TAKE ME BACK TO EDEN

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.