Composed of Tom Bradshaw (drums), Dan Willett (bass) and James Thompson (Guitar, Vocals), whilst many could easily compare the sound of the Birmingham band to acts such as Gallows, The Ghost Of A Thousand and even Converge, to make such comparisons would be doing the nuance of Creature a disservice. Like their moniker implies, Creature are the sound of a collective species that has cornered itself in a cell of it’s own making. Inspired by the inherent neuroticism of humanity, our focus on self-annihilation, the unjust laws we’ve designed to govern ourselves and the societal focus on existentialism, they’re a band that openly address the fact that we are no more civilised than the mindless predators we long evolved from. This is what makes their savage and relentless take on metalcore so arresting. There’s real and palpable anger, revulsion and exasperation in their work. Their latest EP Haunt bares witness to this in a way that’s frantic, violent – and above all else – feral.
The group’s third EP, Haunt, is the final and most potent instalment in a trio of extended plays that explore the flaws and crimes of mankind. Proceeded by 2019’s Hound and Hex, the Steve Seer (Gallows, Rolo Tomassi, Gold Key) produced EP is a melee of unbottled fury that articulates and tackles it’s subject matter with distorted math-orintated riffs, neurotic bellowing and clawing energy in a mirroring of the qualities it rages against.
It’s as subtle and as gentle as a sharks tooth to the stomach or the bear’s claw to the face, but that’s the point entirely. This record is as urgent call to the error of our ways, one that doesn’t shy away from the bleakness of the situation – but simultaneously – one that offers remedy. With the sting of negativity comes the faintest glimmer of positivity, with Haunt pinpoint that change is ultimately possible should we chase it. Such is the brilliant nuance of the record, and with Haunt out now, we caught up Thompson to chat about the record and it’s contents.
You’ve just released your latest record Haunt, how are you collectively feeling about the release?
James: “Right now there is a huge feeling of relief, excitement and positivity as a collective.”
“So much has happened in our individual worlds and the world as a whole, at some points it was the light at the end of the tunnel or goal to focus on. ‘Get back out and play the music we love’, was the main thing. At the end of the day we take huge enjoyment in writing these songs, we’re lifelong musicians. So when that option is taken away it can feel like a grieving process at times. Now we can move past that it’s time to go smash some venues and meet cool folks again.”
Haunt is the final instalment in your line of EPs, following on from Hex and Hound. Thematically, could you detail the meanings behind the EPs and now they lead into the new record?
James: “We always saw the three EPs as an example of how the band’s sound has evolved as we were finding our feet as a collective. We actually recorded all the tracks from the EPs at the same time with Steve Sears. All 12 tracks were written from the band’s inception and we knew as a band that our sound was becoming more cohesive so we figured – let’s roll with it. The three EPs are three stages of our sound, our latest offering showing a little more versatility, dynamics and elements of melody.”
Related: Creature – Haunt | EP Review
Haunt feels a lot more potent and aggressive than the EPs that came before it. Is there a reason for this? Were the political and societal events of the last several years a catalyst for this?
James: “From my personal point of view, when I started writing the music and lyrics initially I set myself a goal to deliver song content with substance and do my best to reinforce my views. I research the hell out of the subject matter as I want to make sure I have as balanced a view and understanding as I can before putting pen to paper.”
“The flip side of this when you are researching dark subject matter is that it can magnify those feelings the more you read about atrocities in war torn countries, imbalance in the system, the control that banks and corporations have on everyone’s day-to-day existence. It gets fucking dark quick and the instinctual reaction is to get really bitter and infuriated with such unfair constructs and blinkered leaders.”
“However there is only so much anger you can harness until you have to find some sort of resolution. Nothing changes unless you have a balanced mindset to weigh up the dark and light side of human nature. Misdirected anger is a common problem these days, impulsive judgement and very little big picture stuff. We all have a lot of work to do as a species, to communicate and openly discuss world issues outside of the divisive media narratives we get pitched daily.”
“This EP addresses the division and unlawfulness in the world quite full on, nothing gets under my skin more and I think that shows in the tone of the record.”
It feels like the aggression and ruthlessness of the record mirrors the violent and traumatic situation we as a specifies have inflicted upon ourselves. Is this something you agree with?
James: “That’s very astute, yes there is a large element of that throughout this record. All in all we just hope for less suffering in the world. Spreading awareness through our music is only a tiny part of addressing the issues, we’re not under any delusions. However it’s a starting point for us and a good vessel for our frustrations as a cathartic exercise.”
Lyrically, the record is very macabre and existentialist. Yet there’s a positive, almost optimistic message within the lyrics. How did you go about addressing the issues affecting society whilst also offering a message of hope?
James: “With the subtlety of a brick, this record is the splitting of the mind – and the dark and light is quite evident. It’s not overly complex, but it’s a number of situations expressed impulsively initially and then revisited and refined.”
“Lead track ‘All’ was initially an antagonist and protagonist thrashing out their differences in quite a reductive manner. To start with I thought this was going to be a typical good versus evil type situation, however as I wrote it I couldn’t help thinking about how all these good and bad behaviours are in everybody to some degree. We all share responsibility for the world we live in, we all have faults and we all have cares”
“The reality is that nothing can stay the same forever, everything HAS to change at some point in some way. It’s only the part we can play during change that gives us any feeling of worth. That’s what drives forward optimism, we achieve less when we live in a state of fear and pessimism breeds isolation which I’m sure everyone can say they’ve had enough of right now.”
Was recording and writing the EP – and the trilogy as a whole – a therapeutic experience? Or did addressing the societal issues affecting society only make them become more apparent?
James: “Both, however, creating this material with my band mates Tom and Dan has made this trilogy super enjoyable. The feeling of coming up with some “out there” concept and seeing it through to fruition as a musician is ultimately the most rewarding feeling ever and the added awareness of social issues is just more fuel for the fire.”
Collectivity and working together as a species is a big message within the EP. Could you elaborate on that?
James: “We all have our own ideas of how “things could be better”. Any 2am conversation will bring that to light. However, we mainly wanted to bring about a feeling of unity with our listener. We can engage in this darker side of humanity with an understanding that we care a fucking lot about the world we live in. The music for us is still fortunately a powerful freedom of expression and has the power to connect people. These EPs are merely a vessel for our message. If you relate to it, jump on board and be a part of the energy. Our message is a simple one, lift up those who need it and remain sceptical of those who demonstrate otherwise.”
Finally, what do you want people to take away from the EP and the trilogy as a whole?
James: “They can take away whatever they like, we’ve had some amazing support and that is everything to us. We enjoy creating and playing it, we hope you enjoy listening.”