PRESIDENT Vocalist Calls Sleep Token Comparisons ‘Lazy’ As Industry Plant Claims Continue

Masked alternative metal newcomers PRESIDENT may be enjoying a rapid rise, but the attention hasn’t come without pushback.

Since breaking out last year, PRESIDENT has found itself under heavy scrutiny, with critics questioning their sudden prominence and drawing repeated comparisons to fellow masked heavyweights Sleep Token.

Much of that speculation intensified after PRESIDENT made their live debut at Download Festival (2025), landing a high profile slot that raised eyebrows among fans (per The PRP).

For some, the booking felt premature, for others, it fuelled claims that the band were an “industry plant”, helped along by their association with Sleep Token, who headlined one of the festival’s main days.

The overlap hasn’t gone unnoticed. PRESIDENT and Sleep Token share management under Future History, and both operate behind masks, leaning into mystique as part of their presentation.

That combination has led to persistent accusations that PRESIDENT are simply riding an existing blueprint rather than carving their own path.

The band’s anonymous frontman has had enough of the narrative

Speaking in a new interview with Metal Hammer, the vocalist dismissed the comparisons outright, calling them lazy and surface level.

“What a fucking lazy comparison. I mean, yes, we have the same management, and we both wear masks. Those are both facts… you got me! It’s like, is that it?! That’s all you’ve got? It’s hardly a new thing, is it, wearing masks?!”

The frustration is understandable, masked bands aren’t exactly new territory in heavy music, and PRESIDENT’s sound, aesthetic, and messaging have already begun to separate them from their peers.

While rumours continue to swirl that the band is fronted by Charlie Simpson of Fightstar and Busted, PRESIDENT have neither confirmed nor denied the speculation, instead choosing to let the project stand on its own.

For now, PRESIDENT appear focused on pushing forward, regardless of online discourse, if anything the controversy has only amplified interest in a band determined to define themselves on their own terms, not in the shadow of anyone else’s success.

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