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Cradle of Filth


Requiem

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4 hours ago, Vampyrique said:

I've actually never tried to rank the EPs before but I've got the same result as you.   

4. Evermore Darkly is basically rubbish if I'm judging the music portion. The EP should have been called "You Can't Polish a Turd, But You Can Roll It in Glitter" instead of the documentary. Nuff said. 

3. From the Cradle to Enslave is more of a typical EP with assorted songs and a very good one at that. They went for a different production here that lends the music some heaviness without eliminating the atmosphere. How many drummers played on this EP? The title track is one of their best. On my iPod I always tack on Dawn of Eternity. 

2. Bitter Suites to Succubi, despite being album-length, functions like an EP. The interludes are not very good by Cradle standards. All Hope in Eclipse, Born in a Burial Gown, Suicide and Other Comforts are excellent stuff. The rest is fairly good. On my iPod, I always tack on The Fire Still Burns (from Livebait) since it's from the same recording session. 

1. V Empire is classic Cradle of Filth and tied for best EP I've ever heard. It functions like an album and is just as convincing despite being about 36 mins or so. The first three tracks are especially good. I even favour this one over Dusk...  

We have the same list! 

'Suicide and Other Comforts' is a brilliant song. I haven't heard it an ages so it's time to give it another spin. I haven't heard 'The Fire Still Burns'. There's always something new to discover. 

I'm really curious as to which EP is tied with 'V Empire' for you. Best EPs - that sounds like a list I can do in the Top 10 Any Concept thread. I can't really think of any EPs at the moment hahaha. Better than Dusk? Ooooh, that's a cheeky comment. It's close though. So good. 

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17 hours ago, Requiem said:

We have the same list! 

'Suicide and Other Comforts' is a brilliant song. I haven't heard it an ages so it's time to give it another spin. I haven't heard 'The Fire Still Burns'. There's always something new to discover. 

I'm really curious as to which EP is tied with 'V Empire' for you. Best EPs - that sounds like a list I can do in the Top 10 Any Concept thread. I can't really think of any EPs at the moment hahaha. Better than Dusk? Ooooh, that's a cheeky comment. It's close though. So good. 

You may know that The Fire Still Burns is a Twisted Sister cover. 

Naturally, V Empire's competition is Theatres des Vampires' Iubilaeum Anno Dracula 2001. 

I find V Empire more dynamic, romantic and poetic than Dusk. I enjoy the prominent use of Dani's pitch shifted vocals and I think the interplay between he and Sarah is better. Dusk has a different vibe but is equally compelling. 

 

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1 hour ago, Vampyrique said:

You may know that The Fire Still Burns is a Twisted Sister cover. 

Naturally, V Empire's competition is Theatres des Vampires' Iubilaeum Anno Dracula 2001. 

I find V Empire more dynamic, romantic and poetic than Dusk. I enjoy the prominent use of Dani's pitch shifted vocals and I think the interplay between he and Sarah is better. Dusk has a different vibe but is equally compelling. 

 

Theatres des Vampires - of course, how silly of me. 

So 'Cryptoriana' arrived in the mail today, but I went ahead and downloaded it from itunes this afternoon as well because I'm going out into the city tonight and I want to be able to listen to it. More dollars than sense, me. I can't wait. I'll give a full report tomorrow. 

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18 minutes ago, Requiem said:

Theatres des Vampires - of course, how silly of me. 

So 'Cryptoriana' arrived in the mail today, but I went ahead and downloaded it from itunes this afternoon as well because I'm going out into the city tonight and I want to be able to listen to it. More dollars than sense, me. I can't wait. I'll give a full report tomorrow. 

I'm eagerly awaiting my physical copy but I've already listened to it. I really like it and the return to less conventional song structures. It's not nearly as melodic and catchy as Hammer was but more aggressive and darker. I think they could have used Lindsay a bit more but I like it more than Hammer.  

 

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Ok so I'm going to comment on 'Cryptoriana' now even though it hasn't quite sunk in. I deliberately didn't listen to any advance tracks apart from 'Heartbreak and Seance', so I've waited until the CD is in my frostbitten hands. @Vampyrique this post is dedicated to you eternally. 

Firstly, it's amazing. The music is still coming together in my mind, but even now this album is high class. Here are my initial thoughts. 

It definitely feels a bit different to (the amazing) 'Hammer of the Witches' in that it's more twin-guitar focused - the riffs here are just amazing. One of the things that stands out are the guitar solos from both guitar players (the booklet points out who plays what which is very useful. Naturally the downloaders will never know). The actual production of the guitars is phenomenal. Goddamn it's good. The whole albums sounds great - so well done to Scott Atkins who once again does a brilliant job. 

The theme is subtle although brilliant. Victorian England is probably my favourite era of history, and dealing specifically with it is a lot of fun. But the lyrics don't have as clear a narrative as I was expecting - they are quite subtle. As always though, the lyrics are phenomenal and Dani just keeps hitting sixes (cricket analogy). Again, something the downloaders will never know about. 

This is a (fairly) aggressive yet melodic album. I love it. Just amazing. I need another week or so with it before I can truly say whether it reaches the heights of 'Hammer of the Witches', but I can 100% say that getting rid of Paul Allender and finding these two guitar wizards (Ashok and Richard Shaw) was the move of the (nineteenth) century. 

Already the two post-Allender albums are better than anything since 'Midian'. It's the new golden age of Cradle of Filth. 

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Ok, I've been playing the CD version of 'Cryptoriana' consistently over the past week, and the result is that my initial impression has been confirmed and strengthened.

The quality of this album is extraordinary. There's a maturity and sense of professionalism that has been missing for years - 'Hammer of the Witches' notwithstanding. There's nothing dinky or quaint about this album, and there are no misfires. 

One thing that I've noticed is that Lindsay Schoolcraft as female vocalist really doesn't have a huge role to play. There is a Czech choir that appears on every track, and Liv Kristine guests on 'Vengeful Spirit' in the chorus. According to the production credits Schoolcraft doesn't play keyboards or anything, so she really just adds the odd line here and there as far as I can tell. Not a great deal for a full time member. 

It's also very guitar driven, as I mentioned in a previous post. There are keyboards all over the place of course, but the guitars are up front and definitely the focus of the album. There is almost a melodic death metal approach at some stages, like 'Death and the Maiden' for instance. With Dani's middle range bark that song sounds almost non-Cradle. It's so fresh and rewarding. 

The lyrics for 'Cryptoriana' are impressive of course, but I find it a lot harder to figure out what they're about. This is even the case when compared with the fantastic lyrics Dani wrote for the new Devilment album 'II The Mephisto Waltzes'. For instance, the final main track on 'Hammer of the Witches' is a brilliant little narrative about the Crusades, whereas the best lyrical moment from 'Cryptoriana' is probably 'Death and the Maiden' about the personification of death falling in love with this chick. Looking at the lyrics for 'Heartbreak and Seance' that suggests two lovers are parted by death, which marries up with the final track pretty nicely, I still can't realistically reconcile any great narrative going on here. Many of the verses are, while witty, not exactly dripping with explicit meaning. I'll study a whole song and get a sense that something profound is being said, but for the first time I'm sort of left scratching my head a bit. This is something I will spend a bit more time on, but at this stage, I can say 100% that the lyrics on Devilment's 'II The Mephisto Waltzes' are more enjoyable, as are the lyrics on 'Hammer of the Witches'. 

Everyone's saying it's this or that compared with 'Hammer of the Witches'. 'Hammer' is definitely the start of the new era for Cradle with that line-up and the amazing quality, and it's the exact same line-up for 'Cryptoriana'. I'm still putting 'Hammer' above this, due mostly to the sense of atmosphere that comes up with those great vampyrique songs and the themes therein. Although for pound for pound riffs, and absolutely jaw-dropping solos, 'Cryptoriana' is probably the best Cradle of Filth album ever made. 

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I'm surprised that The Night at Catafalque Manor is a bonus track. This is one of the album's best songs. The middle section harkens back to classic-era Cradle of Filth!  

Normally I find the addition of choirs to be dreadfully cheesy and overblown as if compiled of leftovers from Hollywood blockbusters but the Czechs did a great job.  

 

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55 minutes ago, Vampyrique said:

I'm surprised that The Night at Catafalque Manor is a bonus track. This is one of the album's best songs. The middle section harkens back to classic-era Cradle of Filth!  

Normally I find the addition of choirs to be dreadfully cheesy and overblown as if compiled of leftovers from Hollywood blockbusters but the Czechs did a great job.  

 

Goddamn you're an enigma. How can someone like you find choirs cheesy and overblown!? Your favourite album is by Theatres des Vampires for crying out loud. ;)

I love choirs. I made a top ten list of albums that contain choirs! But yes, they are used really well in this case. Still, it's funny, with choirs and Liv Kristine, they've kind of ignored a brilliant singer in Schooly. Wasted talent. 

Also, I agree re 'The Night at Catafalque Manor'. Great track. In fact, this whole 'bonus tracks' thing is completely out of hand. They're not even called 'bonus' on this album, they're called 'extra tracks'. Why?? Why not just include them on the album proper? Every single band seems to do this, even on their stock standard jewel case editions. It's just nonsense. 

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2 hours ago, Requiem said:

Goddamn you're an enigma. How can someone like you find choirs cheesy and overblown!? Your favourite album is by Theatres des Vampires for crying out loud. ;)

I love choirs. I made a top ten list of albums that contain choirs! But yes, they are used really well in this case. Still, it's funny, with choirs and Liv Kristine, they've kind of ignored a brilliant singer in Schooly. Wasted talent. 

Also, I agree re 'The Night at Catafalque Manor'. Great track. In fact, this whole 'bonus tracks' thing is completely out of hand. They're not even called 'bonus' on this album, they're called 'extra tracks'. Why?? Why not just include them on the album proper? Every single band seems to do this, even on their stock standard jewel case editions. It's just nonsense. 

Haha! What can I say, choirs are hit and miss with me. I think they've got Lindsay on a leash because they don't want another Deva situation...

I'm not sure what to think about bonus tracks. They're the b-sides for non-existent singles so I'm glad they're there. Sometimes a bands' judgment is bad and bonus tracks can be better than album tracks. However, I dislike random live songs, remixes, and when they include demo-versions of some songs but not others. I think the designation of bonus/extra track is so people don't criticize the album proper on the basis of these bonus tracks because people can be idiots. Now, what I really hate is this: 

Standard edition - no bonus tracks!

Deluxe digipak edition - 2 bonus track + bonus DVD! 

Limited fan edition - 3 bonus tracks, bonus DVD, 3 postcards, XXXL t-shirt (even if you're not obese), useless 3d holographic card, tacky badge and one anklesock personally worn by the lead singer for only $100!  

Japanese edition - 3 bonus tracks + 1 exclusive bonus track that you'll never ever hear anywhere else but here!   

 

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2 hours ago, Vampyrique said:

Haha! What can I say, choirs are hit and miss with me. I think they've got Lindsay on a leash because they don't want another Deva situation...

I'm not sure what to think about bonus tracks. They're the b-sides for non-existent singles so I'm glad they're there. Sometimes a bands' judgment is bad and bonus tracks can be better than album tracks. However, I dislike random live songs, remixes, and when they include demo-versions of some songs but not others. I think the designation of bonus/extra track is so people don't criticize the album proper on the basis of these bonus tracks because people can be idiots. Now, what I really hate is this: 

Standard edition - no bonus tracks!

Deluxe digipak edition - 2 bonus track + bonus DVD! 

Limited fan edition - 3 bonus tracks, bonus DVD, 3 postcards, XXXL t-shirt (even if you're not obese), useless 3d holographic card, tacky badge and one anklesock personally worn by the lead singer for only $100!  

Japanese edition - 3 bonus tracks + 1 exclusive bonus track that you'll never ever hear anywhere else but here!   

 

Imagine that, bands just choose the worst track they recorded for the album and call it a bonus track: "This ain't all that good. Let's still put it on the album but let's call it a bonus track".

Actually, if you check the back cover for 'Darkly Darkly Venus Aversa' you'll see that there are no album tracks at all, they're all bonus tracks. None of them were good enough to make the actual album. Little joke there for you, Vampy. Hope you enjoyed it. 

All these multi-format releases. I can understand why they do it - to try to maximise their sales in a sale-less world. It must be so frustrating for touring bands to play to 1,000 per night for three months on end but only sell about 5,000 albums in total, yet the audiences sing every word. Downloader parasites. 

 

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On 10/2/2017 at 4:09 AM, Requiem said:

Imagine that, bands just choose the worst track they recorded for the album and call it a bonus track: "This ain't all that good. Let's still put it on the album but let's call it a bonus track".

Actually, if you check the back cover for 'Darkly Darkly Venus Aversa' you'll see that there are no album tracks at all, they're all bonus tracks. None of them were good enough to make the actual album. Little joke there for you, Vampy. Hope you enjoyed it. 

All these multi-format releases. I can understand why they do it - to try to maximise their sales in a sale-less world. It must be so frustrating for touring bands to play to 1,000 per night for three months on end but only sell about 5,000 albums in total, yet the audiences sing every word. Downloader parasites. 

 

Hah! If that's the case with Darkly, I shudder to think what happened with The Manticore... 

Then there's Moonspell's double-album-turned-bonus-album idea. Who would only buy Alpha Noir and not Omega White?  

But those parasites go to shows and buy t-shirts to support the artists they love, right? I would love to see their shirt collections. They must have a few hundred shirts, if not over a thousand shirts. And imagine the stories of the hundreds of shows they've been to.  

 

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3 hours ago, Vampyrique said:

Hah! If that's the case with Darkly, I shudder to think what happened with The Manticore... 

Then there's Moonspell's double-album-turned-bonus-album idea. Who would only buy Alpha Noir and not Omega White?  

But those parasites go to shows and buy t-shirts to support the artists they love, right? I would love to see their shirt collections. They must have a few hundred shirts, if not over a thousand shirts. And imagine the stories of the hundreds of shows they've been to.  

 

A few hundred shirts, if not over a thousand? Um, no. No, Vampyrique. I doubt it.

I don't know if there has been a huge spike in merchandise sales since the advent of illegal downloading, but I do know that it's practically the only way bands can make any cash these days. However, I'd be very surprised to go into your average downloader's closet and find hundreds of metal shirts. If anything, I'd wager it's the people who buy tangible things like CDs and vinyl who are probably likely to have more shirts anyway. I'm only guessing on this front though. 

Old days fans: bought music, bought shirts, went to concerts 

Nowadays fans: buy shirts, go to concerts 

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1 hour ago, Requiem said:

A few hundred shirts, if not over a thousand? Um, no. No, Vampyrique. I doubt it.

I don't know if there has been a huge spike in merchandise sales since the advent of illegal downloading, but I do know that it's practically the only way bands can make any cash these days. However, I'd be very surprised to go into your average downloader's closet and find hundreds of metal shirts. If anything, I'd wager it's the people who buy tangible things like CDs and vinyl who are probably likely to have more shirts anyway. I'm only guessing on this front though. 

Old days fans: bought music, bought shirts, went to concerts 

Nowadays fans: buy shirts, go to concerts 

Oh Requiem, you fell victim to my incredible sarcasm!

I know that their justification is weak and meaningless. They might go to a few local shows, buy a few shirts and give themselves a pat on the back and carry out their righteous license to download, morals by the wayside! 

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8 hours ago, Vampyrique said:

Oh Requiem, you fell victim to my incredible sarcasm!

I know that their justification is weak and meaningless. They might go to a few local shows, buy a few shirts and give themselves a pat on the back and carry out their righteous license to download, morals by the wayside! 

Oh my god, what the hell's wrong with me to miss this. I've become one of those people who take satirical twitter comments seriously. I thought it was really weird that you would say that, and now I know why. This is a sign to give this forum a rest...

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I’ve come to the conclusion that the weakest part of the album is unfortunately track three, ‘Achingly Beautiful’. In reality it’s achingly mediocre, and if that was tagged out for ‘Night at Catafalque Manor’ I think the album would be improved. That’s the chief weak spot.

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3 hours ago, Requiem said:

I’ve come to the conclusion that the weakest part of the album is unfortunately track three, ‘Achingly Beautiful’. In reality it’s achingly mediocre, and if that was tagged out for ‘Night at Catafalque Manor’ I think the album would be improved. That’s the chief weak spot.

I like the song but initially I was disappointed with it and I believe this was due to expectation. You may recall that this was the crown jewel of Dani's during the recording of the Hammer of the Witches album but the band had downvoted it. I wonder by how much the song differs in its current form? 

The only part I don't care for is the lazy chorus: "...Irrefutable...achingly Beautiful." It seems it could have been improved upon. 

 

 

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3 hours ago, Vampyrique said:

I like the song but initially I was disappointed with it and I believe this was due to expectation. You may recall that this was the crown jewel of Dani's during the recording of the Hammer of the Witches album but the band had downvoted it. I wonder by how much the song differs in its current form? 

The only part I don't care for is the lazy chorus: "...Irrefutable...achingly Beautiful." It seems it could have been improved upon. 

 

 

I can see why it was voted out. I wish the band had stuck to their guns for 'Cryptoriana' too... ;)

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I don’t have a lot to add to this as you guys have said it all. I’m staggered that ‘Night..’ is a bonus track, to me it’s possibly the standout of the album.

 

Annihilator ‘Alison Hell’ cover rounds off a pretty intense album in a fun retro way. Not as strong as Dimmu’s Twisted Sister cover (Burn in Hell) but a solid, enjoyable effort nonetheless...

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19 minutes ago, True Belief said:

I don’t have a lot to add to this as you guys have said it all. I’m staggered that ‘Night..’ is a bonus track, to me it’s possibly the standout of the album.

 

Annihilator ‘Alison Hell’ cover rounds off a pretty intense album in a fun retro way. Not as strong as Dimmu’s Twisted Sister cover (Burn in Hell) but a solid, enjoyable effort nonetheless...

Goddamn I love that Twisted Sister cover by Dimmu. So good. The 'Alison Hell' cover is the last piece of the pie I need to digest with 'Cryptoriana'. I haven't given it a lot of time, instead investing my attention on the original material. 

I'm fully committed to the idea that 'Achingly Beautiful' is the album's achilles heal. 

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  • 1 month later...
12 hours ago, CrotchyTuna said:

In the song "Darkness Incarnate" the first guitar part and is played later in the song sounds exactly like a different song from another band, can't think of the name and song.. it's driving me crazy! anyone know what it is?

Argghh - you forgot to put a Mark Newby-Robson alert on your post there and I accidentally started listening to the track to see what you meant. Damn that Booby-Jobson. Damn him and his computer keyboards! 

As for the riff in question, it sounds somewhat familiar (I mean, beyond on this track), but I definitely can't say that I've heard it anywhere else. This is Paul Allendar's era of taking it easy, so he could have picked it up from anywhere. 

'Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder' is a pretty decent album to be honest. I shouldn't bag it so much. 

 

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  • 2 months later...
On 9/24/2017 at 11:23 AM, Requiem said:

We have the same list! 

'Suicide and Other Comforts' is a brilliant song. I haven't heard it an ages so it's time to give it another spin. I haven't heard 'The Fire Still Burns'. There's always something new to discover. 

I'm really curious as to which EP is tied with 'V Empire' for you. Best EPs - that sounds like a list I can do in the Top 10 Any Concept thread. I can't really think of any EPs at the moment hahaha. Better than Dusk? Ooooh, that's a cheeky comment. It's close though. So good. 

ah man check out the fire still burns if you havent yet. they did an amazing job of that song. also i still rate damnation and a day quite highly, the last good thing paul allender put his name to. havent enjoyed a cof album all that much since then and the last two i just cant listen to at all. i hate that new drummer they have now. its just constant blast-beats.

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On 2/17/2018 at 8:51 PM, blessed1 said:

ah man check out the fire still burns if you havent yet. they did an amazing job of that song. also i still rate damnation and a day quite highly, the last good thing paul allender put his name to. havent enjoyed a cof album all that much since then and the last two i just cant listen to at all. i hate that new drummer they have now. its just constant blast-beats.

You can't listen to 'Hammer of the Witches' and 'Cryptoriana'?

That really surprises me, because I think they're really good. 'Cryptoriana' has sort of faded for me these days though and it didn't have the longevity that 'Hammer' has. In fact, when 'Cryptoriana' comes on shuffle lately I tend to skip it. 'Hammer of the Witches' though is brilliant. I prefer both to 'Damnation and a Day' though, gosh. 

There are a lot of clattery blast beats by Martin, you're right. He's obviously an amazingly competent drummer, but I can't pretend he's a favourite of mine either. When you listen to Nick Barker's work on, say, 'Cruelty and the Beast', there's just no comparison. 

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