Photo: Sleep Token Live, Sara Velez Herrero
Sleep Token from England are currently very popular. The young band is conquering the music scene and captivating numerous fans with their mysterious aura. In this article we will tell you everything we know about the mysterious musicians!
Not so much time has passed since the band's beginnings in 2016. Nevertheless, Sleep Token is now a well-known name for many: the band with the masked members and the secret names. What's more, the new album Take Me Back To Eden is a real milestone for the group, as fans can't get enough of the record. So let's start at the beginning and explore Sleep Token's band history, what makes the band special and what's behind the masks!
Sleep Token History: From 2016 To 2023
Let's start at the very beginning. Sleep Token formed in 2016 and since then consists of four members. All of them have adopted a pseudonym for the band. The frontman of the group is Vessel. He is responsible for the memorable vocals and also plays guitar and keyboard. The other band members are given numbers. Behind the drums sits II, III swings the bass and IV can be heard playing the guitar. The band comes from London and has given only one interview since their early days. Anonymity is a priority for Sleep Token. Whenever they perform live, the four musicians are wrapped in masks and impressive robes. On top of that, they wear a dark, black make-up. To this day, the secret of their identity has not been revealed, and in their fan community, the band's privacy is respected.
Photo: Sleep Token Live, Sara Velez Herrero
But how did the band come about in the first place? The singer Vessel once had a dream in which, according to Sleep Token, the ancient deity "Sleep" appeared. This deity promised him both glory and magnificence if he followed him. In response, the band dedicates their songs and their performances to "Sleep" and worships him. Accordingly, the band name is also derived from this deity.
When the group was asked about their history in the interview, they only said:
"How we got here is as irrelevant as who we are - what matters is the music and the message. We are here to serve Sleep and project His message."
Their first release in 2016 was the EP One with the single "Thread The Needle". In 2017, the next EP with the follow-up title Two was published. Following that, the band released several songs in 2018 that were not tied to an album: "Jaws," "Hey Ya," and "The Way That You Were." "Hey Ya" is a song cover of the American hip-hoppers from OutKast, which promptly earned the band some attention.
The first studio album Sundowning was then released in 2019 by Spinefarm Records and received a deluxe version in 2020. The band came to Europe for the first time and played shows in Belgium, France and the Netherlands. They also had their first festival shows, including the Euroblast Festival in Cologne, Germany and the Arctangent Festival in England. In 2019, they were nominated as the best "UK Breakthrough Band."
More festival appearances were supposed to follow in 2020, but they were canceled due to the Corona pandemic. Among them was Knotfest at Sea, Slipknot's festival cruise.
With This Place Will Become Your Tomb the second long player followed in 2021. The Metal magazine Loudwire ranked it number 12 of the 45 best rock and metal albums of 2021, and it also reached number 39 in the British charts, while Sundowning, as a debut, did not reach a chart position. In addition to a few headlining shows, 2022 then included a tour as the support for the known band Architects, who toured the UK with their For Those That Wish To Exist Tour.
Photo: Sleep Token Live, Sara Velez Herrero
The third release was 2023's Take Me Back To Eden, which made it to #3 on the album charts in the UK and also reached #5 in Germany. Tour dates have already been set for the US and Europe.
In reviews no one is quite sure with which genre Sleep Token's works should be described. You could say Sleep Token is a rock band with many influences, including Progressive Rock, Metalcore, Indie Rock and Ambience. Their albums can feature a lot of powerful screams from Vessel and hard guitars (e.g. "Vore") at one point, and then again quiet piano passages and ballads (e.g. "Ascensionism"). Examples of ambient influences are the Sleep Token songs "High Water" and early songs like "Thread The Needle". In songs like "Gods" or "The Summoning" Metalcore elements are showing. The band itself emphasizes that they don't have to fit into any category.
"Life is dark. Life is bright. Life is ugly. Life is beautiful. Don't get lost in genres, they'll only disorientate you. Music is for everyone."
But even though it seems like the group's popularity is only growing, fans always keep these three words in mind: "Nothing. Lasts. Forever." And that means we can never really be sure how long Sleep Token will continue to make music and be active as a band.
"Life is fleeting and this too shall pass. But for now, we praise Him."
What Does The Band Logo Stand For?
Since their early days, Sleep Token have changed their band logo once. You can find the older version on the single covers of 2018, for example. There are various assumptions and interpretations about its meaning. At first, the simplest explanation is that Sleep Token's initials (S and T) are represented in the logo. Others have already realized that every letter from the words "Sleep Token" can be found in the logo. Then again, there is the assumption that the shape was derived from an ancient runic alphabet. The so-called Elder Futhark includes twenty-four runes with different meanings. However, it is not officially known which runes exactly inspired the logo. Theories suggest that it may be, for example, the runes Dagaz, Tiwaz, Uruz and Eihwaz (newer logo).
On the band's white masks, their logo is also shown in red. In the interview they explain:
"It is an acronym of Sleep Token and reads as ST in ancient runes."
Image: Sleep Token - Hey Ya Cover - Band Logo (old)
Image: Sleep Token Band Logo (new)
What We Know About The Members Of Sleep Token
The well-kept secret of the identity of all Sleep Token members is a big topic on the Internet. Many are curious about the faces behind the masks and the names behind the numbers. Nevertheless, we can't expect to learn more about the musicians than they have already revealed about themselves.
"Our identities are unimportant. Music is marketed on who is or isn't in a band; it's pushed. prodded and moulded into something it isn't. Vessel endeavours to keep the focus on His offerings."
Vessel and II are primarily responsible for Sleep Token's songwriting. But the production of their albums also involved producer George Lever in the recording studio, for instance. He has worked with scene bands such as Loathe, Monuments and Holding Absence before, among others.
The band gave very serious answers to all questions in the interview and acts in a similar way on their social media channels. The worship of the deity "Sleep" is always in focus. Above all, the music shows the vulnerable side of Vessel, who brings emotional lyrics and profound topics to life with his voice. On stage, by the way, the singer usually performs without shoes. Instead, he dances light-footedly across the floor in socks.
For a few glimpses of members II, III and IV, check out their separate Instagram accounts. Head over to the Sleep Token Instagram account here.
