Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats – The Night Creeper
★★★
Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats are as The Sword were – a Sabbath-worshipping doom metal band with a serious case of the groove. Where The Sword have moved on to allowing other Seventies hard rock icons into their sound, Uncle Acid have chosen to stay the course. If you caught Mind Control two years ago, The Night Creeper will seem instantly familiar, and this can be good or bad depending on your thoughts on recycled Sabbath riffs and rotted psychedelic atmosphere. Even if you’re getting tired of bands reappropriating classic rock, however, there’s a lot to like about The Night Creeper. This is serious head-nodder music; the band can mine a groove like very few other bands, and they can manipulate the flow like masters. When “Inside” starts bouncing after the hazy dream-inducement of the title track, you’ll start jumping up and down without even realizing it. It’s “Slow Death”, though, that brings the creepy horror film vibe to it’s peak, with it’s atmosphere of dread fueled by a musical space that is not often found in Uncle Acid songs.
What it comes down to is this: if you haven’t soured on hard rock riffs after all of these years, then The Night Creeper is right up your alley. Otherwise, take a pass.
Structures Capable Of Joy 