How do you chronicle one of the fastest rising bands in music today? Let’s get a bit of history, and a page from the KISS handbook for some perspective. Yes, I said KISS. Bear with me. Signed first to Basik records, they released two EPs. Signed to Spinefarm a bit later, they went on to release three full lengths, “Sundowning,” “This Place Will Become Your Tomb,” and “Take Me Back to Eden.” Somewhere between the second and third, they began to vamp up efforts to market themselves. It seems like common sense…offer apparel and other exclusive items like bracelet, necklaces, and other things, but keep qualities limited to drive up demand. This is the page out of the KISS handbook I am talking about. KISS were masters of marketing, and SLEEP TOKEN seems to be following suit. The moment the release merchandise, they release a limited quantity, and fans lap it up.

Following their latest album in 2023, they began a fast rise in the music industry but still retain some mystery. Most recently signed to RCA Records, their popularity has increased with two charted songs from the new album. Despite their secret identities and image, what remains is their focus on music. Sometimes Pop, other times spicy R&B and even rap, and still others Metal to the core, much of what fans love about them is Vessel’s voice and lyrics. His baritone voice is one of the most soothing ones out there, and their versatility is unmatched. Still, for many traditional Metal fans, their amalgam of styles is off-putting, especially for gatekeepers. So, in my opinion, their popularity will always remain somewhat limited. The latest album, “Even in Arcadia,” refers to a vision of pastoralism and harmony with nature.

Before I get to the music, I feel the need to give you some of my history with the band. I first discovered them serendipitously in 2019, right as “Sundowning” was released. I will date myself by saying that I was listening to Pandora Radio, and “The Night Does Not Belong to God” came up. I remember thinking, “what a voice!” I then dived into “Sundowning,” and, as they say, the rest is history. Of the three full-lengths, it remains my favorite, although I do like a lot of songs from the two newer albums. Interestingly, I don’t connect as strongly with the Trapt/R&B mashed songs as I do both the Pop and Metal songs. My main connection is with melody. As an “older” fan of their music, I am also not overly happy about their meteoric rise in popularity, nor there signing to a major label, but I have promised myself to keep an open mind.

There are ten diverse cuts awaiting the listener on the album. There were three songs released ahead of the album. The first song, titled “Emergence,” had to grow on me a bit, but the longer I listened to the piano led number, the more warmth it provided me. I have to admit I don’t care for the cadenced vocals, but his smooth ones deliver a much better high, and the sultry saxophone notes at the end hint for me of unimagined possibilities. “Caramel” has a playful opening, and he muses “stick to me like caramel.” Again, I just don’t care for the rhythm of the vocals, and the transition to a heavier sound is a bit clunky for me. “Damocles” was the third song released, and it made a bigger impact on me. It’s a gentle song, with a healthy heaping of melancholy to go along with the emotional vocals. The song’s title refers to a metaphor that symbolizes the precariousness of power and the ever-present threat of danger or downfall. It’s a very pretty song that has plenty of heaviness as well.

Onto the rest of the album now. “Look to Winward” has a smooth and melancholy opening, with keyboards and vocals. But with each passing note, you can feel something stirring. He repeats the line “will you haunt this eclipse in me” until the guilded hammer drops hard, like meteors raining from the sky. As the song continues, you can hear the amalgam of styles starting to blend. “Past Self” is a simple, but effective little melody, that plays gently in the warm breeze, but I am finding it hard to connect with the rhythm of the vocals. “Dangerous” has that trademark darkness that runs through a lot of their music. The vocals are expressive, and shoot right through your ribcage and into your heart. The title track is another simple and warm offering that shoots occasional ice shards. The vocal harmonies are probably the best part of the song, and this is an area they have clearly mastered. The sad cello notes at the end dig into your side as well.

“Provider” has smooth organ notes and vocal please like “let me know that you’re mine,” and “I want to be your provider.” It is plenty firm, and has a bopping beat that you can move your head with. “Gethsemane” might be the song I was waiting for, and craving. It is unabashedly pretty, and powerful, and it’s the first song on the album that brought goosebumps on me. Of course, Gethsemane is a garden on the Mount of Olives outside Jerusalem, the site of Jesus' agony and arrest before his crucifixion. There are fusion elements here, but the edges are smoothed out more in favor of his voice and the dancing melodies of the music. “Infinite Baths” is the final song, and it’s another very charming song. It has plenty of weight, but it’s the structure of the chords and the melody that lift it out of the darkness. But once again, the pound at the end is clunky.

The thing that strikes me most about the album is the shift towards a more R&B sound, and it is more evident than ever before. They hinted at it on the last album in a few songs, but on this album, nearly every song has that thread running through it. There are plenty of heavy moments on the album, but let me make a distinction...it’s not that the album “is not Metal enough for me,” as I am no gatekeeper, but it’s rather than the album is too close to other genres that I just don’t listen to. Metal? Yes. Rock? Yes. Pop? Bring it on. Rap? No thank you. R&B? No. It’s hard to say if the signing to a major label brought about the change to a larger audience, or whether this was just a natural progression of the band. It looks like two more years of waiting.