Rock band Sleep Token have scored their first ever UK number one album.
The British group’s fourth full-length release, Even In Arcadia, shot to the top of the chart after three top 40 singles in as many months.
Formed in 2016, the group have never revealed their identities, wearing masks at all times and rarely speaking in public, with posts speculating about who they are regularly going viral.
Critics have accused the band of using gimmicks to boost their popularity, while fans say Sleep Token’s distinctive sound, which blends heavy metal with poppy, R&B elements, sets them apart.
Building off their 2023 release, Take Me to Eden, which reached number three, the band now has 9.4 million monthly listeners on Spotify.
The streamer said earlier this week that Even in Arcadia was its top new album, outranking releases from Kali Uchis and Pink Pantheress.
Announcing the UK chart on BBC Radio 1’s Official Chart Show, host Jack Saunders said it was a “a groundbreaking rock record”.
“It’s accessible enough but also loveable enough for those who do really love the genre to really keep it close,” he said.
“I think it’s brilliant.”
But not everyone is convinced.
Music website Pitchfork – known for its sometimes-scathing takes – described the band as “schmaltzy and dull”.
Reviewer Eli Enis said Even in Arcadia “feels means-tested to maximize cross-market potential”.
Music critic Anthony Fantano, of The Needle Drop YouTube channel, describing it as “boring, uninspired, and uninteresting” and “metal for Disney adults”.
Sleep Token’s previous record also had a lukewarm response from professional critics, but that didn’t prevent it from being a success.
The group are due to headline Download Festival in Leicestershire next month, along with Green Day and Korn.
It’s the first time any of the bands have topped the bill at the rock gathering.
Other acts due to perform include McFly, Bullet For My Valentine, Don Broco, Alien Ant Farm, Spiritbox, Poppy and CKY.
