Photo Credit: Andy Ford
Nobody does a dramatic exit quite like Creeper, and nobody does escapism within a world of music and commitment to a theme quite like them either.
The latest slice of musical delight from Southampton’s finest is Sanguivore, which takes listeners by the hand and, with two fangs on the neck, into the dark, alluring and bloody world of vampire lore.
Think The Lost Boys and Interview With A Vampire with all the bombastic excess and thunderous production of a team of Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman at the helm. The album narrative centres around Mercy, a seemingly innocent yet brutally violent vampire who appears to be 19 in human terms, but carries a soul that spans millennia. Her complex relationship with Spook, an older man ensnared by her charms but struggling to retain his humanity, forms the core of this musical adventure.
The album opens with nine-minute epic Further Than Heaven, which sets the tone and scene on the dark, shadowy streets of the journey ahead for our vampire pair, with an epic on the scale of Bat Out of Hell.
The record has nods to Danzig, The Damned, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Jim Steinman, but several Metallica-esque riffs and solos at the same time from axe man extraordinaire Ian Miles.
The lyrics on Sanguivore are introspective and poetic, exploring themes of romance, love, death, and destruction. Frontman William von Ghould‘s evocative vocals bring these lyrics to life, and his performance throughout the album is nothing short of spellbinding.
Cry To Heaven is already a live favourite, an anthematic ode to the The Lost Boys and the vampire movies of the 80s. Black Heaven is a gothic masterpiece of hip shaking, cape swinging genius, but we particularly love More Than Death, which is a beautiful ballad as if Meatloaf and Alice Cooper had a baby with Stevie Nicks.
What sets Creeper apart is their commitment to storytelling, and Sanguivore is no exception. The album’s concept and overarching narrative add depth and intrigue to the music, creating a listening experience that is both immersive and thought-provoking.
Sanguivore is a dark and enchanting masterpiece that cements Creeper‘s status as one of the most innovative bands – no sorry – the most innovative band in rock music today.
9/10
Standout Tracks: Cry To Heaven, Black Heaven, More Than Death
For Fans Of: Ghost, Meatloaf, Danzig, Alice Cooper, Judas Priest
Written by: Eric Mackinnon
