Creeper: Sanguivore II: The Mistress of Death
When English rock band Creeper released their third studio album Sanguivore in 2023, I was already paying close attention to them, having seen them live twice the year before. I knew it was going to be good — something spooky, something about vampires and all the other cool goth stuff you could hope for.
What I didn’t expect was that it would become not just my album of the year for 2023, but for the year after as well. During those dark winter months, you’d rarely catch me without my headphones on and Sanguivore playing on repeat. So when they announced that Sanguivore was getting a sequel I was both excited and apprehensive. Could they even reach the quality and epos they did when they made the first of the series?
Sanguivore II: The Mistress of Death takes the influences of both goth rock and 80’s style metal to new heights. It’s not just continuing where the last album left off: musically it’s a full immersion into a world that makes you imagine that there was indeed a Vampire Band performing Synth Rock anthems and powerful hard rock ballads in some alternate version of the 80s. Thematically it puts itself as a new story in the Creeper Universe, spinning a tale of lust, violence and Rock n Roll nightmares. “Rock music is a horny vampire and tonight it is feasting on you”, promises the introduction, fittingly voiced by Patricia Morrison (The Sisters of Mercy).
With the title track ‘Mistress of Death’ they wrote something straight from a more glitter-y adult version of The Lost Boys, building up the tension with an angelic background choir, before moving into a beautiful hard rock finale. From there Creeper, in their newest form as a vampiric rock band, moves into the first two singles ‘Blood Magick (It’s a Ritual)’ and ‘Headstones’.
William von Ghould (vocals) has described the first as “a blood-soaked, sexed up, psychedelic vampire rock fantasy” for which a more fitting description truly cannot be found. ‘Headstones’ is a catchy punk track, while staying on theme and never forgetting their gothic roots. You will want to yell “So give us headstones, let our bones turn to dust in the fire and the brimstone” with the rest of the band.
It becomes clear early on that this album isn’t just thematically consistent but also building on the Satanic Panic hysteria of the 80s. A fight between Good and Evil unfolds, with the Mistress of Death haunting the band and their devilish work. In their third single, ‘Prey for the Night’, Ghould yells “I’m cast out of heaven and praying for a night with you”, and is answered by an ethereal voice, possibly belonging to the Mistress of Death. Hannah Greenwood (keyboardist & vocals) shines, joining Ghould on the chorus in ‘Parasite’ and showcasing the theatricality Creeper are known for. Ian Miles and Lawrie Pattison give their all with electrifying guitar riffs, effortlessly harmonizing and playing off each other in turns.
In Razor Wire, Greenwood once again takes on the role of the Mistress of Death in a striking rock ballad, complete with saxophone and keyboard solos. She delivers a sleazy starlet performance, singing about the way she decapitates all the boys. From there follows a collection of ’80s TV and radio snippets warning listeners that “This music demands your soul”, complete with static, synthesizers and a satanic choir that grows louder and louder to introduce ‘The Black House’.
“I wanna hold you like a hammer in my hand, I wanna nail you on the cross at your command”, Ghould and Greenwood sing, interspersed with more radio snippets, ending on the chilling line: “The devil’s got dark plans for you”.
The story takes an even darker turn on ‘The Crimson Bride’, with Ghould asking, “How will you survive the Feast of Flesh on your Holy Night?” The sound grows heavier in the chorus and bridge, with Jake Fogarty (drums), Sean Scott (bass) and Miles and Pattison contrasting the darkwave synth textures of the verses.
With ‘Pavor Nocturnus’, the band comes together to deliver a grand finale. The story finds its conclusion in a six-and-a-half-minute track that shifts from a slow hymn between Ghould and Greenwood to a piano solo that transforms into a guitar solo, culminating in a gospel choir performance. And all of it fits perfectly — nothing feels out of place or excessive. It’s a monumental ending to the story, and at the same time, the end of an era in Creeper’s history. It’s bookended once more by Morrison’s voice, declaring, “Our story is complete, further than forever inside a dream…” — a homage to the first Sanguivore’s opening track, ‘Further Than Forever’ (which surpassed ‘Pavor Nocturnus’ at nine minutes and thirteen seconds).
While the story of Sanguivore seems to reach its end with this sequel, this album proves that Creeper are only moving upward. Artistically and musically, this is a band that has found itself creatively, and I, for one, am excited to see where they are going next. If you haven’t yet pre-ordered Sanguivore II: Mistress of Death (release date: Halloween 2025), do so before the vampires start biting. Or else.