Architects presently sit as veterans of the UK metalcore scene, with their status as a festival headliner in their homeland seemingly secured. All signs seemingly point to their rise in the ranks, having received some promising nods from rock and metal royalty in recent years. Last year the quartet scored coveted opening spots for thrash metal legends Metallica. 2025 will find them opening for diamond-certified nü-metal/alternative rockers Linkin Park.
While those spots may well be an indication of the passing of torches to come, one younger band in British alternative metal standouts Sleep Token have already managed to grab that brass ring. After two years of breakout success that has found them filling arenas and topping charts, the masked mystery band were given the honor of serving as one of three headliners for next year’s ‘Download Festival‘ in June.
That’s an honor the ever enigmatic outfit will be sharing with the likes of multi-diamond-certified pop-punk mainstays Green Day and multi-platinum nü-metal pioneers, Korn. Sleep Token‘s rapid ascent to close out a day of that fest hasn’t been without controversy though. Generally those spots are reserved for evergreen artists, proven draws with decades of legacy to draw upon to reel in audiences and anchor lineups and ticket sales.
Given that Sleep Token‘s rise took place on the back of viral online success in 2023, the longevity of the band is still a somewhat unproven commodity. As such, the recent announcement of their headlining spot proved to be somewhat controversial, with critics arguing bands with more proven track records or bigger followings were more worthy, while others complained that the band were a flash in the pan.
Sleep Token however have found a powerful support in Andy Copping, founder of the ‘Download Festival‘. Speaking with NME earlier this month. Copping went to bat for the band, offering:
“It was seeing their meteoric rise over the last two years that made me think, ‘This is a band that deserves to be elevated. They’ve got a sold-out arena tour in a couple of weeks which we already know will be a sight to behold.”
He continued:
“I think it’s important for the festival to bring new bands through to headline. Back in the day, I did it with Slipknot. I did it with Avenged Sevenfold and Biffy Clyro. In 2023 we did it with Bring Me The Horizon. Now, every one of those bands across the world is perceived as a festival headliner.
That’s what I felt this time with Sleep Token. It feels like we’re the first major festival that’s taken the bull by the horns and gone, ‘OK, it’s time. Its Sleep Token’s moment’. I know it’s going to be amazing for them, amazing for the festival and amazing for the fans.”
Now Sleep Token‘s peers in Architects have also cheered on the booking. Speaking with NME as well, Architects vocalist Sam Carter and drummer Dan Searle were asked about their thoughts on Sleep Token‘s latest billing. That led to the following exchange:
Carter: “I’m very happy for Sleep Token. I’m very proud of them.”
Searle: “My first reaction was ‘How much are they paying Green Day?’ I’ve had these conversations with friends who work at Live Nation – when are you going to give KoRn, Deftones and Limp Bizkit their shot at headlining? It’s 20 years late!”
“But Sleep Token absolutely should be headlining… I’ve said to those friends, ‘You would be idiots not to [book them].’ KoRn must be looking at it going, ‘Oh, we’re finally headlining Download, only took us 20 years! Who are Sleep Token? They’re already headlining it?!’”
Carter: “We saw KoRn this summer in America, and they definitely feel re-energised.”
Searle: “That whole nu-metal thing is re-energised.”
When asked if it was heartwarming to see their ‘friends’ in Sleep Token hitting such heights, the following replies were offered:
Searle: “We’re not actually that close, to be honest, they’re very quiet guys. I don’t know how they’re processing it. I was speaking to a promoter, and he’s not seen a rise like it since Slipknot in the early ’00s. The fact that their biggest tune is a six-minute prog song [‘The Summoning’] is extraordinary in this day and age, when songs [apparently] need to be succinct and get the listener’s interests in the first 30 seconds.”
Carter: “The singer [Vessel] is such a nice guy, he’s so quiet. At the end of tour, we’d come into the dressing room and he was so gentle in nature.”
