Album review by Lucas Bell
Off the back of one of my favorite records of 2022, Neon Grave, Southern California rockers Dayseeker are back in 2025 with another round of incredible tunes. While not a concept album in the traditional sense, Creature in the Black Night exhibits thematic cohesion, from its shadowy visual identity, Grim Reaper iconography, and ominous atmosphere, to how its songs unfold like chapters. “There’s a horror-inspired vibe that took hold early on,” Rodriguez explains. “It wasn’t planned. But once it started showing up in the songs, we leaned into it.”
Fans expecting a sorrowful descent into depression might be surprised. Creature in the Black Night has sharper edges, heavier riffs, and a newfound sense of clarity. “There was this idea that we’d get more and more commercial over time,” Rodriguez says. “But I think the opposite happened. We’re riffing more, I’m screaming more. And it feels good. It feels honest.”
Song Breakdowns
Pale Moonlight – The album’s opening track was our first taste of this record, all the way back in April. The song has aged beautifully within the context of the rest of the record, setting an incredible tone as to what to expect from the next 40 minutes. Also, hearing two of my favorite bands using the “Dancing with the devil in the pale moonlight” line in two different contexts has me laughing a bit.
Creatures In The Black Night – The first song on the record to drip in horror iconography from a lyrical standpoint, Creatures is a synth heavy journey into a dimension of utter horniness. The song almost feels like a b-side to an early 90s Nine Inch Nails record, while feeling entirely like it belongs in the catalogue of Dayseeker.
Crawl Back To My Coffin – The only song to clock in over four minutes, this is the first song that feels like it delves deep into the heartbreak of losing love. It almost feels like a companion song to ‘Shapeshift’, where Crawl is the song about how it’s easy to retreat within yourself at the loss of love.
Shapeshift – The lyrical connections how intrinsically linked horror and love are, are on full display on this song. And while ‘Crawl Back To My Coffin’ deals with how losing love depresses us, ‘Shapeshift’ revolves around the monsters that love can turn us into, and shifts the focus to how falling out of love can also change us. Another beautiful song about heartbreak and loss.
Soulburn – A heavy reliance on the underlying electric drumming, with a focus on synths that set a particular mood, this one is probably the song that feels the closest to the sound the band developed on their last record, Dark Sun. The lyrics are beautiful, and accompany the songs subject matter perfectly, with a level of hope, in a sea of lyrical depression.
Bloodlust – In a very quick tone shift, the electronic vibes immediately disappear with the intro to Bloodlust. Slow, plodding, and methodical, the song is steeped in a level of heaviness I would love to hear more from Dayseeker, but is a refreshing change after the songs we’ve had so far.
Cemetery Blues – Definitely a favorite from the first listen, the almost lo-fi synths and quieter drumming on the intro verse, almost give the song a false sense of what it is, until the louder elements kick in around a minute in. The song also drips in more of the sexy Rory vocals Dayseeker fans know and love. 2:15 onwards on this track though, one of the best sections on the entire record.
Nocturnal Remedy – This might be a hot take, but I think this is the band’s best piece of music since Sleeptalk. It drives raw emotion straight into sexytown. This needs to be a staple of the live set, because at times, this borders on Deftones/Sleep Token levels of horny. And the breakdown, FWAH. So good.
The Living Dead – Sandwiching ‘Nocturnal Remedy’ between two slower songs is a choice, but I don’t think it pays off for ‘The Living Dead’. The song is great, don’t get me wrong. I just don’t like the placement of it here on the record, especially between the aforementioned ‘Nocturnal Remedy’, and ‘Meet the Reaper’, two songs that are two of the best on the record.
Meet the Reaper – If my hot take about ‘Nocturnal Remedy’ knocked your socks off, prepare for this one. ‘Meet the Reaper’ is just as good. Everything about this song is perfect. The instrumentation. The ability to let parts of the song breathe as they need to. And most importantly, the intoxicating sound of Rory’s vocals, floating over the song. The chorus is my favorite on the record, and I feel this will become a very quick fan favorite as well.
Forgotten Ghost – Forgotten Ghost caps the end of a beautiful journey, with arguably the album’s most beautiful track. The song feels a lot like a continuation of ‘Parallel’ from Neon Grave, but leans way more into the rock aspects built throughout the record.
Final Thoughts
Dayseekers latest offering drips in lyrically gothic tropes, that don’t overstay their welcome. The band has continued to show evolution and growth from record to record, which at times, I did not expect. The quality of songs like ‘Cemetery Blues’ and ‘Shapeshift’ are songs deep down, I knew the band were capable of making. But in maybe 5 years time. If you weren’t on the Dayseeker train off the back of Neon Grave, Creature of the Black Night is a perfect jumping on point to discover your new favorite band.
Score – 8.5/10
Standouts – Nocturnal Remedy, Cemetery Blues, Meet the Reaper
