Who are Sleep Token? As Caramel heads for the Top 10, meet the mysterious metal outfit

Enigmatic alternative metal band Sleep Token are poised for a major Official Charts breakthrough this week with their five-minute banger Caramel.

But who are they, and why are they chasing Ed Sheeran so hard on the Official Singles Chart? Here's everything to know about the masked musicians.

Who are the members of Sleep Token?

This is a very apt question, since the band members have never actually shown their faces or disclosed their identity. Sleep Token's singer goes by the stage name Vessel, while the band's drummer, bassist and guitarist are known as II, III, and IV respectively.

The band don't speak on stage, and have closely guarded their anonymity from the start. Vessel told Metal Hammer magazine in 2017:

"Our identities are unimportant. Music is marketed on who is or isn’t in a band; it’s pushed, prodded and moulded into something it isn’t. Vessel endeavours to keep the focus on His offerings."

A year later, they doubled down on this cryptic approach by telling Kerrang!:

"Art has become entangled with identity. The aim with Sleep Token is to provide something people can engage with and relate to without being obstructed by the identity of its creator. Our aesthetic is there to fill the void left by that absence."

For the record, Vessel and II are regarded as full band members because they play on the records and co-write the songs. By contrast, III and IV are considered touring members of Sleep Token.

How has Caramel by Sleep Token performed on the UK Singles Chart?

Caramel was unleashed on April 4, and is heading for the Top 10 – which would be a first for the band. It is also Number 2 on this week's Official Trending Chart.

Caramel builds on the breakthrough success of previous single Emergence, which became the band's first to make the Official Singles Chart; debuting at Number 17 in the last week of March.

Why is Caramel by Sleep Token so popular?

The simple answer is...because Sleep Token have become so popular. Since they dropped their debut EP One in 2016, the ever-mysterious metalheads haven't stopped levelling up.

In 2021, their second album This Place Will Become Your Tomb became their first to crack the Official Albums Chart, where it peaked at Number 38.

Two years later, the band's third album Take Me Back To Eden did even better, peaking at Number 3 as part of a seven-week chart run. Then last November and December, they completed a six-date UK arena tour including two shows at London's The O2.

MORE: Check out the UK's Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart

In February of this year, they signposted their growing ambition by joining TikTok, where they have already amassed over 360,000 followers.

In June, they'll check another item off their bucket list when they headline iconic rock and metal festival Download.

Where are Sleep Token from?

Sleep Token were formed in London, England.

What is Sleep Token's TikTok?

Sleep Token can be found @sleep_token.

What do Sleep Token look like without the masks?

Like we say, very few actually know. It's giving Daft Punk. Or Marshmello.

Things certainly bode well for Sleep Token's upcoming fourth album Even Arcadia, which drops on May 9. Could it become their first Official Albums Chart Number 1? Watch this space.

Article images: Andy Ford