SLEEP TOKEN's First Interview is WILD!

[@staticmonkey8436]

“He’s super British.” Lol I mean, have you never heard Vessel sing? I think they are all VERY British lol!

[@astralnewton]

I can't believe so many people didn't know, or didn't assume, he was British. Just seemed so obvious to me as you can hear Vessel's accent clearly in all of his vocals.

[@Candy30498]

Which songs?

[@astralnewton]

@@Candy30498 Um... all of them.

[@Candy30498]

@@astralnewton where is it the most prominent maybe? :))

[@astralnewton]

@@Candy30498 Well you can hear Vessels accent very well in songs where the vocals are isolated right away. Check out "Higher." Also "Bloodsport" and "Alkaline." I'm just throwing those 3 out there. Hope that helps.

[@cumdinewitme]

Probably more obvious to other British people lol the rest of the world are utter thicko’s

[@Metalmachine18]

First time I saw Sleep Token I went for food before the show just up from the venue. There was about 5 British guys there eating food too sitting next to us. Didn’t think much of it but my mate who was previously pretty prominent in the local music scene recognised one guy as he was a local tour manager who often worked in that scene. He had suspicions but later confirmed with us that he was managing Sleep Token during that tour and it was definitely them sitting next to us. Very cool they have that ability to just be normal outside the gig. Very weird to think I was sitting there next to such a massive part of my life

[@mrclarksix]

That's pretty rad, my dude.

[@luda_yanez4302]

Pictures or it didn’t happen!! lol… I’ll take your word for it

[@blackrose_ryan]

If Sleep Token ever reveals their real faces, I'll be genuinely upset And for anyone telling me to look up their real identities, I don't want to. I quite enjoy the mystery of the band

[@dropkickpherby6994]

It's crazy to think the only people who know them truly are probably their families, friends, and bankers

[@AJLLIT-fp6iu]

Ready to be upset?

[@DrNavarrio]

@@dropkickpherby6994 ur wrong so many ppl know who they are, you can just find it on google in a few seconds

[@blackrose_ryan]

@@AJLLIT-fp6iu 😭

[@alperool]

u can find them if u do a little research

[@USAiyan9000]

Cool to see those that know the identities of Vessel and II, not spoil it for those that don't wish to know. Somewhat wholesome in a way.

[@Magdalena8008s]

The identities are known. Be careful on the internet. I see names posted in alot of comments.

[@cumdinewitme]

Vessel = Leo George Faulkner

[@thecomorbiditycurator8018]

Why on Earth would we ever?! The people who know the identities are the diehard fans and we respect the purpose of their anonymity. WORSHIP

[@CarlosCruz_cc]

@@cumdinewitme You're just a sad pathetic little lonely person who just seeks attention, aren't you? I know all their names but i respect those who don't want to know.. Try to respect others for once. It's fun.

[@ch_vky148]

I think it's also good manners in some point and not too low IQlvl. For example, if your name in passport is Jerry, but u want everyone to call u Jon, it's okay to call u Jon. Because u asked for it, it's your identity, it's your right. So change the name to anonymity and u got the whole situation. As for the dudes who speak who ST are, maybe they're too stupid to understand it and why it's not ok to write this info under every video🙄...

[@lawlzmaria]

Vessel and II were the first original members of Sleep Token so it makes sense that they have such synchronicity with how the flow of the music goes.

[@Mr94Amos]

Leo and Adam honestly could probably replace Dave and Rhys and would still sound the same, such good chemistry

[@I_am_Felii]

@@Mr94Amos you are aware that Leo does the bass and guitar on the albums right? Dave and Rhys are touring members only, they have no creative input in the music. It's all just Leo with Adam contributing the drums.

[@Mr94Amos]

@@I_am_Felii I wasn’t aware! Thanks, completely changes my opinion to be honest!!

[@manianeusz8654]

II is insane. Love the band, hope the next record's gonna be fire!

[@profound369]

II ??

[@danilopolar6476]

my brother in sleep i don't have a doubt it will

[@manianeusz8654]

@@profound369 I mean they all are, i just happen to play the drums and really apreciate what he's doing ;P

[@thronosstudios]

That's highly debatable. He's decent, but he's nowhere near Chris Turner, Matt Halpern, or even Alex Camarena from Silent Planet, or heck there's this skinny Russian girl (Anastasia Sereda) who is a freaking robot with so much gusto in her drumming it's mind boggling. So I don't really get the hype behind this guy. Aside from his tasty fills here and there he doesn't play all that tight

[@danilopolar6476]

@@thronosstudios i don't think there is any debate, and the fact you used the phrasing " He's decent" just show how out of touch you are, other people can have more complicated drums and those thing but calling decent is just stupid

[@jakehorror799]

“Brit Vader” 😭 That chatter got jokes. 😂

[@lefunghi6151]

It’s still so crazy to me that this little niche band I found like 5 years ago turned into the world wide phenomenon they are now. Nazareth just randomly showed up in my recommended and I’ve been a fan ever since.

[@thehammsburglar668]

I had the same experience with Highly Suspect.

[@Devydoesgaming]

Homie utilizing pauses in his speach so that he dont hard spam "uhms" when talking. Also lets him articulate what hes saying better. What a god.

[@brbsnortingcatnip]

I wondered if that was his natural prosody, if he did so intentionally, or if they slowed it down to further mask his speech.

[@KartalaBreed]

People have told me I speak slowly because of this too. So, I wouldn't be surprised if he was just trying to not use filler words and be as clear as possible.

[@AntonOhlin]

Not using filler sounds = god lmao

[@andrewpeach8385]

Dude is mindful AF. He’s clearly an intentional speaker and incredibly self aware of his prose.

[@readyfortherevolution1876]

So, he talks slowly and deliberately. This makes him a God? Seems like the standard would be a little higher than that to reach Godlike status. I mean, save a dog from drowning or eat a scorpion… AAAANNNDDDD talk slowly. Then we can talk about being a God. You people are ridiculous. God? He’s just a drummer. A damn talented one. But still just a drummer.

[@sunshineroses5554]

II is one of the most intelligent and intuitive drummers ever to bless us. The Gospel, Jazz, and Blues syncopation is so smooth and has been tooled to fit and it’s amazing

[@NikkLiberos]

As a huge Drumeo fan, I went right into this because of how amazing a drummer II is AND the first thing that struck me was how much restraint it took on Brandon's part to let II finish every thought and not intersect because of the voice-altering that needed to be done for this interview. Also, the production for this one is quite astounding. And I feel personally attacked: (i.e.: 7:37) at 41 years of age I know the playback speed function!

[@laer6919]

about the last sentence: yea he sure isnt gonna be a detective

[@serena7089]

No personal attacks lol, he was trying to guess his age based on when the "slow down" feature was added to YT and this guy was learning other drummers' technique from YT videos when younger ;)

[@eoyeband]

feels like someone is summoning us

[@bl2702]

Holy.. Holy shit. Am I making a connection here?!

[@waterwraiths870]

No FUCKIN way. I'm such a fan of you guys.

[@jacobharland3172]

ngl i love you. your video for the drumcorps remix of magnetron was INSANE. total respect 🤘

[@diamondbananas]

found you guys because of this comment and OMFG. New favorite band.

[@ChiaraKeating]

I adore his drumming, it’s so creative - I’ve already started using some of his techniques from this interview in my tracks and it’s made them WAY better. Also, he sounds south west England boy to me as a native hahaha

[@dastardlygonzo]

II's drumming has always stood out to me. He had an awesome solo when I saw them live 🤘♥️

[@danielc3321]

4:26 Nik's commentary is spot on here. That's because Vessel and ii do all the songwriting.

[@charleschi843]

So true. II really is leading and the guitarist supports.

[@Maybeabandaid9]

"I grew up primarily playing metal." Corekid confirmed.

[@matt_Guitar0734]

You gotta give massive credit for Sleep Token to still somehow be anonymous in the age of the internet

[@NicBrandon]

I mean, we’ve known who they are for a while now

[@st1p426]

@@NicBrandon And who are they?

[@johnnytmcq]

​@@st1p426the singer also sings in some "blacklit canopy" band or something. I personally have no idea who it is but other people seem very familiar with them. Leo something, I think.

[@NicBrandon]

@@st1p426 Vessel is Leo Faulkner, II is Adam Pedder, I don’t remember who III and IV are but if you look up the first two names you’ll probably find all four (sorry if I ruined the mystery for anyone)

[@STEM2049]

⁠@@NicBrandonIII is Dave Ball and IV is Rhys Griffiths

[@therestingmitchface6241]

II has such a cool style of drumming, mixing metalcore with trap and gospel chops is just super cool to me. All my favorite styles thrown together. He plays so fluidly and the improvs are super rad as well

[@kinglolo88]

I lost my mind when this came out. I listened to it over and over at work. The interview and the playthroughs are simply amazing.

[@MaskedAlaskan]

I'm so stoked to see Lani got the chance to make their newest masks. It's fucking killer how much he's grown so much in the last 5 years.

[@davidwaynemain]

From the lyrics in their songs to the way he articulated what he had to say... these cats are scholars!

[@mlb-yt]

You mean speak proper English. Alright

[@davidwaynemain]

@@mlb-yt as a country boy from Kentucky I can honestly say.....yep.....you simplified it lol Reckon I ain't used to that from the good ol' bluegrass state 😂 Love from Kentucky y'all ♥️

[@Emil_Stoltz]

​@@davidwaynemainYeehaw, cowboy

[@davidwaynemain]

@@Emil_Stoltz weeee dawgies (slaps knee)

[@TheRealAb216]

Never said the word "like" and no "um" every word chosen deliberately

[@CrazyWildChris]

as a drummer it's so funny to watch nik try and understand drum terms

[@charliepreidis3004]

Nik is incredibly musically inclined lol he definitely understands all the drum talk in ll’s interview.

[@AniWilhelm95]

Clear.y he doesn’t lol.. he doesn’t even know that drumming is entirely math…

[@jamesjearum7296]

Bro it was a sick interview Also the whole band in British 😂

[@saxphonian2972]

I just wrote a paper on their influence on the metal genre and they do this interview right after I submitted it

[@djent2689]

As a brit, i am proud

[@TankTheTech]

***Nobody shocked to find out the drummer of a UK based band is British*** Nik:

[@ExaFH]

You can tell he’s baffled. Truly baffled.

[@JayxBoii57]

So cool to watch this whole interview and great commentary as always Nick. Also, for the split second you had 'Rain' playing at 1.5x speed I realized that it's just a slowed down, darkified dance song. I played the whole thing at 1.5x and it was amazing lolol.

[@H0tD0gB0ngWat3r]

Two’s little eyes darting around are killing me 😂

[@FLmetalhead]

I watched this live. Was awesome. Was cool to see he plays the electronic parts on the pads.

[@wilsonfoster2822]

I read it here on someone's comment that with a little research you can find out who they are. When you find II's identity and still have doubts, his drumming style gives him away! He's absolutely one of the best drummers ever.

[@rohannath1767]

7:21 respect for the mudvayne shoutout they have an underrated rhythm section

[@Thats_Andrew]

Honestly, I could listen to him talk for ever.

[@orfunde779]

Sleep Token is incredible band, would be good If they stay the way they are.

[@cameronharrington6813]

No, every time a band gets popular they change. Also when has this band ever been safe anyway

[@Booya456]

Idk with there style and variety. They pretty much have free rain to do what they want with their success.

[@rybo0072]

Nah I enjoy musical/visual change through a gradual evolution that's what keeps things interesting and as sleep token said in Instagram it's the start of a new era

[@danteshollowedgrounds]

​@@cameronharrington6813Wdym lol people already don't like them so them changing now couldn't hurt or make much of a difference now than ever before.

[@TwiztidRadioBrain]

Omg i cackled when II started playing drums at 1.5 speed 🤣

[@alicesgardentoplate7904]

What I like about this band is the use of electronic drum and base. It is so cool that drummer talks about being a fan of the genres.

[@RevolutionDrummer47]

One of the newest drummers to me, and what a find! II is a master at the drums. Unbelievably solid and tight.

[@jasonraines8282]

Some drummer did a reaction forever ago that said his style reminded him of a church drummer. Thats wild

[@LaguBudakKuching]

He's so well spoken!

[@abrielrobertsson4160]

You can tell he knows a ton about drumming and is very dedicated to his art. I guess that's why he chose Drumeo to interview him. Incredible player as well. Imo the most talented member of the band.

[@STEM2049]

II is one of the best and top drummers in the industry right now. He’s extremely talented, very diverse and knowledgeable. Voice reminds me of “General Kanobi quote 😂”

[@guitaristaaron_]

hes good but nah theres plp that can deff outplay him ST is not complex by anymeans its not hard at all its all 4/4

[@norahdenovan8658]

Not only are they a brilliant band, but they are very clever. I’m sure one day they will reveal themselves , way in the future, but honestly , the mystery is great& I think it was a genius move on their part.WORSHIP❤

[@samsonslmpson1986]

One of the only people I've ever heard give props to Matt from Mudvayne. Dude should be known as one of the top 10 of all time after LD50

[@descantinginsalubrious]

I had commented on the Drumeo video that II's approach reminds me of Matt from Mudvayne..and ten minutes later II drops Matt's name.

[@JustAnApe_]

This band is pretty good, you should consider to give them a reward in your Nik N. Metal Awards.

[@CarlosCruz_cc]

He did. A lot of awards, actually!

[@JustAnApe_]

@@CarlosCruz_cc that's the joke, actually :)

[@CarlosCruz_cc]

@@JustAnApe_ Sorry... I didn't get it... 🙄

[@SudoJay]

Drum and Bass call out! I swear D&B influence always get metalheads into techno. It got me when I was a kid with Dieselboy

[@S-B-R]

I feel like before Sleep Token II was really well known in the UK metal scene by musicians. I've never met him, but I know for a fact that II and I have quite a few mutual friends, all of whom are musicians.

[@enjay8911]

I was in a crap metal band that did a few shows around the UK and I encountered all of the current sleep token members, bar Vessel. II is from the same town, I recognised his drumming very quickly. Gigged with him about 7/8 years ago and he absolutely blew me away. Its a shame he's still covering his identity as he deserves the recognition.

[@S-B-R]

@enjay8911 for sure, dude is a GOAT and everyone I know, who knows him, always speak so incredibly highly of him. Like how he's the chillest and kindest dude while being mega talented. I don't know about III and IIII tbf.

[@courtneyurman]

It wasn't a secret that Sleep Token was from the UK, was it? I'm pretty sure most articles about ST mention it. 😂

[@hebbbby]

Yeah they do! Lol

[@thekeefer690]

When the drummer said he was influenced by gospel and Deftones, it wasnt surprising as much as it was surreal, this is a band that is blurring genre's in the best way possible!

[@jb2einziger]

I went on a date once a few years back where the girl said she was friends with one of them but they were still just starting out, I thought it was known they were British ? Crazy to see how big they’ve gotten now

[@Maybeabandaid9]

RLRLK RLK - He is explaining a drum pattern that he uses, doesnt matter what you are hitting(lending familiarity to the pattern for listeners over time) but its linear phrasing so none of them are hit at the same time. "Boots" and "Pants" beat from house music comes to mind as an example(KRLR KRLR) In the example its kick, hi-hats(for me I use right hand), left hand on snare, right hand on hi-hats again, repeat neverending.

[@kraftyhandz]

He shout out Thomas Pridgen. He’s one of my favs too. I actually got to take a couple drum lessons from him when I went up to Oakland. Dude is a really cool guy.

[@ryanscott6852]

Syncopation between the drums and vocals. They got that straight out of the Archspire handbook lol!

[@alex_the.mallett]

It's secretly Craig Reynolds. Stray From the Path is a front for him being in Sleep Token

[@Inherit_Drums]

Yessss 😂

[@reynlord666]

bro i'm more jacked than this come on. i'm also worse at the drums

[@Inherit_Drums]

@@reynlord666 you’re a beast on the drums bro, I tried playing guillotine and gave up instantly 😂

[@alex_the.mallett]

@@reynlord666 That's what you want us to think

[@paintedlady_81]

@reynlord666 I love you, Craig! Not better. Not worse. Just, different. And definitely more jacked! Lol

[@kellenrivera5888]

I guess I'm confused as in why ppl are so freaked out by who these band members might be. Do a little digging online at the right music site and you can find out who they are. It's already been given away. But I do love that mess have no clue. What a great job at keeping it quite, I hope they keep it going for a long time

[@dwh-1]

His eyes are so far apart. No way he's human. 100% it's Anthony Hopkins

[@astrolopitekos]

Almost choked laughing thanks 😂

[@bludvayne]

7:21 MUDVAYNE MENTIONED 🔥🔥

[@owenlivers7105]

The slow drawl is for dramatic effect

[@jonnyj00rgen]

lol when i watched the interview myself i sped up at THE EXAKT SAME Spot and ran into 1.5 rain, was funny Nik did the same

[@craigkendall8452]

the drummer and singer are the song writers in the band as far as i know which is why those parts line up so well

[@jctheii]

Bro is really if Abe Cunningham decided to be a gospel drummer. Unreal🔥

[@michaelzborovan4362]

He's definitely playing his character in the interview... choosing his words and his actions and gestures accordingly. Which is cool, keeps the mystery going for his fans.....

[@valkylva]

I’m surprised you didn’t know they’re British 😮 if you watch their live concerts they yell sometimes and you can hear they’re from the UK. And online it says they’re British

[@jackandrews7821]

After this interview so much of the dynamic variety on their albums makes sense. From the UK dance seen to mudvayne to gospel. Throw nothing out.

[@mopsandmuscles7855]

The filter on his voice, sounds like General Grievous. “General Kenobi, you are a bold one”. 😆 I’m sure Brits can narrow his accent to a specific region.

[@jamlemon]

Somewhere in the south that’s all I’ve got. He’s not one of us northerners.

[@mopsandmuscles7855]

@@jamlemon I’m Canadian but I’ve been around many Brits over the years. I couldn’t tell precisely but I guessed not in the northern part. Doesn’t sound scouse, so I assumed south of Liverpool.

[@jamlemon]

@@mopsandmuscles7855 I’m thinking somewhere in and around London, maybe Essex or Kent.

[@Trepanation21]

Britain's like 4 miles long and has 73 different British accents smh

[@mopsandmuscles7855]

@@Trepanation21 😂😂😂

[@joskun]

Found out about Sleep Token from the channel '3rd eye drops' and wish I knew about them sooner. Great band, energy, lore and music. Definitely reminded me of some Opeth all, a few Animals as Leaders djent and electronic passages.

[@nerdyoutube7847]

This boy got drummer of the year for a reason

[@Eleanor-Freya]

The fact that they are British is straight forward and available on the Wikipedia.

[@franklewis6285]

The voice over just reminds me of the dragoon from Starcraft. Love the Protoss.

[@Trepanation21]

Woah, memory flood

[@Cuecas4you]

LMAO

[@karolszymanski1196]

My bet its that II is Johanne James, you can see older videos of Johanne James doing solo's and you can see the influence of British Drum and Bass in there. The speach pattern is also a bit similar and the hand gestures, Johanne loves doing hand gestures while talking. But honestly this is just a guess from a 30min search on the internet with known British drummers that are into more heavier types of music.

[@Aw_drew_it]

That was awesome and I'm just starting to listen to their music

[@jordanroberts1519]

I'm pretty sure that II and Vessel are the primary songwriters for Sleep Token. Vessel creates the melody and probably lyrical pattern before drums, which allow II to really syncopate with the lyrical pattern rather than the commonly done guitar pattern. The heavy guitars are like you said, Nik, a supporting role.

[@hunnaspain18]

As a drummer myself he is one of my favorites!! Apparently Britain likes Star Wars too and we’re like you know what let’s turn that into an AI voice and give it to a human haha

[@bassface876]

I just fucking loved that he copped to having rnb and gospel influences in his playing and name dropped Eric moore specifically cuz I totally hear that in his playing.

[@rosiejoeoffical]

George Daniel from the The 1975 is also a British drummer who is very syncopated and groovy with chops for days and is very influenced by British dance/garage music, and once mentioned taking ideas from metalcore in an interview. Has a very deep voice and talks slowly, just like II. Mid 30s and definitely uses KZbin to learn a lot. Scheduling wise would work out with the tour dates. Just a theory 🤷

[@matthewp9569]

Good theory but incorrect. I know who it is and won't ruin it for you, but if you really want to know, it's out there. Great guess though; these two are almost the same age!

[@justamuffin9725]

I feel like his responses were deliberately slowed down in post :O

[@sympotaz2960]

II is prince Harry! He has publicly started he is a fan of metal/heavy metal. This is the main reason he left the royal family, bet.

[@LotoTheHero]

Not surprising, but their drummer seems like a really cool intelligent dude. Very interesting!

[@specialkonacid6574]

i just discovered Sleep Token and II has already become one of my favorite drummers

[@PxNxWxGxW]

They will be unmasked like every masked band eventually.

[@FairyCRat]

Some say this guy was the first drummer of She Must Burn, a band I've always found remarkable for their ultra-fast blast beats. If it's indeed the same guy, it's interesting how he's doing something completely different now.

[@198clm]

He has played in that band yes

[@fellfrosch]

are we gonna ignore that Nik looks like the drumeo guy?

[@broodiestsnow02]

He’s too well articulated this man is a Bond villain

[@itsallaboutbrass927]

Challenge: Nik gets iii and iv on the stream

[@Kalzaks]

Tip: You can find out who II is if you pay attention to the drum kit. Now you can look and compare with every drummer that ever liked any sleep token photo.

[@murksiii]

Well obviously you can say that it isn’t Chris, because he would never be able to not have his hunched over "signature" pose xD

[@Creeperghoul24]

His real name is Adam pedder looks like a pretty normal alternative British guy tbh

[@khasskrutt781]

If II is actually Chris Turner, I don't think I could do anything more in my life than just listening to this band

[@smokejc]

it's not

[@khasskrutt781]

​@@smokejcI know but imagine for a second 🤣

[@CarlosCruz_cc]

He is not. I now know who he is but a big part of me wishes that i didn't know. With regard to ST band members, ignorance is bliss... It's a huge part of the journey.

[@TheLukaCeeChannel]

​@@CarlosCruz_ccI wondered if II is the drumming You Tuber, Delta Empire.

[@CarlosCruz_cc]

@@TheLukaCeeChannel Also no.

[@davidrustylouis6818]

The token "what are your influences" question puts me to sleep.

[@gimmickmusic8827]

People have done some insane sleuthing and almost definitely discovered the identity of most of the members of Sleep Token. Even still, I respect that despite that, they have not revealed their identities themselves.

[@blvdvesselcatalyst]

they dont want to

[@juliecampbell7]

Knew they were British from the vocals in their songs 😂 didn't expect such a THICK accent, tho.

[@adamfowler350]

Man the mystery of these guys is so captivating, and absolutely part of their appeal. Please remain in the shadows forever guys.

[@janaxelblomberg7768]

Ironic

[@jevgesha]

When I saw his foot work I thought straight away - Chris Turner

[@GodlyGlenn]

If any member of Sleep Token comes on the stream, its gotta be III

[@mariuskriegerowski8378]

The way he shuts off the hihat with his foot to silence it... 100 % Chris turner style

[@mariuskriegerowski8378]

THIS will be the top comment

[@ottobalder7560]

This is definitely an interview for drum-heads, but it is nevertheless very informative for all of us wannabes sitting here programming drums. Don't really care about the whole hype about who they are. These guys are most likely very glad to enjoy a normal life without having to pose for 500 selfies every day with people they don't know. It's about the music, not them, and I'm totally ok with that.

[@tyronesnz]

You could easily tell vessel was British too by the way he pronounces some of the words while singing. Perfect example is how he pronounces “caught” in Alkaline

[@BradyFox420]

this is so sick, his British voice is fire

[@bamadondon0495]

This was absolutely 100% professional as to be expected by someone like II, and Drumeo pulled out all of the stops to make this an incredible incredible insight on where he pulls his influences, and now that you see where he pulls his influence from you can hear it in the music so easily and it makes so much sense. I saw this the day that it came out and I was blown away because this was professionalism at its best!

[@tylercraig5633]

Sleep Token is everything Ghost wanted to be

[@rybo0072]

Somehow I doubt ghost cares because they are super successful in their own right

[@ismaelgarcia8316]

After watching the interview, Sleep Token just seems like a bunch of rebel classical players that got together in a goth batman band