Sleep Token have dangled one last offering above us ahead of the release of their incredibly anticipated new Even in Arcadia album. This time, they’ve sharpened up their songcraft to deliver a dainty-yet-distorted bit of piano-pop called “Damocles.”
The third and final pre-album preview, “Damocles” takes on a lighter, less electronics-processed and more ivory-twinkling nature than preceding Even in Arcadia singles “Emergence” and “Caramel.”
That said, the song is similar in that the band teased the cut earlier this week over socials via an animation starring their CGI flamingo mascot, which fans have since named “Jerry.” This time around, he’s stretching out in front of a ritzy water fountain.
As for the song, “Damocles” initially leans into an airy, extended piano motif upon which Vessel delivers lines of biting self-introspection amid various end-days allusions (“What if the diamond days are all gone?”). Perhaps like the fame-weary “Caramel” before it, “Damocles” appears to take on a meta bent, too, with Vessel seemingly addressing various criticisms Sleep Token have faced over the years (“I know I should be touring/I know these chords are boring/But I can’t always be killing the game”).
“Damocles” eventually rises towards a more chunk-friendly bit of modern, melancholic guitar rock. While it’s not quite as djenty as some other Even in Arcadia previews, it does get loud.
You can fall into the deep by giving “Damocles” a stream up above.
Even in Arcadia arrives in full May 9th via RCA Records. While Revolver’s exclusive, limited-edition vinyl pressing of the album on “Glass of Port” vinyl variant have long sold out, you can currently pre-order copies on CD and standard black wax in our shop.