I mentioned before that Cradle of Filth is something of a guilty pleasure of mine. I do not mean that in the strictest sense, as I am more than willing to discuss the fact that I enjoy the band. I have most of their albums, and a couple of their other miscellaneous releases. There's just something about the songwriting, lyrics, and overall atmosphere of the band that attracts me.So, this is their latest album. Like some of their previous albums, the concept of this one is biographical. Covering the story of Lilith, the original woman scorned by Adam in Jewish folklore.
As usual, the music is impressive, CoF have always had a flair for the epic. The album is quite long, and there is always a lot going on musically. Symphonic passages weave eloquently through the blackened-thrash riffing. Nevertheless, unlike Dimmu Borgir's recent output, CoF accomplish this without sounding too bloated or losing the metallic base of their music.
As usual, Dani Filth's vocals range from a snarl to a high-pitched shriek. He is joined frequently by a female vocalist playing the part of Lilith. With these vocal parts and the bombastic, epic music, the album has the feel of a metal opera. That is not an unheard of concept in metal, but CoF pulls it off quite well on this release.
I know Cradle of Filth is not for everyone out there, but this is a pretty damn good album, one of the band's best recent releases. If you do like Cradle of Filth, then I highly recommend it. If not, this probably is not going to win you over.
I only have Godspeed..., so I wouldn't consider myself a fan. Nonetheless, you make this sound awesome. I'll have to get it.
ReplyDeleteIn all honesty, I don't get the bashing on some of the more successful bands in metal. I understand it intellectually, but I don't see any reason to stop listening to Metallica/Dream Theater/CoF just because they sell more albums to the mainstream than they do to metalheads.