You can trust Louder Our experienced team has worked for some of the biggest brands in music. From testing headphones to reviewing albums, our experts aim to create reviews you can trust. Find out more about how we review.
How do you follow the best album of your decade-long career? The one that pulled everything together in impressively fearless fashion? When 'everything' means goth rock drama, horror-punk opera and Jim Steinman-esque epics about doomed vampire lovers?
For Creeper, the question is wholly rhetorical. You do it all over again, obviously. Halloween sees the arrival of Sanguivore II – when else? – but really, it would be a disservice to call it the Reload to Sanguivore’s Load. Mostly because it’s even better. The hooks are heavier, the peaks are higher, and the pacing is picture-perfect.
Once again, the Southampton sextet worked with Tom Dalgety (Ghost, Rammstein, The Cult, Opeth), clearly a producer with a knack for capturing dark and theatrical rock. Creeper have said that this is a thematic sequel in which a vampire band rampages across America amid the Satanic panic of the eighties. Patricia Morrison’s spoken intro on A Shadow Stirs tells it another way: ‘Rock music is a horny vampire and tonight it is feasting upon you’.
As ever, none of this half-baked lore and/or buffoonery works without a host of supreme songs to back it up, and boy, Sanguivore II has ’em. That leads us into Mistress Of Death, which rumbles along with metallic pomp before a bone-rattling, prime Megadeth breakdown, opening the gates for a series of epic guitar harmonies.
As a lead single, Headstones is a no-brainer – think Motörhead’s Burner cosplaying as Creeper. A briskly brilliant three minutes of exploding guitars, double kick drums, rapturous gang vocals and, of course, handclaps. ‘Surrender your soul to the sins of the devil’s caress,’ William von Ghould barks. Where do we sign up, mate?
Blood Magick (It’s A Ritual) sounds like Belinda Carlisle post-unholy makeover. As glorious razor-edged guitars scythe through just about everything, Hannah Greenwood’s soaring vocals – where the hook owes plenty to Heaven Is A Place On Earth – are the perfect counterpoint to Ghould’s deliciously droll baritone.
Brooding and irresistible, Prey For The Night is quite possibly the best song Meat Loaf never wrote. On Razor Wire, decapitation has never sounded sexier, thanks to its smoky piano and raunchy saxophone bursts. As the spellbinding Pavor Nocturnus closes, it’s clear that Creeper have dropped the performance of their lives. Sanguivore II is one of those rare and precious rock records: instantly bewitching but oozing with moments to feast on time after time.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
