What Is ‘Arcadia’ From Sleep Token’s New Album Title?

Sleep Token have announced Even in Arcadia as the title of their forthcoming album, but what or where exactly is Arcadia?

For the better part of a month now, Sleep Token have been laying the groundwork toward their new album announcement with social media teases. It began back in February when the band joined TikTok and started teasing imagery that focused a pink and violet-hued floral nature landscape. It turns out that plays very well into what Arcadia actually is.

What Is Arcadia?

Arcadia is actually a Greek word referring to a vision of pastoralism and harmony with nature. The term was derived from the Greek province of the same name that featured a mountainous topography and a sparsely populated area largely untouched by man that provided an idyllic vision of unspoiled wilderness.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary simply defines Arcadia as “a region or scene of simple pleasure and quiet.”

More About Arcadia

Arcadia also plays a role in Greek mythology. Arcadia of Peleponnesus was the domain of Pan, a virgin wilderness home to the god of the forest and his court of dryads, nymphs and other spirits of nature.

This version of paradise was viewed as being the home of supernatural entities, but not an afterlife for deceased mortals.

READ MORE: Sleep Token Fans React to New Song ‘Emergence’

The Greek poet Theocritus shared stories boasting of the idealized lives of peasants in Arcadia with his fellow denizens in the dilapidating city of Alexandria. His works later inspired Roman poet Virgil to reference Arcadia in his Eclogues.

Arcadia has remained a popular idea and topic amongst poets, artists and writers through the generations.

Arcadia the Destination

As previously stated, the idea of Arcadia comes from a specific region in the central Peloponnese.

In the 7th Century, the region of Arcadia came under threat by Sparta, but managed to maintain their independence. The people of Arcadia also participated in the Persian Wars by sending forces to Thermopylae and Plataea.

Though once considered a threat, in future years Arcadia allied with Sparta in the Peloponnesian War. Over time, Arcadia weakened in power and eventually was subjugated by the Macedonians and later they became part of the Archaen League.

The actual area of Arcadia features the high ground of Mount Araonia which largely lies within its borders. The southern border runs through the Pamon and Taygetos mountain ranges. A majority of the region is mountainous save for the plains near Tegea and Megalopolis and the valleys of the Alpheios and Ladon rivers.

Arcadia as Inspiration in Pop Culture

There have been numerous references to Arcadia throughout the years in modern pop culture.

In the music world, Duran Duran‘s Simon LeBon, Nick Rhodes and Roger Taylor took on the name for their musical works when the band splintered for a period in the mid-’80s. They issued one album, So Red the Rose, that yielded the hit song “Election Day.”

Arcadia was also used as an album title for Ramona Lisa is 2014 and copped for a song title by Lana Del Rey in 2021.

It was the name of a 2012 American film, was part of the title of director Guillermo del Toro’s a fictional TV series Tales of Arcadia and was the title of an episode of TV’s The X-Files in 1999.

It’s been a card game, a video game, a gaming console and was a fictional plane of existence within the Dungeons & Dragons game. Arcadia was a Marvel Comics character, has spawned poems and plays and has been used to title ships, schools and paintings.

There are 22 U.S. states with cities named Arcadia and multiple other states that have claimed the name for specific neighborhoods, counties or lakes. There are also Arcadia’s located in Australia, Canada, Greece and Ukraine among others.

About Sleep Token’s Use of Arcadia

Sleep Token are historically mysterious in their activities with uncovering the lore behind the band being part of the fun. However, it appears that the supposed beauty and floral nature of Arcadia did play a big role in the inspiration for their next album and how it’s being presented.

The Even In Arcadia artwork for the new album album includes the pink and rose hued beauty of a floral piece of nature.

Within the teases, fans have been directed to either choose a Veridian House or an Arcadia House with logos and merch designed for each.

For now, we have our first piece of music with the song “Emergence.” There’s also a May 9 street date for the Even in Arcadia album with pre-orders now underway. Stay tuned to see how else Sleep Token manage to define their connection to Arcadia.