#im honored to make a guide for ST; i made one for h*zier back in the day that a lot of ppl enjoyed and that made me happy lol

[vulcanette]

im a fan of ghost and as such am currently sleep token adjacent. ive been wanting to start listening but i have no idea about the lore or where to start. are they a religious band?

hello love!! I’m so excited that you asked!! I am sorely tempted to write out an entire in-depth guide to Sleep Token (of which I’m sure many beautiful examples already exist), but for now I will just try to get you started!

QuickStart Guide to Sleep Token:

here is their wiki page for ease of reference.

Sleep Token is a British, anonymous, masked, genre-defying/genre-blending rock band. the band is comprised of these members:

vessel (vocals, piano, guitar, bass guitar, songwriting/composition);

ii (drums, percussion, songwriting/composition);

iii (bass guitar);

iv (guitar, live harsh vocals); and

espera (live backing vocal trio).

Their current discography consists of 3 studio albums:

Sundowning (2019),

This Place Will Become Your Tomb (2021), and

Take Me Back to Eden (2023),

as well as the

One (2016) and

Two (2017) EPs;

as well as a handful of covers, singles and other goodies to discover.

to answer your question about whether they are a “religious band,” the concept behind Sleep Token is that they are a collective that serve a mysterious and ancient deity known as Sleep. The concept was explained by Vessel in his only interview, given in May of 2017:

“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.”

“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.”

as such, Sleep Token often remind us Followers to “worship” Sleep through concerts, referred to as Rituals, and there may be some other fun terminology for you to encounter. (Such as. Gathering, Obtaining 🤣, Reflecting, Preparing and Beholding, etc.)

my first exposure to the band was through the song “The Summoning,” off of their latest album. a lot of people came to the band through this song and through this album, so I think it’s a great jumping-off point to understand their sound and genre-bending concept.

I actually personally didn’t fully click with the band and Vessel’s unique singing style until I heard “The Night Does Not Belong to God,” and listened through the Sundowning album in full, so I will also recommend listening that way.

another great song for new fans/those interested in the band is “Alkaline,” off of their second record.

Other tracks to consider as an entry point for those who love rock and metal:

The Offering

Higher

Hypnosis

Rain

For those who are inclined toward harsh vocals I recommend:

Vore

Gods

For those who enjoy indie rock I recommend:

The Love You Want

Fall For Me

Aqua Regia

Granite

For those who enjoy trap beats, I recommend:

Descending

For those who enjoy emotionally charged storytelling in lyrics with piano accompaniment, I recommend (every song):

Blood Sport

Atlantic.

If I keep going, I will rec the entire discography. To me, the entire discography is no-skip, banger after banger. Took me a little while to click with this band but once I did they became my absolute favorite. Hope you enjoy! Happy listening!

(Of course if any ST fans want to add to this, or correct me on any mistakes, I will be happy to amend the post!)