Cradle of Filth – Dusk and her Embrace – Review

Cradle of Filth

Dusk and her Embrace (Fierce)
by Dave Bone

Cradle of Filth have done what was once considered impossible in the Black Metal horde. They’ve released an album with excellent production and decipherable music while still retaining their integrity and cultish underground following. Throughout Europe the band has had censorship difficulties regarding the anti-Christian statements on their t-shirts. With their rapidly expanding fan base, the authorities are going to have one hell of a time acting as fashion police.

There is no drama to the Cradle of Filth story. No one has blown their head off, killed a homosexual, or burned a church. They spend their time creating lavishly intricate song structures and self-proclaimed “Supreme Vampyric Evil.” COF’s music is without cliché. All keyboard passages and intros are original and mature. The Gothic movie score-esque atmosphere sets the table for the merciless violence to come. The music is warp speed mayhem.

Guitarists, Stuart, and Gian, follow Dani’s vocals like Dracula’s wolves. Dani’s “desires better unsung” are three parts strangled man crying for help and one part Fabio the vampire. In many of the songs he serenades the beautiful voice of a female with Shakespearian grace. Sometimes his poeticism gets out of hand and comes off forced (for example, “Doth temptation prowl night in vulvic revelry”). But since his voice is used more like a percussion instrument than anything else, your hysterical laughter does not disrupt the song’s continuity. Cradle of Filth is highly recommended for any fan of Black Metal or possible recruits to the darkside. All hail the dark lord of infernal blasphemy under a full moon of apocalyptic war hymns!