KreepS is a band that came as a revelation to me when I heard Belly Full of Razor Blades. Each song on that album offered something different. The band hasn't changed its approach on Dead Sounds (fittlingly released on Halloween). This is a band that mixes equal parts industrial and indie rock with a haunting folk-blues combination that you find in Tom Waits's music.
That being said, this band doesn't sound like any other band or artist I know. Instead of comparing KreepS to some other band, let me say this: it is easy to imagine this as the soundtrack to some haunting black and white mind trip of a film. Let me give you an example of why this band is so hard to compare to other artists. "Funeral Home Blues" features harmonica and theremin. Do you know any other bands that combine those two instruments? Yeah, neither do I.
And then there is "Oh Burning World." This is a spare, spacy song with a definite base in roots rock and lo-fi vocals that almost sound like they were recorded in mono. I guess Grandaddy wouldn't be an unfair comparison here.
For a good example of the industrial side of the band's sound, check out "Days Like These." The keyboard in this song comes in two-note bursts that produce a sort of hypnotic effect. And now, just think about this for a moment. I went from describing a spacy roots rock song to an industrial song by the same band. That is what KreepS brings to the table.
If you're looking for a slick album that's easy to define, I would say keep looking. However, if you are interested in music that doesn't fit easily into any file-under category (mostly because there isn't a divider large enough to fit Sludgy Spacy Rootsy Industrial Rock), KreepS is a band you should get to know.
Dead Sounds is available via download or limited edition CD at the band's website.
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