Gothenburg duo Smoke Spider – vocalist Göran Florström and multi-instrumentalist producer Johan Granat – have been putting out singles steadily since forming in 2021, and “The Creature” is their 13th. It came out January 23rd and sits comfortably in their usual territory: that borderland between hard rock and alternative indie-rock they’ve been carving out since the beginning. The subject matter this time is childhood nightmares, the shapes under the bed, the things that made you shiver before you knew better.
Musically, there is a mixture of stoner rock and goth textures, with slow, deliberate tom grooves in the verses as the vocals vividly describe the imagery of the horrific creature. The harmonic textures feature nothing out of the ordinary. There is a big, beefy bass sound and a mixture of punchy and washed-out guitars to paint the otherworldly picture of this creature. They serve their purpose adequately, and while the hooks aren’t incredibly memorable, the song’s focus is on atmosphere, not catchiness, which is a respectable choice to support the song’s narrative.
Thirteen singles in, and Smoke Spider clearly know what they are. “The Creature” won’t convert anyone who isn’t already on board with this kind of slow-burning, mood-heavy rock, but for the crowd that is, it does the job with conviction.
