EVEN IN ARCADIA

Even In Arcadia by Sleep Token is a great move into more mainstream territory for the mysterious project. The rollout of singles on this album and the campaigning was perfect, but when it comes to the finished project, it does start to verve into predictable song formats. But while the ending does show more experimenting promise, the real clincher of this album is the production, performances and lyrics. While not overall being a thrill ride, the quality of material is fantastic with great creative choices throughout with pristine glimmer. On this album Vessel is more comfortable with his own voice, possibly linking to the concepts and themes, overall creating a great almost cinematic narrative. Great mix of styles proving that these guys deserve the attention that they have been currently getting. Lyrically the album is perfect, with great use of language and imagery. While not as grabbing as their previous album, this is still a great follow up and by far no slouch. I'd give this a low to mid 8 out of 10.

Well-Produced Emptiness

Even In Arcadia is one of those albums that, on paper, should be huge ? a mix of hip hop, R&B, trap, pop, djent, atmospheric textures, and a vocalist with a super distinctive voice. It all sounds ambitious, but the execution ends up feeling like a mash-up of the most overused elements from each genre, without that "something" to make it stand out.

From the start, the album shows its cards: smooth beats, tightly processed guitars, familiar melodies and vocal tricks. But as it goes on, the whole thing starts to drag. I honestly struggled to finish it. Not because it's "bad", but because it just feels empty. There's a constant emotional disconnect, a lack of soul ? especially compared to the last record, where every song felt like a personal confession.

Vessel is still a talented performer, no doubt, but here his vocals fall into the same patterns ? melodically and lyrically. The autotune and heavy vocal processing don't help either. Instead of adding emotion, they end up hiding it. And it's not like autotune is the enemy ? when used intentionally, it can actually work ? but here it feels more like a stylistic crutch than a creative choice that gives weight to the music.

There are moments ? some instrumental bits, cool harmonies, nice vocal lines ? where you feel like something great could happen. But it doesn't. The ideas just float there, unresolved and undeveloped. They get lost in predictable song structures or get buried under layers of production that don't let the music breathe.

The lyrics, meanwhile, aim for something honest and personal, but too often end up sounding like a string of social-media-ready one-liners. It feels more preachy than cathartic, and doesn't really connect with the music in a meaningful way.

Even In Arcadia isn't a trainwreck, but it is a letdown. A collection of nice little fragments with no clear direction, watered down. It tried to do too much, but in the end, it leaves you with almost nothing.

Music: ★

Lyrics: ★★

Execution: ★★★

Emotion: ★

Production: ★★★★

Artwork: ★

Average: ★★