I was actually initially duped by Cradle of Filth. I picked up the soundtrack to Resident Evil 2 right when I was at the peak of my love for female vocals in rock bands. Cradle of Filth placed their most radio friendly track in ‘Nymphetamine’ on this album. I was sucked in and purchased the album titled ‘Nymphetamine.’ I had no idea I would be shopping in the death metal section. After listening to this album, I actually felt the same sensation I feel while watching horror films. This was something I had never experienced before and was intrigued enough to listen to the rest of their collection.
Cradle of Filth have gone through several band members, but have always stayed true to their roots. You will hear some spoken work, a backing orchestra, some death growls, some surprisingly beautiful female vocals, and some very cools song subjects. If all else fails this week, I actually am looking forward to Laura’s opinion of the multiple interludes throughout each album. Most are only 2 minutes or so, but I feel a mix cd of all of them would be awesome for her Halloween party. ‘Satanic Mantra’ on Midian, ‘Satyriasis’ on Nymphetamine, ‘Darkness our Bride’ on Principle of Evil Made Flesh’ and ‘Venus in Fear’ on ‘Cruelty and the Beast’ are key examples.
After feedback from Lamb of God week, I have a pretty good idea of where everyone is going to land this week. Since Halloween was coming up, I felt this was a good opportunity to get you guys geared up for the party. This is a perfect opportunity to implement Laura’s proposed less stringent writing suggestions. So please feel free to try it out without judgment or consequence.
Suggested listening;
Midian (2000) – favorite tracks are Cthulhu Dawn, Saffron’s Curse, Satanic Mantra, Her Ghost in the Fog
Nymphetamine (2004) – favorite tracks are Satyriasis, Gilded Cunt, Nymphetamine, Gabrielle
Godspeed on the Devil’s Thunder (2008) – favorites are The Death of Love, In Grandeur and Frankincense Devilment Stirs, Honey and Sulphur
P.S. You're Welcome
Hello all, I am going to do my Cradle of Filth post on the week off, as I took this week off to get some things done around the house, and pack up for the upcoming weekend. I also figured I would "enjoy" Cradle of Filth better the actual week of Halloween. As I will also be watching scary movies with Thomas next week, it seems fitting to get all my scaring done in one week : )
ReplyDeleteI didn't get as far as I would have liked last night, but I got some more good listening in. Right off the bat I can say I am liking those non-singing interludes. They're very creepy and I especially like the organ. I will comment more over the next few days. And hopefully some more tonight on the specifics. I can say I dislike the singing just as I thought I would - but that it's far less annoying than it could be because of Thomas's timing around Halloween :)
ReplyDeleteFirst, I'm intrigued by the fact that you ended this post with "you're welcome." And now for some reflection...
ReplyDeleteMidian (2000) – Outside of Music Togetherness, I’ve had Simon and Garfunkel on repeat these past few weeks, and I’m not sure two bands could be more dissimilar. I think this goes without saying but this, for me, was interesting. Still, I tried to go in with an open mind. Thomas’s weeks are sometimes the hardest for me to get into and I’m not a fan of death metal, but I do like Halloween and tis the season.
I was pleasantly surprised by the first track, “From the Gates of Midian.” I think this was what Thomas was getting at when he mentioned they’d make a good pick on a Halloween playlist. I loved around the 1:40 mark when it sounded almost religious, but funerary. Love love love the organ. I’m a sucker for organ. And when the following track came in I instantly thought this would make a crazy track for Guitar Hero. As for the lyrics and the singing, this is not something I would listen to on a regular basis, but I guess it has its place. It’s a good pick for this week because the whole album actually sounds like a scary movie soundtrack.
I’m left wondering how much of this music actually speaks to fans and how much of it is a show… A drama… A costume… I mean, I’m not sure if I had even been able to understand the lyrics that I would have “understood” them. Then again, I’m not sure that’s even necessary since this leaves almost nothing to the imagination. Instead, bands like Cradle of Filth just throw everything they’ve got, emotions and otherwise, right at you so you don’t really have to think or feel for yourself as a listener. They’re doing it for you.
Mostly, Thomas was right – the tracks that appealed to me were the instrumentals and interludes. I think instrumentals have to be in my face for me to appreciate them – since these have no words I’m left to feel instead of made to think about something I might not understand. Outside of those tracks, I liked “Her Ghost in the Fog.” The vocals weren’t what I would call “good,” but they really suit Halloween.
What’s with the chanting on “Satanic Mantra?” It's odd to me that Thomas would name it as one of his favorites, but for some reason this song reminds me of Supernatural so I must once again stress that Thomas would love if he watched.
Overall, this album was what I expected of it. I wasn’t pleased with the musical quality overall, but I did like the interludes as they were fitting for this holiday season.
Nymphetamine (2004) – This album starts of with some chanting, and an intro that sounds like something that could have come out of The Omen. By the second track, I am appalled at their choice for song titles, and since they use that word in the song, I felt a little uncomfortable listening to it. By the third track, at least the music seemed to have improved a little. The vocals, however, have seemingly gotten worse.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I’ve noticed is that a lot of these songs are really long. Does anyone have any insight as to whether or not that is typical for this kind of music, and or why these songs are so long? I like that things slow down a little bit on “Gabrielle,” and I can appreciate some of the guitar riffs there. “Medusa and Hemlock” was actually pretty terrifying going in.
Notable tracks include “Nemesis” and “Swansong for a Raven.”
I was glad to see the band try to change up their sound here and there, but for the most part, they went back in every track but the interludes to that fast guitar screaming thing. My biggest problem, other than the screaming just to be screaming, is probably that all the songs sound the same to me, except for the little parts I mentioned. I don’t think I could get much out of this music, even with subsequent repeat listens.
Godspeed on the Devil’s Thunder (2008) – I thought the intro was very fitting for the album and the artist both. I honestly can’t tell if there’s been a progression as far as production or artistic value here, but I can say that I think this album has taken the creepy factor up just a notch. “The Death of Love” is an interesting take on vocals. Though not great, I think they are a step up from previous albums in some places. Mostly though, I think the vocals are just bad.
ReplyDeleteOK. I can’t believe I’ve gone three albums before asking this, but are these people serious? “Sweet Maleficia” seems kind of hardcore, and possibly a little blasphemous. This is one of the tracks I took the time to read about lyrics-wise, and if they’re serious, they are dealing with some serious stuff, though since I don’t know it’s a little out of context. Do you know Thomas?
I kind of like the British guy doing the intros. It makes the album seem like a collection of stories rather than songs about real feelings, which I guess answers my above question from my own perspective. What does everyone else think?
Another notably creepy track: “Darkness Incarnate” for the little children’s voices.
Overall, I wasn’t a fan this week, but I do agree that if ever there was a time to choose Cradle of Filth for Music Togetherness, it was Halloween week. Good job on that front.
I will be checking back throughout the week to see what anyone else had to say and see if it sparks anything else I forgot to comment on.
P.S. Interesting sidenote - as I was writing this post Brett E. commented on my Facebook post regarding Cradle of Filth, "Wow cradle of filth....I listen to metal and even I think cradle of filth is crazy/retarded." Going on that, I don't have high hopes for the rest of us.
Cradle of Filth and all other death metal bands, have never really had a place in my music repertoire. I don’t think I have ever been angry enough to actually listen to this sort of music voluntarily. I know Thomas loves to rock out, so I guess after a long hard day at work this is the sort of music he sees fit to let out his aggression.
ReplyDelete“At the Gates” definitely had that Halloween vibe going for it, and I could definitely see it as something played in the background of a scary movie. The next track definitely goes the direction I had expected the band to take. With the excessive screaming, and all around creepy vibe, dare I say these guys are even more hardcore than Lamb of God? I do like the organ in the background, as it adds that creepy vibe to the track. “Saffron’s Curse” adds a woman’s voice to the track, which is very fitting since the song is all about a woman who has sinned and is now on her way to hell. At least I think that is what the track is about. Lord Abortion’s lyrics are quite funny in parts, I mean who talks about getting it up the rear, in great detail no less. I sincerely hope that Thomas only listens to the musical aspects of these songs and not for the lyrical content. Otherwise I may be a bit worried about him. Love you dear! “Her Ghost in the Fog” really screams scary movie vibe. It almost sounds like it has a little of the Halloween soundtrack going on in it. It also has the woman’s vocal going on in the background, as if to add a touch of class to the song. “Satanic Mantra” is just a bunch of chanting, so I am wondering what it is about this track that Thomas likes so much. Is it the overall creepy feeling, or the subject matter? These guys are really good at rocking out, and I can see the appeal for all the Goth kids out there to this band. I know Thomas is not expecting high marks for this band, but I will give them props for the use of the organ and the overall spooky vibe each song gives off. It definitely is fitting music for this time of year.
“Satyriasis” is more of background music to me, and I definitely think these guys should just put out an entire album of tracks like these. People would buy there albums just so they could have them to play at Halloween parties. “Gilded Cunt” is a very offensive title, and after listening to the track I am thinking the reason likes this track is for the hardcore rocking out. Once again, I am hoping it is not for the lyrical content. These guys have no problem saying whatever the hell they want, as saying the word cunt is probably the worst word you could ever call a female. Let’s hope their mothers don’t listen to their music. Surprisingly “Nemesis” didn’t bother me that much and I actually kind of went into a dream world momentarily as I listened to it. “Gabrielle” was interesting and I really like how near the end the tempo slows down and you hear this guy just breath out the name Gabrielle. To me this song is more like a rock opera, as you do get the moments of “tenderness” here and there. I am noticing a lack of the organ on this album which is highly disappointing for me, as that was the one real thing I enjoyed about the band. “Painting Flowers White” was a nice instrumental track, and I liked the operatic voice thrown in for good measure. This song was almost too pretty to be on the album. “Swansong for a Raven” had a nice intro, and it seemed that as soon as I started feeling at ease with the song it immediately ripped into more heart pounding drum and guitar solos. I am noticing that this music makes me much more tense feeling, than your average music. This album was not as good to me as the previous; as I think it lost some of its creepy vibe, and went for a more mainstream metal sound.
ReplyDelete“In Grandeur and Frankincense Devilment Stirs,” is a great way to start the album off. Sorry to sound like a broken record but this track oozes Halloween/Scary movie. From the chanting, to the Vincent Price sound alike speaking to the music this may be the best track of the week for me. For me to go from that eerily creepy vibe into the hardcore drumming and shouting somehow does not go together. It is like taking a look at scary movies past, and what may now be used in a modern day scary movie. Personally I like to stick with the classics. “The Death of Love” has a vocalist reminiscent of Rammstein. It’s a really deep almost growling voice, and I keep thinking any moment he is going to break out into “Du Hast.” The woman’s voice on the track is a nice break from the norm, although it almost seems like it doesn’t fit well on the track. The “13th Caesar” has a very impressive drum solo. It seems that they are sticking with the deeper vocalist, and I actually think I prefer it to the high pitch screaming guy. “Honey and Sulfur” definitely has an apocalyptic feel to it. The growling in the song actually reminds me of Ace Ventura, when he is going to meet his scientist friend and has to walkthrough the huge mosh pit. This sounds quite similar to the music that was being played at the time.
ReplyDeleteOverall this week was what I expected to some extent, however a few tracks were quite impressive in the instrumental aspect. I was glad when Thomas told me he doesn’t listen to these guys but maybe once or twice a year. Otherwise I may have had him seek some religious guidance. : )
I've been holding off on my thoughts about CoF until Halloween weekend because I thought it would be perfect timing. I'm sorry to keep you in such suspense Thomas, but Halloween deserves a little uncertainty and mystery. My thoughts will be revealed tomorrow,muahahahahahahahahahaha! (that's supposed to be evil laughter)
ReplyDeleteCradle of Filth is on my radar only because my friend Chuck Schrank would be wearing t-shirts from these guys and other black metal bands whenever I would run into him. I always thought those shirts and their album covers were ridiculous, and while the testosterone-fueled man in me always enjoys the occasional Pantera, Slayer and pre-Black album Metallica, I have never delved into the recesses of black and goth metal. With that being said, I have very low expectations for my listening this week, which can only help CoF’s chances.
ReplyDeleteWith a name like Cradle of Filth, you pretty much know what you’re getting into; no one has ever willingly listened to a CoF album and been completely shocked by what they’ve heard. “At the Gates of Midian” is a terrific opening track that shows why this was a perfect pick for Halloween time. This atmospheric piece is reminiscent of an old Vincent Price film complete with whispered incantations and an eerie string section. It serves a seamless lead-in to “Cthulu Dawn” whose opening guitars reminded me of System of a Down. Dani’s lyrics are screechy and incomprehensible most of the time, but there is an operatic tone throughout their songs, which makes them very listenable. We’ve all enjoyed the over-the-top rocking of Dragonforce on Guitar Hero; though not as proficient, CoF manage to turn in a Guitar Hero worthy performance on “Amor E Morte”. “Tearing the Veil From Grace” chugs along hard and keeps a blistering pace that is punctuated by an angelic choir and sweeping guitar solo at the end. I was very impressed at their strong song structures and, at times, their nods to speed metal pioneers Motorhead.
The bad thing, about this music, is that it quickly all blurs together on me. Their saving grace, for me, is the way they blend the melodic/operatic aspects with the metal. “Absinthe With Faust” is a prime example of this as it develops a real emotional storyline that makes them a bit more dynamic than just the straightforward nu-metal that currently dominates all of the other metal sub-genres. This week has really gotten me in the mood to listen to some Iron Maiden and the Misfits/Danzig, which I will proceed to do after this. “Nymphetamine(Overdose)” threw me for a loop with the almost r&b female vocal, at over 9 minutes long it amazing holds my attention and can easily be called their “November Rain”. Like everyone else, I really enjoy the interludes like “Painting Flowers….”, it kind of takes me back to John Williams week with the way they create mood. The production quality seems much better on Nymphetamine, Dani’s voice sounds like a crazy pirate throughout most of “English Fire” singing bleak stories from the sea, I also liked the bookend piano on this song. So far, Cradle of Filth has been way better than I thought it would be.
ReplyDeleteI was only able to find a handful of tracks from Godspeed on Grooveshark, only one of which was one of your favorites Thomas, “The Death of Love”. After listening to it, I think the songs are just becoming extremely funny to me. Once again, Thomas has surprised me with an artist I had zero faith in. This was the perfect artist for Halloween and I will definitely revisit them next year at this time.
This is something that I don't think would have worked for me at all any time other than the Halloween season, but the mood that surrounds it has given this music a sort of appeal that otherwise might not have existed. I've heard darker music than this in the past, from bands like Sunn O))) and Nachtmystium among others, but the gothic touches that the band puts into their music really makes it more listenable than it would otherwise be. As far as the lyrical content, it's mostly just humorously over-the-top (and bad), but occasionally it teeters over the edge into offensive territory, where the band just seems to say things just because they feel they can. I hate things like that in music, but of course I believe in a freedom of expression, so I just try to ignore those instances.
ReplyDeleteOn 'Midian', like everyone else, I really enjoy the organ that is present underneath practically every song. It really gives the music a more epic feel to it, which is what a band that writes music like this is definitely going for. I really like the chiming beginning to "Saffron's Curse", and the second half of the song really rocks out, in a good way. One thing that this kind of music always makes me think about is how much it must hurt your voice to "sing" like that....I can't imagine even trying it. "Amore E Morte" means "Love and Death", and is one of the more screwed up love songs I've ever heard. I really enjoy when the choir joins the song about halfway through, and the guitar solo reminds me of the good metal that came out of the 80s. "Her Ghost In the Fog" is another of my favorite songs on the album, and the whole song really gives me the horror movie vibe, with its operatic vocals, and what sound like ghosts during the breakdown. "Tearing the Veil From Grace" is my favorite song on the album, and steps the epicness up another notch. I really like when these guys add the female vocals...it really separates them from other similar bands I've heard. Overall this was a much better album than what I was expecting, and I enjoyed it quite a bit more than I'm sure Thomas was thinking that I would.
'Midian' Album Rating: 55%
If there was one concern I had with 'Midian', it was that the production quality was a bit lacking....there wasn't much of a bass presence to the music, which of course isn't a huge concern in this genre, but it took away from the fullness of the music overall. This album definitely alleviates that concern, but overall the music just isn't as good as on the previous album. To start things off, the album contains a song with a repeated use of my least favorite word in the English language, which immediately takes some marks off. The music itself is much less interesting than on the previous album, as the band seems to have gone to a more basic death metal approach, which I just don't appreciate as much. "Absinthe With Faust" is the first instance of anything that stands out for me, with it's nice string section, but it's really under-utilized. The female vocals on the title track are a real surprise, as the style of the vocals are just something I'd never expect to hear on a CoF song. "Painting Flowers..." is definitely their best interlude thus far, and one that definitely wouldn't be out of place on any horror movie soundtrack. "English Fire" is the best song on the album with its old English folk structure, and is definitely a style that the band should look to later on. In all though, this album just wasn't nearly as strong as the earlier one, and is probably one that I won't be returning to, other than to put the interlude on a Halloween playlist next year.
ReplyDelete'Nymphetamine' Album Rating: 42%
"The Death of Love", on 'Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder' brings back a lot of the things that I liked about CoF from the first album. The female vocals just suit these guys perfectly, and I just don't understand why they don't utilize them more than they actually do. I wonder if "Tragic Kingdom" was inspired by No Doubt in any way? Just kidding, of course. The song itself sounds like 15 or so other songs by the band, and shows how this music can really start to run together after hearing it all in a row. "Sweetest Maleficia" is a pretty interesting song about a man losing his soul to evilness, which I'm sure isn't uncharted territory for this band, but this is one of the few songs where I was really able to hear the lyrics clearly. "Honey and Sulphur" reminds me a great deal of the movie "The Omen", and I can really see a song like this being played behind Damien himself. "Darkness Incarnate" might be the creepiest of the bands songs, with child featuring intro....kids are always scary. This album really brought back a lot of the horror movie elements that the last one was missing, and due to that it was a much better album in my opinion. While I definitely don't like the subject matter that this band constantly writes about, the music itself is in many cases much better than I would have ever expected. While it's not something I could listen to often, I'll definitely have to pull some of it out around Halloween. Definitely a good pick by Thomas, and one that was completely unexpected.
ReplyDelete'Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder' Album Rating:
50%