The Stranger (EP)

Last updated
The Stranger
CreeperTheStrangerEP.jpg
EP by
Creeper
Released19 February 2016 (2016-02-19)
Recorded2015
StudioThe Ranch Production House (Southampton, England)
Genre
Length16:16
Label Roadrunner
Producer Neil Kennedy
Creeper chronology
The Callous Heart
(2015)		The Stranger
(2016)		 Eternity, in Your Arms
(2017)
Singles from The Stranger
  1. "Black Mass"
    Released: 11 January 2016 (2016-01-11)

The Stranger is the third extended play (EP) by English horror punk band Creeper. Recorded at The Ranch Production House in Southampton with producer Neil Kennedy, it was released on 19 February 2016 by Roadrunner Records. The EP was the band's first release to chart, reaching the top ten of the UK Rock & Metal Albums Chart. "Black Mass" and "Astral Projection" were released as music videos.

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.

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.

Contents

The material for The Stranger was written mostly by Creeper vocalist Will Gould and guitarist Ian Miles, following the departure of second guitarist and frequent songwriter Sina Nemati in December 2015. The EP is the first to feature contributions from Oliver Burdett, who replaced Nemati, as well as keyboardist and backing vocalist Hannah Greenwood, who had previously been a touring member of the band.

The Stranger received positive reviews from the majority of music critics, who praised the EP in line with 2014's Creeper and 2015's The Callous Heart as an indication of the band's potential future success. Songs such as "Black Mass", "Misery" and "Astral Projection" in particular were highlighted as some of the year's best songs by multiple publications, earning Creeper a number of award nominations.

<i>Creeper</i> (EP) 2014 EP by Creeper

Creeper is the self-titled debut extended play (EP) by English horror punk band Creeper. Recorded at The Ranch Production House in Southampton with producer Neil Kennedy, it was originally released independently as a digital download on 19 June 2014, before it was later issued on limited edition 12" vinyl by Palm Reader Records on 8 December 2014. "Gloom" and "VCR" were released as music videos.

<i>The Callous Heart</i> 2015 EP by Creeper

The Callous Heart is the second extended play (EP) by English horror punk band Creeper. Recorded with producer Neil Kennedy at The Ranch Production House in Southampton, it was originally released in the UK on 18 September 2015 as the band's first release since signing with major label Roadrunner Records in June 2015. The EP was later issued internationally on 15 January 2016.

"Misery" 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. A reworked version of the song was later featured on the band's full-length debut Eternity, in Your Arms and released as a music video, and a third version was later issued as a single on 9 June 2017.

Background

In December 2015, Creeper announced that their third EP The Stranger would be released in February 2016, and would feature contributions from new guitarist Oliver Burdett (who replaced Sina Nemati) and keyboardist Hannah Greenwood (who was originally a touring member for the band). [1] The recording of the EP was influenced by the work of veteran producer Jim Steinman, which Stereoboard.com's Alec Chillingworth claimed is most evident on the songs "The Secret Society" and "Black Mass". [2] Other artists named by vocalist Will Gould as influences on the EP include Arcade Fire ("The Secret Society" was originally written to sound like the song "Wake Up"), R.E.M. (Gould wrote "Valentine" with the band in mind in order to make it sound "Poppy but not patronisingly so") and Alkaline Trio (one of multiple influences on "Black Mass"). [3]

Jim Steinman American musician

James Richard Steinman is an American composer, lyricist, record producer, and playwright. He has also worked as an arranger, pianist and singer. His work has included songs in the adult contemporary, rock and roll, dance, pop, musical theater and film score genres. Beginning his career in musical theater, Steinman's most notable work in the area includes lyrics for Whistle Down the Wind and music for Tanz der Vampire.

"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.

Arcade Fire Indie rock band from Canada

Arcade Fire is a Canadian indie rock band, consisting of husband and wife Win Butler and Régine Chassagne, along with Win's younger brother William Butler, Richard Reed Parry, Tim Kingsbury and Jeremy Gara. The band's current touring line-up also includes former core member Sarah Neufeld, percussionist Tiwill Duprate and saxophonist Stuart Bogie.

Prior to its release, The Stranger was made available for free online streaming on the band's website. [4] "Black Mass" was released as the first song from the EP, along with a music video, on 28 January 2016. [5] The video for the song was filmed in a rehearsal room in Southampton in which the band used to practise, which Gould claimed "gave the video a quiet sense of continuity". [6] "Astral Projection" was released as the second music video from the EP on 11 May, featuring footage from the band's recent UK headline tour. [7] The EP was promoted on a headline tour with Scottish support band Grader, as well as dates supporting Neck Deep and WSTR. [8] [9] In May 2016 Creeper supported Black Veil Brides vocalist Andy Biersack on his Homecoming Tour, [10] performed second on the bill for Funeral for a Friend at their final show on 21 May at The Forum, London, [11] and in August performed at the Reading and Leeds Festivals. [12]

Streaming media Continuous multimedia operated and presented to users by a provider

Streaming media is multimedia that is constantly received by and presented to an end-user while being delivered by a provider. The verb "to stream" refers to the process of delivering or obtaining media in this manner; the term refers to the delivery method of the medium, rather than the medium itself, and is an alternative to file downloading, a process in which the end-user obtains the entire file for the content before watching or listening to it.

A music video is a short film that integrates a song with imagery, and is produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings. There are also cases where songs are used in tie-in marketing campaigns that allow them to become more than just a song. Tie-ins and merchandising can be used for toys or for food or other products. Although the origins of the music video date back to musical short films that first appeared in the 1920s, they again came into prominence in the 1980s when the channel MTV based their format around the medium. Prior to the 1980s, these kinds of videos were described by various terms including "illustrated song", "filmed insert", "promotional (promo) film", "promotional clip", "promotional video", "song video", "song clip" or "film clip".

Neck Deep band

Neck Deep is a Welsh pop punk band from Wrexham who formed in 2012 when vocalist Ben Barlow met former lead guitarist Lloyd Roberts. The pair posted a song online under the name Neck Deep. The song soon gained attention online, resulting in the addition of rhythm guitarist Matt West, drummer Dani Washington/Abasi, and bassist Fil Thorpe-Evans. They released a pair of EPs, Rain in July (2012) and A History of Bad Decisions (2013), both recorded by Barlow's older brother, before signing with Hopeless in August 2013.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
DIY Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [13]
Kerrang! Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [14]
Stereoboard.comStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [2]

Media response to The Stranger was generally positive. Reviewing the EP for DIY magazine, Tom Connick described that it "harbours a playful musicianship and songwriting talent that could turn groups ten times Creeper's age green with envy", praising Creeper's development on the EP from their previous releases. [13] Kerrang! magazine's Paul Travers praised Creeper on The Stranger as "the closest anyone has come yet to MCR's punk-tinged sense of the grandiose", highlighting "Black Mass" as the EP's standout track and noting that the band "just get better and better". [14] Awarding it a perfect score of five stars, Alec Chillingworth of Stereoboard.com also compared The Stranger favourably to The Callous Heart , highlighting "Misery" and "Astral Projection" and hailing the release as being "as good as rock music gets". [2] In June 2016, Kerrang! featured "Black Mass" in its feature of "The Best Songs of 2016 So Far". Writer Paul Travers praised the track as "a supernatural goth-punk stalker with a bassline to kill for" and compared it stylistically to the work of My Chemical Romance, AFI and Misfits. [15]

<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.

<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.

My Chemical Romance American pop punk group

My Chemical Romance was an American rock band from Newark, New Jersey, active from 2001 to 2013. The band's best-known core lineup consisted of lead vocalist Gerard Way, guitarists Ray Toro and Frank Iero and bassist Mikey Way, accompanied by drummer Bob Bryar and keyboardist James Dewees. Founded by Gerard, Mikey, Toro, and Matt Pelissier, the band signed to Eyeball Records and released their debut album, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love, in 2002. They signed with Reprise Records the next year and released their major label debut, Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, in 2004. Shortly after the album's release, Pelissier was replaced by Bob Bryar. A commercial success, the album was awarded platinum status over a year later.

Chart performance

The Stranger was Creeper's first release to chart, entering the UK Albums Chart at number 130, [16] the UK Album Downloads Chart at number 59, [17] the UK Rock & Metal Albums Chart at number 9, [18] the UK Album Sales Chart at number 84, [19] and the UK Vinyl Albums Chart at number 7. [20]

The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts Company (OCC) on Fridays. It is broadcast on BBC Radio 1 and published in Music Week magazine, and on the OCC website.

UK Album Downloads Chart

The UK Album Downloads Chart is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC) on behalf of the music industry. Since July 2015, the chart week runs from Friday to Thursday, with the chart date given as the following Thursday. The chart was introduced in April 2006 to coincide with the OCC's decision to include sales of album downloads in the UK Albums Chart. The first album to top the download chart was This New Day by Embrace.

The UK Rock & Metal Singles Chart and UK Rock & Metal Albums Chart are record charts compiled in the United Kingdom by the Official Charts Company (OCC) to determine the 40 most popular singles and albums in the rock and heavy metal genres. The two charts are compiled by the OCC from digital downloads, physical record sales and audio streams in UK retail outlets. The charts have been published on the official OCC website since 1994 and also appear on BBC Radio 1's website.

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The Secret Society"
  • Will Gould
  • Ian Miles
2:43
2."Valentine"
  • Gould
  • Miles
  • Sina Nemati
3:25
3."Black Mass"
  • Gould
  • Miles
2:21
4."Misery"
  • Gould
  • Miles
3:50
5."Astral Projection"
  • Gould
  • Miles
3:57

Personnel

Chart positions

Chart (2016)Peak
position
UK Albums (OCC) [16] 130
UK Album Downloads (OCC) [17] 59
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC) [18] 9
UK Album Sales (OCC) [19] 84
UK Vinyl Albums (OCC) [20] 7

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"Hiding with Boys" is a song by English horror punk band Creeper. Written by the band with producer Neil Kennedy, it was featured on the band's 2017 debut studio album Eternity, in Your Arms. The track was released as the second single and music video from the album on 12 December 2016.

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References

  1. ↑ Hingle, James (16 December 2015). "Creeper Announce Line-Up Change And New EP, The Stranger". Kerrang! . Bauer Media Group . Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 Chillingworth, Alec (19 February 2016). "Creeper – The Stranger (Album Review)". Stereoboard.com. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  3. ↑ "Track By Track: Creeper – The Stranger EP". Upset. The Bunker Publishing. 19 February 2016. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  4. ↑ Hingle, James (16 February 2016). "Creeper Are Streaming Their New EP, The Stranger". Kerrang! . Bauer Media Group . Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  5. ↑ Whitt, Cassie (28 January 2016). "Creeper release "Black Mass" video". Alternative Press . Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  6. ↑ Hingle, James (16 February 2016). "Go Behind-The-Scenes Of Creeper's Black Mass". Kerrang! . Bauer Media Group . Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  7. ↑ Hingle, James (11 May 2016). "Creeper Drop Video For Astral Projection". Kerrang! . Bauer Media Group . Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  8. ↑ "Southampton act Creeper continue rise with new EP". Southern Daily Echo . Newsquest. 29 December 2015. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
  9. ↑ O'Neill, Christina (17 December 2015). "Creeper detail lineup change and EP release". TeamRock. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
  10. ↑ Trendell, Andrew (8 March 2016). "Black Veil Brides frontman Andy Black announces UK solo tour". Gigwise . Giant Digital. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  11. ↑ Bridgeman, Jessica (23 May 2016). "Review: Funeral For A Friend deliver most emotional set of their career". Ticketmaster . Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  12. ↑ Cumming, Corinne (26 August 2016). "9 Photos Of Creeper Being All Sorts Of Awesome At Reading Festival". Rock Sound . Freeway Press Inc. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  13. 1 2 Connick, Tom (19 February 2016). "EP Review: Creeper – The Stranger". DIY . Sonic Media Group. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  14. 1 2 Travers, Paul (20 February 2016). "Creeper – The Stranger (Roadrunner)" (Scan). Kerrang! . No. 1607. London, England: Bauer Media Group. p. 51. Retrieved 24 May 2017.
  15. ↑ Garner, George (1 June 2016). "Kerrang! Presents: The Best Songs Of 2016 So Far!". Kerrang! . Bauer Media Group . Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  16. 1 2 "Chart Log UK Update 27.02.2016 (wk8)". zobbel.de. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
  17. 1 2 "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100: 26 February 2016 – 03 March 2016". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  18. 1 2 "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40: 26 February 2016 – 03 March 2016". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  19. 1 2 "Official Albums Sales Chart Top 100: 26 February 2016 - 03 March 2016". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 29 December 2016.
  20. 1 2 "Official Vinyl Albums Chart Top 40: 26 February 2016 - 03 March 2016". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 29 December 2016.
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