Sleep Token's Even In Arcadia Will Undoubtedly Live in Infamy: The Album That Will Be Remembered

May 9, 2025 will undoubtedly live in infamy: The fact that Sleep Token's Even In Arcadia was somehow not the worst album released on that day

May 9, 2025 will undoubtedly live in infamy: The fact that Sleep Token’s Even In Arcadia was somehow not the worst album released on that day (the honor goes to PinkPantheress’s Fancy That, arguably one of the worst albums ever recorded) speaks volumes.

However, early May also saw the release of a trio of intriguing albums, which was enough to distinguish it from the uniform mediocrity of the dismal month that preceded it. Inevitably, these albums were ignored and/or lambasted by critics (the same ones who hailed Fancy That as a masterpiece).

Case in point: Arcade Fire’s Pink Elephant was perhaps their best since The Suburbs (certainly better than the critically acclaimed Reflektor), yet it was negatively reviewed by critics, presumably due to Win Butler’s sexual harassment allegations. Admittedly, the album wasn’t a masterpiece and was frequently plagued by vapid synth-pop blandness, but many of the tracks — including the opener — were among the bleakest and most interesting of their entire career.