If you have never heard of Sleep Token, you got some homework. The anonymous rock band from London, England, has built up quite a following in recent years with their songs and quite noticeably, their appearance. Sleep Token recently played their largest gig yet at Wembley Stadium, solidifying that the band’s influence has grown, but with that growth comes more problems, the fandom itself.
For context, Sleep Token is fronted by their lead singer who is only known as Vessel, the other members of the band are called Vessel as well but have a number attached to it but these members are now just identified by their number. The band’s drummer is ii, the bassist is iii, and the guitarist is iv. Sleep Token’s story, or gimmick if you will, is that Vessel one night encountered an ancient deity that Vessel calls Sleep. This deity is now worshiped by Vessel and the other members who engage in “Worship” (performing, making music, etc), and fans are followers as well and engage in worshiping Sleep by simply listening to their songs or attending their shows.
The identity of the members has always been a polarizing topic among fans, most don’t mind the mystery and love it as it makes the experience more fun, some are curious, some want to know, and some downright are desperate to tear down the veil of secrecy for recognition. Over recent years, there have been some bold claims about who the members are, many of these laughable, but recently someone did the most unforgiving thing imaginable… they doxxed one of the members.
From Left: iii, Vessel, iv, ii
Recently on Instagram, Sleep Token’s bassist iii’s account vanished. Fans grew concerned at his abrupt departure from the platform and took to Reddit to voice concern on different Sleep Token forums and from there the news broke that someone posted iii’s birth certificate online and went as far as to even include his current home address. This was a massive dick move. It’s unclear if the motive behind the doxing was a troll move, an overzealous fan looking for recognition, or an attention-seeking online sleuth, either way… not cool.
Following what occurred, on Instagram the band has removed all posts and changed their bio to “Nothing Lasts Forever”, echoing a cryptic message from Vessel himself years ago that now has many fans freaking out. At this time, there’s still no word from the band (or anyone representing them) in regards to the doxing of iii
I’ll admit, I’m a fan of Sleep Token after accidentally finding them a couple of years ago, do I think it’s over for the band? No. With their last album, Take Me Back to Eden scoring quite highly in many metal publications, debuting new masks, and their upcoming North American tour still on track, I think the band will be around for a while longer.
