Sleep Token is a once-in-a-generation band that takes the genres you have known for ages and finds new ways to flip them on their heads and blend them in a way that feels so natural. Take Me Back to Eden is further proof of this, and is easily their most polished and balanced record yet. Vessel, the band’s leader, and singer, has such a unique sound to his voice, being able to float from soulful R&B to rage-filled Metal, and finally powerful modern Pop styles. The band around him is able to keep up, specifically their drummer II (the only other permanent member alongside Vessel), with II citing his influences as Joey Jordison from Slipknot, Matthew McDonough of Mudvayne, and the UK Electronic and Hip Hop scene. These influences are especially evident when you focus on the drumwriting of the album and help with the believability of the genre-bending taking place throughout. Sleep Token has quickly become not only one of the biggest bands of the 2020s (earning the rightful place of opening for Linkin Park as part of their return tour) but one of my top bands from the past decade.

Negative Spaces manages to establish what sounds like the “final form” of Poppy as an artist, and where she has been heading all these years - a blend of Bubblegum Pop and Metalcore that is both sweet and venomous. Many tracks are reminiscent of recent Bring Me The Horizon releases, which is clear when you realize that Jordan Fish served as the producer and one of the writers of Negative Spaces. If the name looks familiar, it’s because Jordan was the keyboardist and producer for Bring Me The Horizon from 2012-2023, helping shape their sound into a similar blend of Metalcore with Pop leanings that worked much better for Oli Sykes's vocal range after struggles from their early days as a Deathcore band.