Quick Answer
Adam Pedder, a British drummer from Swindon, is the name most often linked to Sleep Token’s drummer II.
The link is well supported but has never been confirmed by the band. Everything below is attributed to a source (see sources).
Adam Pedder is the name attached to II, the masked drummer of Sleep Token. Unlike most identity theories in this niche, this one has a documented trail: a copyright record, database entries, a long drumming history and, from 2023, an hour-long interview in which II explains how he plays. This page sets out that trail and marks where it stops.
Adam Pedder: Key Facts
| Sleep Token role | II, drums and percussion; listed by Wikipedia as a main member since 2016, alongside Vessel |
|---|---|
| Name linked to II | Adam Pedder (not confirmed by Sleep Token) |
| Born | 17 September 1991, Swindon, Wiltshire, England (Metal Archives) |
| Earlier bands | Leaders of the Fallen, As Winter Burns White, I Defy, The Argent Dawn, She Must Burn, Belial, Morbid Remains (Metal Archives; dates below) |
| Songwriting credit | Composer, with Leo Faulkner, of “The Night Does Not Belong to God” (EasySong copyright record) |
| Interview | Drumeo, 19 December 2023: hour-long interview and playthrough of 12 Sleep Token songs, masked |
| Kit named by Drumeo | DW Drums, Istanbul Agop cymbals, Wincent drumsticks |
| 2025–26 | Played drums on the “Changes” performance at Back to the Beginning (5 July 2025) that won Best Rock Performance at the 2026 Grammys, credited as “II” |
| Official confirmation | None |
Why the Name Is Linked to II
- A composer credit. A copyright record for the Sleep Token song “The Night Does Not Belong to God” lists the composers as “Adam Pedder and Leo Faulkner”. Wikipedia notes that II is the only member besides Vessel with songwriting credits, so a two-name credit fits that pairing. That is an inference.
- A database entry. Metal Archives lists Adam Pedder with Sleep Token “as II”, drums, 2016–present. It is a user-maintained database, not a statement by the band.
- Reporting by others. Loaded Radio reports that in a check of rights-database entries on 26 July 2026 most Sleep Token compositions were registered under the stage names II and Vessel, with one, “Emergence”, listing the writer “Pedder Adam Paul”. We could not open that database ourselves and have not verified the claim.
What is missing is any statement from Sleep Token, their label or management. Fan comparisons of appearance or drumming style are not evidence, and we do not rely on them. The same limits apply to the equivalent evidence for Vessel, covered in Who Is Leo Faulkner? and Vessel.
Career Before Sleep Token
Metal Archives lists the following drumming credits for Adam Pedder. Dates are as the database gives them.
| Band | Years listed |
|---|---|
| Leaders of the Fallen | 2006–2008 |
| As Winter Burns White | 2008–2010 |
| I Defy | 2009–2012 |
| The Argent Dawn | 2012–2014 |
| She Must Burn | 2014–2015 (EP Under the Shadows, 2014) |
| Belial | 2014–2017 |
| Morbid Remains | from 2006 |
| Sleep Token (as II) | 2016–present, as listed by Metal Archives |
Most of these are UK metal and metalcore bands, which fits the heavier side of Sleep Token’s sound; see our page on the Sleep Token genre for how the band mixes metal with pop and R&B.
The Drumeo Interview: What II Actually Said
On 19 December 2023 Drumeo published “An Offering From Drumeo | Sleep Token II”, an hour-long interview and playthrough of 12 songs. Drumeo billed it as the first recorded interview a member of Sleep Token had given; Wikipedia notes an earlier written interview with Metal Hammer in 2017.
Influences
II named the UK dance music scene and drum and bass as influences, and described his style as “a mixture of that signature Abe Cunningham, Deftones inspired, heavier sort of grooving with a linear style gospel influence.” Among drummers he cited Eric Moore, Tony Royster Jr., Thomas Pridgen, Joey Jordison and Derek Roddy.
How he writes parts
He said he pays “close attention to the vocals” and looks for syllables that can take accents on the kit, sometimes using the vocal line as a guide to fill the gaps in between. Songs, he said, typically do not start from a drum part.
Live versus record
“Most of the parts that I tend to play in a live setting vary drastically to what was tracked on the record itself,” he said, because a track can be re-imagined during tour rehearsals or evolve through repeated playing.
Favourites to play
He named “Higher” from Sundowning, “Like That” from This Place Will Become Your Tomb (“arguably … my favorite [drum parts] that I’ve written”), and “The Summoning” for the live drum solo. Here is the studio version of the last:
The songs played in the session were “Vore”, “The Night Does Not Belong to God”, “Chokehold”, “Gods”, “Dark Signs”, “The Apparition”, “Atlantic”, “Alkaline”, “Like That”, “Rain”, “Take Me Back to Eden” and “Higher”. Note that the interview is credited to “II”; it does not name Adam Pedder.
2025–2026: Back to the Beginning and a Grammy
On 5 July 2025 II joined a supergroup at Black Sabbath’s and Ozzy Osbourne’s farewell concert, Back to the Beginning, at Villa Park in Birmingham, playing drums on “Changes” with Yungblud, Nuno Bettencourt, Frank Bello and Adam Wakeman. The live recording won Best Rock Performance at the 2026 Grammy Awards, where Wikipedia notes he was credited as “II”. Wikipedia also records that he played drum festivals in Europe in 2024 and 2025 and released a virtual drum library with MixWave in June 2025. For the wider Sleep Token picture that year, see Sleep Token in 2026 and Sleep Token band members.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Adam Pedder?
Adam Pedder is a British drummer born on 17 September 1991 in Swindon, Wiltshire, according to Metal Archives. He is widely linked to Sleep Token’s drummer II. The band has never confirmed this.
Is Adam Pedder confirmed as Sleep Token’s II?
No. Sleep Token have never confirmed any member’s identity. The link rests on a copyright record naming “Adam Pedder and Leo Faulkner” as composers of a Sleep Token song, on database entries, and on reporting by others, all described above.
Did II do an interview?
Yes. In December 2023 II gave a video interview and drum playthrough to Drumeo, billed by Drumeo as the first recorded interview a Sleep Token member had given. He appeared masked and the piece is credited to “II”.
What bands was Adam Pedder in before Sleep Token?
Metal Archives lists Leaders of the Fallen (2006–2008), As Winter Burns White (2008–2010), I Defy (2009–2012), The Argent Dawn (2012–2014), She Must Burn (2014–2015), Belial (2014–2017) and Morbid Remains (from 2006).
Did II win a Grammy?
The live recording of “Changes” from the Back to the Beginning concert, featuring II on drums alongside Yungblud, Nuno Bettencourt, Frank Bello and Adam Wakeman, won Best Rock Performance at the 2026 Grammy Awards. Wikipedia notes he was credited as “II”.
What kit does II use?
The Drumeo page lists DW Drums, Istanbul Agop cymbals and Wincent drumsticks.
Sources
- Adam Pedder, Encyclopaedia Metallum (Metal Archives), user-maintained database entry - metal-archives.com
- “An Offering From Drumeo | Sleep Token II (Interview & Drum Playthroughs)”, Drumeo, 19 December 2023 - drumeo.com
- “The Night Does Not Belong to God”, copyright record (composers Adam Pedder and Leo Faulkner) - easysong.com
- Sleep Token, Wikipedia (II: members, songwriting credits, drum festivals, MixWave library, “Changes” and the 2026 Grammy) - en.wikipedia.org
- “YUNGBLUD Wins ‘Best Rock Performance’ GRAMMY For Cover Of BLACK SABBATH’s ‘Changes’”, Blabbermouth - blabbermouth.net
- “Yungblud Wins Best Rock Performance at 2026 Grammy Awards”, Loudwire - loudwire.com
- “Sleep Token Members 2026”, Loaded Radio (reports its own 26 July 2026 check of rights-database entries; not independently verified by us) - loadedradio.com
Related: Band members · Who Is Leo Faulkner? · Sleep Token identity
Last reviewed: 24 September 2026. The identification of II with Adam Pedder is unconfirmed by the band. Corrections: see our editorial policy or contact us.