The Creepshow's fourth album opens with the sound of a flatlining heart monitor being replaced by a kick drum. The "rock music as rebirth" motif isn't that off-base from reality, given that the Burlington psychobilly band has been through a couple major lineup changes since 2010's They All Fall Down. With Sarah Blackwood now with viral video stars Walk Off the Earth, Kenda Legaspi ably takes over on vocals, her sharper twang adding a subtle boost to the band's country influences on tracks like "The Devil's Son" and first single "Sinners & Saints." (The other newbie, drummer Sandro Sanchioni, keeps the album's pace suitably speedy.)
Life After Death's heart may be in its punkish sing-alongs, but its secret weapon is keyboardist the Reverend McGinty: he gets almost as many solos as the guitars, and his organ bedrocks many of the album's best songs. His work stands out most during the album's more diverse first half; by the time things wind down with the title track, the sameness of the material has taken a bit of a toll. Life After Death never stops sounding impeccable: everything pops in the mix, with each guitar riff, organ chord and background vocal decidedly in its right place. That said, for all the band's energy, one wishes at times for a bit more chaos. The Creepshow's velocity seems so ably controlled that there's never any real sense of danger, no risk that things could possibly fall apart. Life After Death is fast and fun, but could benefit from a bit more fear.
(Stomp)Life After Death's heart may be in its punkish sing-alongs, but its secret weapon is keyboardist the Reverend McGinty: he gets almost as many solos as the guitars, and his organ bedrocks many of the album's best songs. His work stands out most during the album's more diverse first half; by the time things wind down with the title track, the sameness of the material has taken a bit of a toll. Life After Death never stops sounding impeccable: everything pops in the mix, with each guitar riff, organ chord and background vocal decidedly in its right place. That said, for all the band's energy, one wishes at times for a bit more chaos. The Creepshow's velocity seems so ably controlled that there's never any real sense of danger, no risk that things could possibly fall apart. Life After Death is fast and fun, but could benefit from a bit more fear.