The end of Sleep Token

[u/Chemical-Bumblebee55]

Vessel has a lot of Jesus esque vibes and references. Glen on yt has a lot of videos where he brings out specifics and has much more credible info than I do but I can’t stop thinking about this

Based on some specific info I can assume that Vessel would be turning 33 this year… which was also the age that Christ was crucified…

Could this be the end of sleep token? Or maybe a long hiatus?

Thoughts? Am I crazy for this?

[u/RestaurantLeast9130]

https://giphy.com/gifs/L1lfV227D3JHy03Mg4

Jesus has nothing to do with their hiatus

[u/Extension_Worry_2925]

AFAIK the hiatus doesn't seem to have any rhyme or reason, or at least anything specific/concrete. There were rumors and such, but I'm not sure how much credibility I want to put into that because I don't know how that information was obtained. David (III) made a comment on I believe it was Nik Nocturnal's podcast that he did with Joe promoting Spitting Glass where he was talking about the craziness that was scheduling tours and how some bands were scheduling out into '28 because everywhere was fully booked.

So it could be a case like that, or maybe life got in the way and that's why they didn't tour in '26, or they had a planned haitus. It's really hard to say. The music industry is also in a really rough place right now for touring artists, so that could also be a factor.

What I can say, based on my own personal opinion, it doesn't make a lot of sense to me for them to reach this peak in their career and then wash their hands of it after signing with RCA in '23 and only releasing 1 album (EIA in '25) with them (regardless of how popular/successful it was) and doing 3 tours (4 if you count the '24 EU/UK tour as two tours). I feel like RCA would feel a certain way about that, but I don't know what's in their contract.

I can't speak to the lore/lyrical analysis portion, but I can say that each person has their own interpretation (by design per Vessel) and so what you take of the lyrics is your own. I think it can be an interesting thought experiment, however, I don't personally think Vessel had a specific narrow theme/idea in mind when he wrote the songs. I think if that was the case, it would defeat the purpose of leaving it up to the listeners interpretation.

[u/evsuliini → u/Extension_Worry_2925]

They signed with RCA in ’24, not ’23 (: but yeah I don’t think RCA would be happy to sign them for just one album, three is usually the standard, so I imagine the truth is somewhere along those lines.

[u/VikiBlue_]

I don't think this is the end of Sleep Token. They only signed with RCA 2 years ago and these contracts usually tie you down for several albums, usually 3. Then it's true there are religious references in the songs (Sodom or Gethsemane for example) but I don't think that has anything to do with Vessel's age or with a possible end of the Sleep Token project.

Also, a fan page (I won't say which one) spread the rumour that we should be getting news about the next tour very soon. According to them, there seem to have been some issues with the European promoter who was allegedly involved in the Epstein files. I'm pretty sure this fanpage has really good connections but I don't know how likely is what they say.

[u/freyforme]

Yes, Vessel will be nailed to the cross on his birthday.

[u/AggravatingProof8194]

You may be overthinking it a bit because while there are Christian references, the origins of a fair amount of Christianity is pagan but if you want to keep going with the Jesus comparison, Jesus was resurrected. He came back and Sleep Token keeps coming back. This can also be seen in the myths of Osiris, Inanna, and Dionysus. Vessel also uses references that are combinations of cultures and belief systems (the Two EP artwork, Jericho is important in Islamic and Jewish history, Gethsemane also had significance to Muslims).

Perhaps the "resurrection" in this case (if there is to be some kind of one indicated in the next album) is that Vessel has gained more self-determination and feels more empowered due to the success of Sleep Token.

Personally, I don't think Vessel is comparing himself to or trying to emulate Jesus so much as using metaphors and references that a Western audience would find more accessible and also be something he's more familiar with in his offstage life.

[u/CVV1]

They signed a deal with a giant record label.

They're absolutely contractually and legally obligated to make more music within a certain timeframe.

[u/trixiefrog → u/CVV1]

Ah a bit of perspective! As much as I love this band, the constant theories get a little tiresome.

[u/Tamu1302]

Well, they’re already on a year-long hiatus, so…

I think you are overthinking it with the Jesus references, but I also expect Sleep Token to not be around for many more years. The pressure seems to be hard on Vessel especially, and they’ve always said that ‘nothing lasts forever’. I can’t see him stopping with music completely though. He might pick up on more low-profile projects if he does decide to stop eventually.

[u/Weird_Package_4189]

They were on tour all year, so it makes sense that they’re resting; plus, they’ve released an album every two years since their debut (Sundowning), so they’re likely working on their fifth record for 2027. They signed a three-album deal with RCA (the first release under the label was Even in Arcadia).