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CREEPER
(UNITED KINGDOM)
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SEX, DEATH & THE INFINITE VOID
(2019)
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LABEL:
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GENRE:
ROCK
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TAGS:
Concept-album
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""Sex, Death & The Infinite Void" sees Creeper emancipate themselves from any label to offer us an engaging and very addictive album."
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5/5
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Creeper fans believed it. At the end of 2018, the band seemed to announce its separation on stage after the release of its first album "Eternity, In Your Arms", a wonderful discovery for many followers of gothic punk. In reality, no official confirmation will come from the members of Creeper who had simply granted themselves a one-year break to recharge their batteries. Thus, in 2019, the band announced a new album to be released the following year, this famous "Sex, Death & The Infinite Void".
After this first and good surprise, the fans of the first album will have another one by noticing the stylistic turn that the music of Creeper has taken. The band has largely abandoned its punk influences to offer a collection of straightforward songs in very different styles, the main thread of which is a love story in the fictional town of Calvary Falls between a non-human being (a god? an alien?) called Roe and a female character, Annabelle.
Opening with an anecdotal 'Hallelujah' that is supposed to be part of the story, Creeper shows that they haven't totally forgotten their punk roots by starting off very strong with a fast, playful and stirring 'Be My End'. We can appreciate the varied rhythms far from the basic punk that we could hear on their first effort, the small calm bridge in the middle that allows the song to start again on the chorus supported this time by a very lively bass drum. A great success as well as the single 'Born Cold' starting coldly enough to evolve in its middle into an anthem that 30 Seconds to Mars would certainly not have denied.
Obviously the story is a link and the songs are very well constructed with a big work on the atmospheres, but what unites the whole is undoubtedly the vocals of Will Gould, a real vocal chameleon. Able to go up in the highs with clarity, also at ease in the lows, he even offers himself the luxury to propose us from time to time a crooner's voice à la Morrissey (Thorns Of Love). You will be able to appreciate all his strength in the touching and dramatic 'Cyanide', alone on the verses and in chorus on the chorus of 'Anabelle' or to admire the emotional power that he gives off on the fabulous 'Poisoned Heart' with his doubled (tripled?) vocal lines.
One could think that halfway through, everything would be said. However the joyful mishmash is not finished. 'Four Years Ago' offers us a tasty mixed duet in a surprising folk-pop style, 'Napalm Girls' goes back to punk with an energetic chorus that will stay in your head for a long time, 'Black Moon' is a rock song with once again masterful choirs and 'All My Friends' is an intimate melancholic ballad with just a piano and a voice.
Creeper didn't have to ask themselves too many questions to make this "Sex, Death & The Infinite Void". It doesn't matter how consistent it is, as long as you have effective songs that fit the story. Not being a punk fan at all, listening to it was surprisingly a revelation (whereas I didn't enjoy the previous one at all). The only reproach that one can make comes from the small spoken interludes scattered throughout the opus which do not bring much to the whole. It's not much compared to the creativity and the success of this band who knew how to evolve and to detach themselves from a label that was a bit too reductive in such a short time. - Official website
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TRACK LISTING:
01. Hallelujah! 02. Be My End 03. Born Cold 04. Cyanide 05. Celestial Violence 06. Annabelle 07. Paradise 08. Poisoned Heart 09. Thorns of Love 10. Four Years Ago 11. Holy War 12. Napalm Girls 13. The Crown of Life 14. Black Moon 15. All My Friend
LINEUP:
Dan Bratton: Batterie Hannah Greenwood: Claviers Ian Miles: Guitares Oliver Burdett: Guitares Sean Scott: Basse Will Gould: Chant
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READERS
4/5 (1 view(s))
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STAFF:
5/5 (1 view(s))
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