track yet. It feels like a genuinely emotional lament of a failed, over-romanticized, toxic relationship. It even features a mid-to-late 2010s math rock break before transitioning into their classic metal-ambient-pop layering, finishing with a Travis Scott-esque instrumental outro. It’s a song that earns its grandiosity. Unlike other tracks that can feel melodramatic in their highs and lows, “Gethsemane” feels like a true meeting of the moment. I hope they pursue more of this.
Arcadia isn’t flawless. For me, “Dangerous” felt a little too by-the-numbers—even if I still liked it. The album also shows early signs that the band’s formula might be wearing thin. The slow-burn start and explosive finish model is starting to feel a bit expected. That said, for fans, this rollercoaster dynamic is exactly what draws us in. Their sound is polished, pop-informed prog metal—meant to pierce with immaculate production and layered emotion.
So, what’s my conclusion? As an older fan, it’s been a joy to watch this band evolve and deepen their sound. Arcadia is certainly their poppiest album to date. It doesn’t necessarily hit the apex of Eden, and I think it’s smarter for not trying to. With their recent major-label signing, I wouldn’t be surprised if they push even further in that direction. Sleep Token is probably better off being compared to the likes of Imogen Heap and even Coldplay. Frankly, Vessel could write another version of XCX’s Brat for all I care—as long as the musical layers and genre experiments continue, I’ll keep listening.
Till then, I’ll get my Mickey Mouse ears and book a ticket to Disney World. (Disney adults are insufferable, though—does that make me insufferable too?)
