ALBUM REVIEW: Sex, Death, & The Infinite Void – Creeper

CREEPER  have always had a tinge of the theatrical woven into everything they do. From the very first moments when they stepped onto the scene, they’re songs oozed with a confidence that very few new bands have, and it was awesome. CREEPER have always owned everything they’ve done, and as a result everything the band have released has progressively gotten better until Eternity, In Your Arms cemented them as a true, new British legacy to watch. And then they seemingly called it quits. Right as they seemed utterly unbeatable. 

But for any savvy fan, this ruse was easy to see through, and it was only a matter of time before the band would return to their baying audience with a panache only CREEPER could bring. What no one could account for, though, is the radical changes the band would make to their very DNA, taking what they liked and ditching what they didn’t, resulting in a second record that feels like a true metamorphosis for a band you could already describe as fiercely creative. 

Sex, Death, & The Infinite Void is every bit a follow up to Eternity as it is an entire re-imagining of everything we previously knew about CREEPER. It’s a lot to take in from start to finish, but if you give it time, there is a lot to enjoy and unpick throughout the record. Starting with a real splash of theatre, Hallelujah is the first of a returning motif that really helps deepen the enjoyment of Sex, Death… before the album really opens up. Be My End and Born Cold could have found a comfortable home on Eternity, and it feels fitting these are the opening tracks ahead of Cyanide and the album really begins to soiree out into the so called titular infinite void. 

With touches of americana, goth pop, and even more JIM STEINMAN worship, CREEPER spread their wings more than most would dare to on a record following something so well received as Eternity. But it works, fantastically. Paradise and Poison Heart will make you dance morosely around your room, whereas Thorns of Love takes a 50’s rock’n’roll approach but cleans it up with 21st century polish to make it truly sparkle with it’s MEAT LOAF chorus adding that STEINMAN splash we mentioned earlier. It is worth mentioning that Will Gould utterly steals the show from the start of the record all the way to the croony and emotive lines of the closing All My Friends. He adds a true dash of the West End to everything, and it is the spice that really brings everything the band do on Sex, Death… to life in the best way possible. Even on his brief spoken word moments, his deep tones stand out like white amongst black. 

For all this exploration there isn’t complete success at every turn. The moody, country tinged opening of Four Years Ago doesn’t fit the tone of the record entirely, and similarly the near disco aspect of the backing vocals in Napalm Girls feels like a touch too much seasoning for a song that already works excellently to inject some energy into the second half of the record. It’s still impressive just how little regard for genres CREEPER show throughout their sophomore outing, and every missed moment on Sex, Death… simply adds further intrigue into what the band will do next, which is a really exciting feeling. Ending on a personal note that seems to add context into the growth and evolution of the band, it turns this album into a self aware venture towards the band expanding their repertoire even further. 

There are few bands that can do what CREEPER does. To burst onto the scene with such ferocity and steal the limelight so efficiently. When you add in their brief catalogue of songs, none of which can necessarily be described as bad, and you get what can only be described as a genuine bit of lightning in a bottle. Maintaining this sense of momentum is tiring, and instead of working tirelessly to do that, CREEPER have taken their second record as a chance to slow down and paint themselves as an entirely new beast compared to the raucous and intense punk unit they introduced themselves as. The success of Sex, Death, & the Infinite Void comes down to it’s fearlessness, and how much the band throw themselves into every song. Whether you love the changes or hate them, you cannot deny the fact that the theatre and creative freedom of Sex, Death, & The Infinite Void makes CREEPER even more interesting than they already were. And that’s an overwhelming success in our eyes. 

Rating: 8/10

Sex, Death, and the Infinite Void is out now via Roadrunner Records.

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