Sleep Token

Sleep Token debuted in September 2016 with the release of their first single, "Thread the Needle".[5] The track was followed in December by the band's debut EP One, which featured two additional songs plus alternative piano arrangements of all three tracks.[6] In May 2017, it was announced that Sleep Token had signed with independent label Basick Records and would release their second EP Two in July.[7] Ahead of the EP's release, the group issued two new singles – "Calcutta" in May and "Nazareth" in June.[8][9] In the publication's exclusive premiere of "Calcutta", Metal Hammer writer Luke Morton described the song as "an odd and unique mix of technical metal and expansive indie soundscapes".[8] Reviewing Two for Distorted Sound, Matt Corcoran also noted the combination of elements from multiple genres, explaining that "Across these three spellbinding tracks the band fully delivers on their genre-blending promise, moving between light indie atmospherics and dark, Meshuggah-esque heaviness and covering most of the spectrum in between."[10]

Just before the release of Two, Sleep Token made their live debut at the Black Heart in London on 17 June 2017.[8] Shows later in the year included performances at the O2 Academy Islington supporting Norwegian band Motorpsycho in October,[11] and at Student Central supporting French synthwave artist Perturbator in December.[12] During early 2018, they also supported Loathe alongside Holding Absence,[13] played at festivals including Camden Rocks,[14] and performed at Maida Vale Studios for the BBC Radio 1 Rock Show.[15] In June the band released the first in a string of standalone singles, "Jaws".[16] A cover version of Outkast's "Hey Ya!" followed in August, ahead of the band's performance at Reading and Leeds Festivals that month.[15] In October, they released "The Way That You Were" and played their first headline (and eleventh overall) show at St Pancras Old Church, tickets for which reportedly sold out in 30 seconds.[17] "Jaws" and "The Way That You Were" were later issued together on 10" vinyl for Record Store Day in 2021.[18]

In June 2019, it was announced that Sleep Token had signed with Universal subsidiary Spinefarm Records. At the same time, the band's debut full-length album Sundowning was confirmed for a November release, with "The Night Does Not Belong to God" released as the first track from the record.[19] The group continued issuing songs from the album every two weeks up to the release of the album.[20] Sundowning received generally positive reviews from music critics – Kerrang! columnist Tom Shepherd gave the album a rating of four out of five, writing that it contains "moments here to truly savour, and ideas and experiences that feel unique", but noting that "the continuous nature of this dark mood entwined with the group's slow-burning, listless pace does begin to drag across [its] 50-minute runtime".[21] Prior to the album's release, Sleep Token played two sold-out shows in London and Manchester;[20] after its release, they embarked on their first North American tour supporting metalcore group Issues alongside Polyphia and Lil Aaron.[22]

After a short UK tour at the beginning of the year, several shows due to feature Sleep Token during 2020 were cancelled due to the COVID–19 pandemic. These included planned appearances at Knotfest Japan in March,[23] Download Festival in June,[24] and Madrid's Mad Cool in July.[25] During the summer, the band released an expanded version of Sundowning with four new piano-based tracks collectively known as The Room Below, which included cover versions of Billie Eilish's "When the Party's Over" and Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)".[26] The group were due to return to live performances in March 2021 with five socially-distanced shows called "The Isolation Rituals",[27] however these were ultimately cancelled due to ongoing pandemic-related concerns.[28] They eventually returned in the summer, headlining the second stage at the Download Festival Pilot on 18 June.[29] The day before, the band announced their second album This Place Will Become Your Tomb and released a new single, "Alkaline".[30]

"Alkaline" was followed in August and September by "The Love You Want" and "Fall for Me", respectively.[31] This Place Will Become Your Tomb was released on 24 September 2021 and gave Sleep Token their first chart positions when it debuted at number 39 on the UK Albums Chart and number 13 on the Scottish Albums Chart.[32][33] The album was promoted on an eight-date headline tour of the UK and Ireland in November, with support from A.A. Williams.[34] In January 2022, Sleep Token were featured as a cover artist for Metal Hammer magazine.[35] More shows followed in the spring and summer – in April, frontman Vessel performed an "intimate" solo show (joined by only three backing vocalists) dubbed A Ritual from the Room Below;[36] in May, the group supported Architects alongside Malevolence on a short UK tour;[37] and in the summer, they played several festivals including Download,[38] as well as touring Australia with Northlane.[39] Later dates followed in North America supporting In This Moment with Nothing More and Cherry Bombs.[40]

Towards the end of 2022, Sleep Token announced a UK headline tour for January 2023 supported by Northlane,[41] as well as an Australian tour for April/May.[42] Ahead of a string of shows in Germany, the band released the single "Chokehold", their first new material since This Place Will Become Your Tomb, on 5 January 2023.[43] This was followed by "The Summoning" the next day,[44] "Granite" two weeks later,[45] and "Aqua Regia" the day after.[46] All four tracks released since the start of 2023 were included on the band's third album, Take Me Back to Eden, which was released in May 2023.[47][48] Take Me Back To Eden marked a significant change in the band's creative process, as they stopped working with their long-time producer George Lever in favour of Carl Bown. Vessel also took on a co-producer role with Bown for the first time in the band's career.

In March 2023, Sleep Token were nominated for Best UK Artist at the Heavy Music Awards.[49] The band were also booked to perform at that year's summer festivals, including Graspop Metal Meeting in Belgium,[50] Wacken Open Air in Germany,[51]

and Reading and Leeds Festivals in the UK.[52]

In May 2023, Sleep Token won the Best UK Artist award at the Heavy Music Awards. In the same month, the band announced a standalone headline show at Wembley Arena, which is scheduled for December 2023. The Wembley Arena show sold out within 10 minutes of the tickets going on general sale.[53]