Anonymous metal band Sleep Token have called out people lying about being a member of the band.
The members took to their Instagram Stories to warn fans about those pretending to be in the line-up, particularly with some impersonating the members as a means of exploiting others in their community.
Despite the British alt-metal group forming back in 2016, it was only earlier this year that they went on to take the rock and metal scene by storm when they released their hit third album ‘Take Me Back To Eden’. The momentum also gathered in January, when they released the single ‘The Summoning’, which soon went viral.
Now, the band have not only managed to keep their identity a secret but also announced some of their biggest live shows to date – including a slot at London’s Wembley Arena which sold out in just 10 minutes. However, with the increased popularity, some have been using their anonymity for personal gain.
“Followers, it has been brought to our attention that a number of unscrupulous individuals have been masquerading as members of the Sleep Token collective, in order to exploit members of our extended community,” the band wrote on their now-expired social media update (via Metal Injection).
They continued, urging fans to be aware of potential scams going around involving these fake “band members”, and take action to report anyone who approaches them with similar claims.
“Let it be known that any unsolicited contact from ANY person claiming to be a member of the collective should be disregarded,” they added. “And their profile reported to the relevant administration. We thank you for your understanding.”
The band’s upcoming tour will see them first play dates across the US, running until mid-October. From there, they will venture into Europe at the start of December, and perform numerous shows including the aforementioned slot at the OVO arena on December 16.
Last month, the band also kicked off their warm-up show for the London gig by making an appearance at this year’s Reading & Leeds festival, performing some of the most popular tracks from the new album.
In a four-star review, NME described the gig as able to “prove that the [metal] genre is still alive and thriving at this festival”.
“Given their striking aesthetic, unorthodox performances (which they refer to as rituals) and nuanced, technical sound, it feels as though this set should have the odds stacked against it when placed in a mainstream setting. However… the band instead manage the opposite, and draw in arguably the most devoted fans we’ve seen at the festival to date,” it read.
“That being said, we can’t shake the feeling that although the band remain on top form, we’re only being shown a fraction of what they’re capable of. And with their biggest-ever headline show set to arrive later this year at Wembley Arena, this was just a glimpse of the band reaching the peak of their powers.”