lukretion This is a painful review for me to write. I really like the music on Cradle of Filth’s third full-length album, Cruelty and the Beast, and I love the record’s dark concept about the Báthory Countess and her morbid and gory story. But I really can’t stand how the album sounds. As many other have noted (members of the band included), the production is really terrible, so let me start by telling you about that so I can get it out of the way.

The root of all evil is the drum’s sound: it is incredibly weak and compressed to the point that everything Nicholas Barker sounds comes across with the same dull, thudding sound that has been described by some, quite accurately, as “typewriting drumming”. Every other instrument is piled up upon these dodgy foundations and it can’t possibly sound good. The guitar tone is as weak as the drum sound and it is often buried so deep down in the mix that it very hard to figure out what the guitarists are actually playing (which is especially annoying because I really like Stuart Anstis’ lead playing with the band). The bass is hardly audible, give how it is completely drown out by the drums. Even the vocals are sometimes hard to figure out (female chorister Sarah Jezebel Deva told the press she was left in tears when she first heard the final mix of the album as she felt her voice sounded as if she had sung with “her head stuck in the toilet”). The overall effect is an incredibly dry, flat and messy-sounding album. On the one hand, this gives the record a special, low-fi vibe which can be somewhat fascinating and distinctive (I remember that, back in 1998, I felt this record sounded much more “evil” and “sinister” compared to the band’s previous albums, which was very likely an effect of the production). On the other hand, such a muddy and messy production cannot do justice to the complexity of Cradle of Filth’s music, which on this album actually increased considerably compared to the previous records. Today, as a less impressionable listener, the net effect is simply disappointing.

The disappointment stings even harder because what is being played on this album is actually very good. The music is heavier than on Dusk … and Her Embrace but it retains that morbid, gothic feel that had made that album such a powerful sonic experience. On Cruelty and the Beast, Cradle of Filth increased the level of intensity and aggression, so that the new album sounds considerably heavier and more metallic than the predecessor. This creates a stronger contrast with the symphonic keyboard flourishes (courtesy of new member Les Smith) and the emotional and majestic mid-tempo sections, making the music on this album sound more dramatic than ever, which fits well with the theme of the record. Songs like “Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids” and “Beneath the Howling Stars” are great examples of this new course and indeed remain two of the best compositions penned by Dani & co. over the years. Another great track and example of the dynamic nature of the music on this album, is the “Báthory Area”, a trio of songs that cover a lot of ground from deviant balladry, to Maidenian galloping rhythms, to a doomy, dissonant finale.

Elsewhere, Cradle of Filth go for a more direct, pedal-to-the-metal approach, like on the violent “Thirteen Autumns and a Widow”, an unstoppable train that makes a concession to melody only in its mellower finale. “Twisted Nails of Faith” is another ferocious highlight, which surprises with its symphonic arrangement in the coda, while “Lustmord and Wargasm” is perhaps the weakest song on the record, sounding a tad too repetitive and undistinctive, as if it was only half-heartedly repeating the formula of the previous songs.

Overall, for the music it contains, Cruelty and the Beast could be rightly regarded as one of the strongest records ever written by Cradle of Filth. It possesses a stunning mix of metal aggression and gothic, morose atmosphere through a barrage of songs that never cease to amaze and entertain. However, I just cannot get past its terrible production sound, which substantially ruins the listening experience for me. This explains why I rate this album so low in the context of Cradle of Filth’s discography, despite containing some of the best music they have written so far.

Warthur Cruelty and the Beast is in some respects the definitive presentation of Cradle of Filth's musical vision of blackened gothic metal, at least in the sense that it's here that their musical style largely hit the formula they have worked variations on to this day. The concept album tells an extremely fanciful, exaggerated, and romanticised version of the life story of Elizabeth Bathory - heroine of numerous black metal tributes prior to this - which gives the band plenty of scope to pursue their perennial lyrical themes of blasphemy, eroticism, vampirism and Goddess-worship.

The closing Lustmord and Wargasm, a defiant declaration of war on Christianity to avenge Bathory, is the closest the album ever gets to full-on black metal, but for the most part the disc continues down the path of poetic lyrics and liberal use of synthesisers established on Dusk and Her Embrace - albeit the vocals this time around seem to lean further into Dani Filth's various schticks, something which has become a love-it-or-hate it aspect of the band's sound over the years.

At the epic climax of Bathory's story, the band get Ingrid Pitt to do some narration; this is an inspired choice in many ways, since Pitt played a character based on Bathory in Hammer Films' Countess Dracula and Cradle of Filth are in many ways the Hammer Films of extreme metal: yes, they might be tamer than some of their competitors, and yes they can be cheesy, but they offer a blend of fairly tame scares and sexual titillation which is distinctive and unique to them. Cruelty and the Beast illustrates this perfectly. It's certainly a dramatic affair, but it feels like it lacks substance compared to its predecessor.

arcane-beautiful One of the greatest albums of all time!

Yes, this is in my list, somewhere in the top 10 I believe, and yea, this album is a marvel to behold.

This album marked aload of changes for Cradle, with their first concept album. Now the concept isn't a huge factor, but I think it only makes the album better. The concept is portrayed perfectly and very uniquely, in Dani's own poetic way, mixing dark fantasy, gothic imagery, sexual stuff mixed with gore...it really is amazing. I suggest you read the lyrics whilst listening to the album, because it's like an epic poem...being spat like acid at your face...but in a good way. The concept is also told really uniquely too.

Now for those who don't know Elizabeth Bathory, or Erszebet Bathory as she is more likely known, she was a Dutch countess, who apparently killed virgins and bathed in their blood. Now, this may be legend (as the film Bathory shows), but still, a great story for a concept album, and its pulled of extremely well.

The sound is a major progression from Dusk & Her Embrace, with the black metal sound almost completely gone, and their own unique gothic extreme metal sound really coming into audible territory. Now their is still a raw domestic sound from this album, although apparently, it was not supposed to be. Apparently the band where not happy with the production of this album, and really dislike it due to that fact. Now, their maybe a few problems with production, but to be honest, I never really had any problems with it, in fact I kind of like it, I think it adds a certain eeriness to the album. Although, its all a matter of opinion, and who knows, maybe if it was spruced up, it may even sound better. Also I think this is Dani's zenith of his vocal powers.

The material on this album I think is their strongest yet, and these songs just are their most perfectly composed. The sound these guys make is always awe inspiring, mixing dark riffs, with beautiful melodic parts, haunting shireks, beautfiful female vocals and blastbeats. Although, at times on this album, things can be slowed down, which make for dynamic and more interesting songs, thus them being slightly longer, with this album having their longest song to date.

1. Once Upon Atrocity - Great instrumental. Very eerie and atmopsheric. Always dark and evil of course. 9/10

2. 13 Autumns & A Widow - An incredible way to start an album...with a backwards orchestra...and blastbeats. Great melodic moments and some really kick ass riffs. And of course Dani's shireks are amazing. 10/10

3. Cruelty Brought Thee Orchids - ONE OF THE GREATEST METAL SONGS EVER...MAYBE EVEN ONE OF THE GREATEST SONGS EVER. I love this song so much. Dani's narrative is just amazing, with his pentemater always making the song seem lyrical, with drum like potential. This song has so many interesting twists and turns, and of course the epic middle section, where Dani's screams gives me orgasms with every listen (it starts of "and to her dead reflection was as if her palor gleamed") If you've never heard this song, please check it out. It is epic beyond belief. 10/10

4. Beneath The Holwing Stars - This song has one of Cradle's best riffs. This song again is epic, but their is also some really melodic points, and even a really beautful section with female vocals. 10/10

5. Venus In Fear - Screams, orgasms and discords. This is just creepy...but I love it! 10/10

6. Desire In Violent Overture - This song is extremely overlooked by the fans and band, yet I think its one of the best songs on the album. Amazing chorus, and arrangement. Dani really shows amazing versiatility in his vocals. 10/10

7. The Twisted Nails Of Faith - One of the most dramatic songs on the album. Great arrangement, with the instrumentation really peeking at its highest level. 10/10

8. Bathory Aria - This is their longest song to date, being over 11 minutes. At times this song ins incredibly beautiful, and at times can go into darker teritories, but the beauty is always present somehow, and it seems a massive paradox, having beauty and Cradle Of Filth in the same sentence. Incredibly epic, and just an unrelented classic. 10/10

9. Portrait Of The Dead Countess - This is actually quite a beautiful instrumental. Really odd to see, but it does fit really well. 9/10

10. Lustmord & Wargasm (The Lick Of Carnivorous Winds) - This song has nothing to do with the concept...I think, but it is an amazing song. This song maintains their black metal roots being very fast, with some epic blastbeats. Great chorus too. 10/10

CONCLUSION: This album is just perfect in my eyes, and makes all other black metal seem fetid in comparison. If you have never listened to this album, either kill yourself our buy it...that's your only 2 choics...and don't say cake!