Theatrical and romantic, Creeper has woven their own dark path for the past decade with a discography that plays more like a rock opera than a modern-day metal band. Carefully crafted, their most recent release Sanguivore II: Mistress of Death is the long awaited follow up to their 2023 album under same name. 

The goth-glam “Mistress of Death,” reigns in with a dominating ghoulish presence. The beat alone slaps with each drumbeat filling the space with catastrophic effects and a guitar solo igniting the bridge. Sexy and vampiric, “Mistress of Death,” is a foreboding indicator of what is to come.

“Blood Magick (It’s a Ritual),” kicks off with a chorus chant. You can’t escape the hairband influence thriving in this track. The vocals stir between deep velvety croons to whispery echos that exhale enticing invitations to the altar. The song is all about sacrifice, horror-punk at its finest and between the choir harmonies on the chorus and the bold, splattering beats, it rages with an arena-heavy rock sound. 

The pace picks up to monstrous levels in “Headstones.” Riveting, raging, and full of action, there is no escaping the spitting flames and heart-pounding energy of a song like this. The riffs speed and collide into the beat, competing for spotlight. “Headstones,” is a bop ready for a monster mosh-pit. 

Groovy bedroom synth embodies “Prey for the Night.” Crystal chimes add a mystical touch. Longing and worship spill from the desperate lines “I’m cast out of heaven, and I’m praying for a night with you.” There’s something almost sweet (as blood) about the longing spilling from this track, an obsessive desire out of control.

The worshipful lust subsides to a muted desire in “Daydreaming in the Dark,” where thickened riffs and chiming bells create a sensual rhythm and reserved atmosphere. Poised for action, the low riffs soar into a rising solo, and the hunger of the chase intensifies. 

Danger lurks in the glam rock thriller, “Parasite.” A song all about falling for the devil’s daughter, this action-packed hit stirs in a heavier atmosphere with traditional metal licks and an anthemic chorus that goes out with a bang. 

The black sheep of the album (but just as alluring as the others) is “Razor Wire.” Sultry feminine vocals ring out against an enticing beat in this jazzed up murder ballad. All about lust and longing and killing boys, if Jennifer’s Body had a New Orleans jazz soundtrack this would be it, accompanied by a blaring saxophone to truly tie everything together. 

An interlude “From the Depths Below,” separates the final tracks of the album, fading into “The Black House,” with its thunderous intro. The desires of the cult are revived with sacrificial yearning and choir-like harmonies. Brooding vocals stir up mayhem and much like the rest of the album, there’s a creeping mastery in the narrative that haunts like a horror flick. 

Slinging razor-sharp riffs that slash and destroy kick up “The Crimson Bride.” Malice fueled beats that echo after each initial blast, this ode to the Crimson Bride is gothic romance against an eighties full throttle satanic panic rhythm. A defining solo catapults into heavy sliding riffs while spellbinding synth keeps the mysticism alive through the darkest parts of the song. 

“Pavor Nocturnus,” a Latin phrase meaning sleep terrors, finishes out the album giving listeners one last time to be entranced. The longest track at six minutes, “Pavor Nocturnus,” rolls in with slow acoustic melodies that slowly subside to welcome the full band. Both vocalists are featured on “Pavor Nocturnus,” spewing poetic lines alongside a western instrumental twang. It’s Rocky Horror meets Black Sabbath. 

To give fans a chance to catch these bangers live, Creeper recently announced a UK tour in the spring to follow the US leg. And if that’s not enough, they’ve put out some gory music videos to accompany several tracks, along with a short film on YouTube. The melodramatic gloom and romance of Sanguivore II flies under the radar of mainstream rock yet hits with a stadium-worthy sound that’s larger than life. From the cinematic opening filling hearts of listeners with suspense, to the intense hairband bops that could stir the dead from their graves, the horror-punk cult (and they do refer to themselves as a cult according to their social media) broods with bloodlust and dark fascination. 

I’m Music Magazine Writer Alice Kearney