Sleep Token - Take Me Back to Eden

The mysterious, masked men from London are at it again with another top-notch release.

Take Me Back To Eden’s album opener Chokehold sucks you in with a raspy, gravelly musical intro under spacious, beautiful vocals that lulls you into a soothing, calming notion of what may be to come. But then you’re introduced to the album’s first taste of the horsepower that makes up Sleep Token with a gnarly, swing feel powered by drop-tuned guitars and an expansive soundscape.

Fans of Sleep Token are already familiar with what the opening track illustrates: genre-bending music that spans from soothing, ethereal aural planes to pounding progressive metal riffs. Mix in some electronica-based material and you’ve got the format for a perfect Sleep Token record. As a band whose tracks could be equally at home on either pop or metal radio, it’s difficult to find an accurate style descriptive for this record due to the varied styles they employ. The smooth synth and piano-driven Aqua Regia segues into the crushing Vore, with its combination of screamo and sweet and clean vocals over a foundation of thick, powered-up guitars and prog-metal-styled rhythm patterns. confirming that you never know what’s around the corner with this band. The tones chosen for this album, from smooth and glassy to raw and brutal, are ideal and all lay together perfectly. Regardless of the style of any given song on the record, you can be assured of well-crafted songs, excellent production quality and one hell of a roller coaster ride.

If you’re looking for a non-stop metal assault, this record may not be what you first reach for. However, if you’re receptive to being taken on an expansive musical journey then stop what you’re doing and spin this album, right now.

Score – 9 out of 10. A beautiful expedition for the open minded. Standout tracks – The Summoning, Ascensionism and Take Me Back To Eden

- John