Cradle of Filth – Damnation and a Day
Is it Cradle of Filth’s fault that they attract the superficial goth metal crowd that thinks this band is the pinnacle of extreme and evil? Not really. Even though this band upholds the fashion trends surrounding the fetish scene, Cradle of Filth has been what it has been since the beginning, give or take a few egos and the fact that they have stuck to their guns even after being signed by Sony imprint label, Epic Records. The big surprise to me is the fact that “Damnation and a Day” is actually pretty damn decent. Why is this? There are actually long music breaks on this album and many moments where Dani Filth isn’t plastering every note with his diverse, though often annoying vocalizations. He is in total check this time out, giving the music time to breathe and develop below him. Yes, the flashy synth work still bothers me, but this element isn’t as overbearing as it has been in the past and does have it’s place on “Damnation…”. The theatrical slant of this band compliments the concept this time out by keeping it simple. The female vocals are restricted to a few songs only and the music seems developed and really poignant as full blown classical/soundtrack caliber instrumentals sit comfortably with twisting and turning metal that runs the gambit of emotions and intensities. “Damnation and a Day” is paced very effectively which also keeps the listener’s attention span from faltering. I haven’t been able to tolerate an album from this band this well since their “The Principle of Evil Made Flesh” debut… to this day the only Cradle release that I will willingly listen to. With “Damnation…” Cradle will not disappoint their corn syrup blood thirsty fans and likely won’t grab the black metal elitist squad by the short hairs and demand conversion, but I think that after an honest listen to this CD, one has to at the very least give Cradle of Filth some respect, for they have learned from their past mistakes and have created a better album within their already determined and colorful sound. -Marty
EPIC RECORDS
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