Southampton goth punk superstars Creeper continue their streak of releasing one magnificent album after another with their newest album. Sanguivore (their first album with Spinefarm Records) not only picks up musically where their sophomore album Sex, Death & the Infinite Void (and its companion EP American Noir) left off, but also happens to be the boldest and most extravagant artistic statement they have made yet.
The album opens up with hands-down the best album opener the band has ever penned. The nine-minute symphony that is “Further Than Forever” instantly sets the tone for the record. It’s a track brazen with heavy guitars, delicate keys, and an absolutely infectious sing-along chorus. “My armageddon girl could end your world with one look / She’ll drain the blood and drag you from the light” vocalist William Von Ghould declares.
One thing that Creeper have always had in spades is incredible, soaring choruses and the songs on Sanguivore are no exception to that. Almost every song in one way or another has an absolute earworm of a chorus that will be stuck in your head for days. Following the first track is the album’s first single, “Cry To Heaven.” A sexy, ’80’s arena rock track with a gothic tinge to it, something not too far from the works of The Sisters of Mercy or The Cult.
With the album being a concept album like the rest of the band’s work, the track acts as the first introduction to the character of Mercy and her bike gang “The Ghost Brigade.” Mercy is a troubled teenage vampire who is actually hundreds of years old; she soon becomes acquainted with a much younger vampire, an old man named Spook. The two become close, and over the course of the album they contemplate existence, life, and death. While understanding the story of the album isn’t necessary to enjoy the album for what it is, it’s always fun to try to read into the lyrics and piece together a personal interpretation of the events that transpire.
Those yearning for the punk sound the band became well-known for will be in for a treat with the song “Sacred Blasphemy,” an all-guns-blazing punk and metal crossover track that’s packed with some incredible guitar harmonies toward the bridge. Given that Creeper are a five-piece with only one guitarist, Ian Miles’s incredible guitar work across the whole album must be applauded. What also must be applauded is the abundance of influences the band pulls from on this album.
From a first listen, those well-versed in goth and punk music can pick out artists that inspired the songs on the album. One example is the absolutely gorgeous Murder Ballads era Nick Cave-inspired track “The Ballad of Spook and Mercy,” which lyrically details the evil deeds of Mercy, “Like an envelope she tore out his throat and feasted on every heartbeat,” Ghould grimly recounts.
“Lovers Led Astray” has an ’80’s hard rock vibe to it that’s also coupled with some bouncy ’80’s synth work, again recalling The Sisters of Mercy or even Depeche Mode. Then there’s “Chapel Gates,” which is a straightforward goth punk affair reminiscent of The Misfits or The Damned.
The album eventually comes to an end with the tear-jerking ballad “More Than Death.” Conceptually, the song finds Mercy coming to terms that she has lived her life long enough and decides to close the book on it, surrendering herself to the sunlight that ends her life. The track lets Ghould steal the spotlight with the incredible range of his vocals, and the pain he conveys as he sings of Spook and Mercy’s final goodbye. “From my first kiss to our last breath / With any heart that I have left / I will love you more than death.”
With Sanguivore, Creeper outdid themselves once again and produced a future goth-rock classic. They have embodied all characteristics of the genre into one album that will have fans coming back to again and again. This is a truly special album from an incredible band that deserve more recognition. It will be very exciting to see where the album cycle will take the band. One thing is certain—The anticipation of what the band will do next is absolutely through the roof.
All information related to the album, the band’s touring plans, and merchandise can be found here.
