By: James Southworth
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Creeper is a band name many people reading this won't have heard about. But this horror punk/rock band is certainly gaining traction. Part of that reason is for their very unique aesthetic, including characters they made up called The Stranger and James Scythe. They also have clothing with artwork which clearly draws influence from bands like The Misfits. The band clearly has a passion for making a unique name for themselves, and you can see their ambition by how consistent they are at communicating with their equally passionate fan base via Twitter and all their other social media sites. Their debut album "Eternity, In Your Arms" has been highly anticipated by fans. Before this album, I would've counted myself as a casual fan. After listening to this album, the "casual" label changed to "enthusiastic".
This album gets off to an explosive start with what is easily my favorite song off the album, "Black Rain". This song bleeds out rock theatricality, and that makes for a delightful listen. Everything about the track is huge from the bombastic guitar riffs, the incredible drum work from Dan Bratton (his drum work is one of the biggest highlights of the whole album), the passionate vocals from lead singer Will Gould, and the superb backing vocals/keyboard work from Hannah Greenwood. This song offers ample evidence that there is not one weak member of the band; all of them are great. The lyrics of this song even feel epic: "And in the rain/I screamed your name/So darling, just you shut your pretty mouth/I know I mean nothing to you now". This song is easily one of the best songs of the year so far. This track is strongly followed by "Poison Pens", which has a crazy and aggressive punk rock assault. This song is in your face the whole time, and I loved every minute of it. "Suzanne" is another huge favorite of mine on the album, boasting what is in my opinion the catchiest chorus of the whole album. I also love the way Creeper uses gang vocals on this track, as it adds even more energy. The lyrics are very enjoyable, as Gould is not afraid to call out the generic pop radio: "Suzanne, I want to die holding hands/Running from this world's demands/All those radio bands never made me feel". The song screams the theme of rebellion, and it doesn't ever feel like it's forced or pandering.
The strong streak of great songs continues with another single "Hiding With Boys", which is a solid standard rock track with some good lyricism about a girl that's cheating on Gould. He never comes out right and says it, but rather subtly implies it: "Hiding with the boys in the bedroom/Hiding the evidence of dying youth...". If this track is the more traditionally fun relationship track, then "Misery" is on the total opposite side of the coin as one of the most heart-wrenching tracks on this album. This break-up song does not feel cliched in any way, and that comes primarily through the way Gould uses his voice. You can tell he's really giving his all, expressing his emotions as much as he possibly can. The repeating mantra "Misery never goes out of style" only adds to the depressing nature of this track. We go from this song into a track that feels like it could do well on a radio rock station, "Down Below". This song does everything right in the musical department, with the guitar riffs being in your face and the drum work sounding as good as ever. I love the ending of this song especially, as the rest of the band backs up Gould's singing and it creates this big choir effect. The theatrical side of this band is evident here once again, which makes this song yet another huge highlight in the midst of so many other highlights. "Room 309" is similar to "Poison Pens" in how it is intense from the very beginning, but it has a surprisingly quiet acoustic ending where Gould and Greenwood beautifully harmonize, making the song have interesting variety. The track effectively transitions into easily my favorite ballad on the album "Crickets", which is headed by Hannah Greenwood. Hannah shows herself to be a very capable vocalist. Her raw talent shines through the whole track. The heartbreak expressed hear feels very real with the powerful metaphors used: "My love is a nail I can't pull out with plyers/The lovers I've had have been gaslighting liars". Lyrically this might be the best song of the album, and it certainly shines because of Hannah's dynamic vocal performance.
There are some weak points in this album, and they unfortunately come at the end of the album. "Darling" is probably the weakest track on the album, feeling like it checks off everything that is required for a standard pop/punk song. It even reminds almost too much of Green Day. While I like that Creeper is most likely paying tribute to their influences, it still doesn't feel unique in comparison to other songs. I overall like "Winona Forever", but I still think that the use of Winona's name sounds awkward in context of the track, so that brings it down just a bit. "I Choose To Live" ends the album out on a somewhat forced sentimental note; it doesn't hold the same emotional weight as "Misery" does.
Creeper's debut album is something unique to behold. Raw talent and passion bleed in nearly every moment of this album, and even the weaker tracks on this release still shine above a lot of other radio rock songs. At the beginning of the review, I mentioned I was a casual Creeper fan. But now I can say I am totally rooting for them, as I see that they have the ability to redefine the rock genre and bring in a new wave of talent. I can't wait to see what these guys do next!
Favorite Songs: "Black Rain", "Suzanne", "Down Below", "Crickets", "Misery", "Poison Pens"
Least Favorite Songs: "Darling", "I Choose to Live"
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