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Cradle of Filth |
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The Principle of Evil Made Flesh |
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Line up:
Dani - Dark Immortal Screams
Paul A. - Despondent Night Chords
Paul R. - Satanic War Noise
Robin - Nocturnal Pulse
Nicholas - Winter Evening Storms
Benjamin - Gothic Vampiric Overtures |
Track Listing:
Darkness Our Bride (Jugular Wedding)
The Principle of Evil Made Flesh
The Forest Whispers My Name
Iscariot
The Black Goddess Rises
One Final Graven Kiss
A Crescendo of Passion Bleeding
To Eve the Art of Witchcraft
Of Mist and Midnight Skies
In Secret Love We Drown
A Dream of Wolves in the Snow
Summer Dying Fast |
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The Principle of Evil Made Flesh is Cradle of Filth's debut full length album and they come out packing quite the bite. The album opens up with Darkness Our Bride (Jugular Wedding), an instrumental track composed just to build up into the album. The Principle of Evil Made Flesh is a raw and grim black metal opus, yet it still ties in some keys for beauty. Dani's voice is very grim and there is a female part spoken in German about halfway through to add to the grimness. The Forest Whispers My Name opens up with bass and chimes at a dirge-like pace and even with the guitars, remains at that pace until Dani comes in with a scream. Opening up with some vampiric sounding keyboard, The Black Goddess Rises flows at a dirgy pace for about a minute before it picks up speed with Dani's voice. After a short, slow interlude, it retains the dirgy pace throughout the rest of the song, minus two short, chaotic parts. Organ leads the way for To Eve the Art of Witchcraft, and it is the backbone instrument for the song. A variation of J.S. Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor opens up the song Of Mist and Midnight Skies, and again, the organ is the backbone instrument. Grade: B+ |
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Cradle of Filth |
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Vempire |
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Line up:
Dani - Sepulchral Voice
Stuart - Flesh upon the Razor Wire
Jared - Funeral Dirge
Robin - Nocturnal Pulse
Nicholas - Impaler Troop Movement
Damien - Poenarian Fugue and Choir
Lady Jezebel Deva - Dulcet Ghostly Song
Cneajna - Seducer of Ravens and Angels |
Track Listing:
Ebony Dressed for Sunset
The Forest Whispers My Name
Queen of Winter, Throned
Nocturnal Supremecy
She Mourns a Lengthening Shadow
The Rape and Ruin of Angels (Hosannas in Extremis) |
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Shortly after the release of their debut, Cradle of Filth put together an EP entitled Vempire or Dark Faerytales in Phallustein. The disc opens up with Ebony Dressed for Sunset, a quick chaotic track to get you in the mood for what is to come throughout the entire album. The second track, The Forest Whispers My Name, is a remodeled version from the one on their debut. Musically it is the same, with a slight addition lyrically and the production is better than that of the original. Queen of Winter, Throned, is a classic Cradle of Filth opus, complete with operatic female vocals and beautiful keys. Nocturnal Supremecy has a powerful, fist-pumping intro, where a female vocal harmony quickly comes in, before erupting into a Cradle of Filth groove. A beautiful instrumental, entitled She Mourns a Lengthening Shadow, lies on the disc. The main melody is done by strings, specifically violins and their is some piano. The Rape and Ruin of Angels (Hosannas in Extremis) opens up chaotically but simmers down within a minute into a short beautiful part before picking up the pace and some chaos again. This is a good disc, released not too long after their debut, and done very well. Grade: A- |
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Cradle of Filth |
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Dusk... And Her Embrace |
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Line up:
Dani - Desires Better Unsung
Stuart - Requiems of War and Woe
Gian - Ravening Black Massacre
Robin - Nocturnal Pulse
Nicholas - Hammer of the Gods
Damien - Orchestral Manuevers in the Dark |
Track Listing:
Humana Inspired to Nightmare
Heaven Torn Asunder
Funeral in Carpathia
A Gothic Romance (Red Roses for the Devil's Whore)
Malice Through the Looking Glass
Dusk and Her Embrace
The Graveyard by Moonlight
Beauty Slept in Sodom
Haunted Shores |
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This release is the best done by Cradle of Filth, both musically and production wise. It has a great blend of beauty and chaos and is very dark and Gothic. Female vocals and spoken parts make the album even more haunting and Gothic, especially in the tracks Heaven Torn Asunder and Funeral in Carpathia. In the first one, she says the lines "The most August sorcery of Hades, Darkly seized for me a throne, And the upraised scythe so terribly scribed, Vengeance in Jesuit blood on stone, From this ransacked celestial temple, I hold the prophets severed head unto all nations..." Shortly after, her, along with Dani doing vampiric spoken lines says "Their voices are opened graves, Through which the never-dead escape." In the opus, Funeral in Carpathia, she has another spoken part where she twice says "Beauty slept and angels wept, For her immortal soul, In this repose, all evil chose, To claim her for their very own." The beauty in her voice adds a lot of atmosphere to the entire album. Opening up with strings, and remaining fairly dirge-like, A Gothic Romance, remains just that, a Gothic style romance song, very pretty. It has a wolf baying in the intro. The instrumental track, The Graveyard by Moonlight, is a gorgeous piece composed by Damien and he does a great intro with a harpsichord sound for Beauty Slept in Sodom. Haunted Shores, the final track, features Cronos from Venom, doing a rallying war speech. This is a great album and one of my favorite cds and it is a must have for those into dark, beautiful metal. I highly recommend this. Grade: A |
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Cradle of Filth |
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Cruelty and the Beast |
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Line up:
Dani - Oral Pleasures
Stuart - Infernal Overkill
Gian - Carnivorous Licks
Robin Graves - Nocturnal Pulse
Nicholas Barker - Zyklon Beats
Lecter - Unbiblical Chords/Torture Chamber Music |
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Track Listing:
Once Upon Atrocity
Thirteen Autumns and a Widow
Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids
Beneath the Howling Stars
Venus in Fear
Desire in Violent Overture
Twisted Nails of Faith
Bathory Aria
i. Benighted like Usher
ii. A Murder of Ravens in Fugue
iii. Eyes That Witnessed Madness
Portrait of the Dead Countess
Lustmord and Wargasm (The Lick of Carnivorus Winds) |
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Inspired by the life of the Blood Countess, Elizabeth Bathory, Cruelty and the Beast was formed. The first two tracks, Once Upon Atrocity and Thirteen Autumns and a Widow make up a great intro that shows you the direction the album is heading and the atmosphere that it will take you through. An atmosphere that is thick and dark, filled with the bloody tales of Bathory. Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids is a great track that opens up with Bathory in the hall of her court speaking to her subjects (or so it sounds). I personally love the intro for Beneath the Howling Stars because of the string arrangement and the entire song is probably my favorite on the disc. Bathory Aria is a three movement song that has a gorgeous opening, as well as the entire song being pretty. Musically this album is great and haunting, but the production severely lacks. The drums sound like a typewriter, there is no bass to them at all, and the guitar lacks some crunchiness in the distortion. I still recommend this album fairly high because of the talent, and the beauty of the keys and strings. Grade: B+ |
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Cradle of Filth |
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From the Cradle to Enslave |
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Line up:
Dani Filth - Vocals
Stuart - Guitars
Gian - Guitars
Robin Graves - Bass Guitar
Nickolas Barker - Drums
Was Sarginson - Drums
Adrian Erlandsson - Drums |
Track Listing:
From the Cradle to Enslave
Of Dark Blood and F***ing
Death Comes Ripping
Sleepless
Funeral in Carpathia (Be Quick or Be Dead Version)
Dawn of Eternity |
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Cradle of Filth |
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Midian |
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Line up:
Dani Filth - Serpent Tongue
Paul Allender - Despondent Night Chords
Gian Pyres - Blade
Robin Graves - Nocturnal Pulse
Adrian Erlandsson - Vampire Battery
Martin Powell - Ouija Boards/Cobwebbed Organ |
Track Listing:
At the Gates of Midian
Cthulhu Dawn
Saffron's Curse
Death Magick for Adepts
Lord Abortion
Amor E Morte
Creatures That Kissed in Cold Mirrors
Her Ghost in the Fog
Satanic Mantra
Tearing the Veil from Grace
Tortured Souls Asylum |
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Midian is Cradle of Filth's 4th full length album, and it was released on Halloween in 2000. It opens up with some great organ work by Martin Powell (formerly of My Dying Bride) and pummels you right into Cthulhu Dawn which features a classic black metal style riff. Dani goes from his ear piercing screams down to a superbly low death growl. Saffron's Curse is a beautiful and haunting track opening up with vampiric piano and vampirish vocals by Dani Filth, it has a very Gothic overtone to it. The instrumental track, Creatures that Kissed in Cold Mirrors, leads right into another haunting masterpiece, Her Ghost in the Fog. The entire album is a horrific opus, focusing mostly on chaos, but not neglecting the beauty that is Cradle of Filth. Grade: A- |
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Cradle of Filth |
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Bitter Suites to Succubi |
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Line up:
Dani - Lycanthroat
Paul - Discordant Abortion
Gian - Minor Frets
Robin Graves - Nocturnal Pulse
Adrian - Nordic Thundercracks
Martin - Suicide Notes/Broken Heart Strings |
Track Listing:
Sin Deep My Wicked Angel
All Hope in Eclipse
Born in a Burial Gown
Summer Dying Fast
No Time to Cry
The Principle of Evil Made Flesh
Suicide and Other Comforts
Dinner at Deviant's Place
The Black Goddess Rises II
Scorched Earth Erotica |
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Bitter Suites to Succubi was released about half a year after Midian. It features re-mastered tracks off of The Principle of Evil Made Flesh, a cover of Sisters of Mercy's No Time to Cry, and a few new studio tracks. The album opens up with an eerie instrumental opus (which is basically a signature of Cradle of Filth's) entitled Sin Deep My Wicked Angel which goes right into All Hope in Eclipse. It is a great track that features some very good drumming by Adrian Erlandsson and it also has rally parts in it. Opening up with strings, Born in a Burial Gown is 100% Cradle of Filth. Dark, haunting, majestic, and metal all in one. They did a good job covering No Time to Cry, making it sound darker and in the form of metal, but not change anything. Scorched Earth Erotica is a good song with a great drive and the keyboard in the intro has a unique sound and throughout the song is very good. Overall this is a good album, the only part that disappointed me is that I anticipated the release and it was constantly delayed. When I did finally get it, I realized that half of it was remasters of some of their older material and that is what disappointed me. Grade: B- |
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Cradle of Filth |
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Lovecraft and Witch Hearts |
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Line up:
Dani Filth - Vocals
Paul Allender - Guitars
Gian Pyres - Guitars
Stuart Anstis - Guitars
Robin Graves - Bass Guitar
Adrian Erlandsson - Drums
Nicholas Barker - Drums
Was Sarginson - Drums
Martin Powell - Keyboards
Lecter Smith - Keyboards
Damien Gregori - Keyboards |
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Track Listing:
Disc 1
Creatures that Kissed in Cold Mirrors
Dusk and Her Embrace
Beneath the Howling Stars
Her Ghost in the Fog
Funeral in Carpathia (Be Quick or Be Dead Version)
The Twisted Nails of Faith
From the Cradle to Enslave
Saffron's Curse
Malice Through the Looking Glass
Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids
Lord Abortion
Disc 2
Once Upon Atrocity
Thirteen Autumns and a Widow (Red October Mix)
For Those Who Died (Return to the Sabbat Mix)
Sodomy and Lust
Twisting Further Nails
Amor E Morte (Lycanthropy Mix)
Carmilla's Masque
Lustmord and Wargasm II
Dawn of Eternity
Of Dark Blood and F***ing (Stripped to the Bone Mix)
Dance Macabre
Hell Awaits
Hallowed Be Thy Name |
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Lovecraft and Witch Hearts is a compilation of Cradle of Filth's favorite songs from when they were on Music for Nations Records and also some covers and bonus tracks. Disc 1, which is the one that I consider to be Lovecraft (the other Witch Hearts) is their "greatest hits" from Dusk... And Her Embrace, Cruelty and the Beast, From the Cradle to Enslave EP and Midian. The newer version of Funeral in Carpathia is done very well, and it is more operatic, containing more female vocal parts. From the Cradle to Enslave is a great mysterious track with an interesting synth intro and the bass coming in to really pound the overall riff of the song and it ends with string instruments lead by the cellos. The bass also plays the most significant role in this song. Overall it is one of the best songs that they put on the CD. The Red October Mix of Thirteen Autumns and a Widow is better than the original because it was produced better. The guitars and drums have more power behind them and sound real, plus it has great female vocal harmonies. The band does a great job with the cover songs they do, especially Slayer's Hell Awaits and Iron Maiden's Hallowed Be Thy Name, two bands that heavily inspired Cradle of Filth. I had always wondered how Slayer would sound with eerie organ and Cradle of Filth answered that question for me. This is a great album to get if you do not own any or very little of Cradle of Filth's material, since most of it you can get on other CDs, or if you are a big fan of them. Grade: B+ |
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Cradle of Filth |
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Live Bait for the Dead |
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Line up:
Dani Filth - Vocals
Paul Allender - Guitars
Gian Pyres - Guitars
Robin Graves - Bass Guitar
Adrian Erlandsson - Drums
Martin Powell - Keyboards
Sarah Jezebel Deva - Backing Vocals |
Track Listing:
Disc 1
Intro - The Ceremony Opens
Lord Abortion
Ebony Dressed for Sunset
The Forest Whispers My Name
Cthulhu Dawn
Dusk and Her Embrace
The Principle of Evil Made Flesh
Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids
Her Ghost in the Fog
Summer Dying Fast
Interlude - Creatures that Kissed in Cold Mirrors
From the Cradle to Enslave
Queen of Winter, Throned
Disc 2
Born in a Burial Gown (The Polished Coffin Mix)
No Time To Cry (Sisters of No Mercy Mix)
Funeral in Carpathia (Soundcheck Recording)
Defeted Scenes of a Snuff Princess
Scorched Earth Erotica (Original Demo[n] Version)
Nocturnal Supremacy (Soundcheck Recording)
From the Cradle to Enslave (Under Martian Rule Mix)
The Fire Still Burns |
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Cradle of Filth |
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Damnation and a Day |
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Line up:
Dani Filth - Scripture and Howls
Paul - Unrepentant White Noise
David Pubis - Poisoned Heart Throb
Martin Foul - Keys to Ransacked Eden
Adrian - Savage Repercussion
Sarah Jezebel Deva - Lead Angelic Voice |
Track Listing:
A Bruise Upon the Silent Moon
The Promise of Fever
Hurt and Virtue
An Enemy Led the Tempest
Damned in Any Language (A Plague on Words)
Better to Reign in Hell
Serpent Tongue
Carrion
The Mordant Liquor of Tears
Presents From the Poison-Hearted
Doberman Pharoah
Babalon A.D. (So Glad for the Madness)
A Scarlet Witch Lit the Season
Mannequin
Thank God for the Suffering
The Smoke of Her Burning/End of Daze |
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Finally, just under three years since Midian was released, Cradle of Filth comes out with another full length, entitled Damnation and a Day. The album is filled with the same great Cradle of Filth sound with some superb orchestral arrangements. For the album, they hired the Budapest Film Orchestra and Choir. It contains four "acts": Fantasia Down, Paradise Lost, Sewer Side Up, and The Scented Garden. Each part contains four tracks, the first of which is an instrumental to lead you into the act. Naturally, the album opens up with an instrumental track, a signature of the band, entitled A Bruise upon the Silent Moon. It starts off with some distant thunder before the strings come into play, violins soon becoming the main instrument and soon after the orchestra and choir comes in. It then fades into the next track, The Promise of Fever, with a quick narrative of Genesis 1:2. Damned in Any Language (A Plague on Words) is a very Wagner-esque instrumental track with powerful French Horns which features another narrative, this time of Revelation 12:7-9. Better to Reign in Hell is a very heavy song, with some superb double bass, which features a few breaks where it slows down into almost a mystical feel. Serpent Tongue continues this trend, but contains and even more mystical sound. Carrion features some great riffing in the intro and throughout the song. Another Romantic-era instrumental, The Mordant Liquor of Tears, follows. For the most part it is lead with strings in the foreground, with some choral work, but eventually the French Horns come in strong before it fades into Presents From the Poison-Hearted. Doberman Pharoah has an Egyptian tint throughout. A Scarlet Witch Lit the Season is the fourth instrumental on the disc, and, like the others, is Romantically inspired, this time with the strings leading the way throughout the entire piece, supported by choral work. The album ends much like it started, with the same narrative, but finishing up with a maniacal laughter. I found this a pretty good album, ranking up there with their middle work. Grade: B |
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