TAKE ME BACK TO EDEN

This jaw-dropping endeavour is the third and final instalment in an enthralling trilogy and this band's magnum opus, ending a spellbinding musical journey and art project. Musically explorative, genuinely considered and expertly executed, vocally enriched with emotion and diversity, woven together with virtuosic drumming. A heady mix of artistry, modernism, timelessness, truth, fantasy, light, shade, heavy, soft, sadness, euphoria...simply put, the best album by a modern band in years. A masterpiece among the current music scene and in its own right unique and integral. Inherently vital music that reaches depths seldom achieved. From the sheer density of heavy hitters The Summoning & Vore to the linear pop of DYWTYLM to retro classic tones in Are You Really Okay? the music weaves and winds through genres within singular songs that could be calling cards from several different Artists yet they remain somehow coherent within the context of their own masterfully conceived story. Then come the unchartered (or oft unsuccessful) paths most bands wouldn't dare tread, sliding effortlessly in and out of R&B, electronic and synthwave with ease (check Granite and Aqua Regia), only to then present us with Rain & The Apparition, both of which could be highlight songs on any big hitting rock/metal band's best output....yet the crushingly epic album behemoths Ascensionism and title track TBMTE show that Sleep Token have so much creativity in their cannon they transcend individual hits, having crafted an altogether game-changing album. The band's mastermind 'Vessel' (who, rather amazingly, plays everything on this record other than the stunning drumming of 'II') has outdone himself. The usual 'skies the limit' quality of musicianship from sublime piano and gentle falsetto, to mind-blowing vocal intensity and instrumentation is evident in droves, only this time around the song writing and arrangements are from somewhere inspired to the point of otherworldly, laden with heartbreak and loss, exhilarating and devastating all at once, at times it's downright danceable, how they did it, the mind boggles. Those looking for a one-trick-pony ride will not find answers here. Those seeking the most unexpected and rewarding journey imaginable will discover liquid gold. The highest of all possible praises go to this artistic goliath of pain and pure beauty. Worship.

Sleep Token are among the interesting new British metal bands that have been able to break into the mainstream and take full advantage of it, in a good sense. Following the example of other masked acts such as Slipknot or Ghost, Sleep Token have protected their identities while setting for monikers instead, allowing the listeners to focus on the lore and the music around them. Their third and most successful album to date is 'Take Me Back to Eden', a release that completes a thematic trilogy that has been running through the band's albums since their establishment. Musically one might get an initial impression that this album is a hodgepodge of styles, despite expectations that the albums would be heavily influenced by metalcore, djent or more broadly, heavy music. There's almost none of that! The album does give an initial glimpse of a heavier sound, one that can easily be attributed to metalcore or the derivative sub-genres but the majority of the record has a very straightforward R&B and pop sound, with occasional trap beats, elements of hip hop with heavy guitars and occasional screams sprinkled here and there.

The production on the album is actually quite good, even if it is not clear whether Sleep Token have the desire to be a modern metal band or a crossover pop act, very often the lush production and mellow lyrical content hint of a very accessible and finely conceived pop album with rock instrumentation. The heavier moments on the album, the ones that actually showcase the band's metal roots are to be heard on the opening track, on the fabulous 'The Summoning', a very well-crafted track with irresistible pop hooks in the final section as well as 'Vore', which is quite visceral and unhinged. Most of what is left (which amounts to some 70% of the album) is really forgettable and unadventurous, it lacks that heavy edge and actually approaches straightforward 2010s-inspired R&B (on questionable tracks like 'Are You Really Okay?', 'DYWTYL' and the closing track 'Euclid'). 'Take Me Back to Eden' by Sleep Token has its strengths but can generally be perceived as a confusing and often directionless mixture of incompatible styles, as one side of the album pertains to pure metalcore, another one to mellow and forgettable pop, and so on. Perhaps a clearer definition of a single, more recognizable style shall be beneficial for the band's sound.