Intro
In recent times, metal and metalcore have become increasingly popular through social media platforms, more specifically on TikTok. It has been seen with Bad Omens; now, the torch has been passed to Sleep Token.
Background
Sleep Token first got noticed when the song “The Summoning” came into light. Ever since then, their fan base got exponentially bigger, anticipating the newest record’s arrival. "Take Me Back To Eden" is the conclusion of a trilogy of records from the UK band over the years.
Album Highs
This record’s strength is in its lyrics. It displays complex imagery that a lot of other bands and artists don’t think to do. It is
evident in the song “Rain,” and it is this line in the first verse in particular:
“For so long I have waited, so long that I almost became just a stoic statue, fit for nobody and I don’t wanna get in your way.”
Sleep Token personifies a statue and discusses its lack of emotion, and it amplifies the image they are trying to convey. The narrator has been waiting for a long time for this one person or thing to come along to a point where when said person or thing actually arrived, the narrator had used up any and all emotion they had.
Another thing that amps up the quality of the record is its musical complexity and diversity. If one were to listen to just “The Summoning,” they would assume that Sleep Token is just a metal band that likes to put a jazzy note to their songs. Thinking that way would do the rest of the record a disservice. They are a lot more than a metal band. This is evidenced in a song like “Granite.”
While being a continuation of “The Summoning,” it is a lot more slow moving. Musically, there is a noticeably steady rhythm that goes throughout until the last minute when it suddenly becomes metal again. It has a sexier tone to it. This lies in the vocals too. The front man's vocals are similar to what someone would find in modern pop music with an almost rap-like feel. “Granite” is not the only song like this, but it is an excellent example of variety.
Album Lows
There are very few gripes with this record, but there are songs that don’t stick out as much. One of the songs in question is “DYWTYLM.”
While being a single, this song could have been easily left out of the record entirely. It is only because it disrupts the general flow of the record, the reason being that it sounds like it does not belong with its heavy pop undertones. It was said that Sleep Token is a lot more than just a metal band, but at the same time, “DYWTYLM” strays too far from the concept at hand.
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Verdict
"Take Me Back To Eden" was well worth the hype of its singles, and it is so much more. It is going to be really hard to beat this record in the metal scene.
Highlights of the record include:
“Rain” - 9.5/10
“Euclid” - 9/10
“Are You Really Okay?” - 8.5/10
Overall, this record is a 9/10
