Enigmatic. Genre Bending. Anonymous. Musically Intricate.

These are words best used to describe the London based progressive alt metal band known as Sleep Token. Not much is known about the band members’ personal information, only that they use pseudonyms and hide their identities to remain anonymous. Behind the drum kit sits the living metronome known as II, intertwining melodies are III & IV on bass and rhythm guitar, and all are lead by the charismatic enigma on vocals known only as Vessel.

To understand the music, you have to understand the lore.

A devoted follower of the ancient, omnipotent deity known as “Sleep”, Vessel, had a dream where Sleep came to him and promised him glory and magnificence in return for spreading Sleep’s message through music. Vessel puts together a band of followers, their songs therefore becoming “tokens” offered to Sleep as a form of Worship & Devotion.

These songs, these “offerings to Sleep”, however, hold really deep meanings. Exploring complex themes of love, loss, addiction, toxic relationships, narcissism, and personal transformation, whereas in the stories being told, Sleep is represented as this powerful force that Vessel finds himself seeking validation from, and often enduring abuse from.

Blending genres of Progressive Metal with R&B, Hip Hop, Indie Rock, Alternative Metal, along with infusing elements of post-Rock, trap and gospel, it’s really tough to place them in just one single category of music considering that they’re a blend of everything. Song writing credit for this band goes mainly to Vessel who writes the lyrics, basslines, and piano chords, while II lays down the foundation with intricate timing and sharp precision on the drums. III & IV are the recording & touring musicians who add an unmatched energy with their onstage presence.

Let’s dive into more of the Lore and an analysis of each studio album released, shall we? Let’s do it!

“Sundowning” (2019) This is the band’s debut studio album. Recorded at G1 Productions in Wells, England, produced by George Lever and released on Nov. 21st, 2019, as the band’s first release on Spinefarm Records. This album features a beautiful blend of alternative metal, post rock and prog metal, with elements of gospel sprinkled here and there.

Sundowning, or sundown syndrome is a real medical condition characterized by increased confusion and behavioral problems in patients with dementia or delirium, particularly in the late afternoon and evening. In the context of the album, this condition is used to describe the decline in Vessel’s relationship with the deity, Sleep. As this relationship between the two deteriorates, Vessel’s confusion and behavior gets worse. This is interpreted as one going through a personal journey of trauma and healing.

“This Place Will Become Your Tomb” (2021) Released on Sept. 24^th, 2021, this is a concept album exploring themes of love and relationships, the human experience, emptiness and loss, hope and resilience. Just as the last album featured a blending of multiple genres, this one follows the same formula, adding also a mix of prog & indie rock, going back to the bands early musical roots prior to forming Sleep Token.

“This Place Will Become Your Tomb” is the climax and emotional breakdown of Vessel’s journey as he desperately tries to break free from Sleep’s grasps, yet time and time again he fails and allows himself to be consumed by his own love and devotion to the omnipotent deity. His love will become his death if he cannot break the chains that bind him to Sleep.


“Take Me Back to Eden.” (2023) Released on May 19^th, 2023, this is the band’s third studio album and final album released by Spinefarm Records before the band signed with RCA Records. This album is a personal favorite of mine. This one takes the formula of the two previous albums, and integrates Pop, R&B and “djent” – a more eclectic and complex form of prog metal. It initially received mixed reviews, but eventually received numerous accolades, including:

Alternative Press #5 of 5 Best Albums of 2023
Kerrang! #3 of 50 Best Albums of 2023
Metal Hammer #1 Reader’s voted and #4 Writer’s voted 50 Best Metal Albums of 2023
Metal Injection #5 of Top 20 Albums of 2023
Revolver #1 Readers voted 5 Best albums of 2023 and #1 Writer’s voted 30 Best Albums of 2023
Rock Sound #1 Top 50 albums of 2023

The album itself serves as a resolution to a trilogy. This is the end of Vessel’s journey of personal transformation as he navigates the stages of grief and loss after his break away from Sleep. He grapples with nostalgia, bitterness, and a sense of finality, exploring the pain and damage caused by his relationship with the Deity. This is probably the most relatable concept album. We’ve all felt the pain of loss in some way or another in our lives. This album explores every stage of grief:

1. Denial – Chokehold
2. Anger – Vore
3. Bargaining – Granite
4. Depression – Aqua Regia
5. Acceptance – Take Me Back to Eden
6. Closure – Euclid

“Even in Arcadia” (2025) Released on May 9^th, 2025, by RCA Records, this is the band’s 4^th and most recently released studio album. For this album specifically, the track listing was chosen by an intricate voting system instituted by the band via their TikTok page, where users could find a link “Show Me How To Dance Forever” This website displayed a floral pink/grey aesthetic among early empire architecture, with random letters that scrambled across the screen that needed to be entered in a specific sequence. In this source code website is a code arrangement depicting an archway and location coordinates that led to the 18^th century “Shephard’s Monument” in the grounds of Shugborough Hall in Staffordshire, England, below a mirror image of Nicolas Poussin’s painting of “the Shepherds of Arcadia” The inscription on the monument, the unsolved “Shugborough Inscription” cypher, when arranged correctly on the website would take users to another site where a black flamingo appears and users were asked for their email address. Users would be greeted with a message “With Gratitude” and then sent an email titled “BEHOLD, A DIVIDE” with two link options to click “House Veridian” and “Feathered Host”, each with their own logos and color schemes. Both image links lead directly to the band’s merchandise website. A second email would be sent out to the user, placing them in the “house” of whichever link they initially followed.

These two houses determined the official track listing and arrangement of the album, telling two very similar yet very distinct narratives.

House Veridian “The House Must Endure” core theme is endurance, preservation of oneself, traditionalism and continuity. The track listing begins with “Look To Windward” and ends with “Infinite Baths” The end of the last track cycling back to the beginning of the first track, creating an infinite loop, suggesting an endless cycle of nonstop struggling. In this album, the band details their struggles with personal relationships, relationship with the fans and coming to terms with the fame and notoriety that comes with stardom while trying extremely hard to remain anonymous. This is the officially released album version.

Feathered Host “The Cycle Must End” essentially is the same album but with different track arrangement. This track listing would have started with “Even In Arcadia” a song which explores a journey of introspection and acceptance, and ended with “Caramel” a song that details the band’s struggle with fame, their identities being leaked, toxic fandom and ultimately a love letter to their true fans “And if you don’t think I mean it/ then I understand/ But I’m still glad you came/ so let me see those hands”

Musically, this album has more ambience, but in all the right places. Along with the previously listed genres of the last three albums, this one also incorporates elements of Metalcore, Pop Rap, Arena Rock, Trip Hop, Electronic, Screamo and even Reggaeton. This album also charted at #1 on the US Billboard 200, dethroning the Billboard Queen Taylor Swift. All with little to no radio play. Not bad for a little anonymous band from London.

I can go on forever and ever about this band.

If you’re looking for an alternative to everything mainstream, then I highly recommend this band for you.

– Spanish Jesus