The instrumentalists of SLEEP TOKEN recently revealed their latest masks, sparking immediate comparisons on the Internet to MUSHROOMHEAD‘s masks. While some considered this comparison a stretch, the criticism was significant enough for mask creator Lani Hernandez-David to respond.
During an interview with Metal Hammer, Hernandez-David stated that the SLEEP TOKEN masks bear no resemblance to MUSHROOMHEAD‘s masks. Additionally, he acknowledged that masks in the metal band genre often share some similarities as they draw inspiration from each other.
“I’d always heard of MUSHROOMHEAD, but never really looked at them,” he said. “To me they look wildly different. MUSHROOMHEAD aren’t the first band to wear masks with a ponytail and eyebrows, and neither are SLIPKNOT. You can say SLEEP TOKEN are copying MUSHROOMHEAD, but then you can say MUSHROOMHEAD were copying SLIPKNOT, SLIPKNOT were copying whoever – no one invented these things.”
In other related news, SLEEP TOKEN‘s drummer, known as II, has given the band’s first-ever video interview to Drumeo. In this interview, II discusses his drumming techniques and influences. The 54-minute video showcases II playing through various SLEEP TOKEN tracks while sharing insights into his approach to drumming. You can watch the interview here.
