ALBUM REVIEW: Sanguivore – Creeper

Halloween has come early. And by that, our favourite Southampton goth punks CREEPER have returned with their latest album Sanguivore. Back in November of 2022, a blistering show at the Roundhouse in London showcased the end of the Sex, Death And The Infinite Void era in style. The end of the show signalled a portent of what was to come in the next year for the band, and that era starts with a blood-soaked tale of romance and vampires, released on Friday the 13th no less. 

The promotion for the album has seen the band opting for a less than normal method of marketing the record. Assuming their roles as vampires for this particular era of CREEPER, the band hired the enigmatic Darcia who works as their vampire familiar, serving as a vessel between the band and the fans and keeping the album shrouded in mystery. By doing this, the band have shown that they are ready to up the ante in terms of theatrics for this record.

Over the last year, we have been drip fed a handful of singles. Cry To Heaven, Teenage Sacrifice and Black Heaven have all teased us with what was coming and have since become welcome additions to the CREEPER discography in their own right. However, once you start your journey through Sanguivore you’ll find that there is much more to it than what we’ve had so far. Quickly becoming one of the country’s best bands over the last few years, CREEPER have shown they aren’t afraid to reinvent themselves with each release. This time is no different. 

Kicking off proceedings is the nine-minute rock opera epic Further Than Forever, which feels like a sort of love child of Jim Steinman and The Phantom Of The Opera. It’s full of bombast, theatrics and heart and at times feels like an album on its own which never outstays its welcome, serving as a prologue before we delve into the album proper. Throughout the rest of the record we are treated to an absolute plethora of hits from start to finish. Lovers Led Astray oozes a glorious 80s vibe with a rolling synth and punchy guitar riffs that drive the song at a wonderful pace with an incredibly catchy chorus that will have you dancing round the room whilst listening. 

The Ballad Of Spook & Mercy sees the album slow down slightly for a haunting murder ballad that NICK CAVE would be proud of. It follows what seems to be a vampire claiming a victim, and no-one would blame you for thinking you’re watching a film as the imagery it conjures is so vivid. For those who were lucky to catch the band’s secret set at this year’s Download Festival, you’ll remember being treated to an unreleased track from this album: Sacred Blasphemy, a short raucous punk-infused track that really drives home the anthemic feel of this record and works as one of its main highlights. A whole hoard of influences are on show throughout this record – bands like GHOST, JOY DIVISION, BUZZCOCKS and SISTERS OF MERCY to name a few – and while you’d think that too many cooks would spoil the broth, CREEPER sticks the landing. 

One of the most exciting aspects of Sanguivore is the idea of seeing these songs performed live. Due to the grandiose nature of the record, it’s not hard to imagine these songs would work well in enormous venues; they’re definitely going to have crowds eating out of the palm of their hands when they bring these songs to the stage which is an absolutely mouth-watering prospect. It’s safe to say that everything about this record is done to absolute perfection. 

There are no weak performances by any of the band members at all and it’s clear they didn’t let a moment go to waste. Will Gould’s vocals are the best they’ve ever been, particularly on the final track More Than Death. They go hand in hand perfectly with Hannah Greenwood’s backing vocals and keyboard work to an almost haunting level at times. The rest of the band run a tight ship and never miss a beat, whether it be the thunderous drums or the enormous sounding guitars which make this record a seismic event of pure gothic punk.  

Overall, Sanguivore is one hell of a ride and a career best that will go down as a modern classic of the genre, a record that can go toe-to-toe with some of the best concept albums around such as The Black Parade and American Idiot. CREEPER create such an interesting world with this album, you’ll be sad when it’s over, but eager to start the whole thing again straight away. 

Rating: 10/10

Sanguivore is out now via Spinefarm Records.

Like CREEPER on Facebook.