Album of the Month: Creeper, Sanguivore

This is the second time I've reviewed a Creeper album as an album of the month this year. I'm reviewing them out of order after reviewing Sanguivore II: Mistress of Death back in January. 

Sanguivore was Creeper's vampire concept album from a couple of years back. It very much has the feel of a band developing their style and storytelling technique. The singer-narrator becomes a vampire in the first song, the lengthy opener, Further than Forever. The song is in multiple parts as the story develops with riffs that felt at time like a homage to Bat Out of Hell (particularly the refrain about his "Armageddon Girl").

The echoes of Meat Loaf isn't the only stylistic tribute on the album. The Ballad of Spook and Mercy is a dark folk tale about a vampire on the hunt reminiscent of Nick Cave. The simply sublime Chapel Gates sounds like it could have been a Ramones song. It's a great piece of punk rock artistry. Black Heaven is a goth rampage underlaid by fizzing synthetic drums. More Than Death is a lost musical theatre number. Sacred Blasphemy is an arena anthem with soaring vocals driven along by metal guitar riffs. Lovers Led Astray is lounge rock gone awry.

A very vampirey castle on the back

Can you tell I loved this record? I listened to it several times over a solo car journey and for the next few days had lyrics and riffs from different songs interrupting my thoughts and running through my head. Good music is as infectious as vampirism. 

Lyrically, there are plenty of clever moments to catch, as well as some very strong singalong bits. ("I pick a rose, for every bloodstain on your clothes"). I particularly liked the despairing line "Some nights you're pining for the pine box" - the cry of a vampire exhausted of unliving their undead unlife - in More Then Death.

I can't really put my finger on why I have fallen so hard for this band, except I admire how they have chosen to tell a story and have really committed to it by creating some wonderful music. Vampire stories are ridiculous and yet seem to be unkillable, however much the tales are retold into parodies of terror. So why not turn the trope into singalong stories? Especially if along the way you create a twisted celebration of life and love through the jealous, zealous bloodlust of unholy resurrected monsters? 

I've got a ticket to see Creeper perform live in October. I can't wait. 

Details

Year of release: 2023

Tracks: 10 (although one is a 30 second instrumental break between 2 songs

Favourite track: Chapel Gates, closely followed by Black Heaven

Track to skip: Further than Forever is almost ten minutes long. It sets the scene, rock opera style, for the album so is essential when listening to the album first time around. But on subsequent plays, it's skippable.