Creeper Sanguivore II: Mistress Of Death
Creeper's Sanguivore II: Mistress Of Death arrives as a gleefully lurid celebration of vampirism and horror theatricality, and across professional reviews it earns a strong critical reception. Critics awarded the record an 85/100 consensus score across 2 professional reviews, praising its comic-book gore, 1980s nostalgia and orchestral grandeur while noting the band's committed camp and bombast. The quick verdict from the critical consensus suggests Sanguivore II is very much worth listening to for fans of theatrical rock and dark-pop melodrama.
Reviewers consistently highlight the album's best songs, with Blood Magick (It's a Ritual) and the muscular title track Mistress Of Death named repeatedly as standout tracks. Prey For The Night earns praise for its sensual melody and mammoth chorus, while Clash Music flags Headstones and the Hannah Greenwood-led centrepiece Razor Wire for gothic burlesque tension. Critics note the band's embrace of camp/rock musical influence and choir-stuffed, hair-metal flourishes, which elevate several moments from pastiche to genuine anthems.
While both reviews celebrate the record's theatrical ambition and cinematic fills, they also imply the very excess that defines the album will determine its appeal - those who relish melodrama and horror motifs will find these are the album's strengths, while others may see the bombast as polarizing. In short, the critical consensus positions Sanguivore II: Mistress Of Death as a vividly staged, often essential outing for Creeper that delivers memorable choruses and the standout tracks critics keep returning to.
Critics' Top Tracks
The standout songs that made critics take notice
Blood Magick (It's a Ritual)
2 mentions
"‘Blood Magick’ and ‘Headstones’ are rife with raunchy lyrics"— Clash Music
Headstones
1 mention
"‘Blood Magick’ and ‘Headstones’ are rife with raunchy lyrics"— Clash Music
Razor Wire
1 mention
"The most thrilling moment of ‘Sanguivore II’ is also its most surprising; ‘Razor Wire’"— Clash Music
‘Blood Magick’ and ‘Headstones’ are rife with raunchy lyrics
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
A Shadow Stirs
Mistress Of Death
Blood Magick (It's a Ritual)
Headstones
Prey For The Night
Daydreaming In The Dark
Parasite
Razor Wire
From The Depths Below
The Black House
The Crimson Bride
Pavor Nocturnus
What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 2 critics who reviewed this album
Critic's Take
Creeper's Sanguivore II: Mistress Of Death is a gloriously over-the-top horror-rock spectacle, and the best tracks make the campy concept sing. The muscular opener Mistress Of Death roars to life, but it is the earworm choruses of Blood Magick (It's a Ritual) and the raunchy stomp of Headstones that linger as the album's standout moments. Prey For The Night emerges as a particular gem with its sensual melodies and mammoth chorus, while the surprise centrepiece Razor Wire — led by Hannah Greenwood — supplies gothic burlesque tension. For fans of Rocky Horror-inflected theatrics, these best songs on Sanguivore II: Mistress Of Death make the record a thrilling, sumptuous ride.
Key Points
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‘Prey For The Night’ is the best song because of its sensual melodies and mammoth chorus that mark it as a standout.
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The album's core strengths are theatrical horror storytelling, orchestral grandeur, and unapologetic camp that make its big moments feel glorious.
Themes
Critic's Take
Creeper lean into camp and spectacle throughout Sanguivore II: Mistress Of Death, and the best songs - notably Blood Magick (It's a Ritual) and Mistress Of Death - wear that melodrama like a badge of honour. The band’s ’80s pomp, from choir-stuffed choruses to hair-metal solos, makes tracks such as Prey For The Night and The Black House feel both nostalgically familiar and theatrically alive. The record’s horror motifs and comic-book gore are never coy, they are gleefully committed, which is why the biggest moments land as bona fide standouts rather than pastiche. Overall, if you search for the best songs on Sanguivore II: Mistress Of Death, look for the anthemic choruses and cinematic fills that define this album’s high points.
Key Points
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The best song is prominent for its anthemic chorus and vivid gore lyrics that encapsulate the album’s theatrical horror-pop.
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The album’s core strengths are its committed '80s-inspired bombast, cinematic arrangements, and clever use of genre tropes without falling into cliché.