Overview: Even In Arcadia, released on May 9, 2025, is English rock band Sleep Token’s 4th studio album. Sleep Token’s members choose to remain anonymous and wear masks on stage, so their identities are unknown. They do have stage names, though. The lead singer, guitarist, and keyboardist goes by the moniker of Vessel. The drummer is known as II, the bassist is III, and the lead guitarist is IV. While Vessel and II are permanent members, III, IV, and a backing vocalist group called Espera tour with them. Even In Arcadia has no features listed. Sleep Token has recently gained a large following after the success of Even In Arcadia, which has come with both rabid fans and staunch haters. The main complaint of detractors about Sleep Token is that while they are listed on most sites as a metal band, they often don’t have a very metal sound. Even In Arcadia is a great example of this, because while there is certainly metal strewn throughout the album, it is more gravitated towards pop/rock than it is anything heavy. There are songs on the album that have no trace of metal like “Past Self” and “Even In Arcadia”, but there are also decently heavy tracks like “Infinite Baths”, so it gets confusing at times. I would describe Even In Arcadia like this: It is a pop/rock album with metal elements. 

Themes: Now here’s where it gets confusing. Sleep Token has lore, and although the listener probably doesn’t have to understand all the lore to understand the album, I thought I might as well include it for giggles. The name “Even In Arcadia” refers to a mythical place called “Arcadia”, which is a paradise with almost no problems. Yet, even in Arcadia, death and hardship persist. This is the backdrop for a larger story involving Vessel and Sleep, the deity he worships. I really got lost at that point, so just know that Sleep and Vessel have a toxic relationship that is explored throughout the album. If you want more, just look it up, but it’s a little confusing so be wary. More down to earth themes include the struggles of fame, more specifically staying anonymous. This is a strong theme in “Caramel”, where Vessel scolds the audience for trying to figure out his identity. Genre-blending is also prevalent, suggesting that music doesn’t need genre to be artistic. There are many themes and storylines shoved into Even In Arcadia, and I feel like they are kind of hit or miss. Overall though, I’d say that the themes improve and expand upon the album in various interesting ways. 

Song Ratings and 1-Word Descriptions:

1. “Look To Windward” – (6.5/10): Indecisive

2. “Emergence” – (7/10): Saxophone?

3. “Past Self” – (7/10): Pop

4. “Dangerous” – (6.5/10): Inoffensive

5. “Caramel” – (9.5/10): Banger

6. “Even In Arcadia” – (5.5/10): Interlude

7. “Provider” – (7/10): Potential

8. “Damocles” – (8/10): Solid

9. “Gethsamane” – (7.5/10): Potential!!!

10. “Infinite Baths” – (7.5/10): Metal (Finally)

Standout Tracks

My standout tracks for Even In Arcadia are “Gethsemane”, “Damocles”, and “Caramel”.

“Gethsemane”: It was between this track and “Infinite Baths” for the third standout spot, and I chose “Gethsemane” over “Infinite Baths” because I feel that there is more to talk about with “Gethsemane”. I actually think “Infinite Baths” is just a little bit better than “Gethsemane”, but I felt that I needed to talk about this track. I think that “Gethsemane” starts off sounding like the best song on the album besides “Caramel”, then kind of falls off. It has the same problem as “Provider”, which is that there is a lot of potential in the song, but it’s watered down. “Gethsemane” is a really cool sounding song that I enjoyed a lot, but it was just a few minutes too long, which wouldn’t be an issue if the last few minutes weren’t a little sub-par. Nothing terrible, just a bit of a disappointment when compared to how the first half of the song sounded. 

“Damocles”: This track is a perfect example of a song that does its job. It’s not doing anything crazy or unique, but it’s good at what it does. The instrument work on this song is great, with the guitar and drums coming through very strong. Vessel also provides a serviceable vocal performance. The name “Damocles” pays homage to Greek mythology, and it signifies an impending threat that hangs over someone’s head. This is what the song is about. What will happen when X tragedy happens? I think the “Damocles” is structured quite well, and its use of theme is strong. Just a solid song that deserves to be on the playlist. 

“Caramel”: This is my runaway pick for best song on Even In Arcadia. “Caramel” shone above every other track on the album through every listen, and it was a pleasure to listen to every time. The song serves as a message to Sleep Token’s fans, pleading that they focus on listening to the music and quit tring to find Vessel’s identity. The verses are great, and the chorus HITS, especially the second time around. If I have any complaints about “Caramel”, it’s that I wanted to hear the chorus one more time. It was so epic when the guitar and drums came in for the second chorus, and hearing it once more would have surely made this song a 10. The screaming at the end was good, the theme is powerful, and the instruments go hard. “Caramel” is easily the best song on the album.

Stinker

My stinker for Even In Arcadia is the title track, “Even In Arcadia”. A little ironic, right? This song wasn’t BAD by any means, but it just didn’t impress me. In fact, it didn’t really feel like an actual song. It’s placement in the middle of Even In Arcadia combined with its minimal metal influences and boring structure made it feel like a 4 and a half minute interlude. As I said, there’s nothing necessarily wrong with this song, but it was certainly unimpressive. The music under Vessel sounds mostly the same throughout the track, with a piano playing riffs with assistance from several string instruments, and Vessel himself offers a fine performance, but nothing special. This track just feels a little boring, which is a shame. I expected more from the titular song. Again, not bad, but underhwelming. 

Conclusion

Even In Arcadia was a very interesting listen, I’ll say that much. It shows flashes of brilliance, and yet can’t really put it all together to make an exceptional album. I think Sleep Token might be a bit too obsessed with genre blending, and although I like the idea, it doesn’t really work all too well with a few exceptions. I would never rate an album worse solely off of genre, because that’s unfair, but it is hard to look past the fact that Even In Arcadia can’t seem to decide what genre it wants to be. A great example of this is “Look To Windward”, the first song on the album. It has some great segments, but it sounds like Sleep Token just threw several genres into a melting pot and called it a night. Even In Arcadia contains hints of metal, pop, punk, and even a little rap-rock reminiscient of Linkin Park. I think that Sleep Token would be able to make incredible music if they just narrowed their vision slightly. Despite this assesment, I believe that there are plenty of things to like about Even In Arcadia. Vessel offers very strong vocal performances throughout the album, and the instrument work is top tier, especially the drumming by II. There aren’t really any bad songs on Even In Arcadia, and although I wouldn’t go so far as to call it a no-skip, there is an element of consistency here. I also like a lot of the themes of Even In Arcadia. The ones I understand, that is. I still don’t really get the lore. There is a lot to like and not too many problems, but I believe that Sleep Token has the potential to be much better. 

Final Conclusion: Even In Arcadia offers a diverse set of 10 tracks, with each bringing something slightly different to the table. While it struggles with “genre whiplash”, the album has a few bangers, with “Caramel” being my standout favorite of the tracklist. Sleep Token does a lot of things right, with vocal and instrumental performances that impress, but there is room for improvement. Solid album. 7.5/10