Take Me Back to Eden explained

Take Me Back to Eden
Type:studio
Artist:Sleep Token
Cover:SleepTokenTMBTE.jpg
Studio:Treehouse, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, UK
Genre:
Length:63:26
Label:Spinefarm
Producer:Carl Bown
Prev Title:This Place Will Become Your Tomb
Prev Year:2021

Take Me Back to Eden is the third studio album by anonymous English rock band Sleep Token. Produced by the band's frontman Vessel with Carl Bown (the first time the band had produced a record without their previous producer George Lever), it was released on 19 May 2023 by Spinefarm Records. The album serves as the final part of a trilogy, also featuring the group's first and second albums, Sundowning (2019), and This Place Will Become Your Tomb (2021).

Six songs from Take Me Back to Eden were released as singles: "Chokehold", "The Summoning", "Granite", "Aqua Regia", "Vore" and "DYWTYLM".

While the album received divided reviews from critics, it debuted at No. 3 on the UK Albums Chart and in the top 20 of the United States.

Background

Sleep Token released the first two songs from their as-yet untitled third album, "Chokehold" and "The Summoning", on 5 and 6 January 2023, respectively.[1] These were followed on 19 and 20 January by "Granite" and "Aqua Regia", respectively.[2] The slew of releases led to a rapid increase in popularity for the band, who grew from having reportedly "less than 300,000 monthly listeners on Spotify at the beginning of January" to having over 1.58 million by the end of the month.[3] "The Summoning", in particular, became one of Sleep Token's most popular songs to date, reaching number 1 on the Spotify Top 50 Viral Songs chart, as well as receiving over 1 million views on YouTube within two weeks.[4] It was also the band's first song to register on the official UK and US charts, reaching number 14 on the UK Rock & Metal Singles Chart,[5] number 26 on the Billboard Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart,[6] and number 2 on the Billboard Hard Rock Digital Song Sales chart.[7]

Take Me Back to Eden was officially announced on 16 February 2023, alongside the release of fifth single "Vore". The album was described in its announcement as "Part 3 of a trilogy, a spectacular chapter-closer in the ongoing Sleep Token saga, a saga that kicked off in earnest with debut album Sundowning".[8] "DYWTYLM" was issued as the sixth pre-release track from the album on 23 April 2023.[9]

Composition

The album combines elements of various genres including funk,[10] [11] electronic,[12] pop,[12] [11] R&B, alternative metal,[13] progressive metal, djent,[14] [11] metalcore,[11] and blues.[11]

Critical reception

Take Me Back to Eden received polarizing reviews from music critics. On Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 60, based on seven reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".

In a five-star review for the NME, Emma Wilkes described the album as "an ambitious, emotional monolith of a record, with all the hallmarks of future classic status", praising its "unpredictability" and adoption of multiple musical styles. In a four-star review for Metal Hammer, Dannii Leivers described Take Me Back to Eden as "a record that not only expands the band's universe and continues to prod metal's boundaries, but considers what it means to be human", proposing that it is "Sleep Token's strongest effort to date".

Clash writer Ims Taylor claimed that while "Some moments are impressive", Take Me Back to Eden is "An album let down by over-indulgence", suggesting that the record features too many songs that "stretch on longer than [they] need to". Similarly, Elliott Burr of The Line of Best Fit complained that Take Me Back to Eden "tends to drag along with bread-and-butter formulas", concluding his 6/10 review by suggesting that it "may not be revolutionary in its music or pantomime, with some evident missteps".

Accolades

At the end of 2023, Take Me Back to Eden was included in a number of music publication's end-of-year lists:

PublicationListRankRef.
Alternative Press5 Best Albums of 2023 (Readers' Vote)[15]
Alternative Press50 Best Albums of 2023 (Writers' Vote)[16]
Kerrang!50 Best Albums of 2023[17]
Metal Hammer50 Best Metal Albums of 2023 (Readers' Vote)[18]
Metal Hammer50 Best Metal Albums of 2023 (Writers' Vote)[19]
Metal InjectionTop 20 Albums of 2023[20]
NMEBest Albums of 2023[21]
Revolver5 Best Albums of 2023 (Readers' Vote)[22]
Revolver30 Best Albums of 2023 (Writers' Vote)[23]
Rock SoundTop 50 Albums of 2023[24]

Personnel

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2023-2024)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[25] 3
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[26] 69
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[27] 12
US Billboard 200[28] 16
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[29] 4
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[30] 2
US Top Hard Rock Albums (Billboard)[31] 2
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[32] 4

Year-end charts

Chart (2023)! scope="col"
Position
UK Cassette Albums (OCC)[33] 7
US Top Hard Rock Albums (Billboard)[34] 23

Notes and References

  1. News: Sleep Token Share Two New Songs With "Chokehold" + "The Summoning" . . 9 January 2023 . 5 March 2023 .
  2. News: Sleep Token Releases Two New Songs "Granite" & "Aqua Regia" . PM Studio . 19 January 2023 . 5 March 2023 .
  3. News: Sleep Token is Now No. 1 on Spotify's Top 50 Viral Songs Chart . Childers . Chad . . 4 February 2023 . 5 March 2023 .
  4. News: Why Is Everyone Talking About Mystery Band Sleep Token? . Schaffner . Lauryn . . 19 January 2023 . 5 March 2023 .
  5. Web site: Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40: 27 January 2023 - 02 February 2023 . . 5 March 2023 .
  6. Web site: Hot Rock & Alternative Songs: Week of February 25, 2023 . . 5 March 2023 . subscription.
  7. Web site: Hard Rock Digital Song Sales: Week of January 28, 2023 . . 5 March 2023 . subscription .
  8. News: Sleep Token confirm brand new album Take Me Back To Eden, release new single Vore . Alderslade . Merlin . . 16 February 2023 . 5 March 2023 .
  9. News: Sleep Token debut emotional new single 'DYWTYLM' . Wilkes . Emma . . 23 April 2023 . 28 April 2023 .
  10. Web site: Wilkes . Emma . Sleep Token - 'Take Me Back To Eden' review: masked heroes pushing rock to its extremes . NME . 18 May 2023.
  11. Web site: David . Maximo . What Are Sleep Token Up To? . Boolin Tunes . 4 February 2023.
  12. Web site: SLEEP TOKEN - 'Take Me Back To Eden' . RockZone . es . 18 May 2023.
  13. Web site: Rich. Hobson. December 20, 2023. The 10 best alt metal albums of 2023. May 18, 2024. Louder Sound.
  14. Web site: SLEEP TOKEN - 'Take Me Back To Eden' . RockZone . es . 18 May 2023.
  15. Web site: Fan poll: 5 best albums of 2023 . . 29 November 2023 . 17 December 2023 .
  16. Web site: 50 best albums of 2023 . . 12 December 2023 . 17 December 2023 .
  17. Web site: The 50 best albums of 2023 . . 11 December 2023 . 17 December 2023 .
  18. Web site: The 50 best metal albums of 2023 – as voted by the readers of Metal Hammer . . 13 December 2023 . 17 December 2023 .
  19. News: Creeper's Sanguivore is Metal Hammer's album of the year . Alderslade . Merlin . . 8 December 2023 . 17 December 2023 .
  20. Web site: Metal Injection's Top 20 Albums Of 2023 . Kennelty . Greg . Metal Injection . 7 December 2023 . 17 December 2023 .
  21. Web site: The best albums of 2023 . . 8 December 2023 . 17 December 2023 .
  22. Web site: Fan poll: 5 best albums of 2023 . . 13 December 2023 . 17 December 2023 .
  23. Web site: 30 best albums of 2023 . . 4 December 2023 . 17 December 2023 .
  24. Web site: Rock Sound's Top 50 Albums of 2023 . . 15 December 2023 . 17 December 2023 .
  25. Web site: ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart. Australian Recording Industry Association. 29 May 2023. 26 May 2023.
  26. Billboard Canadian Albums: Week of June 3, 2023. Billboard. 1 June 2023.
  27. Web site: NZ Top 40 Albums Chart. Recorded Music NZ. 29 May 2023. 27 May 2023.
  28. Billboard 200: Week of June 3, 2023. Billboard. 1 June 2023.
  29. Independent Albums: Week of June 3, 2023. Billboard. 1 June 2023.
  30. Top Alternative Albums: Week of June 3, 2023. Billboard. 1 June 2023.
  31. Top Hard Rock Albums: Week of June 3, 2023. Billboard. 1 June 2023.
  32. Top Rock Albums: Week of June 3, 2023. Billboard. 1 June 2023.
  33. Web site: The Official Top 20 biggest cassettes of 2023. Official Charts Company. Griffiths. George. 3 January 2024. 11 January 2024.
  34. Web site: Year-End Charts: Top Hard Rock Albums (2023). Billboard. January 26, 2024.