Review: JD Garrahy
As I sit in my living room, the rain gently falls on the corrugated iron roof, creating a beautiful ambiance for the evening. I reflect on the privilege bestowed upon me to complete the task of music reviewing—a thankless job that, while rewarding in its content, sometimes burdens you with the challenge of trying to formulate coherent sentences to provide a descriptive enough visual of what the artist is attempting to convey.
Tonight, however, is more than intense to say the least. This, my friends, is the review of the eagerly anticipated offering from Sleep Token, entitled Even In Arcadia. I’ll try to give this album the praise it deserves without giving away too much in the details. Bear in mind, this is my interpretation, so please make your own if you choose not to agree with it.
Occasionally, you come across a band that pushes the boundaries of a genre so hard it shatters. They release songs that strike the heartstrings and pair them with not only bone-crushing metal ferocity but intricate compositions that would make the most reserved classical musicians sit up and take notice.
Intertwined in all this madness is a lore of its own that reads like a Tolkien novel. Rich tapestries of the stories of the deity Sleep and her chokehold on the entity we know as Vessel. Welcome to the rabbit hole, avid reader; your eyes are about to be opened to a world that can be both savage and gentle all at once.
With an intro that evokes the feeling of an ‘80s 8-bit computer game, it’s not long before we’re graced with the smooth and sultry voice of our hero, Vessel. Now, if you assume Take Me Back to Eden was this band’s Magnum Opus, you are completely incorrect.
What lies ahead is the story of Vessel gaining independence from Sleep and finding his way to Arcadia, a paradise he must embrace to evolve and become more self-reliant. As the percussion kicks in, it’s clear this story will play out with a crescendo that gives it all the gravity it needs and deserves.
Emergence is a song that brings Sleep to the forefront of the story for Vessel to confront. A soft piano introduction sets the tone for one of the gentler songs on the album. REALLY listen to the lyrics on this one, as they foreshadow how the rest of the tale unfolds.
I cannot stress enough how this band has managed to take the genre they fought hard to be a part of and turned it on its head. The late, great Ronnie James Dio once said that music is a narrative tool used to tell stories to a wide audience. Using lyrical themes to evoke imagination and convey life lessons, it seems that Vessel and the rest of the Sleep Token alumni are top-tier students at the School of Dio. Storytelling at its finest.
Past Self is a bit more playful and gives the feeling that Vessel has made his way to Arcadia, relishing in the brilliance of paradise. The instrumentals are light and upbeat, really activating the part of the brain that brings joy. It conveys the sense of someone who has achieved their goal of reaching paradise yet still holds a sense of apprehension. Even II’s drum work has been put into the digital realm to enhance the joyful emotion.
Dangerous. Wow! Listen to that opening line. Process it. Listen to it again. Process it further. Now we can move forward. This track showcases that aforementioned apprehension to paradise. Learning that Sleep still has a hold of him, Vessel attempts to move forward, and the instrumentals become darker, more metal-driven, and far more ominous compared to the previous track.
Sleep is now not leaving Vessel alone. “Stick to me like caramel” has been interpreted by the fanbase as a kick in the teeth regarding the perils of fame, but also how Sleep will not part with Vessel as easily as he would like her to. This seems to be a symbiotic relationship that Vessel wants to break free from in order to become more independent. Case and point, the next song. I’ll move to a new paragraph to decipher and describe this one.
Even In Arcadia. I can’t believe I get to live in a timeline where this song exists. I will be honest with you here, dear reader, this song made me weep. With an introduction so beautiful yet chaotic, it seamlessly slips into a piano arrangement that paints the image of Vessel sitting alone in the dark, pouring every bit of his stretched soul into every word, every note, every emotion. “Have you been waiting long for me?” he repeats.
It feels like a call to the deity to leave him be, so he may discover his independence and himself. Building to the climax, he screams the line once more, and it honestly hits you so hard in the heart that the string section that follows just gives this song all the gravity and fervor it deserves.
Following this, Provider seems like a track needed to drive home how toxic the symbiosis has become for our hero. He yearns to be his own person. Free from the shackles of Sleep and moving on to the next chapter in his life. Arcadia is beautiful enough, but while Sleep still exists there, he cannot truly provide for himself. He must break the connection. It must be mentioned here that the guitar and bass lines that III and IV have provided thus far on this album have been nothing short of incredible. Their contributions bring a massive feeling to each song with crushing riffs, making this album feel like so much more than just another release from another band.
Damocles marks the beginning of the end for this offering. In the final three tracks, we hear a better tone in Vessel’s vocals, indicating that he has managed to tear free from the control of Sleep and will soon be able to enjoy Arcadia in all its glory. Gethsemane serves as the last dig at a controlling ex-lover for all the ways they wronged the other party. I must mention II’s drumming on this track—it’s otherworldly. You can’t comprehend how a person can make something so intricately complex yet stir emotion by simply hitting stretched mylar into submission. I am in constant awe of II’s talent, and when you see them play live, this feeling is amplified tenfold.
Infinite Baths closes our story and this album. That familiar 8-bit sound from the start of the album echoes through the speakers as Vessel gently summarizes the previous nine compositions with a voice that sends chills down your spine. This may have been a tale of how he yearned to break free from Sleep, but it also gives the feeling of affection toward her for helping Vessel and the other members achieve the success they have come to enjoy. Beautifully composed and iconically executed, this album has taken me on an emotional roller coaster I forgot existed in the realm of musical storytelling. In its essence, Even In Arcadia is a love letter to Sleep—the deity they owe their success to, yet the overwhelming desire to break free from the bonds that keep them chained to a single narrative.
The question begs: how do I summarize this album? As I said at the beginning, writing reviews is difficult—make no mistake. But this has been a joy to listen to, evoking emotions long dormant. Storytelling in a way that has been forgotten in a world full of pop music with no lyrical substance. And finally, multi-instrumentalism that a symphony orchestra would envy and be proud of. Even In Arcadia has taken us on a journey that has solidified Sleep Token’s place in music, proving the force with which they intend to deliver the lore of their music. If you need to wait to listen to this album, I do hope you are mentally and emotionally preparing yourself to immerse yourself in its brilliance.
As is said in the realm of Sleep Token—“Worship.” And worship we shall, because Even In Arcadia we shall walk beside them still.
Sleep Token – Even In Arcadia is out May 9 via RCA Records / Sony Music Australia
Order here here
JB Hi-Fi Exclusive Limited Edition vinyl variant here
*All JB Hi-Fi pre-orders come with bonus ‘House Veridian’ or ‘The Feathered Host’ patch
(only while stocks last)
