(Review by Mark Kelly, Photos by Sara-Louise Bowrey)
Creeper arrived at a sold-out Brighton Chalk to promote their ambitious new album, Sanguivore II: Mistress of Death. In support were The Howling, a relatively new British alt-rock four-piece consisting of former members of As Sirens Fall and James And The Cold Gun.
The Howling
The Howling kicked off with “Little Promises,” which carried distinct echoes of Billy Idol. Thankfully, the rest of their set, particularly “Incantation,” was far meatier and more individual. The band demonstrated incredible sonic control during “New Religion,” emphasising their collective experience. They even threw in a significantly heavier cover of Madonna’s “Like A Prayer”—a bit of a laugh, though their original material is strong enough to stand alone. Honourable mention goes to their bassist, who provided excellent backing and lead vocals throughout. It’s still early in their career, but this was a highly impressive set; once they get an album out, they’ll surely be headlining.
Creeper
I’m sure I’m not the only one who thought Creeper’s previous album, Sanguivore, was a masterpiece—a record The Skinny aptly called “a love letter to the 80s.” Unbelievably, Sanguivore II: Mistress Of Death is as good, if not better. It perfectly aligns with what critics are saying elsewhere; Kerrang! recently praised the band for “turning rock’n’roll on its head” with their grandiose theatrics, while Dork magazine called the new era “hedonistic with an irresistible allure.” Naturally, I was beyond delighted to discover that tonight’s entire setlist was drawn exclusively from these last two albums!
Following an intro tape of Patricia Morrison’s spoken-word piece “A Shadow Stirs,” Creeper launched into “Mistress Of Death,” instantly treating us to some utterly awesome dual lead guitar. Vocalist Will Gould (now going by William von Ghould) showcased an incredible vocal range, seamlessly switching from a Vincent Price baritone to blood-curdling screams. Keyboardist Hannah Greenwood also shone, stepping out to deliver fantastic lead vocals on tracks like “Headstones” and the standout “Razorwire.”
The band had the crowd in the palm of their hand from the first note. As “Spook And Mercy” slowed things down, Will asked for lights in the air, creating a simultaneously dark and beautiful atmosphere. Given this response, they could easily fill a bigger venue—perhaps the Dome?
After a brief drum solo and an impassioned rendition of the unreleased track “Love And Pain,” Will dedicated the grand, emotional “More Than Death” to his local friends. He told the crowd that “as the world gets darker, it’s moments like this that make life worth living.” He was 100% right.
The band only briefly left the stage before returning for an epic encore of “Further Than Forever” and “Cry To Heaven,” the latter closing proceedings with a stratospheric guitar solo. Creeper were inspired, confident, and unapologetically exciting. It was an assured performance that would have gone down brilliantly in an arena—though hopefully, we get to keep them in these more intimate venues for just a little while longer.
