Rocker (feedbot)
Platinum Member
Of course ‘Sanguivore II: Mistress of Death’, Creeper’s song awaited fourth album, is released on Halloween. And the fact it’s centred loosely around a Lost Boys-esque story about a vampire rock band in their eighties is hardly a surprise either. If you’re already a fan of Will Gould and Co’s melodramatic, excessive rock, then you’ll be very pleased to know that ‘Sanguivore II’ takes up exactly where ‘Sanguivore’ left off in 2023: nightmares, the undead and a whole lot of Alice Cooper theatrics. For those shaking their heads indulgently as Creeper reapply their neck makeup for another outing, there’s far more inventiveness on this record than you’d initially suspect.
‘Headstones’ announced the coming of ‘Sanguivore II’, and it’s probably the best indication of the direction that Creeper want to take their sound in. They want to surrender themselves to the sleaze of the Viper Room era, all while taking a cue from Judas Priest, and that path is magnificently explored on this initial single. We’ve got pauses for future clap-alongs when the song hits the Creeper setlists, extended fun solos and a huge anthemic chorus, and that sense of scale is carried on into ‘Prey For The Night’ by way of atmospheric Eurythmics-style power build-ups. The eighties vein they’re drinking from adds a sense of perpetual movement to this album; on tracks like ‘Mistress of Death’, it’s impossible not to be struck by the speed and dynamism that’s crammed into every rhythm. Sustaining this while also projecting high drama at every turn is impressive, and even the numbers which focus on atmosphere like ‘Daydreaming In The Dark’ are packed with kinaesthetic vision.
There’s two points on ‘Sanguivore II’ where Creeper take genuinely inventive paths, and it’s so exciting to see what they might be considering. ‘Razorwire’ is dark burlesque, all slick and murderous, with a change in vocalist and complete swerve in energy. It’s a glorious production of a track, timeless and gory, that feels so fundamentally different to the rest of the usual fare. Then we’ve got ‘Pavor Nocturnus’, which is pure Nick Cave worshipping in its gothic intonation and the sudden shift to a solemn baritone from Gould. It’s quiet, contemplative and could easily be a b-side on any of Cave’s noughties albums, and seems to have so much more intention behind it as a swan-song for the story that the album is telling. Yes, obviously, we love the gore and the whole world building that Creeper create, but when they suddenly offer us something new? We welcome it with open arms.
The Creeper fandom will adore their idols’ sustained gothic drama, but for those who take a slightly more critical attitude to our dark music, we’ve got enough to keep us enraptured. There’s all the blasphemous sentiment and candle-lit retrofuture darkness that we love, but also a feeling of growth and change. ‘Sanguivore II’ isn’t just a sequel, it’s a promise that Creeper will still keep trying to push their boundaries and move forwards without leaving their love of the sinister in their wake.
Kate Allvey
‘Headstones’ announced the coming of ‘Sanguivore II’, and it’s probably the best indication of the direction that Creeper want to take their sound in. They want to surrender themselves to the sleaze of the Viper Room era, all while taking a cue from Judas Priest, and that path is magnificently explored on this initial single. We’ve got pauses for future clap-alongs when the song hits the Creeper setlists, extended fun solos and a huge anthemic chorus, and that sense of scale is carried on into ‘Prey For The Night’ by way of atmospheric Eurythmics-style power build-ups. The eighties vein they’re drinking from adds a sense of perpetual movement to this album; on tracks like ‘Mistress of Death’, it’s impossible not to be struck by the speed and dynamism that’s crammed into every rhythm. Sustaining this while also projecting high drama at every turn is impressive, and even the numbers which focus on atmosphere like ‘Daydreaming In The Dark’ are packed with kinaesthetic vision.
There’s two points on ‘Sanguivore II’ where Creeper take genuinely inventive paths, and it’s so exciting to see what they might be considering. ‘Razorwire’ is dark burlesque, all slick and murderous, with a change in vocalist and complete swerve in energy. It’s a glorious production of a track, timeless and gory, that feels so fundamentally different to the rest of the usual fare. Then we’ve got ‘Pavor Nocturnus’, which is pure Nick Cave worshipping in its gothic intonation and the sudden shift to a solemn baritone from Gould. It’s quiet, contemplative and could easily be a b-side on any of Cave’s noughties albums, and seems to have so much more intention behind it as a swan-song for the story that the album is telling. Yes, obviously, we love the gore and the whole world building that Creeper create, but when they suddenly offer us something new? We welcome it with open arms.
The Creeper fandom will adore their idols’ sustained gothic drama, but for those who take a slightly more critical attitude to our dark music, we’ve got enough to keep us enraptured. There’s all the blasphemous sentiment and candle-lit retrofuture darkness that we love, but also a feeling of growth and change. ‘Sanguivore II’ isn’t just a sequel, it’s a promise that Creeper will still keep trying to push their boundaries and move forwards without leaving their love of the sinister in their wake.
Kate Allvey