Sleep Token’s highly anticipated fourth offering is out, defying expectations and launching the band into the Arcadia era. There’s something here for every fan, from those who just want to vibe out on their unique sound—which will have you dancing, headbanging and crying, sometimes all at once—to those seeking emotional catharsis, and to those obsessed with cracking the many codes and hints in the band’s enigmatic storytelling.

Even in Arcadia is, like its predecessor, a mashup of multiple genres that the band navigates with confidence, fluidity, and courage. But unlike Take Me Back to Eden, which feels like metal that pulls in R&B, pop and electronic, Even in Arcadia doesn’t have a single genre to return to. Sure, breakdowns show up in a few songs—the standouts being in the nearly eight-minute epic opener, “Look to Windward” and the soul-wrenching “Caramel”—but Vessel slides more into R&B crooning and pop-inflected contemplation here than ever before. A strong electronic presence carries throughout, no longer a juxtaposition to the breakdowns but instead a compliment to Vessel’s lyrical torment—while also pulling what sounds like samples from a Zelda game, particularly in “Past Self” and “Dangerous.”

Other genres pop up like gemstones in the sand, in the Latin beat on “Caramel,” the math rock/Midwest emo passage in “Gethsemane” and the lovely jazz outro in “Emergence” (which was performed by Gabi Rose of Bilmuri). “Emergence” is also notable for its popular—and notorious—use of syncopation on the drums, which has confused some fans and delighted others. Yet no matter how you feel about it, it still has the intended effect: it keeps you on your toes, waiting for the next sonic unraveling, wondering where these songs will go next. Even in Arcadia is just as much for the polyjamorous listener as their previous works.

It’s impossible to discuss Even in Arcadia without referencing Take Me Back to Eden, because so many of Vessel’s lyrics concern the fame that he, II, III and IV have wrestled with since “The Summoning” went viral in January 2023. “Past Self” details the changes he’s seen in his life—some for the good, others bad—while in “Damocles” he fears becoming someone too far removed from who he used to be. However, it’s in “Caramel” that the mask grows thinnest, as the man behind it details the emotional peril that obsessive, doxxing, shitty fans have put him through. Really, it’s a plea to the fanbase to back off, to let him and the rest of the band create this art using the personas they’ve crafted for it without putting their mental health in further jeopardy. It should be a rallying cry for us to respect the band’s privacy, artistry and emotional wellbeing.

Sonically, Even in Arcadia is in some part a refutation of Take Me Back to Eden—or at least, to the parts of it that drew in so many fans and ushered in Sleep Token’s stratospheric rise to fame. Instead of a series of heavy, pop-laced anthems that are immediately appealing and replayable without requiring deeper attention, we are instead taken through softer dirges and ballads that strip away the flashy breakdowns and sensual hooks and force us to pay attention to what the songs are telling us. Sure, those memorable passages are still there, and are still unmatched in quality, but they feel secondary to the emotional themes of despair, heartbreak and the insufferable agony of the cycle of abuse hinted at in the broader story of Vessel and Sleep. This isn’t meant to weed out surface-level fans, necessarily, but instead feels like an appeal for all of us—the light listeners and the hardcore worshippers alike—to sink deeper into the heart of this music and the pain and love that fuels it.

Even in Arcadia is a tremendous achievement from a band that refuses to go in any direction but its own. It asks more of its audience, and trusts that they’ll answer. This is a work of art that will likely, alongside its predecessor, one day be recognized as a decade-defining masterpiece, in the metal community and beyond.

Five out of five Vessels.

PS: I’m working on my interpretation of the album’s story, this next chapter in the epic struggle between Vessel and Sleep (and in the process finally putting my English degree to use). It’s going to be a much deeper dive into the album, expect it out in a couple of weeks.

Image credit: the clackamas Print