Sex, Death & the Infinite Void

Sex, Death & the Infinite Void is the second studio album by English rock band Creeper released on 31 July 2020 by Roadrunner Records. The album was produced by Wax Ltd's Xandy Barry and was inspired by their experiences touring the United States with Waterparks.[2]

Sex, Death & the Infinite Void
Studio album by
Creeper
Released31 July 2020 (2020-07-31)
Recorded2019
StudioWAX LTD Studios, Los Angeles, USA; The Firepit, London, UK; The Ranch Production House, Southampton, UK
Genre
Length40:10
LabelRoadrunner
ProducerXandy Barry[1]
Creeper chronology
Christmas
(2017)		 Sex, Death & the Infinite Void
(2020)
Singles from Sex, Death & the Infinite Void
  1. "Born Cold"
    Released: 3 November 2019 (2019-11-03)
  2. "Annabelle"
    Released: 20 January 2020 (2020-01-20)
  3. "Cyanide"
    Released: 28 February 2020 (2020-02-28)
  4. "All My Friends"
    Released: 22 May 2020 (2020-05-22)
  5. "Be My End"
    Released: 18 June 2020 (2020-06-18)

Unlike the band's previous album which was described as "horror punk," this album takes influence from Roy Orbison, David Bowie, Type O Negative as well as brit-pop and 70's British rock and roll.[3][4] Similar to their debut, the album is categorised as a concept album, this time about the story of an angel who falls from grace as he experiences love for the first time. The story takes place in a small Californian town inspired by Dunsmuir, California as well as the TV show Twin Peaks.[5] Each of the singles' music videos are built around the album's narrative.

Background and recording

In November 2018, the band played the last show of the Eternity, in Your Arms album cycle at the KOKO in Camden Town, London. Before the final song Misery frontman Will Gould stated ""not only is it the last show of this album, but it’s the last show that we’ll ever do,"" an almost word-for-word callback to David Bowie’s speech at Hammersmith Apollo on July 3, 1973, where he killed off the character of ‘Ziggy Stardust’ on stage.[6] Gould stated "the idea was to end it in the same way it began, and the campaign began with a disappearing act."[7]

Following this, the band were set to head over to LA to write and record the record together. However, guitarist and co-songwriter Ian Miles' mental health took a downward turn leading to him being hospitalised causing Gould and Miles to have to write songs together over FaceTime.[8] Due to the dark place both Gould and Miles found themselves in, they considered breaking up the band. Gould described the year between the KOKO gig and the band's return as the worst year of his life due to his relationship with his fiancée falling apart, his mother's partner passing away, Miles' mental health struggles and feeling lonely and isolated in LA.[9] However, Gould found an escape through the glamour of Los Angeles, drinking and spending time in the studio.[10]

Promotion and release

A year to the day after the band's last show, they performed at the London venue "Club 229" under the name "Fugitives of Heaven."[11] On November 3, they released the first single from the album "Born Cold" a song written about the character Roe inspired by the "selfish, narcissistic" David Bowie character The Thin White Duke.[12] The band also announced a supporting slot on Babymetal's 2020 Metal Galaxy world tour.[13]

The following single "Annabelle" was released on January 20, inspired by a run in with American church the Westboro Baptist Church on the 2017 Warped Tour.[14]

The album was officially announced on January 10 for a May 22 release date alongside a UK tour, both of which would be delayed due to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.[15]

Composition

Musical style

Stylistically, Sex, Death & the Infinite Void is a departure from the band's previous horror punk sound, taking heavy influence from British rock bands, specifically David Bowie's "Aladdin Sane" album, The Beatles, The Cure, T. Rex and Britpop bands such as Suede, Pulp and Oasis.[16] Gould also cited the "pop sensibilities" of Bruce Springsteen and Cyndi Lauper as well as the "apocalyptic romanticism" of Roy Orbison's "Mystery Girl" album as influences.[9] Tracks on the album have described as gothic rock, britpop, pop punk, rock n roll, glam rock, rockabilly and country.[17][18][19][20]

Lyrical content

The lyrics of Sex, Death & the Infinite Void are "about being grown up. It’s about sex, death and the infinite void. It’s about alienation – it’s about feeling like you’re living in someone else’s world and it’s about learning what it is to be human." Gould stated "there are songs about battles with alcoholism and crazy nights out," "but there’s also a real heart to it and a real sadness to the whole thing."[9] Inspired by Dunsmuir, California, a town in which the band stopped in during their US tour with Waterparks, the album's narrative follows an angel who comes a small town intending to warn people of a coming apocalypse, however, soon finds himself turning to sin as he falls in love with a woman he meets, and subsequently invokes the wrath of her fiancé. Other characters in the story include seven families, each of whom represent one of the seven deadly sins.[21]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?8.6/10[22]
Metacritic91/100[23]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[24]
Beats Per Minute80%[25]
DIY[26]
Gigwise9/10[27]
Kerrang![28]
The Line of Best Fit7/10[18]
NME[17]
Q[29]
The Sunday Times[30]
Upset[31]

Sex, Death & the Infinite Void received widespread acclaim from music critics. Aggregating website Metacritic reports a normalised rating of 91 based on eight critical reviews, indicating "universal acclaim" for the release.[23] Many critics praised the album's shift in tone described by DIY as being "tinged with a more moody Americana feel, and doused with faded Hollywood seediness."[26] The band's experimentation with different genres and not restricting themselves to one sound was also praised. "Genre is Dead! Magazine" stated that Gould's vocals had improved over its predecessor, "opting to croon or sing baritone rather than scream".[32]

Louder stated that every song on the album sounds completely distinct and described it as an "exercise in escapism and experimentation" seeing the band "liberated from the constraints of genre, showcasing their immense, diverse talent and creating a new world that holds our attention at a time when that's a difficult thing to pull off."[33] The review for AllMusic claimed it "a sh*t-ton of fun -- a master class in smudged-eyeliner camp directed by a clutch of vampires masquerading as musical theater majors."[24]

Riot Mag compared the album to Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys by My Chemical Romance in the way it perfectly captures the same adventure while carrying the "morose weight of actually having to deal with your consequences."[34] Rather than the comparisons to Alkaline Trio and AFI seen on their last album, critics drew comparisons to Nick Cave, Roy Orbison,[26] Roxy Music, David Bowie, Suede, Pulp (band), Meat Loaf, Blur, Supergrass, Queen and Prince[28]

Track listing

Songwriting credits per booklet.[35]

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Hallelujah!" 0:46
2."Be My End"
  • Will Gould
  • Ian Miles
  • Matt Reynolds
2:39
3."Born Cold"
  • Gould
  • Miles
  • Neil Kennedy
2:57
4."Cyanide"
3:27
5."Celestial Violence" 0:18
6."Annabelle"
  • Gould
  • Miles
  • Barry
3:49
7."Paradise"
  • Gould
  • Barry
3:49
8."Poisoned Heart"
  • Gould
  • Miles
  • Barry
3:28
9."Thorns of Love"
  • Gould
  • Miles
3:22
10."Four Years Ago"
  • Gould
  • Hannah Greenwood
  • Barry
3:25
11."Holy War" 0:22
12."Napalm Girls"
  • Gould
  • Miles
  • Reynolds
3:34
13."The Crown of Life" 0:07
14."Black Moon"
  • Gould
  • Miles
  • Reynolds
3:35
15."All My Friends"
  • Gould
2:48
16."Be More Careful With Your Heart" 1:08
Total length:40:10

Personnel

Adapted from CD liner notes.[35]

Creeper

  • Will Gould – lead vocals
  • Ian Miles – guitar
  • Oliver Burdett – guitar
  • Sean Scott – bass
  • Hannah Greenwood – keyboards, backing vocals
  • Dan Bratton – drums

Production personnel

  • Xandy Barry – production, mixing, engineering, orchestral arrangements & programming
  • Timothy Williams - orchestral arrangements & programming
  • Wally Gagel - mixing
  • Spike Stent - mixing
  • Redah Haddioui - mix assist, engineering
  • Matt Wolach - mix assist
  • Richard Woodcroft - engineering
  • Andrew Lappin - engineering
  • Pete Lyman – mastering
  • Stuart Hawkes - mastering on track 4

Art design

  • Andy Pritchard - layout
  • Demon Dance - design of the 'Descending Angel'
  • Billy Howard Price - photos

Additional Personnel

Charts
Chart performance for Sex, Death & the Infinite Void
Chart (2020) Peak
position
Scottish Albums (OCC)[36] 4
UK Albums (OCC)[37] 5

References
  1. "Creeper – Sex, Death & The Infinite Void (Album)". Boom Crib. 2 August 2020. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  2. "HOW CREEPER CREATED AN "ENTIRELY NEW WORLD" FOR THEIR NEW ALBUM". Kerrang!. 12 November 2019. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  3. Whitt, Cassie (18 December 2019). "CREEPER DISCUSS NEXT ERA: "THERE ARE NO FAST SONGS ON THIS RECORD"". Alternative Press. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  4. Spinks, Chloe. "WE SPOKE TO CREEPER ABOUT 'SEX, DEATH AND THE INFINITE VOID' – "IT'S A REDEMPTION STORY IN A LOT OF WAYS"". Riot Magazine. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  5. "Creeper's Will Gould opens up about the concept behind new album Sex, Death & The Infinite Void..." HMV. 31 July 2020. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  6. Connick, Tom (2 November 2018). "British punks Creeper just pulled a 'Bowie at Hammersmith' – is it all over?". NME. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  7. Williams, Josh (29 November 2019). "Creeper are resurrected: "It was much more dramatic than I ever imagined it would be"". Uncut Magazine. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  8. Jamieson, Sarah (10 January 2020). "Big Albums of 2020: Creeper". DIY Magazine. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  9. Shutler, Ali (19 November 2019). ""There were times when I didn't want to be alive any more": punk heroes Creeper on their turbulent year and "aggressive reinvention"". NME. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  10. Gonzales, Ramon (23 July 2020). "CREEPER'S WILL GOULD RECALLS THE YEAR THAT, "ALMOST FINISHED MY BAND OFF" ON MOSH TALKS". Knotfest. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  11. 29 September 2019. "Creeper Announce London Gig In November". Kerrang!. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  12. "Creeper Return With New Single, Born Cold, And Announce Babymetal Support Slot". Kerrang!. 4 November 2019. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  13. Jamieson, Brii (4 November 2019). "Creeper Are Supporting Babymetal On Their Upcoming Tour". Rock Sound. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  14. Hutchcraft, Jak (31 July 2020). "UK Punks Creeper Trolled Westboro Baptist Church and Got Called Satanic". Vice. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  15. Richards, Will (8 July 2020). "Check out Creeper's rescheduled and upgraded 2021 UK tour dates". NME. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  16. Leivers, Dannii (30 July 2020). "Poisoned Heart: Creeper's Astonishing Resurrection". Clash Magazine. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  17. Leivers, Dannii (30 July 2020). "Creeper – 'Sex, Death & The Infinite Void' review: goth-punks stare down hardship with unblinking defiance". NME. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  18. Simon-Bashall, Sophia (29 July 2020). "Creeper take a deeper dive into their punk-laden theatrics, and are all the better for it". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  19. Perez Hollingsworth, Ashley (31 July 2020). "Album Review: Creeper - Sex, Death & the Infinite Void - GENRE IS DEAD!". Genre is Dead. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  20. Williams, Josh (31 July 2020). "Creeper - Sex, Death & The Infinite Void". Upset Magazine. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  21. Hickie, James (30 July 2020). "CREEPER: YOUR GUIDE TO THE WORLD OF SEX, DEATH & THE INFINITE VOID". Kerrang!. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  22. "Sex, Death & the Infinite Void by Creeper reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  23. "Sex, Death & The Infinite Void by Creeper Reviews and Tracks - Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  24. Monger, James Christopher (31 July 2020). "Sex, Death & the Infinite Void - Creeper | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  25. O'Malley, Gareth (5 August 2020). "Album Review: Creeper – Sex, Death & the Infinite Void". Beats Per Minute. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  26. Jamieson, Jamie (31 July 2020). "Creeper - Sex, Death & the Infinite Void". DIY. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  27. McConville, Mark (28 July 2020). "Album Review: Creeper - Sex, Death & The Infinite Void". Gigwise. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  28. McLaughlin, David (29 July 2020). "Album Review: Creeper – Sex, Death & the Infinite Void". Kerrang!. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  29. "Creeper – Sex, Death & The Infinite Void". Q. London, England: Bauer Media Group. August 2020. p. 104.
  30. Hodgkingson, Will (31 July 2020). "Creeper: Sex, Death & the Infinite Void review — played entirely straight, yet a sense of a tongue in cheek". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  31. Williams, Josh (30 July 2020). "Creeper – Sex, Death & the Infinite Void". Upset. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  32. Hollingsworth, Ashley Perez (31 July 2020). "Album Review: Creeper – Sex, Death & The Infinite Void". Genre Is Dead! Magazine. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  33. Eloise, Marianne (30 July 2020). "Creeper's new album is where 80s goth, rock opera and the apocalypse collide". Louder. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  34. Spinks, Chloe. "ALBUM REVIEW: CREEPER // SEX, DEATH AND THE INFINITE VOID". Riot Mag. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  35. Sex, Death & the Infinite Void (Booklet). Creeper. Roadrunner Records. 2020. 0190295283933.CS1 maint: others (link)
  36. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  37. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
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