London alternative metal band Sleep Token have returned from their recent break with a confident alt-metal album ‘Even In Arcadia’, which experiments with their addictive metal sound.
The members Vessel, II, III and IV formed the band in 2016 with a mysterious shtick that intrigued listeners, as the band wore masks to remain anonymous. Since the band does not take part in interviews, they kept listeners guessing and created a dedicated fan base set on deciphering everything from their lyrics to the changes in their masks. The band has released five studio albums with their debut ‘Sundowning’ in 2020. The album was a shocking collection of choral/metal tracks such as ‘The Offering’ which showcases Vessel’s standout ghostly vocals amongst shifts to heavy metal breakdowns, making for a unique sound that earned them a massive fan base after its release.
‘Even In Arcadia’ features ten tracks that blend their alt-metal sound with R&B and electro inspirations, continuing an in depth narrative around songs as offerings to a deity called ‘Sleep’. Though, this album takes a different sonic direction with a seven minute heavy metal opener ‘Look To Windward’ which also offers a surprising trap section. Following this they share a jazz inspired alt-metal track ‘Emergence’ which was released ahead of the album in March.
Their previous album release in 2023 ‘Take Me Back To Eden’ similarly showcased a bold fusion of genres, though this release gave a blend of progressive metal, pop and R&B.
With their strict anonymity, Sleep Token’s performances are widely anticipated. They are known for their captivating live concerts, sharing their uniquely hard hitting tracks on stage with fans.
@lunyxa__ 3 minutes of RAIN in Berlin. #sleeptoken #sleeptokenworship #sleeptokenlive #sleeptokenrain #sleeptokenband #germanheadlinerituals #sleeptokenvessel #sleeptokeniv ♬ original sound – LU
The band embarked on their US tour Teeth Of God, before deleting all their Instagram posts, changing their bio to the ominous phrase “Nothing lasts forever” and going on hiatus. Their mysterious social media activity left fans curious and perplexed, unsure if the band would ever return to music.
One fan posted their confusion on Reddit.
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Their return to music was welcomed whole heartedly this year when they released tracks from ‘Even In Arcadia’, ‘Emergence’, ‘Caramel’ and ‘Damocles’.
The band will be performing at the greatly anticipated Download Festival this June as well as the Louder Than Life festival in September. Additionally, they will be embarking on their Even In Arcadia tour in September. Tickets can be found to this on their website.
