PHONOMIK - SOUL CREEPER

Nightmare Records has delivered a unique piece of art to the masses. Soul Creeper is the title of the debut album by Phonomik. This quartet offers to us a mirror of human insight delving into psychology and human observation, at the same time blending a modern metal vibe with classic rock melody and harmony.

Nothing here explicitly tells the listener what it is that they’re about to undertake. Don’t make the mistake of thinking this is a nice album of metallic rock tunes; that shortsighted approach just won’t work here. I suppose if your approach to music is pure sex, drugs, and rock n roll you’ll avoid this disc, fine it’s your loss. However if you like a ‘thinking mans band’ do yourself a favor and check this out.

According to the press materials:

“Soul Creepers take exit point back to when Jesus hung on the cross but this history is about the thieves who hung beside Jesus and cried "if you are the Son of God SO get us down from here. Then Jesus died sped up to heaven but our dear friend of thieves joined the slip stream and was caught in the nothingness. Now he is a Soul Creeper who has to live by others souls, and is sentenced to a total of eternity. Refers to the ancient beast, that dwell deep inside the human soul or the whispers that take us to dark places.”

Lyrically there is much that is not explicit but is open for interpretation and that element of unknown adds to the mystery. Yet I do wonder why the band felt that adding several ‘f’ bombs in the first song was necessary. No profanity exists elsewhere; perhaps it was used for emotional impact.

Musically Phonomik is an amalgam of Disturbed style riffing with classic rock sensibility, courtesy of Kenneth (lead guitar) and Shane (vocals and guitar). The vocal performance by Shane is top notch with a unique vocal sound. He sings for the majority of the album and when he shifts his style he opts for a more rhythmic rapid fire delivery. Michael (bass) and Kruger (drums) provide a solid backbone for the melodic tapestry going on above.

“Caveman,” “Massacre,” and “Die Alone” are just a few of the highlights on Soul Creeper. I found for myself that when I received a lyric booklet I was able to follow along and get more drawn into the story/theme presented. Myself I have often enjoyed this type of production because it does demand more from the listener, yet with 9 of the 10 songs clocking in fewer than four and half minutes even the casual listener should find this collection accessible.



The production is of world class quality with the instruments and vocals achieving balance with each other. There is breathing room but it still attacks with determination and drive.


Soul Creeper is not just a collection of the usual suspects, but something a bit different that should find itself in most collections of those of discriminating taste of hard edged rock n roll. Phonomik has given us a superior album to digest and ponder, check this out for yourself

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