Masked enigmas Sleep Token are the fastest-rising band in modern metal. If you're just jumping onto the bandwagon, here's your essential breakdown of their lore, members and musical history.
Sleep Token from England are currently very popular. The young band is
conquering the music scene and captivating numerous fans with their
mysterious aura. 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!
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. The other band members are given
numbers. Behind the drums sits II, III swings the bass and IV can be
heard playing the guitar. 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."
Sundowning (2019)
In a rollout that had each song released at fortnightly intervals at
sunset until the whole album was out, Sundowning captured imaginations
with its unorthodox presentation and dedication to its theme. It’s a
refinement on the EPs that preceded it and sports some of Sleep
Token’s most beloved songs to date, with The Night Does Not Belong To
God and Bloodsport.
This Place Will Become Your Tomb (2021)
There's nothing inherently wrong with This Place…, but it felt like a
sideways step from debut Sundowning, when the band have proven
themselves to be capable of so much more. It's still a good album, the
likes of Alkaline and Telomeres being stunning executions of their
formula. It helped their profile massively before TikTok found them,
but this is Sleep Token treading water before the huge sonic leap.
Take Me Back To Eden (2023)
Sleep Token's most complete work to date, Take Me Back… spans across
genres even more than before, folding in R&B, emo rap and funk,
alongside the indie pop and prog template they'd established. At an
hour long, it's a sprawling album, but one that rewards multiple
listens with its secrets and some career-best songwriting.
Melding R&B, pop and downtuned djent guitars, Sleep Token aren't your “typical” heavy band. Where ballads like Bloodsport or Drag Me Under employ soft piano, others like Gods or Vore lean far more into extremity, with screamed vocals and heaving breakdowns. The Summoning, one of the first singles released from this year's Take Me Back To Eden album, went viral on TikTok thanks to its melting pot of sounds, particularly its funk outro, which got many hot under the collar. In fact, almost every single from Take Me Back… saw huge success on the platform, catapulting Sleep Token’s profile to an impressive two million monthly Spotify listeners in mere weeks.