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Released: 22nd January 2021
Rating: ★★★
Teen Creeps get the job done in their second album release, ‘Forever’. The job, of course, was to masterfully craft a 1990s alt-rock inspired sound filled with walls of guitar, rambunctious percussion, and fearlessly impassioned vocals. It’s a blast from the not-so-distant past that harkens back to the likes of Ash with a punkier slant that will no doubt leave you longing for more.
The record blasts open with a sprinting start that rarely stops to take a breath in its ten-track duration. A steady stream of fast-paced, grungy rhythm and unstoppable drums makes the album seem like a soundtrack for rebellion, dying to be played at full volume while thrashing your body in dance. Vocalist Bert Vliegen mostly applies a surprisingly soft, melodic tone that may not offer very clear lyricism but stands out sweetly over the blazing instruments. This is usually followed by periods of burning vocals that bolster the defiance found in the music.
‘Forever’ is charged by a lo-fi quality that puts the focus on the music without the need for complex production to catch your ear. Though the album rarely strays from the hard rock fold, closing track ‘Crash / Land’ comes close to ballad status, with the volume simmered down to allow for more contemplative notes to sink in. This is only a brief respite from the intense pace of the album, but it gives Teen Creeps a chance to prove they’re capable of more than the raucous bangers that populate the rest of the tracklist.
When it’s easier than ever to get lost in the commercialisation of rock, Teen Creeps have kept a level head, making an album that stays true to its alt-rock roots with no need for bells and whistles. It’s rock, it doesn’t need to be anything more.
