Black Mass (song)

Last updated
"Black Mass"
Single by Creeper
from the album The Stranger
Released11 January 2016 (2016-01-11)
Format Digital download
Genre Horror punk
Length2:21
Label Roadrunner
Songwriter(s)
  • Will Gould
  • Ian Miles
Producer(s) Neil Kennedy
Creeper singles chronology
"The Honeymoon Suite"
(2015)		"Black Mass"
(2016)		"Suzanne"
(2016)

"Black Mass" is a song by English horror punk band Creeper. Written by the group's lead vocalist Will Gould and guitarist and backing vocalist Ian Miles, it was produced by Neil Kennedy and featured on the band's 2016 third extended play (EP) The Stranger . The song was released as the only single from the EP on 11 January 2016, and as the first of two music videos on 28 January.

Horror punk

Horror punk is a music genre that mixes proto-gothic and punk rock sounds with morbid and violent imagery and lyrics, which are often influenced by horror films or science fiction B-movies. The genre is similar to and sometimes overlaps with deathrock, although deathrock leans more towards an atmospheric gothic rock sound while horror punk leans towards a 1950s-influenced doo-wop and rockabilly sound. Horror punk music is typically more aggressive and melodic than deathrock.

Creeper (band)

Creeper are an English rock band from Southampton. Formed in 2014, the group features lead vocalist Will Gould, guitarists Ian Miles and Oliver Burdett, keyboardist and second vocalist Hannah Greenwood, bassist Sean Scott and drummer Dan Bratton. Creeper released their self-titled debut extended play (EP) Creeper in 2014, which was followed by The Callous Heart and The Stranger on Roadrunner Records in 2015 and 2016, respectively. They released their debut full-length album Eternity, in Your Arms in 2017, which debuted at number 18 on the UK Albums Chart.

Extended play musical recording longer than a single, but shorter than a full album

An extended play record, often referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single, but is usually unqualified as an album or LP. Contemporary EPs generally contain a minimum of three tracks and maximum of six tracks, and are considered "less expensive and time-consuming" for an artist to produce than an album. An EP originally referred to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play (SP) and LP, but it is now applied to mid-length CDs and downloads as well.

Contents

Composition and lyrics

According to Creeper's lead vocalist Will Gould, the lyrics of "Black Mass" were written "from the perspective of the character of The Stranger, the heartbroken monster who is the EP's namesake. They're partly inspired by recounts of sleep paralysis, where sufferers describe seeing a 'black matter' or 'black mass' haunting them in their rooms at night, while they lie paralysed in bed." [1] The song draws from a number of inspirations, including punk rock band Jawbreaker (on the verses), singer Elvis Presley (in the middle eight) and record producer Jim Steinman (on the chorus), all of which the band's frontman described as "on purpose and very intentional ... a pastiche, a wink and a nod to the listener". [2]

Sleep paralysis phenomenon

Sleep paralysis is when, during waking up or falling asleep, a person is aware but unable to move or speak. During an episode, one may hallucinate, which often results in fear. Episodes generally last less than a couple of minutes. It may occur as a single episode or be recurrent.

Punk rock is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in 1960s garage rock and other forms of what is now known as "proto-punk" music, punk rock bands rejected perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock. They typically produced short, fast-paced songs with hard-edged melodies and singing styles, stripped-down instrumentation, and often political, anti-establishment lyrics. Punk embraces a DIY ethic; many bands self-produce recordings and distribute them through independent record labels.

Jawbreaker (band) band

Jawbreaker is an American punk rock band active from 1986 to 1996, and again since 2017. The band is considered one of the most influential acts of the 1990s emo and punk movements.

Ali Shutler of Upset magazine described "Black Mass" as one of the fastest songs released by Creeper to date, noting a "rhythmic, frantic dance" pace in the intro and "the hurried yell of, 'Hey!'" which "sees the track kick in proper". [3] In a review of the song for DIY , Tom Connick described "Black Mass" as a mix between "fist-aloft punk-rock and ballroom blitz", comparing its style to that of singer Meat Loaf and punk band Misfits. [4] Shutler continued by claiming that, despite its fast pace and short running length, the track has "plenty of room for those big band theatrics", including Gould "channeling his inner-crooner". [3]

<i>DIY</i> (magazine)

DIY is a United Kingdom-based music publication, in print and online. Its free print edition is released monthly with a physical circulation of 40,000 in UK venues, clubs and shops.

Meat Loaf American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor

Michael Lee Aday, known professionally as Meat Loaf, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is noted for his wide-ranging operatic voice and theatrical live shows.

Misfits (band) American Horrorpunk Band

The Misfits are an American punk rock band often recognized as the progenitors of the horror punk subgenre, blending punk and other musical influences with horror film themes and imagery. Founded in 1977 in Lodi, New Jersey, the original lineup consisted of vocalist and keyboardist Glenn Danzig, bassist Jerry Only, and drummer Manny Martínez. Danzig and Only were the only consistent members throughout the next six years, during which they released several EPs and singles, and with Only's brother Doyle as guitarist, the albums Walk Among Us (1982) and Earth A.D./Wolfs Blood (1983), both considered touchstones of the early-1980s hardcore punk movement. The band has gone through many lineup changes over the years, with bassist Jerry Only being the only constant member in the group.

Promotion and release

"Black Mass" was premiered on the BBC Radio 1 Rock Show with Daniel P. Carter on 10 January 2016 as the day's "Rockest Record", before its single release the following day. [5] [6] The music video for the track followed on 28 January. [7] Directed by Jamie Carter, [8] the video was filmed in the band's hometown of Southampton at a rehearsal space in which Gould and others used to practise. [9] Gould described the choice of location for the filming of the video as "really nice ... as it gave the video a quiet sense of continuity". [9]

BBC Radio 1 British national radio station

BBC Radio 1 is one of the BBC's two flagship radio stations, specialising in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7 pm, including electronica, dance, hip hop, rock and indie. The choice of music and presenting style is entirely that of programme hosts, however those who present in the daytime have to rotate a number of songs a specific number of times per week. It was launched in 1967 to meet the demand for music generated by pirate radio stations, when the average age of the UK population was 27. The BBC claim that they target the 15–29 age group, and the average age of its UK audience since 2009 is 30. BBC Radio 1 started 24-hour broadcasting on 1 May 1991.

Daniel P. Carter British musician and DJ

Daniel Philip Carter is a British musician and radio DJ. He is the former singer and guitarist for hardcore punk band Hexes, the former bassist for A, and the former lead guitarist for alternative rock band Bloodhound Gang and current guitarist for metal group Krokodil. Daniel is also the host of BBC Radio 1's Rock Show.

Single (music) Type of music release usually containing one or two tracks

In the music industry, a single is a type of release, typically a song recording of fewer tracks than an LP record or an album. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, a single is a song that is released separately from an album, although it usually also appears on an album. Typically, these are the songs from albums that are released separately for promotional uses such as digital download or commercial radio airplay and are expected to be the most popular. In other cases a recording released as a single may not appear on an album.

The music video for "Black Mass" combines footage of the band performing with "glimpses of [The Stranger]", the titular subject of the band's 2016 EP on which the song is featured. [7] Gould outlined the concept of the video as "a dream that our EP's cover character named Madeline is experiencing. She's in the middle of an episode of sleep psychosis with the band performing to her in her dream. She awakes to find herself in her bedroom." [7] He went on to describe the band's part in the video as "performing in a dream world". [9]

Critical reception

Media response to "Black Mass" was positive. Upset magazine's Ali Shutler claimed that the song is "made for massive rooms", while still being "just as unifying, emotional and powerful as anything [the band have] put their name to yet". [3] Tom Connick of DIY magazine praised the song for showcasing The Stranger, which he claimed was the band's "most triumphant step ... yet", [4] while Rock Sound writer Andy Biddulph hailed the track as "a goth-punk dream" and "just wonderful". [10] The song was Q magazine's Track of the Day on 6 February 2016, [11] and was also featured in the Kerrang! Best Songs of 2016 So Far" feature in June 2016, with writer George Garner praising it as "a supernatural goth-punk stalker with a bassline to kill for". [12]

<i>Rock Sound</i> magazine

Rock Sound is a British magazine which covers rock music. The magazine aims at being more "underground" and less commercial, while also giving coverage to more well-known acts. It generally focuses on pop punk, post-hardcore, metalcore, punk, emo, hardcore, heavy metal and extreme metal genres of rock music, rarely covering indie rock music at all. The tag-line "For those who like their music loud, extreme and non-conformist" is sometimes used. Although primarily aimed at the British market, the magazine is also sold in Australia, Canada and the United States.

Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1986 by the journalists and broadcasters Mark Ellen and David Hepworth, who were presenters of the BBC television music series Whistle Test.

<i>Kerrang!</i> British magazine about rock and metal music

Kerrang! is a British weekly magazine devoted to rock music and heavy metal music, currently published by Wasted Talent. It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper. Named after the onomatopoeic word that derives from the sound made when playing a power chord on a distorted electric guitar, Kerrang! was initially devoted to the new wave of British heavy metal and the rise of hard rock acts. In the early 2000s it became the best-selling British music weekly.

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References

  1. ↑ Hingle, James (11 January 2016). "Creeper Reveal New Single, Black Mass". Kerrang! . Bauer Media Group . Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  2. ↑ Clare, Katie (29 February 2016). "Creeper: Interview". Louder Than War. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 Shutler, Ali (10 January 2016). "First Take: Creeper - 'Black Mass'". Upset. The Bunker Publishing. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  4. 1 2 Connick, Tom (11 January 2016). "Track review: Creeper - Black Mass". DIY . Sonic Media Group. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  5. ↑ Ralph, Caitlyn (11 January 2016). "Creeper premiere new track "Black Mass" from upcoming EP". Alternative Press . Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  6. ↑ Shutler, Ali (11 January 2016). "Creeper premiere new track 'Black Mass'". Upset. The Bunker Publishing. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  7. 1 2 3 Whitt, Cassie (28 January 2016). "Creeper release "Black Mass" video". Alternative Press . Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  8. ↑ Carter, Jamie (18 July 2016). "Creeper - Black Mass". Vimeo . Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  9. 1 2 3 Hingle, James (8 February 2016). "Go Behind-The-Scenes Of Creeper's Black Mass". Kerrang! . Bauer Media Group . Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  10. ↑ Biddulph, Andy (11 January 2016). "Creeper's New Song Is A Goth-Punk Dream". Rock Sound . Freeway Press Inc. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  11. ↑ "Track of the Day: Creeper - Black Mass". Q . Bauer Media Group. 6 February 2016. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  12. ↑ Garner, George (1 June 2016). "Kerrang! Presents: The Best Songs Of 2016 So Far!". Kerrang! . Bauer Media Group . Retrieved 29 March 2017.
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