Musical style

Stylistically, Eternity, in Your Arms is described by AllMusic's James Christopher Monger in his review of the album as a mix between glam rock, post-hardcore and horror punk, with comparisons drawn to the work of bands including Alkaline Trio, The Damned, Misfits and AFI.^[14] NME writer Anita Bhagwandas also notes elements of pop punk on the album, especially on lead single "Suzanne", as well as making comparisons to Tiger Army and The Cure.^[15] Clash writer Dannii Leiver also highlighted elements of pop punk on "Suzanne" and "Poison Pens", as well as "nu-emo" on "Hiding with Boys" and "acoustic country" in the latter stages of the album.^[16] Vice magazine wrote that the "ornate punk" album was an "escapist's paradise" harking back to early emo.^[17] David McLaughlin of Rock Sound described Eternity, in Your Arms as "a punk rock record given to dramatic flourishes and rooted in an almost graphic novel-like world of fantasy, horror and romance", again naming Misfits, Meat Loaf and Alkaline Trio as influences on the album's sound.^[18] Blabbermouth.net's Ray Van Horn, Jr. categorised it as a mix of "goth and punk rock".^[19]

During the writing of the album, the band made an effort to implement more dramatic and theatrical elements into the music. Speaking to the NME, Gould commented that "We noticed UK punk-rock was becoming more straightforward [...] The spectacular, bombastic element was being stripped away. We wanted to re-attach that magic and look back to a time where things were more exciting."^[20] Identifying artists such as David Bowie and Metallica as influences, he continued that "We want to put that over-the-top flamboyance back into punk".^[20] Monger claims that the album demonstrates "a keen sense for the pageantry of rock & roll" and features "Meat Loaf-worthy grandeur", which he highlights as a unique quality of the record.^[14] Similarly, Bhagwandas described the release as "theatrical" and "grandiose",^[15] while Jessica Goodman of The Line of Best Fit commented that the album continues the tradition of "rock and roll at its most theatrical" that the band had shown on previous releases, praising its "sense of spectacle".^[21]

Lyrical content

Eternity, in Your Arms deals with a number of themes, including "anger, confusion, desire, escape, [and] heartache".^[21] Speaking about the album at the time of its announcement, Gould explained that "Eternity, in Your Arms is a record, this time not only about being young and heartbroken, but about transition, about age and loss. Not only the loss of life, but the loss of ourselves. The pieces of the people we were."^[22] Later asked about "Hiding with Boys", the vocalist proposed that "It's a bridge of sorts from the band we were on the EPs to the band that we are now", also noting that "It's a song of unrequited love told from the perspective of a 'tragic monster’' and is a lyrical sequel of sorts to the track "Black Mass"."^[23] The Line of Best Fit columnist Goodman summarised the album as "A desperate cry against growing up settling for routine".^[21]

Some commentators have described Eternity, in Your Arms as a concept album. The narrative told through the lyrics on the album is based on the story of Peter Pan, a character created by J. M. Barrie.^[24] Speaking to HMV, Gould explained that when approaching the writing of the album, he "went back and read the J. M. Barrie story and found real parallels with my life". When asked about this, he elaborated that "I've spent most of [my life] on tour, avoiding the real world and any responsibilities, for that reason I've got a very minimal education".^[24] After basing the titular characters of 2015's The Callous Heart and 2016's The Stranger on the Lost Boys and Tick-Tock the Crocodile, respectively, Eternity, in Your Arms follows a character inspired by Captain Hook known as James Scythe, a paranormal investigator who has gone missing.^[25] This was the basis of the campaign which led to the announcement of the album in October 2016.^[25]

In December of 2015, UK police filed a missing persons report for a 39 year old man named James Scythe. James had last been seen in the city of Southampton, he'd been staying at a local hotel named The Dolphin in room 309. Police were originally called when Mr Scythe's stay had ended without him checking out and after hotel staff entered his room. What officers found in the room would set the internet alight with speculation and made this story into one of the biggest internet mysteries of last year.

— Excerpt from WhereIsJamesScythe.co.uk^[26]

The concept element of Eternity, in Your Arms is inspired largely by David Bowie's 1972 album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, which Gould hailed as "a really important record", as well as the music of My Chemical Romance and various films and television shows.^[24] Remfry Dedman of The Independent explained that "The narrative thread that weaves its way through The Callous Heart, The Stranger and concludes with Eternity, in Your Arms is aimed directly at a sub-culture who often grow up feeling isolated from those around them", describing it as a story based on the idea of "the desire to escape, if only for a short while, and leave all your troubles behind".^[25] The story is documented in the album's lyrics, the trilogy of music videos, and a dedicated podcast called The Spectral Sceptic.^[27]

Critical response

Eternity, in Your Arms received widespread acclaim from music critics. Aggregating website Metacritic reports a normalised rating of 89 based on eight critical reviews, indicating "universal acclaim" for the release.^[28] AllMusic's James Christopher Monger awarded the album four out of five stars and stated that "With Eternity, in Your Arms, Creeper have truly proven themselves masters of the dark arts, as they've managed to create something as genuinely inspired as it is stylistically derivative".^[14] Reviewing the album for Rock Sound, David McLaughlin described it as "a punk rock record given to dramatic flourishes and rooted in an almost graphic novel-like world of fantasy, horror and romance", and claimed that "the songs soar in unison with the band's grand vision".^[18] McLaughlin praised the band's "admirable, fearless creativity" on the record, as well as highlighting the performances of keyboardist and backing vocalist Hannah Greenwood, who he claims "almost steals the show" on the album.^[18] Writing for Clash, Dannii Leivers hailed Eternity, in Your Arms as "a complete triumph", claiming that the band's "sound has truly flourished, grown wings and soared into velvet skies".^[16]

Metal Hammer writer Rob Barbour claimed that "While it's certainly no genrebusting reinvention, this record is still a stunning achievement, packed from start to finish with kaiju-sized choruses and without a single note out of place".^[31] Barbour highlighted "Room 309" as the collection's "defining moment" and "also its most unexpected", and concluded by describing the release as "masterful".^[31] Q magazine also praised the release, claiming that "The switches from retro punk to camp stadium rock are seamless, and Creeper prove themselves worthy heirs to the bombastic rock bands of the past",^[32] while Kerrang! hailed the album as "beautiful and brash, driven and divine".^[30]

McLaughlin's sole criticism of Eternity, in Your Arms was "that "Darling" is shamelessly indebted to its influences", although the writer suggested that "there's enough imagination packed into every other crevice to forgive such indiscretions".^[18] Similarly, Barbour also highlighted the derivative nature of "Darling", noting that it "staggers the line between homage to and pastiche of Alkaline Trio".^[31] The Metal Hammer writer also questioned the inclusion of "Misery", which had been previously featured on The Stranger EP in 2016, although he conceded that "it would be churlish to pretend [it doesn't] make sense in the context of the album, or in any way ruin its masterful pacing".^[31]

Chart performance

Upon its release, Eternity, in Your Arms debuted at number 18 on the UK Albums Chart.^[34] It also topped the UK Rock & Metal Albums Chart,^[35] and entered the UK Physical Albums Chart at number 13,^[36] the UK Album Sales Chart at number 14,^[37] and UK Album Downloads Chart at number 20.^[38] The album also debuted at number 17 on the Scottish Albums Chart.^[39]

Accolades