God damn this rules. Sounds huge, I want to hear these songs live asap, and I hope they get to come back to the states soon
What an achievement this record is for Creeper. The writing and performances on this thing are off the charts. It deserves serious recognition as one of the most ambitious and stunning records of the year.
Between the Phillies game last night and having to work this morning I haven't been able to listen yet. I was literally passing out with my phone in my hand in bed last night trying to listen to the first song on youtube, so I remember nothing about it other than not hearing vocals for a long time haha
I really like this album, but I wish Black Heaven came earlier because it doesn't feel like a penultimate track song.
I've only been able to do one complete listen, and so far I think my only negatives are... 1. Not as much Hannah on here as I think I'd like. I don't need a 50/50 split but throwing her a solo line here and there is cool. I think unless I'm mistaken we really only get that in Black Heaven? 2. The vocal mix isn't loud enough for me to hear what he's singing half the time, especially when he's singing in his lower register, I need some lyric sheets haha 3. Somewhat disappointingly, I think the 3 songs we already heard are my three favorite, which I was hoping there'd be another track or two on here would really grab me. I'd say the opening and closing tracks are the other two I liked the most on the first listen. Prob need to sit with and listen to mroe of these tracks with a lyrics sheet to let them grow on me
I agree this could definitely use more Hannah and that the vocals should be a little higher in the mix
Couple more listens and tracks 3-5 have grown on me a lot. I’m trying to figure out the story and I think I understand some of it but not all of it. But basically seems to be hey here’s how I became a vampire, here’s how I live my life, oh wow this girl seems interesting I’ll turn her, then we get the ballad of her learning to live that life now, then I thiiiink lovers led astray might be about the couple she killed in the ballad, then it sounds like spook falls for her, they get together, then things get really dark and she realizes she doesn’t really love this “life”, and in the last song he realizes it but will love her forever anyway. That’s how I interpret it anyway
Unrelated to the album but I went to Disney World last month and I was like damn that looks like Will from Creeper but why would he be in the states at Disney World. Today I find out it was him. Great new album!
I think this might be the definitive Creeper album, I like everything except for The Abyss and Black Heaven. The Abyss is just pointless (as far as I can tell just a standalone version of the outro to Teenage Sacrifice, which was *two songs earlier*) and I suspect it was put there to bump the album to 10 tracks. Black Heaven isn't bad - in fact I like it as a song - but it really doesn't work as the "finale" (More Than Death, while great, is more of a coda). Further Than Forever is fantastic, they went all in on the Steinman influence and it really works. Sacred Blasphemy, Lovers Led Astray and Chapel Gates are your treats for the long-time fans that put the old punk influences in a new context, and the singles remain great too. The story bits drag a little bit for me, I've never fully been able to get into that side of the band, but not in a way that distracts from the songwriting. Oh, and it would be good if someone could ask the band about Hannah's less prominent role.
So the way I see those final 3 tracks, and why I don't mind The Abyss other than the fact that it takes up a spot on the album that maybe coulda been another song instead, is....I think Chapel Gates is the "old man" that she turned into a vampire declaring his love for Mercy, and they finally "get together", at which point they kind of spiral into a darkness where Mercy realizes she doesn't really love him/is getting tired of the life of a vampire. So "The AByss" is kinda them spiraling into that dark place and Spook taking the "lead" and fully devoted to the life of a vampire and to Mercy. And it turns out he's even more evil and twisted than she is (Black Heaven), and that song is him trying to push it to the max while she's kinda realizing she doesn't want this anymore (hence Hannah's vocal parts towards the end "untake my life, unbreak my stained glass heart"), and then More Than Death is Spook realizing she's done and she's "out", and him saying well no matter what I love you anyway I'm fully devoted to you, if you want out I want out too (If i still had one I would give my life, i want to die for real this time)..but also of course knowing it's hopeless and they're doomed to live like this forever (see you in hell if I don't see you before) and etc. Basically knowing she's always going to be unhappy now and doesn't want him or to be a vampire anymore and etc.
This is now one of my AOTY contenders. I cant stop listening to it and i have a new favorite everyday. Currently Cemetery Gates is living in my head.
Yeah this album is really fucking good. Sacred Blasphemy, Further Than Forever, Lovers Led Astray, and More Than Death are my favorites, but this is very solid top to bottom
I've been waking up with various parts of this album stuck in my head haha. It's been cycling between this and the new Alk3 single. I've gotta get the Blink album today so I'm sure that'll have some songs that end up in my just woken up head too