Sleep Token is the creative genius that not only makes great music but also blends the lore into their art. This is dedication to art at its purest form.
I'm very new to the discovery of Sleeptoken but they've got me hooked. Not just with their music, but with their messages and hidden codes too! Absolutely fascinating!
I've always thought of Sleep as death, the sleep everlasting, and the 'token' as the scars on Vessel's arms from a suicide attempt (referenced in various songs). Chokehold also has a lyric stating that Vessel would 'act out of a Holy duty to be awake' which would just mean being alive when he simply coveted death and worshipped it. That or it's as simple as him suffering with insomnia. Just my take on the idea. Obviously Sleep is more than JUST one concept as there is a crossover between the senses of lust, longing, and sadness clearly directed towards a person and Vessel referring directly to Sleep, but I feel that death is a pretty integral part of describing what Sleep represents.
I agree with the death part, but I also see it as a rebirth. As you grow, a part of you dies but you learn to progress and take in what your past experiences have given you to make you what you are. And this trilogy has been nothing but a representation of not only pain, but acceptance. Growth. This band is the epitome of facing your demons head on and taking advantage of what's to come no matter how good or bad it can be. You're just fucking ALIVE. You feel. You exist. You're here. You hurt. You hate. You cry. You smile. You hug. You love. You FEEL. That's exactly what this band portays, in ways that most bands can't do nowadays.
I'm pretty new to the fandom so I'm not that deep in yet but they have me hooked. Could you tell me an example of a song where Vessel mentioned his struggles?
@@Maya_con18 Atlantic, High Water, Dark Signs, Do You Wish That You Love Me, Fall For Me, Euclid Some of them are more of the general vibe in a verse or something but some are more frank with regards to being directly about self-hatred
@@tarkenton3895especially the second verse of Atlantic makes me feel that he eventually tried to took this life at one point. I sincerely hope he’s doing okay, dude must have had a hard life judging by the lyrics of many songs…
I just want to say, I've followed this band since their very first release, which was much more experimental. At the time they were made fun of by many outlets, and the small shows they played were of course awkward with the costumes, largely they weren't taken seriously. It was only after Atlantic that the vibe changed. Really VERY surprised to see this growth from the latest releases, didn't see them going far in their early style, they adapted.
This is my introduction to Sleep Token lore, and I can't help seeing the parallels. Not only is he asleep, but he has the strongest influence on sleeping minds.
If Sleep Token were to stop after the TMBTE release cycle, I would be very pleased seeing a band go out on a gigantic high note, instead of running themselves into the ground. I want this band to be remembered as one of the GOATS in music history.
They refer to themselves as a “collective” meaning that they planned long ago to cycle out vessel and the rest of the band, the mystery of who they are and being shrouded in mystique allows them to do this, without us ever knowing
I remember coming across Calcutta back in 2017 when it first released, and Sleep Token has been my favorite band since. I had no idea there was so much depth behind their lore, thank you for shining some light on it, I think I love this band even more now
Yeah I stumbled upon their stuff on Spotify in 2017 with just the two EPs. Thread the Needle is the song that hooked me, especially that djent-y part at the end, but I wondered for awhile if they would ever release a full length and then Jaws and the trickle release of Sundowning in 2019 came around. I thought they had potential make it big but I feel like they're bigger than I would have guessed they would get at the time.
You are so real for making this video. I just got into this band this weekend. I have no idea what’s going on but I want to know. This band is so incredible. I love bands with lore
I didn't even realize there were coordinates on the Tomb Singles and Album cover, that is so cool, I love that idea! This video must have been a lot of work, thank you for putting that much work into it, it is really interesting, you have my subscription for sure!
Honestly, when it comes to art as a whole, I adore taking the approach of anonymity. It allows the work itself to speak . I just discovered Sleep Token, and I've been listening nonstop!
Awesome as always!! The Sleep Token lore is one of the coolest things I've seen come out of music. I just really appreciate the level of detail they put into their stuff. There's no telling if we missed something along the way lol. And you helped me understand a bit more about the TPWBYT puzzle! I knew people had found coordinates but I guess I didn't dig deep enough to find exactly where - I'm a lousy detective it would seem
Thank you very much! And yes, there are so many interesting aspects that one can dive into.. And I'm sure there are things we have yet to notice 😁 Regarding to coordinates, this was just the first one.. The one I found to be the coolest was the whalefall. But I will get into that in the future 😁 Thanks again for the support! 🙏
You're most welcome! I can't even remember if I knew that there two different aspects to the puzzle lol, so that's exciting! Very much looking forward to your next video! (No rush of course) :)
Found this band via the Drumeo interview, was fascinated by it and I have a soft spot for bands/music with lore. Feels like a D&D party of Bard/Warlock multiclass players being in a band I love it.
I found ST randomly a few months ago, but I wasn’t a hundred percent convinced back then. After TMBTE was released I grew a real obsession with them. Words cannot describe how much their music means to me 🖤
I just recently got into sleep token, I listened to Chokehold then Alkaline and by the time Vessel reached "Lets talk about chemistry" I was crying. Thats basically all I needed to know. This band is capable of making me cry by the sheer weight and beauty of their art for me.
My favourite part of this band is the same reason I love Slipknot so much, and it’s the masks, along with the sole focus on just the music. As you said, it’s potentially allowed Vessel to open up more than if he was a normal frontman, which has made a lot of their songs have a deeper meaning, and allowed all of us to latch onto them even more than before potentially.
I admire this band. With their anonymity, they share their knowledge using a variety of musical genres and obscure lyrics that make you tap into the deeper parts of your psyche for your own interpretation. Thank you Vessel for baring your soul. Such the wordsmith! Even in the darkest of hours, there is a light that breaks through the cracks. Sometimes it's hard to live in between. We endure much more pain and sorrow, but when we find the joy, it makes all the hurt worth it.
i listen to sleep token for the chOnky riffs and how their music feels man... didnt know they had such a vast lore... but it makes the band all the more interesting tho
No spoilers, but from what I have seen, the anonymity and theatrics were probably necessary in that I don’t think people would have paid as much attention or would have been so romanticized (myself included) if the band was presented in a straight forward way. I love the imagery and the journey. The story is intriguing and relatable when you equate the back and forth between Sleep and Vessel to relationships in our own lives. If we haven’t been in an abusive relationship, we’ve most likely seen one and experienced it from the outside. Even if that relationship was ultimately with a substance. Our need to hold people responsible for their situations is removed when we deal with Vessel. I think we show him empathy in the way we normally apply to animals or children more than how we apply it to adult or adolescent humans because although we know there’s a person in there, we can treat him as more of an innocent or delicate being than we would if he had an actual name or a face. The songs are beautiful and painful and vulnerable both in that they show a weakness and a willingness to be hurt or controlled but that they also are honest about the craving for more that often comes from the wounded. Whether it can be considered a gimmick or whatever, I really appreciate the way bands like Sleep Token, or Ghost (I know we’re not supposed to talk about them at the same time 😉) or even Childish Gambino have taken their artistry beyond the music and the videos and created multi-media experiences for us to sink our teeth into… so to speak.
Oh thaaanks, you are the first one I see to bring up the runes thing discussed in reddit, it's pretty interesting the diversity and quantity in the theories people can think of regard to the lore. From time to time I read those theories and made a mixture with my own opinion and start the full ST discography listening with that in mind. Each time feels like a unwinding a knot from endless threads. Worship
Yeah, besides explaining the runes in general, I also wanted to bring up the topic because I disagreed with the "conclusion" the reddit post OP made. I felt that my version had some added interesting relevance in terms of the lore and themes at hand. But as you mention - There are many theories with many variations and none of them are necessarily wrong or true. All the speculation is part of the fun! 😁
I rarely turn on post notifications for any channel, no exceptions. However, this is quality content, and definitely worth it. You've peaked my interest, I can't wait for the next parts of this. Great video.
I saw them at Webster Hall last weekend with A. A. Williams opening for them, amazing show! Only my second ever metal concert after Korn back in '14, which was also amazing, but this one took the cake by far. More than that, though, it made me realize that the lore, while integral to the band's appeal, isn't meant to be taken all that seriously and is really just there for fun. It's a cool hook, and it's obviously an alibi for the anonymity (and making the music and performance less literal), but it's just a hook. I say this because, even with the more theatrical elements, the concert was surprisingly lighthearted and mostly felt like any other rock show: the band danced around, interacted with the crowd (obviously with mime rather than verbally) and played off one another. They were even kind of funny at times. During the beginning of one song, I don't remember which, Vessel did this Frankenstein-like lumbering walk downstage while backlit by a blue light, on another, he sang from behind II's drum set, and all I could think was "This guy is having a GREAT time right now!" And of course, III was being the de facto hype man, leading everyone in hand-waves and cheers. At the end, I expected Vessel to take a dignified bow or something like that. Instead, he made the heart-shaped hands to everyone and waved goodbye! They may be playing the characters of occultists, but it's still "occultists who play in a metal band." Even when they played audio recordings of what I assume was Vessel talking to Sleep, Vessel was still more or less playing the character of "singer in a metal band who also happens to be an occultist." I didn't follow the lore all that closely beforehand, and I still mostly find it arbitrary, but knowing that it's less of a deep, hidden message and more like a game we're all playing together makes me like it AND the band even more! This is a FUN band!
I have been seeing these guys mentioned everywhere lately and I decided to watch this video after it popped up in my recommended to see what all the hype was possibly about. This video was very well thought out and structured and now im gonna go actually listen to their music cuz god damn im interested now Amazing work
Keep going man! Cant wait to see more of these! I'm not a huge social media guy, and I know a lot of their interactions happen on Instagram and other sites. So I really really look forward to seeing and learning more!
@@madeleinesecker8036 Thank you for sharing, I appreciate you took the time to write it. I'm deeply saddened by your illness - I wish you nothing but love and joy ❤
@@SleepTokenLuke I have Huntington's disease it's a shitty way to die...but everything in this life has to pass through death..so I dont fear death..I am more than a little curious as to what is on the other side...and if it's nothing than it's nothing but if there is something then death is just a dream I have not yet had..🧛♀️ and thank you for your time in answering me..your a kind soul so I wish you the same ...
Today marks the forst time i have become aware of this bands existence. I t was the Drumeo interview. Based on the outfit alone i was immediately interested. you see, ever since i was young, i always had a particular interest in bands or persons of mystery. This also lead me in the direction of being a juggalo as a teen. Slipknot was another band i loved. My interest seems to lie in the masks and the mystery. However, as all things begin, they must always end, and every mystery is solved. be it a band, or anything in general. Back to the point of my comment. I was inevitably led here in order to understand this enigma that is Sleep Token. After having watched about 5 music videos, i can say that i am more fascinated with their mystery than i am in their music. That is a start. For now, i will take in all of the lore and secrets and such to delve further into what Sleep Token is.
I was working the blueridge rack festival and i havent even heard of yall and when you started singing i was shocked and so impressed amazing show absolutely addicted to your sound thank you for your wondeful mind blowing show #fanforlife ❤🎉🎉🎉
I can only imagine how ridiculous the Metal Hammer writer thought Sleep Token was back in 2017 after writing that article, and what he thinks now after they've blown up the way they have.
my least favorite thing is people trying to say that the trilogy of salbums chronicles Vessel and Sleeps relationship. Vessel has done exactly one interview in print, and in it he straight up says.. "...Our verses are a token, crafted to magnify and embody the multitude of emotion that writhes in our subconscious. Sonically our voice is rooted in the resonation between the notes and your emotion. Take our hand.” and “As musicians we are inspired by the human condition and a plethora of artists, but we are deeply moved by His words and continue to do our utmost to bring them to life. As followers we are bound by a duty to combine our crafts to create music that conveys some of our most primal, and powerful emotions.” this is pretty clear that the songs are an offering TO Sleep thru our emotions Vessel writes songs that are deeply personal to him and the emotion he feels on stage when they make him and even peopl ein the crowd cry IS the offering.
Very cool video! Especially breaking into the riddles and such. I understand why the band keeps such an anonymous persona, I watched an interview of Mushroomhead way back when, and Waylon explained that they wear the masks so they can go out in public without being bombarded by eager fans and keep themselves in a somewhat normal life. The last time I saw Mushroomhead, back when Waylon was in, he walked around unmasked, and no one recognized him in the room but me. We made eye contact and I gave him a subtle nod, acknowledging he was there, but didn’t bother him because I didn’t want everyone seeing that he was there and losing focus on the other bands that were playing. So I do see that concept of Sleep Token wanting their unmasked identities being kept minimal to the fan base. Much respect.
@@SleepTokenLuke thank you for reading it! I don’t normally like to do a wall of text, but I figured sharing it would show how some people want to go out in public and only be recognized by people that know them on some sort of mutual level, especially with this caliber of popularity.
I’ve been a fan of sleep token since 2016 and as an older fan I can say that these guys do not disappoint, I was lucky enough to get all 3 of their albums on vinyl. Because they sell out so damn fast on amazon, I’ve also been lucky enough to see them play live 3 different times. When TMBTE came out I had mixed opinions on it, I didn’t really like it but after listening to it on repeat for like 10 times now I can say i judged it wrong, also if anyone hasn’t drumeo recently did an interview with II (the drummer) so I guess its their first interview ever, so go check that out (Also sorry if my grammar/english sucks its not my first language)
Just an fyi, runes don't use opposite meanings. Whether a rune is mirrored or upside down, its meaning doesn't change. Thank you for your video. I haven't delved too far in to the lore and I am glad there is a well done series of videos on it.
From a historical perspective it's possible that mirroring doesn't inherently change the meaning, but seeing how the band also added an element to the logo that doesn't have any basis or relevance to actual history, one could play with the idea that it's a loose implementation mixed with their own interpretation. I'm glad you enjoyed the video! Thank you for taking the time to comment :)
I just discovered this group (thanks Drumeo) and I'm legit pissed that I hadn't seen them until now. Between the imagery, the musicality, the theming, and II now being someone I actively study for my own playing, Sleep Token just shot up to my 2nd favorite. Gonna be hard to beat Gojira for me but damn they're putting up stiff competition lol
Sleep seems like a take on the Cthulhu story. "Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn" can be translated to "In his house at R'lyeh dead Cthulhu waits dreaming" The logo looks like a being with mighty wings. Cthulhu’s main quote is him sleeping in a city under the ocean dreaming, and Cthulhu spoken in his native tongue is impossible for us to pronounce. His existence as an old god created insanity and disorders “this one’s pulled from different sources”. ALOT of sleep tokens themes match very closely
I feel like maybe why vessel is so hooked on sleep is because, when you’re asleep, that’s the only time when your brain is off and you don’t have to experience the feelings and emotions of your daily life. When vessel was asleep and he encountered this god/goddess OF sleep, they showed him what it was like to escape reality and to no longer live in the hurt and trauma, and the feelings he has from what he’s been through.
I stumble upon them a couple times and at first I didn’t like their style but the more I looked into it and listen to it more I can definitely say that they have grown on me
What if only what If... Token Luke it's one of the members of the band, because he knows stuff 👀 and he only is given us clues in each video to understand more the Lore. 👀
I used to listen to metal religiously years ago. Now, I tend to listen to mostly rap, but I do enjoy going back to some Northlane here and there. I heard Sleep Token for the first time today and I was intrigued, so I looked up interviews and this came up. I didn’t know they had a whole lore surrounding them, and now I’m super interested 😂 you just got yourself a new subscriber, cheers Luke
ngl I played their current songs last night cuz I couldnt sleep and I got the best sleep last night that I have gotten in a while and had wonderful vivid dreams
I could very well be wrong I'm saying this, but I feel thag most of the fans that are really moved by the music already know who they are, which it's very easy to find out. But that sentiment is shared in that we won't share that information, because the music and messages are more grandiose than the individuals behind the music. There is a deep respect for not only the music but behind the people that created the music. With that being said, anonymity should be maintained because that is their wish.
@@ForLorNVuLgaR That is a very hard question indeed! Atlantic is a strong contender.. But there is Also Telomeres, Jaws, When the bough breaks and others 😅 I can't give a single answer 😅
@@SleepTokenLuke lmao sounds like you've never contemplated that question before. Interesting how there's nothing from Eden or even more shocking Sundowning. I've been a fan since One so I decided a long time ago that Fields of Elation was my fav 🖤
@@ForLorNVuLgaR Oh, I have contemplated that question MANY times! I have also tried making rankings and lists but I always have to give up. Sundowning has Blood Sport, Offering and Dark Signs - all which I love. But again, I can't just mention 20 songs when you ask for my favorite 😅 I didn't mention Eden tracks yet, because I still need to listen to them a million times 😄 But Ascensionism, AYROK, TMBTE and Euclid have been getting a lot of spins 😅 Fields of elation is amazing ❤
