|
Cradle of Filth: Damnation for a Day Review by Unholy Terror |
||
|
|
||
|
A few days ago I strolled into my friendly neighbourhood “record” store (Musique in Westgate, my favourite CD shop) (No I was not paid for this endorsement) and what I found was that the new Cradle of Filth (COF) album was there waiting for me. A few JD’s and a quick listen later, I found my way to my car to further brutalise my ears. Maybe I should add that it came at a very reasonable price – COF recently signed a major deal with Sony, which in money language means that their albums are now a bit cheaper – always good news! And even better news is that despite the big label, they are still COF – no mainstream here! A quick background of the band. Initially influenced by acts ranging from Maiden, Mercyful Fate, and Sisters of Mercy, COF was formed in 1991 in the Suffolk/Essex border region of England and quickly became one of the – if not the - leading Black Metal acts in the world. Lead by vocalist Dani Filth – a man that greatly resembles the Dark Count and has a substantial vocal range, including what is best described as glass-shattering ‘screeches’ - this band has released a substantial number of records, some of which include “Dusk and Her Embrace”, “Vampire”, and “Cruelty and the Beast”. Admittedly, I do not enjoy all of their songs, but in the eight years I have been a fan, a great few of their songs have crept deep into my (cold black) heart. A brief note of warning – neither COF’s music nor their lyrics are for the weak hearted. Like the general genre requires, Dani is not scared of telling evil tales, and the new album is no exception. “Damnation and a Day” is a concept album, telling the tale of a fallen angel who is rejected from paradise and who subsequently corrupts man to have him cast out as well. Admittedly, this story sounds vaguely familiar (!!), but Dani maintains that it is not directly linked. A quick note of admiration here – COF’s lyrics are never like the normal run-of-the-mill death metal lyrics. Dani is an extremely intelligent guy with a vast knowledge of mythology, history, timeless horror movies (thus ruling out anything made in the past few decades…), and classic literature. No surprise then that traces of Dante and Milton can be found on this record. Maybe I should mention that Dani insists that he “just leaves money out for the pixies at the foot of the bed”. But on to the songs… Like many records before it, “Damnation” starts with and repeatedly features eerily beautiful orchestra and choir music. This album features the 40-piece Budapest film orchestra and the 32-piece Budapest film choir – not very surprising if one considers the geographic location of the Carpathian mountain range. However, this intro quickly becomes a sinister passage before it explodes into “The promise of Fever”, which, together with the subsequent “Hurt and Virtue” and “An enemy lead the Tempest”, tells the tale of jealousy and rebellion. Throughout part I – known as “Fantasia Down” - Speeding thrash metal is periodically replaced with slower parts where the choir and Dani’s malevolent narration reigns. Part II is aptly named “Paradise Lost”, and obviously then tells the tale of rejection and damnation. A brief introduction leads into my favourite track so far – “Better to Reign in Hell” – a carefully crafted blend of auras ranging from brutal death metal and mysterious almost rock-meets-Beethoven like riffs to gracefully written poetic elegance backed by music that is still frightfully heavy, yet mystifyingly enchanting. Much praise goes to drummer Adrian, who never fails to keep the band together with his merciless pounding. Skipping on to section 3, which features the very interesting track “Doberman Pharaoh”. This track, and I quote, “kind of relates to Ramses II and the exodus of the Jews from Egypt. It has a real Egyptian/biblical feel”. The track starts off with the crying of an actual sitar, and features a variety of Egyptian instruments throughout which strangely compliments the blasting drums, power riffs, crunching bass, and cathedral-type organ. This gives way to “Babalon A.D (So Glad for the Madness)”, the video of which tells a story loosely based on one first told by the Marquis de Sade – a twisted kind of guy that just happens to share a birthday with me (and Kai)… The rest of the album mostly continues the formulae I described above, but that you will have to find out for yourself. In my opinion, COF has truly mastered the art of blending the brutal evil of deathly thrash with the sheer animosity of poetic narration – an art they freely display on “Damnation and a day”. The changes are always sudden and unexpected, thus never becoming boring, yet never unwelcome or poorly executed. So, if you are a COF fan, or a very adventurous person that fancies a mental trip into an evil fantasia akin to Bram Stoker’s, you have to have this album. It does not unseat “Dusk…” as my favourite COF album, but it more than measures up to albums like “Cruelty…”. And if you still didn’t have enough, Dani promised that they will be headlining Stage two at the 2003 Ozzfest. Also, cover versions of Ozzy’s “Mr. Crowley” (one of my favourite songs of all time) as well as, and wait for it, Cliff Richard’s “Devil Woman” (I for one cannot wait to hear that!) are on its way. Judging by the excellent renditions of Maiden’s “Hallowed be thy Name”, Slayer’s “Hell Awaits”, and The Sisters of Mercy’s “No Time to Cry” they have belted out, these should be very interesting. But enough from me. Enjoy, and until next time, don’t forget to challenge sanity every chance you get. |
