Album review: Sleep Token – Take Me Back To Eden

World-building is becoming an increasingly prevalent element of rock music. Narrative-heavy, character-driven albums are now commonplace, as bands strive to find the best means by which to illuminate the message behind their music. Few acts, however, sound capable of creating a whole universe from the ground-up in the space of just a few minutes, before triumphantly tearing it down just as quickly. It’s something that Sleep Token master several times on Take Me Back To Eden.

The Summoning is the most obvious evidence of the band’s might, as anonymous vocalist Vessel and his cohorts deliver a track stacked with potent riffs that are captivating and apocalyptic in equal measure. The titanic Chokehold delivers yet more cataclysmic riffing, but that’s just one string to Sleep Token’s bow.

The band’s use of piano adds a real touch of class to proceedings throughout Take Me Back To Eden, whether it’s complementing the soft guitars and supple vocals of Aqua Regia or driving the beautiful climax that is closing track Euclid. Elsewhere, sweet acoustic guitar melodies help Are You Really Ok? to soar, while Vessel and pals chuck elements of screamo (Ascensionism), blackgaze (Vore) and metalcore (Rain) into the mix, creating a body of work that hangs together pretty damn well given the multitude of styles it adopts.

For those who like their rock and metal to hit with swift immediacy, Take Me Back To Eden’s hour-plus runtime might prove a bit of a slog, but if you allow yourself to be fully immersed in Sleep Token’s world, the sonic rewards are plentiful.

Verdict: 4/5

For fans of: Holding Absence, Spiritbox, Northlane

Take Me Back To Eden is released May 19 via Spinefarm