May 30th saw Creeper bring the curtain down on the critically-acclaimed ‘Sanguivore’ era with a phenomenal performance of the album at a sold-out, intimate KOKO show. And, as has become custom in the Creeper world, they ended this chapter by unveiling a look ahead to their next — this time by introducing a new character, the Mistress of Death, during a vampiric horror short film.
Now, Creeper take a blood-soaked step towards their new album ‘Sanguivore II: Mistress Of Death’ (coming later this year) by sharing the new single ‘Headstones’.
‘Headstones’ sees Creeper come roaring out of the gate with a whirlwind of classic thrash riffs and pummeling punk rhythms before soaring into a characteristically larger-than-life arena-ready hook. It also brings in exhilarating sonic elements, such as dueling, Judas Priest-style guitar solos from co-founder and lead guitarist Ian Miles and guitarist Lawrie Pattison, while Hannah Hermione brings gothic x gospel vocal harmonies. Its lyrics dive deeper in the band’s fascination with vampire mythology, with William Von Ghould‘s playful innuendo delivering arguably one of the greatest vampire songs ever written.
The track was produced by Tom Dalgety (Ghost, Rammstein, The Damned) who helped Creeper bring their most theatrical and unhinged excesses to the fore.
William Von Ghould says: “‘Headstones’ is the first glimpse into ‘Sanguivore II: Mistress of Death’. Set in a blood-drenched vision of the 1980s, it follows a vampire rock band on a tour soaked in violence and excess. It features some of our heaviest and most theatrical guitar work yet, echoing Iron Maiden, with Lawrie Pattison and Ian Miles trading solos in the bridge. It’s also the fastest single we’ve released in years.
“Lyrically, it sets the stage for what’s to come in the album’s narrative, exploring the dark perils of rock ‘n’ roll, sins of the flesh, and pure evil. This is the band at its most over-the-top and unashamedly dramatic. But as our hero Jim Steinman once said, ‘Sometimes going all the way is just the start.'”
The accompanying video for ‘Headstones’ sees Creeper channel the ferocity and charisma of their renowned live show and also underlines their future festival-headlining potential. William Von Ghould conducts the chaos from center stage, while his bandmates run riot and pyros detonate.