The Sleep Token record was not what it seemed

At first glance, it seemed like Sleep Token had fallen from grace. Singles like "Caramel" and "Damocles" made the record out to be something it kind of wasn't

A first glance at the Sleep Token record had some thinking that the band had fallen from grace. Singles "Caramel" and "Damocles" made the record out to be something it kind of wasn't, it was deceptive, almost. But, to some, it definitely will be the record they hop off the Sleep Token train at.

Going a further exploration of what is a pretty progressive sound, Sleep Token bottled up metal into an even more digestible form, and has the potential to serve it to masses. Definitely straying to the more pop side of things, incorporating elements of jazz, hip-hop, trap, blues, even country into the mix, it's surprisingly palatable. Of course, there are still the chugging riffs and black metal vocals that we know and love.

But, in terms of the band's metal influences, the introduction track, "Look To Windward" redeemed the two lackluster singles pretty quickly. Cinematic beyond belief, Sleep Token is backed by orchestration and melodies emerging from within chugging riffs – the first song alone is almost 8 minutes long.

And I'm not the only one having either an epiphany, or orgasm, to Sleep Token in the past week. Sleep Token achieved their first ever #1 album in the UK for Even in Arcadia, and is expected to debut at #1 in the US with over 120,000 units. The band also achieved their first ever ARIA #1 album in Australia with this record, and also went #1 in Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, New Zealand, and Scotland.

Now, personally, I wasn't the biggest fan of the record. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't anything groundbreaking. I feel like we've heard it all before, and I feel like the colour black was used a bit too much. But, I wasn't expecting to like it, and I did. So, no complaints here.

Regardless of opinions, this is a massive feat for any metal band. Whether it's desensitizing the public to the colour black and a couple of chugging riffs or simply resonating with more people as our peripherals crumble to bits, we won't question it. #1 is #1.

Congratulations, Sleep Token.

The band will be embarking on their sold-out US arena tour later this year. You can check out dates below.

September 16th – Duluth, GA @ Gas South Arena

September 17th – Orlando, FL @ Kia Center

September 19th – Louisville, KY @ Louder Than Life

September 20th – Greensboro, NC @ First Horizon Coliseum

September 22nd – Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center

September 23rd – Worcester, MA @ DCU Center

September 24th – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center

September 26th – Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena

September 27th – Cleveland, OH @ Rocket Arena

September 28th – Rosemont, IL @ Allstate Arena

September 30th – Lincoln, NE @ Pinnacle Bank Arena

October 1st – Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center

October 3rd – Denver, CO @ Ball Arena

October 5th – West Valley City, UT @ Maverik Center

October 7th – Tacoma, WA @ Tacoma Dome

October 8th – Portland, OR @ Moda Center

October 10th – Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena

October 11th – Los Angeles, CA @ Crypto.Crypto.com Arena