Halloween is almost upon us, and Creeper celebrate the best day of the year with their latest release, Sanguivore II: Mistress Of Death, the thematic sequel to 2023’s career-defining Sanguivore.
Creeper – Sanguivore II: Mistress Of Death
Release Date: 31 October 2025
Words: Rhys Tagg
Unless you have been sleeping in a coffin for a millennium, you will know MetalTalk are huge admirers of Creeper, a band who have been relentless in recent months. Singles, videos, festival sets, conventions, signing events, and playback nights. There has been plenty to feast on.
Creeper’s latest release is an intoxicating spectacle, galloping forward with relentless pace. Sonically, it mirrors the story of a fictitious band on the run across ’80s Satanic Panic America. Nearly every track pulses with urgency; tempo, rhythm, dynamics, and melody mimic the breathless rush of escape.
Rooted in gothic rock, Sanguivore II still leaves room for punk energy and Heavy Metal riffs. William Von Ghould’s signature theatrical vocals are in full force, commanding each track with drama and dread.
The record is a high-stakes sprint through neon-lit alleyways, haunted highways, and blood-soaked motel rooms. Layered synths and theatrical flair conjure cinema, making you pray a full-on decadent, vamptastic rock ‘n’ roll opera is eventually released.
Goth culture and vampirism have long gone hand in hand. Rock ‘n’ roll clasps the hand of sexuality, and they are all entombed by excess. Creeper have grabbed everything iconic about the vampire journey and embellished it to the next level, bigger, more flamboyant, even more blood-soaked and topped with fangs.
Think a vampire strip club on Broadway: oozing sleaze, yet glamorous and exotic.
The album opens with a spooky ’80s-style spoken word intro, A Shadow Stirs, voiced by Patricia Morrison (Sisters of Mercy, The Damned). Playing out like a haunting VHS tape, this presents the Mistress of Death and a foreboding message about the line between good and evil.
Track two, Mistress Of Death, kicks in with thunderous riffs. Lyrics like “Some nights you die to stay alive” and “Some nights you feel the rush” set the tone for the chaos to come. The Mistress herself, portrayed by Sarah Page, a Chyna impersonator, Will met at a rock and horror convention. Will’s love of wrestling likely adds inspiration to the album’s camp theatrics and flamboyant wrestling energy.
Three back-to-back screamers follow, each released as singles this summer. Blood Magick (It’s A Ritual) slays with upbeat notes and seductive gothic flair. You will be at the altar offering a sacrifice in no time.
Headstones hits hard as a punk powerhouse. Arena-ready riffs and electrifying vocals make it a crowd favourite. You will be singing “Let our bones turn to dust in the fire and the brimstone” around a graveyard fire pit orgy. Prey For The Night opens with Will saying “I’ve been waiting for a girl like you” and as the synth kicks in, it screams ’80s goth. It is darkwave meets hard rock, with theatrical vocals that could raise the dead to dance.
Daydreaming In The Dark enthrals with haunting melodies and “woah-oh’s”. Parasite delivers devilish lyrics, “Suck, suck, suck” blood drinking or sexual? Probably both.
But it’s Razorwire where Hannah Greenwood truly steps into the spotlight, singing as the Mistress of Death. Her bewitching performance is one of her best to date. Smooth jazz vibes and saxophone solos offer a moment to catch your breath, but lose your soul.
Hannah’s vocals are alluring, like a siren calling you in for seduction.
There’s a seedy turn-of-the-(20th)-century flair, even hints of female jazz blues. If it has not happened already, this track may trigger your gothic vampire sexual awakening. Only Creeper could make razor wire and decapitation sexy.
From The Depths Below is a 30-second interlude leading into Black House, a killer ’80s New Wave track with the belting chorus line: “I wanna hold you like a hammer in my hand.” It is destined to be a crowd-rousing triumph. The Crimson Bride builds on the big sounds, hitting anthemic levels with a spirited chorus that galvanises the record.
The climax comes with Pavor Nocturnus, a slow-burning duet between Ghould and Greenwood. Will sings, “I was in love with death herself,” as wailing guitar solos echo through the gloom. It is the longest track on the album, bookended by Patricia Morrison’s spoken words and strings from the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.
Could it all be just a dream, just an ’80s teenager falling asleep with a classic horror playing in the background, intertwining with a dreamscape?
’80s horror films were defined by their synthesised, minimalist, and repetitive soundscapes, crafted to evoke mechanical dread rather than organic, orchestral swell. Creeper’s album nods to that era with its underlying musical tones, channelling the eerie pulse of VHS nightmares and neon-lit terror.
From punk beginnings in Southampton circa 2014 to crafting arena-ready ballads that feel both spellbinding and colossal, Creeper have evolved into a lavish, larger-than-life force. Their sound has grown grander and more theatrical with every release, without losing the grit that made them magnetic in the first place.
Now one of the scene’s absolute workhorses, they have earned their place among its biggest acts, commanding stages and hearts with a legacy that refuses to be quiet.
Creeper do not just soundtrack your nightmares, they invite you to live inside them.
Creeper release Sanguivore II: Mistress Of Death on 31 October 2025 via Spinefarm. For more information, visit creepercult.com.
