I had the pleasure of seeing Creatures earlier this year on their tour with Canada’s Withdrawal and having only glossed over their previous efforts, was completely blown away.
This Southern Californian outfit’s live ferocity is made by their crushing riffs, many of which were lifted from their newly released second LP, Vesuvius. Like its namesake, Vesuvius lays waste to all who behold it. With interest in Creatures reunited I went home and played their previous LP, I, Lucifer over once or twice and then promptly downloaded its successor.
A successor is indeed what Vesuvius is. Not to knock its predecessor, but to these ears Vesuvius is by the far the band’s best. The opening track “Broken Throne” sets the record’s thrashy hardcore meatiness almost immediately. It begins with your traditional mosh friendly chugathon, albeit a damn good one, and once you think this will be a mediocre offering :52 bares the record’s big pearly whites. At this point the record takes a violent, epic dump on the listener, at the same obliterating any notion of possible mediocrity.
The band’s hardcore side is blended perfectly with the crushing riffs. As much as Vesuvius is a record to which to raise the horns it is also one to mosh yourself silly too. At times while blaring it on my iPod I caught myself arranging my features into some faux tough guy scrunch or just your general mean mug, even casting a glancing punch at a passing wall, unnerving passerby. Vesuvius is first and foremost a very well crafted hardcore record that utilizes well executed metallic elements.
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The record is quite impressive as the band steps even heavier on the metal pedal. The sharp hooks of its sweeping riffs carries the record and its listener swiftly on its brief but blistering journey. “Soulless Possessor” has the record’s most astoundingly aggressive riff amid a swelling breakdown towards its beginning, inciting nothing less than at least a few scrunchy faces.
The drumming on Vesuvius provides a blistering, shuddering compliment to the steady barrage of riffs. Never overtly technical or boring, the percussion is a simple but welcome continuous bombardment.
Vesuvius has well polished production that brings the instruments to the forefront while the vocals take somewhat of a backseat. Do not take “backseat” as a fault though. On the contrary as they range from a ghostly haunt in the background to gruff whispers beneath the music.
As stated before, Creatures has presented us with a ferocious second full-length. Vesuvius represents the band operating at peak condition, demonstrating concise but splendidly grungy musicianship that rivals if not succeeds the majority of their metallic hardcore peers. If Creatures didn’t make heads bang before, they most certainly will be now.
You can listen to and purchase the record at http://music.tgrex.com/album/vesuvius. The rest of their discography is available for your listening pleasure here http://creaturesca.bandcamp.com/.
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