Ever since the first single of this album released, it's had a complete chokehold on me as one of my most anticipated albums in forever. I've never been so excited about and left waiting so long for an album release, and when the day came I had to resist the urge to play it immediately, and wait for a moment in the day where I could listen to the full record uninterrupted.
Sleep Token quickly became one of my favourite bands last year after I fell in absolute love with their entire discography (except for Two, I haven't really gotten around to that one). When they dropped a double whammy on the literal first week of the year, the latter of which absolutely blew it out of the water and made huge waves in the heavy world, I knew this was going to be one of the biggest things to happen this year. Over the next few months, they released a total of half the record as singles, showcasing everything from a solid pop ballad to a blackgaze-infused hard rock blend. By the time May rolled around, I was both ecstatic in anticipation to find out what the other six tracks held, and if they could live up to the hype.
On album release day, I did kind of gloss over the singles. I already played them so much by that point, and I was way too curious to sit through the first five consecutive tracks that I already knew. I dived straight into the non-singles, and I was very happily greeted by a blissful serving of new flavours.
Ascensionism is a fan favourite for some reason which I don't really get, but it is a great song and I do love it a lot. The mix of piano-heavy melodies, RnB-esque rap flows over dark instrumentals slipping into Vessel's signature singing style, then switching up to a more djent-influenced open metalcore sound and a thall breakdown, before finally ending with an intense anthemic section. For a seven-minute song, it sure goes by quick, and it's easy to soak into the soundscapes. Sleep Token has been able to pull off these kinds of long runtime songs since their first EP, One, with When the Bough Breaks doing that similar kind of slow buildup and development.
Are You Really Okay? is such a touching cut on this record. The atmosphere that they choose to go with for the first half of the song is so calming and peaceful, and that beautiful riff is tastefully reverb-laced and simply radiates happiness. I enjoy the way the intensity slowly ramps up over the course of five minutes, and the lyrical contents of this song is equally hopeful and heartbreaking. For a band who's focus is usually on a romantic aspect, it feels genuine and raw to see a kind of philia and caring side from them in the lyrics.
The Apparition is the one song I haven't completely resonated with but know I will in time. It's that kind of cut on a record which isn't special because of some distinct unorthodoxness or standout quality, but just existing as a pristine and refined presentation of their core sound. The instrumentation and vocal melodies are extremely well-done, and it's just a matter of playing it enough until it clicks and becomes an earworm I can't help but sing along to.
Rain is what The Apparition would be if it clicked immediately. Basically, Rain clicked immediately. The main chorus melody, the verse and the pre-chorus is so addicting to my ears, there's just something about the rhythm and cadence that scratches an itch so badly, and even more so when the band comes in and ramps up the grooviness. This song may not be too wild in any direction but it's its atmosphere and catchiness that pushes it so high up on my list.
The title track is a fun one. I hate that it got so much attention just because of the breakdown, when there's so much more to it that makes it special. An eight-minute opus that shifts through multiple sections, it's home to some of the best vocal melodies on the record. I love the way the intensity and dynamic weaves itself as the song goes on, pulling together a lot of the elements that define this record. The way it builds, how it shifts from flowy rap sections to anthemic rock sections and calmer piano sections, even making a callback to the first track, it feels like a strong wrap up of the record, leaving Euclid to wrap up the trilogy.
Euclid is a tearjerker, especially for devoted fans of the band. As album closers goes, it's definitely on par for emotional. Sleep Token and Vessel have been slowly building a three-part narrative of two lovers through Sundowning, This Place Will Become Your Tomb, and Euclid is the final piece of the puzzle that ties it all together and closes the book. It has the essence and energy of Blood Sport but in a happier tone, and sees presumably Vessel finally moving on and starting a new chapter. I love the references and beautiful composition, going back to One and Sundowning, and a lot more looser lines that could be drawn if you're willing to stretch it a bit. It was also really emotional to hear The Night Does Not Belong To God at the end of the song, tying the trilogy together in such a powerful way.
Take Me Back To Eden is arguably their best record, although I expect some of their hardcore fans to stand by Sundowning. I found their foray into new soundscapes and expansion of genre influences so pivotal and vital to their success and quality here, and although I didn't talk about the singles, I think they are the best examples of the band pulling in unexpected influences and making it work. Outside of that though, I wholeheartedly believe that there was such a much needed step up in vocal melody work and lyrical prowess that they managed to achieve on this record, and that's what really makes this record their best for me. I've found most of this record so fulfilling to dig into lyrically, which the first two records didn't do so, and much more of this record is truly memorable than the first two. They are all albums I could get lost in, but Take Me Back To Eden is the only record that, as a whole conceptual piece, hits the mark on sentiment.
Although it feels like two odd halves in some ways, especially with my familiarity to the singles that contrasts the non-singles, or how there's a slightly jarring separation with the "sexier", more romantic songs and the darker, more emotional ones, this album as a whole exceeded my expectations on what Sleep Token could do. The kind of soundscapes and emotions they've achieved in this record is of such a wide range, simply outdoing Sundowning and This Place Will Become Your Tomb. Of course, it exists as a trilogy and they are all still very highly praised by me, so there's no need to compare so harshly, but Sleep Token is a band that constantly evolves and becomes better with every release, so their third album has obviously left me extremely impressed, both sonically and narratively.
I expect to only fall in love even more as I play this album over and over again until the cells in my bones get familiar with the vibrations, but I think it's safe to say this is one of my favourite albums of all time. I have to be aware of recency bias, but I've come to notice that Sleep Token only ever grows on me, especially since that's how it went with the singles. Once I've known the entire trilogy, front to back, by heart, I'll be ready to see what comes next for the band. Nobody knows what the next chapter will be, but I'm excited to see how Sleep Token will evolve in time. Meanwhile, there is plenty to worship.
Rating: 10/10