Gore 4 Reel horror for real horror fans!
“Who’s that knocking? That’s just death at my door.”
October is the time when the leaves begin to turn, the air gets colder, the movies get scarier and ghosts and ghouls prowl the streets as Halloween nears. It’s also a great time for rock and roll, so much so that the month has its own moniker – Rocktober. And what better band to check out than one that personifies the spooky season with kick-ass tunes from beyond the grave of devilish deeds, living on the edge and tales of regret and redemption. Hailing from the land up North, Toronto, Canada, The Creepshow is a band the Gore 4 has been following for some time. (Check out our review of a past Jersey Shore show and our exclusive Interview with the Creepshow from 2015.) Now, armed with their terrific most recent album, Death at my Door, and having toured the U.S., Canada, Europe and Australia for much of 2018, The Creepshow is embarking on another leg with plenty of bite that will see them hit more of the U.S. and Canada right into the chilly month of December (although climate change may have something to say about the chilly part.)
The Gore 4 caught the band a couple of times this past summer, at the legendary blues joint, The Stanhope House in New Jersey, and the Brooklyn, NY venue, El Cortez. Anyone who knows the NY/NJ area knows these two places couldn’t be further apart, maybe not in mileage, but certainly in the settings in which they are located, and perhaps mode of transportation getting there. Yet that didn’t stop some of The Creepshow’s growing allegiance of devoted fans from finding their way to both places, a testament to the band’s increased popularity. Labels are often difficult to pin on certain things. Take the movie, The Thing, for example – either the original Howard Hawk’s version, John Carpenter’s goriffic remake or its namesake prequel. Some call it horror (the Gore 4), some call it sci-fi. It’s really a sci-fi horror hybrid. Now, with regards to The Creepshow, you could maybe best describe them as a psychobilly, blues punk rock band. Or how about try this – if you ever watched HBO’s goriously violent vampire show, True Blood, which took place in the swamps and bayous of Louisiana, The Creepshow would make for the perfect house band. Better yet, here’s the band performing the cut, “A.O.T.B.H.” (Anthem of the Broken Hearted) from their latest album, Death at my Door, in Brooklyn this past June. (Excuse the poor lighting, but you can hear what we’re talking about.)
While The Creepshow has grown and gone beyond their horror roots, they certainly haven’t forsaken them, with songs off their current album like “‘Til Death Do Us Part,” “Blood Blood Blood” and “One Foot in the Grave” reminding us where their bloody hearts lie. From the opening title track, “Death at my Door” to the closing ballad, “My Soul to Keep,” the songs reflect a yearning to forgive oneself from past transgressions, while keeping the demons at bay and searching for a sense of purpose and worthiness. This is the second album to feature singer Kenda Lagaspi. This vexing vixen has a soulful, yet powerful voice that could raise the dead. Original members, Sean McNab, on the double bass, and the Reverend McGinty on keyboards, attack their instruments like their lives depended on it. Sandro Sanchioni’s drum beats sound like they’re emanating from the depths of hell itself, while Chuck Coles plays searing guitar licks that cut right through your soul. Live, the band is even more impressive, full of life while singing about death. Kenda, as seen in the video above, is not averse to coming right into the crowd to sing or dance, and will jump atop a speaker, all to the audience’s delight. Check out their video for their title track, “Death at my Door:”:
The Creepshow is playing a few U.S. shows before closing out 2018 with a number of dates in their native Canada. You have to see them live to get the full Creepshow experience. Here’s a list of where they’ll be playing. If you’re a fortunate soul, one or more place will be close to where you live. Or else maybe die trying to get to the nearest gig. Though hopefully you’ll get there in one piece. Hopefully.
Be sure to pick up their album, Death at my Door on Amazon or wherever fine records are sold. It’s even available in a special vinyl edition. Follow them on their Official Facebook page to get all the latest news and happenings from the road and beyond. And beware that knock on your door – it could be death on the other side, waiting to take you to, well, the other side.
— by Brian de Castro